Daycare Parent Package

Child Family Profile

The following questions are designed to assist Steps Academy members of staff with information about your child to provide the best, most appropriate care. This information is confidential and will not be shared. These questions are meant to initiate mutual trust and respect with families that will develop into a strong, cooperative partnership between parents and Steps Academy.

While we know occasional accidents happen, regular accidents may jeopardize a child's attendance.Steps Academy considers a child fully potty-trained when he/she can self-discipline going to the bathroom without constant reminders or monitoring.

If your child is enrolled in our transition room, the must have already started potty-training and understand what it means to go to the bathroom before attending at First Steps. Pull-ups are acceptable but diapers are not permitted as FSA does not have diaper-changing stations available. Please ensure you send an ample supply of pull-ups and wipes each day if your child still needs them.

Should bathrooming concerns arise, parents will be contacted to arrange a plan of action, so as not to jepordize their child's attendance.

Steps Academy works with families from many cultures and backgrounds and always tries its best to accommodate the needs, customs and preferences of all families.

An integral element of the multi-cultural events and practices Steps Academy recognizes throughout the year is that input is received from families on anything specifically important to them. The following comment sections are not mandatory but are definitely encouraged.

Appropriate behaviour is encouraged and praised. A number of our instructors have been trained in the violence prevention program, and they have effectively incorporated many strategies in the classroom. When undesirable behaviour occurs, positive guidance and redirection of a child's attention is generally sufficient action to end it.

In extreme situations, a child may be given reflection time to think about their actions in the classroom, or be removed from the classroom to give them a chance to think about and/or talk about their behaviour.

Physically aggressive behaviour, such as biting, kicking, hitting etc. cannot and will not be tolerated. To protect all of the children and encourage acceptable behaviour, instructors will intervene immediately if a child becomes physically aggressive.

Steps Academy staff will make every effort while children are at school, and we will always work closely with parents/guardian, to help children cope successfully in the world around them. However, parents/guardians must understand that consistently aggressive disruptive behaviour is unacceptable and may result in dismissal from the program.

Guidance policies (see below) are written, regularly reviewed, and agreed upon by the child care program administrative staff, teaching staff and parents. These policies reflect positive behavioural management and child guidance at an age when children need adult assistance in making appropriate choices regarding their social, emotional, and physical development.

With regard to behavioural management issues, Steps Academy ensures that child guidance methods utilized in the program are communicated to:

• Parents
• Staff
• Children, where developmentally appropriate, and any child guidance strategy taken is reasonable and appropriate in the circumstances.

With respect to a child in the program, Steps Academy will under no circumstances engage in the following:

• Inflict or cause to be inflicted any form of physical punishment, verbal or physical degradation or emotional deprivation
• Deny or threaten to deny any basic necessity 
• Use or permit the use of any form of physical restraint, confinement or isolation

The following outlines the guidelines staff utilize upon their observation of inappropriate child interactions, or when conflict arises:

• Central to the child program's philosophy of education is the belief in the innate goodness of the child, and his/her ability to develop inner discipline.
• In a gentle and kind manner staff members will offer positive guidance to children to reinforce their appropriate behaviours, encourage cooperation, and express their concerns to one another. This helps in the area of prevention strategies and offers the child guidance that respects the self-esteem of all
• Staff react quickly to stop or redirect undesirable behaviour as soon as they observe that children are unable to manage their interactions independently.

Inappropriate Behaviours

Behaviours that persist over time which are disruptive will be documented by program staff. Program Supervisors will notify parents if behaviours are persistent and if all compassion-based strategies to modify behaviour to reflect positive habits are not effective. We are happy to work with parents by suggesting community resources if needed to help children modify inappropriate behaviours.

However, Steps Academy reserves the right to terminate care if after these efforts, it is determined that Steps Academy cannot meet the child's needs.

HiMama

In the interest of safety and security we require parent permission for the publishing of children’s work, photographs or videos through a software program called HiMama.

By signing this form you grant permission for us to photograph or video your
child for the purposes of sharing this information with you through the Program.

If you choose not to receive photos you will still receive updates and information about your child through the Program to the email you have provided.

**Note that sometimes other children in the center may feature in photos, videos or stories of your child. By giving your consent you agree not to share photos or video of any child, other than your own, outside the Program without permission

I give permission for my child, to be photographed/appear in video, while attending Steps Academy for:

I understand that it is my responsibility to update this form if I no longer wish to authorize one or more of the above uses. If you grant permission for use of photos and if at any time, there is a photo that you wish to have removed please contact the office and we will edit or remove the photo.

 

**No child names will be displayed by Steps Academy**

Please note, for the health and security of all families we reserve the right to make assessments regarding children's health. As a preventative measure we may err on the side of caution within our assessment to avoid the spread of illness/disease.

• Pain - any complaints of unexplained or undiagnosed pain or discomfort
• Fever (100°F/37.5°C or higher) Sore throat or trouble swallowing
• Unexplained diarrhea or loose stool combined with nausea, vomiting or abdominal cramps.
• Nausea or vomiting
• Severe itching of body and scalp
• Known or suspected communicable diseases

Children can return following a 24 hour symptom-free period

You are required to keep (or take) your child home when your child:

1. Is suffering from one or more of the above symptoms
2. Is not well enough to participate in the activities at Steps Academy including outdoor time

Upon pickup parents may be asked to sign the illness form acknowledging that their child will be symptom free, without the aid of symptom reducing medications such as Tylenol, etc., for a full 24 hours prior to returning to Steps Academy. We reserve the right to send any child who is exhibiting these symptoms home.

If you wish for your child to return to the program prior to the 24 hours, they will need to receive a doctor's note that says the child is healthy enough to return to our centre and is able to participate in all aspects of our daily programming.

Parents will inform Steps Academy within 24 hours of a diagnosis of a serious illness or contagious disease of a communicable nature in the family. This is to protect all families who attend Steps Academy. Failure to do so is grounds for immediate termination of care.

***During any pandemic Steps Academy will follow AHS guidelines and may choose to enact their own policies in addition to those guidelines.***

Prescription medications will only be given to a child in care with the following conditions:

• Parent provides written permission to Steps Academy complete with full instructions regarding dosage and times of day to administer prescription medication. (Forms are available for this purpose for parent(s) to complete.)

• All prescribed medications must have the child's name clearly indicated on the prescription bottle.

 

CARE OF A SICK CHILD AND NOTIFICATION OF PARENTS

 

When a child becomes ill, they will be able to rest in a designated quiet and comfortable area and will be closely supervised until the parent/guardian arrives.  Once the parent/guardian arrives they may be asked to sign the Child Illness Record for your child’s file.

Parents will be notified immediately and agree to begin making alternate work arrangements or arrangements for alternate care. If your child is seriously ill, you or an alternate must come for the child IMMEDIATELY. If parents cannot be reached, the emergency contact list will be consulted or the child's doctor may be contacted depending on the seriousness of the illness.

I give permission for the staff at Steps Academy to apply a sunscreen product, which I have provided, when my child will be playing outside during the months of June to September.  I understand sunscreen may be applied to exposed skin, including but not limited to the face, tops of ears, bare shoulders, arms and legs. I will apply sunscreen before my child arrives to Steps Academy in the morning.

A parent or guardian must authorize up to 3 individuals to pick up their child from child care Authorized individuals will be required to present valid identification and provide the “ safe word” to pick up any child from our care. This is in addition to the parent/guardian.

All alternates without a code word or ID must report to the office at pick up. To avoid any unnecessary delays or confusion, please ensure you have relayed the safe/code word and reminded your alternate to bring ID when picking up.

Release of a Child

Parents are required to indicate the name and phone number of all authorized individuals who are clear to pick up the child.

 

Unauthorized Pick Up

The parent/guardian is required to notify Steps Academy in writing (personal email) if someone else, other than the authorized persons, will pick up their child. Please provide name, phone number, and description of the person. The person will be asked to show photo identification and will need to have been provided the “safe word.”

 

Custody and Related Court Orders

Steps Academy staff cannot become involved in the marital or custody issues of enrolled families. If a custody or court order exists, a copy of the order needs to be placed in the child's file. The guardian is responsible for providing up-to-date and accurate information concerning the legal guardianship of the child. Without a custody or court order on file, Steps Academy staff cannot deny access to the non-enrolling parent. If the non-enrolling parent is not listed on the pick up list, the policy on “Unauthorized Pick Up” will be implemented (see above).

 

Please provide the names and phone numbers of 3 additional persons to contact in case you cannot be reached:

*Please note these contact individuals should have knowledge of the code word you have listed*

I agree that all the above-mentioned persons have provided their consent to be named on my Emergency Contact List at Steps Academy.

I give permission for my child to participate in Community Walks.  Information about these walks will be posted on the classroom door.  This information will include a map of the route taken, the number of children and staff on the walk as well as the departure and return time.

 

Safety Measures taken by Steps Academy Staff during this trip:

• First Aid Kit in Transport bag
• Portable records of all children
• Office informed of location, time, route walked and number of children
• Any medication and forms that may be required to be administered during the child’s time with us
• Frequent head counts
• Ratio always maintained
• Rules discussed prior to each trip
• Inform the office of the walking route and location
• Posted walking route and location on classroom door
• Cell Phones for any necessary communication and photos 

I give permission that my child may be given emergency First Aid treatment by a staff member of Steps Academy.

In consideration of allowing the previously declared participant(s) to begin participation in Steps Academy activities, while on the premises and property of said centres, the undersigned, for themselves, and/or being the legal and acting guardian of participant(s), acting for themselves and on behalf of the participant(s), release and hold harmless Steps Academy, its owners, employees, and agents of and from any and all liability, claims, demands, and causes of action whatsoever, arising out of or related to any loss, damage, or injury, including death, that may be sustained by the participant and/or the undersigned while in or upon the premises upon which Steps Academy is conducted, or any premises under the control and/or supervision of Steps Academy, its owners, officers, employees, or agents or in route to or from and of the said premises, or while at any premises or place when activities sponsored by or participated in by Steps Academy, its owners, officers, agents or employees.