Call: 403-248-8181

OUR POLICIES

SIGN IN AND SIGN OUT

The responsibility for your child by the centre does not begin until he/she has been received by the person in charge. For this reason, we must insist that children be accompanied into the centre in the morning and left in a staff members care. Please sign your child in on the timesheet with your initial. When you pick up your child at the end of the day, please write time and initial departure time.

WITHDRAWAL NOTICE

A written notice is required one month in advance of the date on which you are going to withdraw your child from the daycare

TOYS FROM HOME

Please leave toys at home. There are lots of activities to participate in and plenty of toys to play with in the program rooms. Stuffed animals are welcome to come for naptime. This policy is in place to prevent accidental loss, breakage, or inappropriate toys. Please note that staff will not accept responsibility for lost or damaged toys.

NO GUNS, WAR TOYS, OR OTHER TOYS OF DESTRUCTION.

These items are absolutely unacceptable to be on the premises as they promote aggressive behavior.

UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOUR OF PARENTS

The following acts will not be permitted at Centre under any circumstances: Smoking, drinking alcoholic beverages, or the use of or possession of illegal drugs and alcohol.

FEE POLICY

We accept either cash or cheques to pay your daycare fees. If you give us a N.S.F there will be a $25.00 charge. If you give us two returned cheques you will have to pay cash only in the future. Fees must be paid in full by the 1st of each month unless arranged before hand with the management office. If fees have not been paid there is a $50 late fee and care for children could be suspended if this occurs more than once

LATE PICK UP FEES

We recognize that there will be occasions when parents are unable to pick up their child by 6:00p.m. When this occurs, parents must make alternate arrangements to have their children picked up. A late fee of $1.00 per minute is charged for each child after 6:00 pm. Please notify us if someone else is picking up your child. You should have a codeword on your child’s file, so that if you are unable to properly notify us verbally or in writing the staff member can ensure the right person is picking up your child.

WAIT LISTS

In the event that all spaces are full, a wait list will be created and maintained by the childcare centre administration. Parents on the wait list will be contacted when a space opens up in the age group they require.

NUT FREE CENTRE

There are children who have life-threatening allergies to peanuts and other types of nuts.  In order to provide a safe environment for these children we serve “peanut and nut safe” food. This means we provide snacks and lunches free of peanut butter, peanuts, peanut oils or nuts and nut oils.

CHANGES IN FAMILY INFORMATION

Families are expected to inform us of any changes so that registration forms can be kept up to date at all times We must be informed immediately of any changes in address, phone number, class schedule, or place of work and if there is any change in the people who are authorized to pick up a child.

HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

ILLNESS POLICY

Please keep your child at home if s/he has been ill during the night or in the morning and has active symptoms as listed below. A child will likewise be sent home from the center when exhibiting the following symptoms:
  • Fever (oral temperature of 101 degrees or above) accompanied by behavior changes or other symptoms.
  • Symptoms and signs of possible severe illness (lethargy; uncontrolled coughing, persistent crying; difficulty breathing; wheezing).
  • Diarrhea – defined by more watery stools, not associated with changes of diet or medicine, that is not contained by the child’s ability to use the toilet.
  • Undiagnosed skin rash.
  • Vomiting (2 or more times within 24 hours).
  • Persistent abdominal pain.
  • Mouth sores with drooling.
  • Rash with fever or behavior change.
  • Head lice (from the end of the day until after the first treatment).
  • Strep throat or other streptococcal infection, until 24 hours after initial antibiotic treatment and cessation of fever.
  • Chicken Pox, until all sores have dried and crusted.
  • Impetigo, until 24 hours after treatment.
  • Scabies, until after treatment has been completed.
  • Any communicable illness.
It is not our intent to allow children who are truly sick to stay at the center, but it is also not our intent to exclude children who are only mildly ill. We are relying on parents to make good decisions regarding your child’s health, so please don’t send them to the center if they are sick. Every situation is different, but we will use three criteria to determine if a child needs to be excluded:
  • The illness prevents the child from participating comfortably in our daily routine and activities.
  • The illness results in a greater need for care than the child care staff can provide without compromising the health and safety of the other children.
  • A fever is accompanied by any of the symptoms or conditions previously listed.
If a child becomes ill while at the center, the parent(s) will be notified immediately. We will contact parents by phone. It is imperative for all parents to provide us with accurate contact and scheduling information so we can access you during the day. If a parent cannot be reached, we will contact someone on your emergency list. We will sometimes call parents to notify you of a low-grade temperature or an incident of vomiting or diarrhea. If we determine your child is too ill to stay, parents are expected to pick up within one hour (sooner for a child with a high fever).
  • If medical attention is required, our staff will call 911 and notify the parent. Should it be deemed necessary to transport your child by emergency vehicle, the parents will be responsible for the cost incurred. An accident report form will be completed stating the events that occurred, and action taken, which will then be signed by the director and the parent and then kept on file.

MEAL SERVICES AND MENU PLAN

Children grow and develop so quickly, making good nutrition is especially important. A healthy diet provides the energy and essential nutrient that children need for their growth. Our menu considers children’s ages, food regulation, nutritional needs, cultural and religious practices and health needs (allergies).
Note: Good Start Daycare is a free-of-nut center.
For safety reasons, we ask parents not to provide any kinds of foods with nuts and gums for children.
There will be a monthly menu posted in the kitchen and on parent boards. The cook will be a trained professional who will be knowledgeable about the safe handling and preparation of the childcare menus. The cook is responsible for providing nutritional snacks and meals that meet all standards set out by the Canada Food Guide and families.

We also ask children preferences while serving meals or snack on different occasion. These guidelines can be found at http://www.healthyalberta.com . We will review our menus on scheduled basis.