Name of Child Care Centre: A PLACE TO GROW

Date Policy and Procedures Established: SEPTEMBER 2017 Date Policy and Procedures Updated: SEPTEMBER 5, 2017

Purpose The purpose of this policy is to provide a transparent process for parents/guardians, the child care licensee and staff to use when parents/guardians bring forward issues/concerns.

Definitions Licensee: The individual or agency licensed by the Ministry of Education responsible for the operation and management of each child care centre it operates (i.e. the operator). Staff: Individual employed by the licensee (e.g. program room staff).

Policy At A Place to Grow, we have an open door policy…feel free to drop in any time, keep in mind that the children do rest from 12:30 to 2:30. If at any time a concern arises please address the head teacher in charge of your child’s classroom verbally or in written form. If you feel that your concern has not been addressed appropriately, please seek out the attention of the supervisor. You can call the centre at any time and request to speak to the supervisor, if he/she is not in, leave a message and you will receive a call back within 24 hours. Or feel free to email the director at a_placetogrow@cogeco.net.

General Parents/guardians are encouraged to take an active role in our child care centre and regularly discuss what their child(ren) are experiencing with our program. As supported by our program statement, we support positive and responsive interactions among the children, parents/guardians, child care providers and staff, and foster the engagement of and ongoing communication with parents/guardians about the program and their children. Our staff are available to engage parents/guardians in conversations and support a positive experience during every interaction. All issues and concerns raised by parents/guardians are taken seriously by supervisor and director and will be addressed. Every effort will be made to address and resolve issues and concerns to the satisfaction of all parties and as quickly as possible. Issues/concerns may be brought forward verbally or in writing. Responses and outcomes will be provided verbally, or in writing upon request. The level of detail provided to the parent/guardian will respect and maintain the confidentiality of all parties involved. An initial response to an issue or concern will be provided to parents/guardians within three business day(s). The person who raised the issue/concern will be kept informed throughout the resolution process. Investigations of issues and concerns will be fair, impartial and respectful to parties involved. Confidentiality Every issue and concern will be treated confidentially and every effort will be made to protect the privacy of parents/guardians, children, staff, students and volunteers, except when information must be disclosed for legal reasons (e.g. to the Ministry of Education, College of Early Childhood Educators, law enforcement authorities or a Children’s Aid Society).

Conduct Our centre maintains high standards for positive interaction, communication and role-modeling for children. Harassment and discrimination will therefore not be tolerated from any party. If at any point a parent/guardian, provider or staff feels uncomfortable, threatened, abused or belittled, they may immediately end the conversation and report the situation to the supervisor and/or licensee. Concerns about the Suspected Abuse or Neglect of a child Everyone, including members of the public and professionals who work closely with children, is required by law to report suspected cases of child abuse or neglect. If a parent/guardian expresses concerns that a child is being abused or neglected, the parent will be advised to contact the local Children’s Aid Society(CAS) directly. Persons who become aware of such concerns are also responsible for reporting this information to CAS as per the “Duty to Report” requirement under the Child and Family Services Act. For more information, visit http://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/English/childrensaid/reportingabuse/index.aspx

Procedures Nature of Issue or Concern Steps for Parent and/or Guardian to Report Issue/Concern: Steps for Staff and/or Licensee in responding to issue/concern:

Program Room-Related E.g: schedule, sleep arrangements, toilet training, indoor/outdoor program activities, feeding arrangements, etc. Raise the issue or concern to - the classroom staff directly or - the supervisor or licensee. - Address the issue/concern at the time it is raised or - Arrange for a meeting with the parent/guardian within two business days. Document the issues/concerns in detail. Documentation should include: - - the date and time the issue/concern was received; - the name of the person who received the issue/concern; - the name of the person reporting the issue/concern; - the details of the issue/concern; and - any steps taken to resolve the issue/concern and/or information given to the parent/guardian regarding next steps or referral. Provide contact information for the appropriate person if the person being notified is unable to address the matter. Ensure the investigation of the issue/concern is initiated by the appropriate party within two business days or as soon as reasonably possible thereafter. Document reasons for delays in writing. Provide a resolution or outcome to the parent(s)/guardian(s) who raised the issue/concern.

General, Centre- or Operations-Related E.g: child care fees, hours of operation, staffing, waiting lists, menus, etc. Raise the issue or concern to - - the supervisor or licensee.

Staff-, Duty parent-, Supervisor-, and/or Licensee-Related Raise the issue or concern to - the individual directly or - the supervisor or licensee. All issues or concerns about the conduct of staff, duty parents, etc. that puts a child’s health, safety and well-being at risk should be reported to the supervisor as soon as parents/guardians become aware of the situation. Student- / Volunteer-Related Raise the issue or concern to - the staff responsible for supervising the volunteer or student or - the supervisor and/or licensee. - All issues or concerns about the conduct of students and/or volunteers that puts a child’s health, safety and well-being at risk should be reported to the supervisor as soon as parents/guardians become aware of the situation.

Escalation of Issues or Concerns: Where parents/guardians are not satisfied with the response or outcome of an issue or concern, they may escalate the issue or concern verbally or in writing to a_placetogrow@cogeco.net.

Issues/concerns related to compliance with requirements set out in the Child Care and Early Years Act., 2014 and Ontario Regulation 137/15should be reported to the Ministry of Education’s Child Care Quality Assurance and Licensing Branch.

Issues/concerns may also be reported to other relevant regulatory bodies (e.g. local public health department, police department, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Labour, fire department, College of Early Childhood Educators, Ontario College of Teachers, College of Social Workers etc.) where appropriate.

Contacts: Ministry of Education, Licensed Child Care Help Desk: 1-877-510-5333 or childcare_ontario@ontario.ca