1. Admission and Withdrawal Policy
Prior to enrolment, the child and parent(s) meet with the Centre Manager:
- To complete admission forms;
- To familiarize the family with the facility and program; and
- To meet the staff.
Parents are encouraged to spend time in the Centre with their child before the first day of day care. This procedure may extend over a period of time, depending on the needs of the child and the advice of the teaching staff.
For information about the initial four-week trial period, see
Trial period. For information about withdrawing your child, see
Withdrawal policy.
Durham College Early Learning Centre Inc. reserves the right to terminate service to families if policies and procedures are not followed, fees are not paid on time, or the child's needs cause a reduction in the quality of service provided to the other enrolled children at the Centre.
2. Arrival and Departure
It is the responsibility of each parent to sign in his/her child on arrival and sign out on departure. The posted attendance sheets will be used to verify the presence of children during an emergency; therefore, it is essential that the sign-in/sign-out procedure be completed accurately each day.
Regular routines for pick up and drop off help to reassure children. See
Separation anxiety for suggestions. For information pertaining to arrival requirements, see
Arrival. For information pertaining to departure requirements, see
Departure. For information about picking up your child after the scheduled time, see
Late pick-ups and late fees. For information about making arrangements for someone to pick up your child, see
Alternate pick-up arrangements.
3. Clothing and Possessions
All clothing, toys, and other possessions must be clearly marked with the child's name. For more information, see
Personal items.
4. Code of Conduct
Every adult and child should be treated with the utmost respect and dignity; therefore, it is essential that all adults conduct themselves in a courteous manner. See
Code for the specific guidelines. Contravention of these guidelines will result in severe repercussions ranging from written warnings to termination of services.
5. Daily Schedule
Daily schedules specific to the age group are posted in each activity room. See an example in
Sample schedule.
6. Discipline
All children are treated as individuals at the Centre. Behavior is guided in a positive manner to preserve the child's self esteem and self image. Spanking and other forms of corporal punishment are not permitted at the centre. Discipline is consistent and developmentally orientated; it respects the rights of others and follows the Day Nurseries Act. For more information, see
Centre Discipline.
7. Full- or Part-time Enrolment
Full-time enrolment is five (5) days per week. Fees are charged whether the child attends or not; fees are charged for statutory holidays.
For information about part-time enrolment, see
Requirements for part-time enrolment.
8. Emergency Situations
In the case of fire, long-term power failure, extreme weather conditions, or evacuation, the Centre will provide its service at the gymnasium of the main building. Parents will be notified either by telephone or a posted bulletin at the Centre to explain where the children are and how to pick them up at this location.
The designated shelter area for the Centre in the event of a regional or neighbourhood evacuation is Rhodeway Suites Common Room (Simcoe Street North). If further evacuation is required, the next place of evacuation is Camp Samac (Simcoe Street North). The exact location within the camp will be posted in the main offices at Camp Samac.
9. Field Trips
A notice and permission form will be sent home in advance with information about the destination, cost, travel, date, and times of departure and arrival. All children are required to have parental authorization before the scheduled day of the trip; otherwise, the child will not be allowed on the outing. In all instances, parents are welcome to accompany their children on the trips if this can be arranged.
10. Health Issues
Each child must be immunized before admission as recommended by the local medical officer of health and according to the Day Nurseries Act. For exceptions to this requirement, see
Exceptions.
If any child appears to have symptoms of contagious illness upon his/her arrival to the Centre, the members of the staff have the right to deny admission. For a description of these symptoms, see
Contagious illnesses. If your child becomes ill in any way during the day, the Centre will provide temporary care for the child until the parents are notified and the child is taken home. For more information, see
Temporary care.
It is the responsibility of the parents to arrange alternate care for the child until he/she is completely recovered; see
Alternate care. When your child has sufficiently recovered from an illness or communicable disease and has returned to the Centre after an illness, it is expected that the child will be able to participate in all aspects of the program (outdoor play included). (The Centre follows the policy admissions criteria from the Regional Municipality of Durham, Department of Health Services.)
Medication may be administered to a child attending the Centre; all medication will be administered strictly according to the written instructions from the physician or pharmacy. See
Administration of medication for full details.
Staff should be informed of any special dietary requirements and food allergies at the time of enrolment. See
Allergies.
11. Parking for Centre
Children should never be left unattended in cars in the parking area. See
Parking for more information.
12. Parent Timetables
In order to be able to notify you of illness or emergency, the Centre needs
- Your work location and timetable; and
- Home and business phone numbers.
It is your responsibility to notify the Centre of any changes to this information. If you intend to leave the premises where you are normally reached, we require an alternate telephone number or address.
13. Registration and Fees
Registration will be arranged through the office at the Centre. For information about the fees, see
Fee schedule. For information about the payment procedure, see
Fees payment. For information about fees charged for being late to pick up your child, see
Late pick-ups and late fees.
14. Sick Days and Vacations
When a child is going to be absent from the centre for all or part of the day due to illness or other reasons (sick days):
- Parents need to notify the centre by 9:00 a.m.;
- The phone number is 905.721.3054; and
- Regular fees will be charged for these days.
The Early Learning Centre closes for the first three weeks during the month of August. Vacation must be taken at this time. Please be sure to make alternate day care arrangements if needed.
Those parents who wish to withdraw their child for a longer period of time during the summer months need to notify the Centre and confirm their child's spot in the program; see
Extended summer vacation block.
15. Weed/Pest Control
Periodically, the Centre will have a professional weed and pest control firm spray the facility. Depending on the severity, spraying will most often take place after hours and on a Friday evening. A notice will be posted for your information.
