Parent Handbook Infant & Toddler

1238 Knute Way
Brentwood Bay, BC
V8M 1G4
250-883-9708

At Just Peachy Child Care, we believe that children learn best through play. Our play-based curriculum will allow children to discover the world around them through different experiences, facilitated by our Early Childhood Educators. As Early Childhood Educators, we believe our role is to provide a welcoming, safe and nurturing setting as we offer daily opportunities for early learning in all areas. A variety of indoor and outdoor activities will be offered to stimulate, inspire, and challenge each child on a daily basis. We believe that each child is an individual and entitled to equal opportunities to develop as a whole in their own unique way; physically, emotionally and socially, building life-long curiosities, self-help skills, self-confidence, communication and empathy for others.

Hours of Operation:
Just Peachy Child Care is open Monday to Friday, 8:00am – 4:30pm

We are closed all Statutory Holidays and three weeks of paid vacation, exact dates will be determined by the beginning of each calendar year. Plus, we offer our staff up to 3 professional development days per year; notice will be given as soon as possible but no less than 15 days.
There will be no reduction in fees for these closures.

In order to maintain a fluid daily schedule, we will not accept children after 10:30 am. Please contact the educators to make arrangements if your child will be late or away for the day.
The parent, caregiver relationship is of utmost importance. It is imperative that you connect with your child’s’ caregiver as you settle your child in for the day and when you pick up. Sharing information about your child or family dynamics will help us best care for your child.
If a child is not picked up by the time the centre closes, there will be a $10.00 late fee for the first 15 mins with an additional $1.00 per minute afterward. If contact has not been made between parents and caregiver, we will begin calling alternative people on the registration form. If arrangements for pickup are not made by 5:30 pm, we are required to notify the Ministry for Children and Families.

Children will only be released each day to parents or a guardian over the age of 18, unless we have been informed that someone else will be picking up your child. People who are unknown to us will be required to show picture ID.
Children will not be released to a parent or guardian who is under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and an alternate person will have to be arranged. If the parent/guardian chooses to drive under the influence, they will be reported to the authorities.
If a custody or court order exists, we need a copy of the order for the child’s file. The parent/guardian is responsible for providing accurate and up to date information concerning the legal guardianship of the child. Without a custody or court order on file, the caregiver cannot deny access to the non-enrolling parent. If the non-enrolling parent is not listed on the authorized pick up list, the policy on unauthorized persons will be implemented. The guardian will provide all consents.

Communications:

We can not stress enough how important open and honest communication is for all of us at Just Peachy.
We have many forms of communication set up to ensure positive parent and educator relationship are maintained.
All staff are available for a quick check in, a text message, phone call or email – all contact information is on the front page of Parent Handbook.
Please make sure you are receiving emails though Mail Chimp, most up to date information comes through this forum. We have a private family Facebook Page, ask any educator to be added and a link will be sent to you.
Invoices and receipts are sent through Intuit Quickbooks, it is important ensure these are not being delivered to your junk mail.

Fees:

Please inquire about full and part time fees – part time fees are based on a daily rate and will fluctuate each month depending on the amount of days enrolled.

*Yearly fee increase of 3% will be applied September each subsequent year.
** At his point we have not been approved for the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative. The fee stated above is subject to change.

An invoice will be sent out to each family mid month prior to enrolment.
All fees are due by or on the 1st of every month. Fees may be paid by email transfer to Justpeachychildcare@gmail.com, cash or postdated cheques payable to Just Peachy Child Care.

A $500.00 deposit is required to secure a space for your child. This is due prior to the start date and will be applied to the last month your child is enrolled with Just Peachy Child Care.
In order for Just Peachy Child Care to maintain quality programming for all children, fees must be paid on time. There is a $5.00 per day charge for late payments and a $25.00 charge for any NSF cheques.

We do accept Child Care Subsidy, now known as the Affordable Child Care Benefit or ACCB. This must be approved prior to starting at the centre. Parents are responsible for all renewals. Please feel free to ask for more information, we may be able to assist in and speed up the application process.

There will be no reduction in fees for days missed due to a child’s absence, this includes home days, illness, vacation time, weather*, etc.

**In the case of severe weather or natural disaster, it is the discretion of the staff whether or not Just Peachy will remain open or an early pick up due to closure will be needed. We will do our best to keep operations regular and communication with families open but the safety of your child is of utmost importance.

Withdrawal from Care:

If you choose to withdraw your child from full time or part time care, we require one full calendar month notice or one month fee in lieu of notice. Notice must be given in writing by the first of the month and withdrawal from program is at the end of the month following notification.
Mid-month withdrawal is not permitted unless certain situations are worked out between family and provider.
Example: Notice is given on or before the 1st of August, child is enrolled in care until August 31st.

Just Peachy Child Care reserves the right to terminate care arrangements at any time, this includes but not limited to events of repeated breech of policies, abuse towards staff or children in the centre, and/or acute aggressive behaviour from the child. We will attempt to give as much notice as possible but the safety of other children and staff is a priority.

Confidentiality and Obligation to Report:

We ask that all staff members of Just Peachy Child Care sign a pledge of confidentiality upon starting their employment. This ensures that all information you share with us remains within our centre. Please feel comfortable to disclose any information or circumstances you feel would be helpful in understanding your child and your family better. In return, we also ask that you keep any information about other children and families from the centre confidential.
Furthermore, as professionals we have an obligation by law to report any suspicion and/or disclosure of abuse or neglect towards a child in our care. We will not investigate these matters ourselves, but report them to the Ministry for Children and Families and Island Health.

Food and Drink:

Your child will need to come to the centre with enough food for the entire day. This includes a variety of healthy choices that follows the Canadian Food Guide for two snack times and a lunch, as well as a clean water and/or milk bottle. Please keep candy, gum, chocolate bars, juice boxes or sugary drinks as home snacks.

Large or round “choke-able foods” must be cut in order to keep your child and other children in the centre safe, many foods end up on the floor and can be picked up by another child.

Snacks and lunch will be available at specific times in order for proper supervision to take place, these times are flexible as each day and child is different.  
We do have a fully functional kitchen! A fridge is available to store lunch kits, a microwave for quickly heating lunches and a stove and oven for special cooking or baking activities and to safely heat up bottles. You will be notified if your child was given any food or drinks that are different than originally packed for the day.

Just Peachy is trying to be environmentally mindful. We would appreciate it if lunches were packed as waste free and plastic free as possible. Any wrappers, bags or recyclable containers will be sent home.

Allergies and food sensitivities will be addressed on a case by case basis and in severe cases all families within the centre will be notified in order to avoid exposure.
We do have one child in care with severe allergies to Flax, Tree Nuts and Peanuts. It is imperative that these are not sent into the centre with your child at anytime. Please make sure you are attentive to ingredients when cooking, baking or sending pre-made items. For example, many breads contain Flax, Pesto contains pine nuts, many Thai dishes contain peanuts, etc.

We enjoy celebrating diversity and special events. We encourage parents to send a special treat for their child’s birthday or for other cultural events that are important to their family. But, please check with the Educators prior to sending anything.

Items from Home:

Please label EVERYTHING from home including: Loose snacks (such as granola bars and squeezie pouches), meal containers, lunch kits, clothing, footwear, bedding, etc.
Do not bring any toys from home; this includes trinkets, jewelry, dolls, cars, etc.
This is to ensure that items are not lost, broken, or a cause for quarrels during the day. A stuffy or cuddly can be kept in your child’s backpack or nap cubby for sleep time or brought out for hugs during the day, if needed. Please let us know if your child is attached to a certain object and how we can best meet his/her needs for comfort.

The following are items that need to be kept at the centre in your child’s cubby:

Rubber soled inside shoes/slippers
Disposable Diapers or pull-ups (if needed) – at this time, we are not set up for cloth diapering.
Crib sheet and small blanket and stuffy, if desired. *Bedding will be washed on location once a week or when needed.
A change of clothing appropriate to the season
Outdoor coat appropriate to the season
Sun hats and sunscreen in warm weather. Warm hats/mittens in cold weather
Rain/winter boots,
’Muddy buddies’ (rain/snow pants)
Bike Helmet
Family photo – This gives comfort to your child while away from you and promotes a sense of pride and community within the centre.
Wet bag for soiled clothes – Plastic bags are not allowed to be stored in the Childs’ cubby area or backpack

Pet Policy:

Please know that we are a pet/animal friendly centre! We believe that having animals and children together can be mutually beneficial. We will always be attentive to the behaviours and interactions of both the children and animals. Your child’s safety is our main priority and we will never have an animal around that we think may put your child in danger or in an uncomfortable situation.
We are very aware that animals can be unpredictable and if an incident is to happen, we will deal with it appropriately and reevaluate accordingly on a case by case basis.

Outdoor and Screen-time Policy:

Outdoor time is available to all children everyday two times a day, rain or shine, for a minimum of 60 minutes. Please dress your child appropriate to the weather and send proper outdoor attire.
Please make sure your child has sunscreen applied Prior to attending care, if needed.
At Just Peachy we play hard and WE WILL GET DIRTY! Please do not send your child into care with special clothing items that are not able to get dirty. If your child leaves here at the end of the day and is covered in dirt, paint, muck, etc… you know they had fun! *Any heavily soiled items will be sent home to be washed.

Screen time will not be available to your child. We do not have a television within the centre and will not allow the use of iPads, tablets, phones or computers.

Guidance and Discipline Policy:

At Just Peachy Child Care, our goals for guidance and discipline is to support children with the development of respect, self-control, self-confidence and empathy while interacting with peers and staff. We believe that each child is a unique individual, and that their behaviour reflects their level of development, personality and temperament, experiences within their family and cultural influences.

Some techniques that we use to guide children’s behaviour include:

Arranging our environment to prevent challenging behaviour. This includes; having enough materials for all the children, providing a balance of individual and small group activities, offering a varied routine with opportunities for calm and loud play.
Establishing clear, consistent, & simple limits
Offering straightforward explanations for limits and stating them in a positive manner
Using a calm voice or singing to model appropriate behaviour
Stating what is expected rather than posing questions
Allowing time for children to respond to expectations
Reinforcing appropriate behaviour with both words and gestures
Ignoring minor incidents or attention seeking behaviour
Encouraging children to use educators as a resource
Gaining a child’s attention in a respectful way
Using proximity and touch
Redirecting or diverting when appropriate
Modelling problem-solving skills
Offering appropriate choices
Using natural and logical consequences
Providing opportunities for children to make amends
Providing time away (within the play space, but away from the activity area, with the intent to provide children the opportunity to develop self direction and to become aware of when they are becoming anxious, agitated or need a break)
Focusing on the behaviour, rather than on the child

Health and Wellness Policies: Updated August 2022

In order to provide a safe environment for all within the centre and communities, we have implemented a health and wellness policy which outlines when a child should be kept at home. Additional restrictions may apply, based on government, licensing officer directives and/or staff and management at your child’s centre.

Families need to be aware that we are dependent on the health of our staff and children to stay open. We can only operate if we are able to maintain the proper staff to child ratio.
1:4 in the toddler centre
1:8 in the 3-5 centre.
Please note that it is extremely difficult to retain a substitute these days

We require that all children are up to date on their vaccinations. Influenza and Covid vaccinations are strongly recommended, but not mandatory at this time.
Parents must notify Just Peachy Child Care if their child is infected with any illness or communicable disease. This will helps us know what to look for in other children and to help prevent any further spread within our centre and community. We are also required to notify other families within the centre so they can watch for similar symptoms.
*We will not disclose the the identity of the child with the communicable disease to other families.

If, for any reason, your child seems unwell at all they need to stay home for a minimum of two days to monitor.
Children may return to the centre when they have been symptom free (without Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen) for 48 hours and are able to partake in regular activities.
Being well enough also means that their nose is not requiring frequent wiping with a Kleenex or back of their hand. We will ask you to pick your child up if your child’s nose requires continuous wiping; this will be decided at staff’s discretion.
Lingering Symptoms may require your child to be seen by a doctor and may only return at staff’s discretion on a case-by-case basis.
If any other family members in your home are ill, keep your child at home until everyone is healthy.
*modifications to this may be made on a case-by-case basis. This includes but is not limited to; Family dynamic, severity of illness, likelihood of reinfection and isolation, incubation or contagious timeframes, etc. and is at the discretion of staff and management.

For certain communicable diseases that we are aware of within our centre, we may send out a temporary alteration to our policies. If your child is showing one or more of the symptoms associated, we will require your child to stay home for an altered timeframe. Even if they are feeling well and have plenty of energy.
Any temporary changes to our health and wellness policy during a pandemic and/or an outbreak will be communicated in writing. We will inform you as to the authorized source of information that our temporary change is based on.

In the event that the Ministry of Health provides another regional or provincial quarantine recommendation for individuals – be it due to international, provincial or regional travel linked to potential exposures, or linked to individual symptoms, Just Peachy Child Care will require all families and children to comply with this recommendation. In the event this occurs, the Ministry of Health, Island Health or Licensing may provide our program with written information; this recommendation will be shared directly with families. These exclusions will apply equally to all children, families and employees.

Please refrain from bringing child to Just Peachy Child Care if your child has any of the following:

A common cold with listlessness, runny nose and eyes, coloured mucous; this includes green, yellow or white mucous, coughing and sore throat. If the symptoms (runny nose and eyes, coughing) are caused by a known allergy (e.g. hay fever, asthma) the child is not contagious and does not have to be excluded. A doctor’s note may be required to substantiate.
Pain – any complaints of unexplained or undiagnosed pain.
Difficulty in breathing – wheezing or a persistent cough.
Fever (1OO degrees F/38.3 degrees C or more). Fever accompanied by general symptoms such as listlessness or sluggishness may be an early sign of an illness that requires a doctor’s attention.
Sore throat or trouble swallowing.
Infected skin or eyes, or an undiagnosed rash.
Severe itching, dry skin of either body or scalp if caused by head or body lice or scabies.
Headache and stiff neck (should see physician).
Unexplained diarrhea, loose stool or severe constipation
Nausea and vomiting
Children with known or suspected communicable diseases.

Children may show symptoms of illness differently than adults. For example, fatigue may show in children as poor feeding, decreased activity, or changes in behaviour. Take your child to your nearest emergency department or call 911 if they:

are having difficulty breathing
have blue lips or skin, or appears very pale
have red and/or swollen lips or tongue
are coughing excessively, particularly with a fever
are vomiting excessively, especially if there is blood in the vomit
have diarrhea and vomiting, is not producing tears, and has not urinated for several hours
have a high fever, appears very sleepy, and have not improved with acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil).
are under three months of age and has a fever of 38 degrees C (100.4 degrees F) or greater
have pain or pressure in the chest that does not go away.
there is new confusion
are unable to wake or stay awake
have severe abdominal pain
have a spreading rash

Parents and guardians should be aware that with the current age group within the childcare, it will be extremely difficult to ensure distance is being maintained and children will be in close contact with others.

If your child has any long-term medical conditions or known allergies, please connect with a manager prior to enrolling to set up a care plan that best suits their needs.
If a child becomes ill or injured while at Just Peachy, we will contact you or your emergency contacts for pickup. In the meantime, we will try to make your child as comfortable as possible. In the event of an emergency, we will utilize first aid and/or call an ambulance.

All staff at Just Peachy Child Care continue to stay diligent with cleaning and sanitizing of toys and surfaces, water bottles, bedding, etc. We will increase cleaning measures as necessary using a Ministry of Health approved sanitizing solution, while in operation.

This includes but not limited to:

Wiping down all high traffic/touched surfaces and door handles once a day or when necessary.
Sanitizing toys regularly and immediately, if put in mouth.
Spending extra time after hours Cleaning and sanitizing
Increasing hand washing, sanitizing and using direct teacher instruction with children to continually promote healthy hand washing habits.
Encouraging children to sneeze or cough into a Kleenex or their bent elbow and not into their hands
These can also be encouraged at home! Please talk to your children about germs and the importance of hand washing.
At this point, masks are optional. At anytime, masks may be required.
Ensuring all staff are up to date with their vaccinations

Sunscreen must be applied prior to drop off. Subsequent applications will happen when needed.
Sunscreen used will need to be provided. Let staff know if your child has any existing skin issues or sensitivities to specific lotions.
Just Peachy Child Care is a smoke free area. Smoking of any sort will not be permitted anywhere on the property.

Medication:

Just Peachy Child Care will not administer any medication that is not prescribed by a doctor. If your child requires medication, please submit a Medication Administering form with the appropriate dosage and times, either signed by your doctor, or accompanied with the prescription in its original packaging to be kept in our locked medicine cabinet. If your child requires any over the counter medicine such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or Ibuprofen (Advil) for minor ailments such as teething; this can only be administered by staff when a Medication Administering form is fully filled out and signed. Medications of any kind cannot be left in your child’s backpack, lunch kit or cubby. Please hand all medications directly to a staff member.

Thank you for your understanding, cooperation and communication. We are all wanting what is best for your child, your family, our staff and our communities.