YMCA of Oakville Child Care Centre

Safe Arrival and Dismissal Policy and Procedures

Date Policy and Procedures Established: December 21 2023

Purpose

This policy and procedures are to 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

  • The YMCA of Oakville educator will ensure that any child receiving care at the child care location is only released to the child’s parent/guardian or an individual that the parent/guardian has provided written authorization for release.
  • The YMCA of Oakville educator will only dismiss children into the care of their parent/guardian or another authorized individual. The centre’s educator will not release any children from care without supervision.
  • 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.

Additional Policy Statements

It is important that all children are always under the supervision of an adult. To ensure this practice, we require all parents/guardians to drop off and pick up their child directly in the YMCA program space. If the individual is unknown to the staff, they will be required to show photo identification.

Procedures

Accepting a child into care

  1. When accepting a child into care at the time of drop-off, program staff in the room must:
    • greet the parent/guardian and
    • if the parent/guardian has indicated that someone other than the child’s parent/guardians will be picking up, the staff must confirm that the individual is listed on the emergency pick up list or where the individual is not listed, ask the parent/guardian to provide authorization for pick-up in writing (e.g., note or email).
    • document the change in pick-up procedure in the daily written
    • sign the child in on the classroom attendance In addition, for infant, toddler and preschool children indicate arrival on Weemarkable.

Where a child has not arrived in care as expected

  1. Where a child does not arrive to the Infant, Toddler, or Preschool child care program and the parent/guardian has not communicated a change in drop-off (e.g., left a voice message or advised the closing staff at pick-up), the staff in the classroom must:
    • confirm on Weemarkable that the absence is indicated as
    • if a child has an unreported absence the parent/guardian will receive an automatic Weemarkable alert at 9:30a.m. stating that their child has an unexplained Parents are instructed to contact the child care centre to provide an explanation.
  2. Where a child does not arrive to the After School child care program and the parent/guardian has not communicated a change (e.g., left a voice message or advised the closing staff at pick-up), the staff in the classroom must:
    • check the centres’ log book, voice message and email for messages regarding the child’s absence or early pick up from the school.
    • check with the school office to confirm if the child was in attendance or left
    • If the child was in attendance, ask the school to make an announcement for the child to attend the YMCA program.
    • contact parent/guardian via phone, text and email and inquire if the child is expected to be in attendance, if no response by phone leave a voice message indicating time of your call and ask for return call to confirm whereabouts.
    • inform the child care supervisor, director, and school personnel, ask for assistance to search the school.
    • consider child is missing and call 911, report a missing child and follow the instructions from the police. *ensure you have child’s file in preparation to answer questions.
  3. Once the child’s absence has been confirmed, program staff shall document the child’s absence on the attendance and record any additional information about the child’s absence in the daily written log

Kindergarten and School Age Additional Notes:

  • If Kindergarten or School Age children do not arrive before the school bell rings in the morning no additional steps will be taken, since the school will follow their own protocol regarding safe

Extracurricular activities

If a child is participating in extra-curricular activities not part of our program:

  • Written instructions from the parent should include the activity, location, date, time, and whether the child will go directly to the activity or the YMCA first

PADAYS/Holiday Programs for Kindergarten and School Age

  • During PADAYS/Holiday Programs, Kindergarten and School Age educators will follow the same procedures when accepting children into the However, if the child does not arrive to the program by 9:30 am, staff will begin to contact the parents/guardians to verify if the child will be in attendance for the day.

Releasing a child from care

  1. The staff who is supervising the child at the time of pick-up shall only release the child to the child’s parent/guardian or individual that the parent/guardian has provided written authorization that the child care may release the child to. Where the staff does not know the individual picking up the child (i.e., parent/guardian or authorized individual),
    • confirm with another staff member that the individual picking up is the child’s parent/guardian/authorized individual.
    • where the above is not possible, ask the parent/guardian/authorized individual for photo identification and confirm the individual’s information against the parent/guardian/authorized individual’s name on the child’s file or written authorization.

Where a child has not been picked up and the centre is closed (6:00pm)

  1. Where a parent/guardian or authorized individual who was supposed to pick up a child from care and has not arrived by 6:00 pm, staff shall ensure that the child is given a snack and activity, while they await their pick-up.
  2. One staff shall stay with the child, while a second staff proceeds with calling the parent/guardian to advise that the child is still in care and inquire when the child would be picked up.
  3. Where the staff is unable to reach the parent/guardian, staff must call again and leave a message, email, and text the parent/guardian. Contact other parent/guardian if listed on Registration Form.
  4. Where the staff has not heard back from the parent/guardian the staff should begin to contact individuals on the authorized emergency list.
  5. If the staff is unable to reach the parent/guardian or authorized emergency contacts by 7:00pm, the staff shall contact Halton Children’s Aid Society (CAS) for consultation. Staff shall follow the CAS’ direction with respect to next steps.

Dismissing a child from care without supervision procedures

Staff will only release children from care to the parent/guardian or other authorized adult. Under no circumstances will children be release from care to walk home alone.