Policies
General Parent Manual
Code of Conduct
At Sugar n Spice Kiddie Haven, we strive to provide a safe, caring, learning environment for children, staff and families. We believe in equality and respect diversity. The daycare’s Code of Conduct guiding principles for appropriate behavior include be respectful, be supportive of relationships, be ethical and act with integrity, be supportive of learning, be safe, and maintain confidentiality.
Our Board of Directors, management and staff, children, parents/guardians of children enrolled and all others involved with the centre are expected to behave in a respectful manner and comply with this code of conduct. For a copy of the code of conduct, please contact the Director.
All parents/guardians of children enrolled at the daycare are required to agree to the terms of the Code of Conduct upon registering their children. Staff are also required to agree to the terms of the Code of Conduct upon commencement of employment.
Arrival and Departure
Security Fobs
Upon registration, parents/guardians will receive a security fob/pass to permit entry into the daycare to drop off and pick up their child(ren). A deposit of $10 is required for the security fob/pass.
Parents/guardians are asked to use their fob/pass to enter the centre. For security reasons, please do not open the door for strangers or other parents who do not have a fob/pass. If someone asks you to open the door for them, please contact a staff member and ask them to greet the individual. All visitors and alternate pickup people are required to ring the doorbell located between the doors so that a staff member may greet them upon entry and check for identification.
Arrival
Children must be accompanied into the program by an adult or a person designated by the child’s parent / guardian. Sugar-N-Spice is not responsible for any child until the child has entered a supervised area and the parent / guardian has gained the attention of a staff member.
Please remember to allow yourself enough time to take care of your child’s needs and to make their transition as pleasant as possible. This will make a big difference in both your and your child’s day.
Departure
Only a person designated by the parent / guardian will be able to pick up a child. Once the pick up person has entered the centre, the child becomes their responsibility.
Please note: Any person picking up your child must be a minimum of 12 years old and be able to provide the staff with photo ID.
If an emergency arises, and someone else is picking up your child please notify us by phone. We will not allow your child to go home with someone else unless you have previously informed us. Any new pick-up person, or people on the pick-up list but not previously known to daycare staff, will be asked to present a photo ID.
Children will not be released to any person who appears to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. It is the responsibility of the staff on duty will make this decision. An alternate pick-up person will be contacted from the parent’s approved list in this event. Sugar-N-Spice Kiddie Haven Inc. General Parent Policy Manual Page 9 of 35
After 6 PM
In the case of a child who is still in attendance at 6 p.m., and no word has been received by the parent, the following procedure will be followed:
- At 6 p.m. an effort will be made to contact the parent/guardian at home and/or at work
- If unsuccessful, the emergency /alternate person on the child’s list will be called;
- If unsuccessful, the staff shall contact the Director who will (in contact with the staff) then proceed with the following;
- In the event that no word is received, and child is not picked up by 7:00 p.m. Child and Family Services will be called. The Staff or Director will remain with the child until the social worker arrives.
Legal Orders / Guardianship
Sugar–N-Spice requires copies of any legal forms (e.g. custody orders, restraining orders) in the event that parents do not reside together.
Please note: Unless we have the aforementioned papers on file, we are unable to refuse a non-custodial parent access to his/her child. Sugar-N-Spice Kiddie Haven Inc. General Parent Policy Manual Page 11 of 35
Fundraising
Many fundraisers take place at the daycare throughout the year. We ask that parents take part in these events. You may however, choose to become an inactive fundraiser – information regarding this option is included in your enrollment package. All fundraising money is put back into the program by means of special activities, new toys, and equipment for the children’s program. All fundraising suggestions are more than welcome, and are always greatly appreciated.
Please note that the Board of Directors has a functioning Fundraising Committee. If you would like to be a part of their efforts, please let the Director know.
Income Tax Receipts
Sugar-N-Spice will issue annual receipts for income tax purposes no later than February 28th of the following calendar year. For families that have left the center prior to income tax receipts being issued, receipts are available to be picked up at the center.
Family Leaves
Sugar-N-Spice works hard to balance the needs of our families with the needs of running a successful non-profit business. To that end, we offer the following leaves to families who use our services.
All unpaid leaves must be requested within 4 weeks of the event identified for the leave.
Birth / Adoption of Child – maximum 1 year maternity and/or parental leave. A minimum leave will be accommodated for a period of no less than 3 consecutive months.
Permanent Loss of Job – up to 6 months. Temporary layoffs are not included, unless the temporary layoff results in permanent loss of job. A request for this particular leave must be accompanied by proof of job loss. Once the designated leave has ended, the child who had been removed from care will be eligible to return to the centre in the first available space.
Sugar-N-Spice recognizes that, from time to time, exceptions may need to be made that may be in contrary to the policies outlined above. The Director will review special requests on a case by case basis. Any decisions made are the discretion of Sugar-N-Spice and do not set precedent for any future decisions. At any point the Executive/Assistant Director may seek guidance/ approval from the Board of Directors.
Withdrawal of a Child
Parents must provide the Director with written notice two weeks prior to the withdrawal of their child. Parents are responsible for those two weeks of fees, plus all expenses incurred before the last day the child attends the centre.
If insufficient notice is given, the parent/guardian will be responsible to pay the fees for a two week period beginning at the date of notice.
Exception to this policy will only be given in the case where a parent / guardian has been laid off. Proof must be forwarded to the Director in the form of a letter from the former employer.
In the best interest of each child, the centre reserves the right to request that the parent make alternate childcare arrangements for their child if it becomes apparent that a child is not adjusting to the child care environment. Such a request shall be preceded by discussions with the director, parent / guardian, staff, representative from the Board of Directors as well as the Child Care Coordinator. Each child’s situation shall be reviewed and appropriate notice for withdrawal will be given.
Confidentiality / Privacy Policy
All information pertaining to your child will be kept confidential. Parents may have access to their child’s file upon request. Child information will only be disclosed once written consent from the child’s parent/guardian has been received.
Sugar-N-Spice has a comprehensive privacy policy to ensure that any information that is provided by you to our facility is used for intended purposes only. The policy has been developed in accordance with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and can be viewed in its entirety by contacting the Director.
Programs and Activities
Sugar-N-Spice operates 3 programs: the Infant Program at West Kildonan Collegiate; Preschool Programs at both Riverbend and West Kildonan locations; and the School Age Program at Riverbend. Please consult the policy for the program in which your child participates for more specific information about each program.
Clothing & Lockers
Please ensure that your child wears clothing that is daycare friendly!! In other words, let him/her wear clothing that you will not be upset over if they accidentally get paint or spaghetti sauce stains on them. The shoes they wear should be slip-proof, comfortable, and good to run in!
Please Note: Since the staff cannot be responsible for all lost or misplaced articles of clothing please label everything so that if a missing item turns up down the road we will know who to return it to!
It is your responsibility to keep your child’s locker neat and tidy. Check it daily, for wet or dirty clothing. Please remember to take your child’s artwork home weekly, as Staff typically clean out the lockers on Friday p.m.
Toys and Personal Belongings
Please do not permit your child to bring personal belongings e.g. special gifts / toys, from home unless requested by the staff for special occasions.
Unfortunately many items are not able to with stand the use of so many children and may become lost or broken. If a toy finds its way into the centre – it will be placed in the office or servery for safekeeping until the child goes home. Sugar-N-Spice Kiddie Haven Inc. General Parent Policy Manual Page 14 of 35
Bike Helmets
Parents are required to provide a CSA approved helmet for their child to wear if their child wishes to ride a bike, trike, and/or a scooter at the centre. Please ensure to label the helmet with your child’s name. Helmets may be left in your child’s locker for the summer. Children without helmets will not be permitted to ride a bike/trike/scooter. Sharing of helmets is not permitted.
Lost and Found
Any lost and found items will be taken and placed within the daycare’s/school’s lost and found. Once again, we stress the importance of labeling all of your child’s clothing.
Outdoor Play
It is a Child Day Care Regulation that children must have the opportunity to participate in outdoor play (weather permitting) on a daily basis.
We will remain indoors if the temperature is colder than -25C (with the wind-chill) or hotter than +25 (with the humidex). Special consideration will be taken in regards to rain.
Field Trips
We believe that is it important to expose the children to their local and surrounding communities. With this in mind, we will plan to go on a variety of developmentally appropriate field trips throughout the year. When the opportunity arises we will also bring in speakers/special visitors to share with the children.
Please note: Fieldtrips/speakers will occur throughout the year however they will be mainly concentrated throughout the summer months. On an ongoing basis, the Board of Directors will approve all planned outings.
Parents will be asked to sign a permission form for all outings (with the exception of neighborhood walks). Parents may also be asked to provide a “donation” to help cover the admission costs incurred by the field trips. Any parent wishing to volunteer to help will be welcomed.
Depending on the location of the field trip, Your School age child may:
- walk;
- ride in a transit bus;
- ride in a bus, owned and operated by an outside company (rented);
Your pre-school child may:
- walk
- ride in a bus owned and operated by an outside company (rented)
Your infant child may:
- Experience visits to community places within walking distance
- Enjoy visitors brought into the center
Should there be a field trip that you would rather your child not attend, please inform the centre. The centre will try to accommodate your child. If this is not possible, the parent/guardian will be responsible for making alternate arrangements for care until there is a staff back at the centre to care for your child.
Walking Field Trips: In most cases, parents will not be notified in advance of any walking field trips. Such trips are usually taken around the Riverbend community (i.e. trips to the mailbox, nature walks, etc.). During these walking trips, the required child:staff ratio is maintained and the children will usually walk in partners. Sugar-N-Spice Kiddie Haven Inc. General Parent Policy Manual Page 15 of 35
Field Trips by Transit or Rented Bus: School-age children may be transported to field trips by Transit or rented bus. Pre-school children will only be transported to field trips by rented bus. The children travel with the same child:staff ratio in effect. While en-route, they are required to remain in their seats. It is important to know that these forms of transportation do not provide seatbelts for the children. Staff will sit intermingled with the children to ensure their safety.
Riding in Staff Vehicles: Although this is not a common practice, staff cars may be used in an emergency situation. An example would be in the event that we needed to take a child to a hospital, and an ambulance was not necessary; or in the event that a child needed to be transported to an outside school and they missed their bus, or in the case where a child needed to be transported back from a field trip ahead of time.
Infant Lab Visits: Groups of children will occasionally visit the Infant Lab in West Kildonan Collegiate, which is located in the school adjacent to the centre. Staff will maintain constant supervision and ratios during these visits.
Photographs and Videos
From time to time, we may take video or photographs of the children for in-house use. (i.e. to show at our AGM, or just for fun, to show the children).
Safety in the Community Policy
The mission of Sugar N Spice Kiddie Haven Inc. (SNS) is to create a safe and rich learning environment for the children attending its centres.
The staff of SNS believe that children ‘learn by doing’; the staff promote and provide opportunities for the children to fulfill their natural curiousity to understand and experience the world around them.
To ensure the children participate in positive experiences, safety is a priority for SNS staff when leaving the doors of the centres to explore its surrounding neighbourhoods, as well as the community in general.
As incidents and events can occur unexpectedly, it is important that SNS staff are prepared to assess emergency situations and to react quickly and appropriately.
This policy outlines best practices for the staff of SNS when planning field trips, as well as when out and about in the community. It is based on the concept of emergency preparedness which asserts that the more prepared, the better the outcome in an emergency situation.
This policy is not intended to replace the Enhanced Safety Plan of SNS which establishes clear and concise procedures for staff to ensure safe indoor and outdoor environments for the children attending its centres. The following policy is intended to enhance these guidelines and provide staff with additional information related to planning activities and supervising children in the community.