Health, Wellness And Safety Policies

Bright Beginnings for Kids Inc. is responsible for the health and safety of the children and staff of the childcare centre. The policies implemented at the childcare centre have been created with the health and safety of our children and staff in mind. The centre does not have the facilities or staff to care for sick children and we are unable to accommodate requests that your child be allowed to stay indoors or not participate in daily activities. Please have back-up childcare for emergencies.

If your child becomes ill while at the centre, you will be notified and must pick up your child as soon as possible. If you cannot be reached, one of your emergency contacts will be notified.

In the case of a suspected illness, the Centre reserves the right to request a doctor’s certificate stating that the child is healthy enough to return.

Medical Illness

If your child is too ill to participate in the full day’s activities, including outdoor play, he/she should not attend the childcare program for his/her own comfort and well-being. Staff discretion will be used to assess your child’s condition while in childcare and you will be expected to make alternate arrangements to have your child picked up and taken home if needed.

Please ensure that you have a contact person listed as an “Authorized Pick-Up Person” by completing the Enrolment Form in case you cannot pick up your child yourself.

If your child has communicable disease, you must follow the Public Health Regulations regarding incubation and/or isolation. A physician’s certificate will be required prior to re-entry.

Bright Beginnings for Kids Inc. will implement the following procedures if your child becomes ill while at the Centre:

Fever

Temperature higher than 38°C (100°F) will be considered a fever. Your child must not be in attendance until he/she can maintain a normal temperature WITHOUT medication (for 24 hours). If your child develops a fever while at the Centre, you will be called to pick him/her up immediately.

Vomiting

One (1) instance of vomiting plus any other symptoms of illness in a child will constitute an immediate call to the parent to be picked up.

Diarrhea

Two (2) bouts of diarrhea during the day OR one instance of diarrhea plus any other symptoms of illness in a child will constitute an immediate call to the parent for the child to be picked up. You will be called to pick him/her up. Your child can return to the Centre once the diarrhea has stopped for 24 hours.

Flu

If your child is lethargic or has flu symptoms, you will be called to come pick up your child if, at the discretion of the staff, the child is too ill to be at the Centre.

Head Lice

If nits (lice eggs) are found in your child’s hair, you will be called to come pick your child up immediately. Your child should see a doctor and get the appropriate medicated shampoo. Your child needs to be kept out of the Centre until all the nits are gone.

Bed Bugs

If you discover bed bugs in your home, please notify the Executive Director so that proper precautions can be applied in the Centre.

Inability To Cope

A child’s ability to cope will be considered with any signs of illness or ‘atypical’ behaviour. If your child is unable to participate in all daily activities or needs one-on-one care, you will be notified, and your child must be picked up from childcare. The staff, in consultation with the Director, will make the decision to send the child home based on their observations and their knowledge of the child’s typical behaviour.

Communicable Diseases

Manitoba Public Health Regulations state that a child must stay home from the Centre with the following illnesses:

• German Measles – until the rash disappears
• Red Measles – until four days have passed from the onset of the rash
• Mumps – until (9) days have passed onset of swelling
• Pink eye – until medication has been applied for 24 hours
• Chicken Pox – is contagious before the onset of symptoms. Children can attend the Centre if they can participate fully in activities.
• Impetigo, Pediculosis, Ringworm, and Scabies: If your child has impetigo, pediculosis, ringworm or scabies, your child should not attend childcare until treatment is completed to the satisfaction of a physician.
• Hand Foot and Mouth – until fever is gone for 24 hours without medication and no open sores are present
• Strep Throat/Scarlet Fever-after 24 hours once medication has started and the child is well enough to participate in the program
• Rash with a fever or change in behaviour– should be seen by a doctor.

NOTE: A doctor’s certificate may be required before your child will be readmitted to the Centre

Discharges

Children who are seen to have discharges which are infectious will not be permitted to attend the Centre. These include pus-like discharges from eyes or skin surface, and nose discharges which are greenish-yellow or yellowishbrown.

If your child is assessed as being ill according to the above criteria and you have been called to pick him/her up, you will be required to keep your child out of the Centre for a minimum of 24 hours.

Upon return to Bright Beginnings for Kids Inc., your child must be symptom free (this includes free from fever without the use of medication).

Administration of Medication

Children taking medication must have written consent from parents permitting staff to give prescription medication. These Medical Permission slips are obtained from staff and must be completed for each individual course of medication. The medication must be in the original prescription container, and bear the pharmacist’s label indicating:

• physician’s name
• drug name and number
• type of medication
• dosage and times to be given
• child’s name

This Medication Policy is for BOTH over-the-counter medications and pharmacy-fulfilled medications. This INCLUDES, but is not limited to, the following over-the-counter medications:

• Tylenol
• Advil
• Benadryl
• Polysporin “Pink Eye” Eye Drops

It is the parent/guardian’s responsibility to ask for the medication back at the end of the day.

Bright Beginnings for Kids Inc. staff will not administer any medication that is not prescribed by a doctor.

Tylenol and other pain/fever reducing medications will be administered to children in the infant program during teething only after approval by the parent/guardian is obtained.

Teething Pain

If your child has mild discomfort due to teething, staff may administer one dose of infant or children’s Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen. This will only be administered after you have filled out a Medication Consent Form for this medication and have given verbal confirmation to staff that day that your child is teething.

This medication will not be administered for more than three consecutive days in a one-week period.

If due to teething, your child has severe discomfort, is running a fever (>38.5°C or 100.4°F), or is very irritable, unhappy and needs one-on-one care, you will be notified, and your child must be picked up from childcare.

Emergency Care

Should a child require emergency care (defined as life threatening, unconscious, broke bone, allergic reaction, asthma attack) an ambulance will be called, the child will be taken to the nearest hospital (at the paramedic’s discretion) accompanied by a staff member. The Executive Director/Assistant Director will notify the parent/guardian as soon as possible and advise the parent/guardian of the situation and the hospital the child was taken to. If we are unable to reach the parent/guardian, we will contact somebody on your emergency contact list.

Parents/guardians will be required to sign an incident or accident report, and it shall be reported to MELCC. Parents will be responsible for the cost of the ambulance and will be billed by the city. Staff are not permitted to use personal vehicles to transport a sick child.

Non-Life-Threatening Injury

In non-life-threatening events the parent/guardian/ or emergency contact will be notified, and the child must be picked up immediately and medical attention will be advised. Parent/guardian will be required to sign the accident/incident report. All accidents are reported to MELCC.

Anaphylaxis Policy

Any child attending the Centre that has an anaphylaxis reaction must complete the following:

• URIS Application (yearly)
• Sign authorization for release of information
• Complete authorization form for administration of an adrenaline auto-injector
• A health care plan

All items stated above will be reviewed and updated yearly. All educators will receive training n how to administer the epi-pen and they will be aware of children and fellow co-workers who have a life-threatening illness.

Biting Policy

Biting is a natural developmental stage that children go through. It is usually a temporary condition that is most common between 13 and 24 months of age. The safety of all children at the centre is our primary concern. The centre’s biting policy addresses the actions the educators will take if a biting incident occurs.

Children bite other children for different reasons. A child might be teething or overly tired and frustrated. He or she might be experimenting or trying to get the attention of the teacher or his peers. Young children have poor verbal skills and are impulsive without a lot of self-control. Sometimes biting occurs for no apparent reason.

The educators will encourage the children to ‘use their words’ if they become angry or frustrated. The educators will always maintain proximity and supervision of the children.

The following steps will be taken if a biting incident occurs at our childcare:

• The biting will be interrupted with a firm ‘We do not bite our friends!’
  Educators will stay calm and will not over- react.
• The bitten child will be comforted, and first aid provided.
  Educators will remove the child who bit from the situation. Age-appropriate redirection will be given to the
  child who bit with chances for empathy to the bitten child.
  The wound of the bitten child will be assessed and cleansed with soap and water. Ice will be applied for any swelling.
• If it is determined that there was a blood exposure further steps need to be taken including notifying the parents’ immediately. The bitten area should continue to be observed by parents and educators for signs of infection. The parents of both children will be notified of the biting incident. Accident/Incident reports will be completed for both children. Confidentiality of all children involved will be maintained.

Pandemic Infection Control Policy

A Pandemic Infection Control Program has been established to ensure proper management of any incident. Staff members have been cross trained on key functions of the childcare centre to ensure that the childcare centre can offer services during such an incident. If a reduction to enrolment is necessary, enrolment acceptance will occur on a first-come, first-served basis.