Administrative Policies

Child Discipline Policy

Child guidance, behavior management or discipline is the process by which children are guided and encouraged to act in appropriate ways. Guiding children’s behavior is an important part of our primary staff member’s role and one that takes place continually throughout the day. Appropriate behavior management methods serve to guide children’s behavior while protecting and enhancing their self-esteem and self-discipline.

In guiding children’s behavior two types of methods are used:

Preventative Methods

1. Set a good example by modeling appropriate behavior and problem-solving techniques. When staff is polite and considerate to children and other staff, they set the atmosphere for everyone.
2. Recognize each child as unique individuals in terms of age, level of development, temperament, experience, family background and culture.
3. Respect each child’s individual needs and interest to encourage the development of self-esteem.
4. Plan a program of varied and developmentally appropriate activities that maintain children’s interest and allow them opportunities to choose among sufficient activities.
5. Know the children in the group and plan for solutions to prevent problems from reoccurring.
6. Plan transition between activities so that the children know what is coming, have sufficient time to finish what they are doing and switch gears for the new activity.
7. Organize the indoor play space into distinct activity centers. Allow for large muscle activities indoors and outdoors.
8. Guiding Behavior and Setting Limits: Help children develop self-discipline by allowing the children the opportunity to solve their own conflicts by teaching them to problem solving technique.
9. Encourage behavior that we want to continue. Complement children for being good.
10.Establish clear limits that are understandable to children and be consistence in applying these limits.
11.Use simple straightforward statements of expectations when setting limits.
12.Focus on what to do rather than what not to do.
13.Explain the natural or inevitable consequence of actions.
14.Explain the logical or adult constructed consequence of actions.
15.Give children a choice only when they really do have a choice and be prepared to follow through on their decisions.
16.Give children time to respond to expectations.
17.Ignore minor incidence. Allow them to be solved by the children.
18.Deal with the incident that just occurred and do not dwell on the past problems or incidence.
19.Let children know that they could come to us for further directions if they needed too.
20.Disciplinary action must be reasonable in the circumstances

Intervention Methods

1. Gain the child’s attention by stating their names, kneel to their level, establishing eye contact and speaking in calm and controlled voice.
2. Acknowledge the child’s feelings and remind them of the limits in a straightforward language
3. Focus on the unacceptable behavior rather than the child or child’ character.
4. Reassure the child that they are valued and cared about despite their behavior.
5. Offer a choice of appropriate, alternate activities.
6. Ask the child to take a cool down break when they have lost control.

Corporal Punishment: NOT PERMITTED

Corporal punishment of children, including hitting and spanking is not an appropriate method of guiding children’s behavior. Regardless of the technique used by the parent in the house, corporal punishment must never be used.

Other discipline methods that are not acceptable include a harsh or degrading measure that humiliate or undermines a child’s self-respect, isolating a child or withholding food or shelter.

Physical Punishment: NOT PERMITTED

1. There should be no cause of any inflicted physical punishment, verbal or physical degradation or emotional deprivation.
2. No staff in any circumstances is allowed to pull/ shake the child by his/her arms
3. In case of trouble behavior of children staff will calmly intervene and separate the children involved until they cool down. Shaking the child or pulling them by arm is not acceptable and considered as physical abuse.
4. The program must not deny or threaten to deny any basic necessity or physical restraint, confinement or isolation.

The Child Discipline Policy must be communicated to Staff, Parents, and children (where developmentally appropriate)

B. Off-site Activity and Emergency Evacuation

For all Off- site activities parents written consent must be taken. Parent must be informed about the activity, transportation, and supervision arrangements. During all Off-Site visits or and emergency evacuations, portable records must be taken. The parent must consent in writing to the child’s participation in the off-site activity.

Accident or Illness

Regular procedures within the center pertaining to incident/ accident occurrences are handled in the following manner:

A. All reports are kept on file B. Parents are informed of incident / accident as they occur by written incident report form. However, should an accident result in emergency, parents will be contacted immediately C. Secondly should staff (the director or primary caregiver) be unable to reach parents, emergency contact person, documented on portable information records will then be informed by phone. D. In case of an accident or serious illness involving a child, the license holder ensures that a child receives medical attention as necessary. E. Thirdly, should establishing contact with parents or emergency person be unattainable, children will be transported to the medical clinic, Medi-Centre, or Hospital, as indicated on the registration form. F. Please note: Transportation of child depends on the extent of child’s injuries sustained by the accident. G. All serious accidents or illness will be reported to the respective Licensing officer.

In conclusion minor incidents and accidents occurrences will be documented (as they occur) and parents will be met with at the end of the day. During this point and time issues pertaining to incidents or accidents will be addressed. Please note all daycare staff meets First Aid requirements

Incident Reporting

The following incidents shall be reported immediately to the regional childcare office using the prescribed Incident Report Form (CDEV 4029(2014/12))

an emergency evacuation.
unexpected program closure.
an intruder on the program’s premises.
a serious illness or injury to a child that requires the program to request emergency health care and/or requires the child to remain in hospital overnight.
an error in the administration of medication by a program staff or volunteer resulting in the child becoming seriously injured or ill and requiring first aid, or the program requesting emergency health care and/or requires the child to remain in hospital overnight.
the death of a child.
an unexpected absence of a child from the program (i.e., lost child);
a child removed from the program by a non-custodial parent or guardian.
an allegation of physical, sexual, emotional abuse and/or neglect of a child by a program staff member or volunteer.
the commission by a child of an offence under an Act of Canada or Alberta; and/or
a child left on the premises outside of the program’s operating hours

Once per year, Rise and Shine Daycare & OSC will be required to submit to their local licensing office an annual summary of all incidents that have occurred in their program using the prescribed form