Our Policies

 At PCDC Early Laerning, our mission is to create stunning and timeless images that capture the beauty and essence of our subjects. We strive to provide a personalized and enjoyable experience that exceeds our clients' expectations. 

Parents are asked to make themselves familiar with the Parent Handbook which states the Centre’s policies and procedures.

This Centre supports an “Open Door” Communication Policy, which means:

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• Parents are welcome to drop in and observe the program at any time as staff welcomes the interest and concern of parents on any topic.

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• Telephone and email communication is encouraged.  Please check with the staff in your child’s room regarding mutually convenient times.

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• Parents can expect ongoing communication with staff concerning their child’s progress, program activities and child care operation.

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• Staff can expect ongoing communication with parents concerning home routines and other information pertinent to the care of your child:

1. Parents can request individual parent/caregiver meetings.
2. Parents can expect relevant educational opportunities, to help them understand their child’s development and the program offered at the Centre.
3. Parents may expect information on community resources available to them at the Centre.
4. Parents concerned with the care of their child, or any incidents in the Centre, are urged to speak with their child’s caregiver, Centre Manager or the Executive Director.  If satisfaction is not forthcoming, please follow the procedure outlined in the Grievance Procedure.

Behaviour management is guiding and encouraging children to act in appropriate ways.  Guiding children’s behaviour is an important part of the primary staff members’ role and takes place continually throughout the day.  Appropriate behaviour management methods serve to guide children’s behaviour while protecting and enhancing their self-esteem.

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Our curriculum includes prevention education which develops basic skills in self control, interpersonal problem solving, empathy, anger management and appropriate social behaviour. Occasionally, children may engage in behaviour that is deemed to be serious and/or harmful to other children and staff members.  In these instances, the following steps will be taken:

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When a child’s behaviour escalates, including:

• verbal and/or physical abuse towards staff or children
• destruction of property
• self-destructive behaviour

The child will be removed from the room immediately and provided an opportunity to calm down.

• If, within 5 – 10 minutes, the child is unable to calm down, the Program Leader, or designate (regular staff member) will be called in and the child will be taken to a safe environment.

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• The child will be supervised and strategies will be used to assist the child in calming.

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• If the child calms and is able to participate in routine activities, they will return to the room.

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• If within 15 – 20 minutes, the child is not positively responding to the calming strategies, is continuing to be abusive to staff and/or is continuing to destroy property, a parent will be called to remove the child from the center for the remainder of the day. 

All children must be picked up by a person who is at least sixteen years of age or older and has been authorized by the parent or guardian who registered the child in the Day Care. Only the persons listed on the Child Release Form will be allowed to remove the child from the Centre. 

The child will only be released to persons not listed if the Centre has received written or verbal communication from the parent/guardian. Parents are required to inform the day care if someone other than themselves will be picking up their child. 

In the event that a person who has authorization to pick up a child comes to the day care to pick up a child but is not known to the staff, and the parent has not notified the staff, we will attempt to reach the parent. If we are unable to we will ID the person and release the child. 

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When a Parent Appears to be under the influence of Drungs and Alcohol:  In the situation where a parent arrives to pick up their child and appears to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, our staff are expected to be concerned about the safety of the child. It is our understanding that the Centre does not have the right to deny a parent access to their own child but we can offer to arrange another mode of transportation for the parent and child. This could mean offering to call a taxi, the other parent or a friend to come and pick them up.

If the parent insists that they are able to drive and are not interested in a ride, the staff will explain to the parent that this is a legal requirement and that he/she is required to report any situation where a child may be in need of protection.

If the parent still insists on driving, the staff will take down the license plate number of the vehicle and immediately phone in their concern to the police.

• Recent Separation: The Centre cannot assume responsibility for withholding the child from either natural parent, unless a copy of a legal court order to this effect is presented.

• Actual Custody: When a child is placed in the Centre by one parent, he/she supplies the Centre with names of people authorized to remove the child from the Centre. The Centre’s policy is to release a child only to the parent who places the child in the Centre and people authorized by that parent.

• Legal Custody: In the case where a parent has legal custody, the Centre will release the child only to people authorized by that parent. A copy of the court order must be kept in the child’s file.In a situation where a non-custodial parent arrives to pick up the child at a time other than what is specified in the court order and without prior notice from the custodial parent, the staff can tell the parent that she/he must call the custodial parent first to confirm that the child can leave. If the non-custodial parent insists on taking the child before the staff can contact the custodial parent or if the non-custodial parent takes the child even though the custodial parent has denied access, the provider should immediately note the license number of the vehicle and contact the custodial parent and the police. These steps can be followed anytime someone comes to pick up the child without the staff having received prior authorization from the custodial parent.

• Visitation Rights: The Centre will not, unless ordered by a court, act as a third party agency to supervise visitation rights by the non-custodial parent. Only the parent, who has entered into a contract with the Centre, may visit his/her child during Day Care operations. In cases of exceptional circumstances, the non-contracting parent may apply to the Board for rights to visit his/her child and the Board, in its discretion, may grant such permission after first discussing the matter with the Director and staff members concerned with the care of the child or children in question. If both parents enter into a contract for Child Care while living together, and then separate, the Centre shall ask the custodial parent to enter into a new contract with the Day Care. Nothing in this policy will affect the right of the contracting parent to authorize any person to pick up or drop off his/her child.