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  Daycare Policy Manual

Sunnyside Day Care 

Family Hand Book of Day Care Policies:

1. Philosophy:

Our philosophy is to serve the needs of your children. Our primary focus is to love, nurture and take the best possible care of your children in a fun, warm and loving environment. Our secondary focus is to begin the process of childhood education through informal learning activities using the High/Scope method. Our daycare is licensed by the Ministry of Community and Social Services and adheres to the requirements of The Day Nurseries Act of Ontario (revised statuses of Ontario, 1990 Chapter D2) a copy of which is available on request. 

Sunnyside Daycare provides care for a total of 48 children spanning 4 classroom levels: Infant (6 to 18 months), Toddler (1 1/2 to 2 1/2 years), Preschool (2 1/2 to 4 years) and Kindergarten (4 to 6 years). Our loving teachers continuously strive to mimic the nurturing environment that individual parents provide for their children in their own home. Frequent staff meetings are scheduled to ensure that this objective is achieved. Our team of 7 staff members are all Early Childhood Educators with lots of experience. Teamwork, support, nurturing and lots of love are our joint mandate! 

2. Hours of Operation and Location:

1.   Sunnyside Daycare is located at 10 High Park Boulevard, just 2 blocks East of High Park

2.   Hours of operation are from 7.45am to 6.00pm Monday to Friday.

3.   All statutory holidays are observed.

4.   Sunnyside Day Care closes for approximately one week at Christmas and one week at the end of August each year.

5.  Children should be dropped at daycare no later than 9.00am and can be fetched between 3.00pm and 6.00pm. Between the hours of 9.30am and 4.00pm, children will be engaged in the activities of the daily program and may not necessarily be on the daycare premises.

6.   If your child is going to arrive later than 9.00am or is not going to attend daycare for a day, please call no later than 9.15am to notify the staff.

7.    Please note, if you are later than 1 hour past closing time to fetch your child and have not notified the daycare the Children’s Aid Society will be contacted as per the mandate set by the Ministry of Community and Social Services. 

Holiday Schedule for 2009:

Please note the following upcoming holiday schedule:

3. Fees:

1.        Our monthly rate is outlined in the application package, but is based on an approximate fee of $52.00 per day.

2.        We do not make provision for overtime. Late pickups will be billed at  $1.00 per minute past closing.

3.        Fees are to be paid via post-dated cheques, submitted on enrolment and should be made payable to Sunnyside Day Care.

4.        Fees are still owed in the event of a child's absence due to illness or vacation.

5.        A $20.00 fee is charged for all NSF cheques.
 

4. Admission and Discharge Policies:

Admission requirements include:

1.        Up to date immunization for the child being placed.

2.        Completion of the required medical, parental and contractual forms enclosed within this package.

3.        The ratio of admitted children adheres to the Day Nurseries Act of Ontario requirements which requires:

a) 3 children under 18 months to one caregiver

b) 5 children between 18 months and 30 months to 1 caregiver

c) 8 children between 30 months and 5 years to 1 caregiver

4.        Children are accepted on a first-come-first-serve basis, provided they meet the requirements outlined in this section.

Discharge policies include:

1.        You are required to provide one full month’s notice if you intend to withdraw your child from care for any reason. This means that notice must be provided either on the 1^st of the month or prior to the 1^st for withdrawal past the 30^th of the following month.

2.        You will be required to immediately withdraw your child from care if payment is not made for a required pay period.

3.        You may be required to immediately withdraw your child from care if your child displays consistent unreasonable or unacceptable behaviour that could be to the detriment of other children.

4.        You will be required to withdraw your child from care if your child contracts a long-term communicable medical condition that may endanger the health of other children or a disability that this daycare is not equipped to provide adequate care services for.

5.        You may be required to withdraw your child from care if one or both parents of a child display consistent unreasonable behaviour when dealing with staff members or with their child.

6.        You will be required to withdraw your child from care if late pick-up past closing time exceeds an acceptable level.

5. Program Development:

Please see the Daily Program schedules at the end of this package. Please note, at Sunnyside we believe that a challenging and stimulating environment will encourage mental and physical development. Using the High/Scope method of classroom layout divided into learning centres, the children may choose to participate in scheduled activities, or simply engage in play. Group participation is encouraged but never forced. Our program is constantly re-evaluated through frequent staff meetings to ensure that the needs of each child are being met. Supervisor and teacher meetings are held every 12 weeks and individual parent-teacher meetings are held every 4 months to ensure this objective is achieved. 

Our Program Plan includes the following activities:

1.        group and individual activities

2.        active and quiet play

3.        activities designed to promote gross and fine motor skills

4.        activities to promote language and cognitive skills

5.        activities to promote social and emotional development

6.        at least 2 hours of outdoor play is provided for children of all ages, weather permitting.

7.        every child between the ages of 18 months and 6 years has a rest period not exceeding 2 hours following lunch. Children that don't feel sleepy may engage in quiet play after an hour of lie-down time. 

6. Parental Involvement:

1.        Newly enrolled children are invited to spend an hour or two in the classroom with one of their parents for a “meet and greet” visit. After the “meet and greet” session, a series of “phase-in” days will be set up.

2.        Phase-in: Parents are encouraged not to stay for any period of time during phase-in days. This is distressing for both the child and the parent and makes the teacher’s job more difficult. It also slows down the process of the caregivers bonding with the child.

3.        We suggest that the child is left with their new teachers for an hour initially, followed by scheduled longer time periods depending on the child’s progress.

4.        Phase-in can take as little as two days or as long as six weeks.

5.        Overall we encourage parental involvement with our special events, class parties, teaching visitors and with field trips. This enables parents to be involved in our care process while still allowing their child the independence of having an individual and unique relationship with their teachers and peers.

6.        Daily communication with the parents of enrolled children is vital to providing a smooth and informed transition at the end of a child’s day. You teacher will provide you with a daily record of your child’s activities including information about eating, sleeping, eliminating and activity level.

7.        A Developmental Report outlining your child’s progress will be sent home every 6 months. This will be accompanied by an opportunity for a parent to teacher meeting. At any time, parents are encouraged to meet with the teachers and/or supervisor of the daycare if there are any questions or concerns that need to be addressed. 

7. Nutritional Practices:

All meals provided are catered by Boaden Catering and are nutritiously balanced by a dietician as required by the Day Nurseries Act of Ontario.

1. All meals are trans-fat free and 100% whole grained.
2. No nuts or pork products are used to prepare the meals.
3. 100% pure fruit juice is served.
4. The drinking of fresh water is encouraged.

1.        For infants under 18 months, a written schedule of feeding is required from each parent. Parents are free to provide their own baby foods on a daily basis if they desire. We will refrigerate, warm and serve these meals to your child as per the parent's instruction. If a child under 18 months is comfortable eating catered fare, we welcome the opportunity to provide for him or her. Drinks supplied by parents (eg: bottles of milk, formula or juice cups) must be labeled with your child's name in waterproof ink. 

For all catered foods the following applies:

2.        A weekly menu is posted in each classroom. Individual copies are provided on request.

3.        All lunches served each day include one serving of milk or dairy, one serving of meat or meat alternatives, one serving of bread or cereals and 2 servings from fruits and vegetables.

4.        If you require your child to have more than the one serving of milk provided at lunchtime, please send it in a bottle or sip cup to daycare along with your child’s name.

5.        Nutritious between meal snacks that will not interfere with a child's meal time appetite and will not compromise good dental health are provided. 

8. Anaphylaxis Policy:

Sunnyside Day Care is 100% peanut and nut free. In accordance with Sabrina’s Law, brought into effect under the Day Nurseries Act as of May 1, 2007, we need to ensure that children with life-threatening allergies are properly protected in a day care environment. Under the Anaphylaxis Policy, Sunnyside requires the following parent co-operation:

1. No food products may be brought into the daycare by parents. Only baby food in jars and packed Kindergarten lunches for the ½ day PM children (consumed off the premises) are permitted.
2. If any child has eaten peanut butter or a peanut/nut product at home for breakfast parents MUST wash their hands and faces with water and soap as well as BRUSH their teeth well before bringing them to daycare.
3. Parents with anaphylactic children MUST complete an Individual Plan for Emergency Procedure for their child.
4. Parents with anaphylactic children MUST provide a dedicated prescription EpiPen or TwinJect Pen for their child that remains at the daycare at all times. This pen will be taken on every outing with the children.
5. Anaphylactic children MUST wear a Medic Alert bracelet at all times identifying their condition.
6. All staff will receive annual training on emergency procedures and EpiPen/TwinJect use.
7. A notice of all children’s allergies will be posted in each classroom and in the kitchen.
8. Epipens and asthma inhalers must be provided to staff in a clearly labeled zip-lock bag with the child’s name on the outside and the date of the medication’s expiration.
9. The medication must be clearly labeled with instruction for use.
10. A Sunnyside medication Administration form should be included in the bag indicating the dose per use and the time of day when it should be administered.

9. Health Practices:

1.        Daily observation is made of each child in attendance before the child begins to associate with other children in order to detect possible symptoms of ill health.

2.        A child may be refused acceptance for the day at daycare if he/she is determined to be unwell by the caregivers.

3.        When a child is determined to be ill once in our care the child is kept apart from the other children until a parent or guardian fetch the child.

4.        When it is not possible for a parent to reach us in a timely fashion and it appears that the child needs immediate medical attention, the child will be taken to be examined by a legally qualified health practitioner as is required by law.

5.        We are conveniently located a few blocks from St. Joseph’s Health Centre.

6.        We maintain 2 First Aid kits and accompanying manuals on the premises for minor injuries.

7.        All drugs and medications, prescription or otherwise, must be locked in the Medical Lock Box in the staff common areas. Please notify your child’s teacher if you are sending any kind of medication to daycare with them so that it may be placed in the Lock Box.

8.        No Tylenol, Advil, Tempra or equivalents are allowed to be administered to children at daycare unless a separate written doctor’s note is brought along for each occurrence where Tylenol or an equivalent must be administered. The Ministry of Community and Social Services advises that any child who requires a pain or fever relieving medication should not be in attendance at daycare until they are able to function comfortably without medication.

9.        No holistic or naturopathic drugs may be administered at this daycare.

10.     Prescription drugs may be administered to a child under written authorization from a doctor. Every drug must bear a prescription label with the child’s name, date and dosage. If Tylenol or an equivalent has been prescribed by a doctor, it must contain a prescription label with the same information as required for prescription drugs. Once at daycare, a Medication Permission Slip (ask your caregiver for this) must be completed by a parent for each new medication to be administered to a child. Please note, a medical report has to be completed by the staff member who administers the prescription drug to your child for each occurrence of drug administration.

11.     As per the Day Nurseries Act of Ontario, and Toronto Public Health’s requirements parents may not send a child to daycare if they are sick. Under no circumstance should a child who has any of the following symptoms be brought to daycare:

a)       Diarrhoea

b)       Vomiting

c)       Lethargy

d)       a temperature of higher than 38 degrees celcius

e)       chills

f)        pink-eye

g)       any infections which may impair the child’s normal functions

h)       any other obvious signs of illness or contagious viruses

i)         The daycare must be notified immediately if your child has contracted an infectious disease.

12.     Please note: if your child is not well enough to participate in a daily outing, rain or shine, your child should be kept at home.

13.     If there are any discrepancies between the parent and the daycare regarding the state of the child’s health, the parent must have a physician examine the child and submit a doctor’s note regarding the condition before the child will be allowed to re-attend daycare.

14.     Certain communicable diseases are required to be reported to a medical officer of health and/or Toronto Public Health. A list of these diseases can be found posted on the Medical Lock Box in the daycare common area. As per these requirements the Director of the daycare will call and report occurrences of these diseases and therefore require parents to provide any known information about any infectious disease their child may be suffering from. 

9. General Hygiene:

1.        Children are required to wash their hands before mealtimes.

2.        Diapering of children is done on an individual basis and all caregivers are required to wash their hands thoroughly after each diaper change as per the requirements of Toronto Public Health.

3.        A disinfecting solution is used daily on every surface.

4.        Our premises are cleaned daily at around 6.00pm.

5.        All of our toys are disinfected weekly and are washed regularly. Infant toys are disinfected daily. 

10. Personal Belongings:

Each child will have both a designated cubicle in which to store his/her belongings as well as a coat hook for outerwear. Parents should provide the following items on a weekly basis:

1.        2 full changes of clothes including undergarments

2.        a weekly supply of diapers and barrier cream

3.        a napping blanket

4.        cuddly essentials for naptime

5.        a sun hat and sunscreen during the summer months

6.        a rain suit and warm outerwear during rainy and cold months

7.        All items MUST be labeled with washable ink.

8.        Please note, parents are asked to please take cuddly nap toys and blankets home frequently for washing. 

11. Safety Issues:

In order to provide the safest environment possible for your most precious concern we have taken the following steps:

1.        All drugs are kept in a Medical Lock Box in the teacher’s common areas.

2.        We have a written fire procedure posted in each classroom. Fire drills are conducted once per month.

3.        Our designated shelter in case of a fire or disaster is the High Park Library on Roncesvalles Ave.

4.        We maintain an up to date list of the telephone numbers of the nearest fire dept., hospital, police dept., taxi service and poison control centre.

5.        Our insurance covers both general liability and personal injury.

6.        All of our employees are required to undergo a criminal reference check prior to employment and we have an on-going Memorandum of Understanding with the Metro Police with respect to criminal occurrences.

7.        All our employees are required to have their immunizations up to date and have a general clean bill of health.

8.        All of our employees are required to participate in a bi-annual first aid/CPR course for children.

9.        A Minor Accident Report will always be completed by all staff members for any accident, which may occur to any child in our care.

10.     A serious occurrence report will be completed and filed with Children’s Services, City of Toronto for any incident that requires emergency medical attention. 

12. Behaviour Management:

1.        Corporal punishment is not allowed under any circumstance. In other words, no hitting, smacking, pushing or forceful/rough handing of the children in any manner is permitted. Any caregiver or teacher who contravenes this rule will be immediately suspended from employment and, pending an investigation, permanently dismissed from employment.

2.        No deliberate or harsh words or any degrading measures that would humiliate or undermine a child’s self respect may be employed.

3.        A child may not be deprived of food, shelter, clothing or bedding.

4.        A child may not be confined in a locked chair, closet or room.

5.        The exits of the daycare may not be locked for the purpose of confinement.

Any caregiver or teacher who contravenes rules 2 to 5 will be issued a written warning for the first occurrence, and will be dismissed from employment if further occurrences arise. 

When discipline is required, one of the following methods is employed:

1.        In a firm, but not loud voice, the child is informed their behaviour is not appropriate and they are asked to stop.

2.        The child’s attention is redirected.

3.        The child is asked to apologise to any child which they may have hurt or aggravated.

4.        If the child continues to aggravate other children or misbehave, the child is moved to another area in the classroom where they can sit quietly with a teacher for a few minutes until they are calmer. This separation should be no longer than 1 minute for children under 2, 2 minutes for children between the ages of 2 and 3 and 3 minutes for children aged 3 and up.

5.        Positive reinforcement is employed at all times during the disciplining process. 

Child Abuse:

1.        Any incident of suspected child abuse between a child and an employee must be immediately reported to the Director of the daycare.

2.        Any employee determined to be abusing a child will be immediately dismissed and reported to the Children’s Aid Society.

3.        Any incident of suspected child abuse where an employee suspects abuse between a parent and a child should be immediately reported to the Director of the daycare. The daycare will report any such occurrence to the Children’s Aid Society after a full investigation. 

In the event of a serious occurrence between children where biting, harmful hitting or other detrimental behaviour occurs a written report is completed. In addition, both of the children’s parents are contacted and the Director of the daycare is immediately informed. In the event of a serious bite, the Department of Public Health may have to be contacted too. 

13. Activities Off of the Premises:

Providing a varied schedule of interesting activities is vital to the well being of developing minds. To this end we make numerous field trips to High Park, Sorauren Park, the High Park Zoo, the beach parks and the High Park library each week. Children walk or are transported via strollers, wagons and infant carriers. The consent form signed in the Enrolment contract covers these local outings. From time to time larger outings are scheduled for further afield. You will be notified for each of these outings separately. Additional fees for admission or transportation may sometimes apply. Parents will always be notified as to the type of transportation used for each large-scale outing. 

14. Confidentiality of Information Collected:

Please note, all information provided to Sunnyside Day Care for the purpose of enrolment or otherwise shall be considered confidential and shall not be used or made available to anyone outside of the daycare staff. Permission will be requested from parents for the provision and use of any information on a needed basis.