Safe Arrival & Dismissal

Safe Arrival & Dismissal

Purpose

This policy and the procedures within help support the safe arrival and dismissal of children receiving care.

This policy will provide staff, students and volunteers with a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities for ensuring the safe arrival and dismissal of children receiving care, including what steps are to be taken when a child does not arrive at the child care centre as expected, as well as steps to follow to ensure the safe dismissal of children.

Policy

Jackman Community Daycare will ensure that any child receiving child care at the child care centre is only released to the child’s parent/guardian or an individual that the parent/guardian has provided written authorization the child care centre may release the child to.

Jackman Community Daycare will only dismiss children into the care of their parent/guardian or another authorized individual. The centre will not release any children from care without supervision. Notification of authorized individuals must be provided to the daycare in writing 24 hours in advance of the pick up.
Individuals between the ages of 12-17 who parents/guardians authorize to pick up their child, must also receive approval from the ED or Supervisor.
A parent/guardian may request that a child who is 10 years old or older be released from child care without supervision. Parents/Guardians must provide written and signed authorization and instructions for the release of the child including the time of dismissal. The Executive Director or Supervisor must also approve the request.
Where a parent/guardian provides written instructions for the release of their 10-year-old child from care without supervision, the parent/guardian is aware that Jackman Community Daycare is no longer responsible for that child upon their dismissal.

Where a child does not arrive in care as expected or is not picked up as expected, staff must follow the safe arrival and dismissal procedures set out below.

Procedure

Safe Arrival Procedures:
All families are required to follow the procedures below when their child will be absent from Jackman Community Daycare:

All Preschool and Nursery School families must call the daycare room by 9:00AM if their child will not be attending;
On school days, all families from JK-Grade 6 must call their daycare room prior to 3:00PM if their child will not be attending daycare after school, the daycare and school do not have the same reporting system;
On PA days and Holiday Breaks when the daycare offers full day care, families must call their child’s daycare room by 9:00AM if they will not be attending;
Parents and or Guardians must escort the child directly into the child care program where one of our staff will receive them and record the child’s arrival time. Jackman Community Daycare is not responsible for children that walk into Jackman Public School without a parent escort.

Parents/guardians can also advise the room staff in advance of planned absences, i.e. vacation, after school activities, etc.

Where a child has not arrived in care as expected:

When a child does not arrive at JCD and the parent/guardian has not communicated their child absence by the above noted times, or the child does not arrive to daycare after school, the staff in the classroom must place a call to the parents/guardians. If parents do not answer, staff will leave a message.
If confirmation cannot be received via phone, the daycare office will send an email to both parents/guardians for absence confirmation. For JK-Grade 6 students, staff will contact school teacher and school office.
A text message will also be sent to both parents/guardians from the daycare cell phone
If the daycare has not been able to reach the parents/guardians by 10:30am for morning drop offs, or 4:30pm for after school, the listed emergency contact will be phoned.
After phone calls and email attempts where the parents/guardians have not informed the centre of the child’s absence, and the parents/guardians and emergency contact cannot be reached; the child will be assumed to be absent*. A notation in the daily written record will be documented on the attempts to reach the parents/guardians to confirm childs attendance.

* If the daycare received confirmation from the school office and teacher that the child in grade JK-6 was in class but did not report to daycare AND parents/guardian and emergency contact could not be reached by 4:30pm, the authorities will be contacted.