Frequently Asked Questions about Childcare

You MUST check in with/check your child for illness BEFORE you bring them to the centre. DO NOT bring your child to the centre if they are sick. We have a ZERO tolerance for any symptoms of illness and will call to have children picked-up if symptoms develop while in care.

In addition, if your child has a fever, diarrhea, or is vomiting, they must stay away from the centre for 48hrs after their last bout.

*Please let us know when your child is ill and their symptoms as we need to track and notify health authorities*

Symptoms include but are not limited to:

Cough – all types, Fever, Vomit, Diarrhea, Sneezing, Sore throat, Stuffed or runny nose, Chills, Loss of appetite, Extreme fatigue, Pink eye, Goopy or runny eyes, Loss of taste/smell, Difficulty breathing, Abdominal pains,  Swollen hands, feet, or mouth, Blue lips, tongue or skin, Headache, Undiagnosed rash or skin lesions, Any communicable disease.

All registered children must have up to date vaccinations and provide that documentation in their registration package before attending. Returning students will need to update their packages each year with vaccination information to keep it current.

Even when it may not seem like your child is too ill to attend daycare, a mild illness can spread and cause other children/staff to get quite sick. Not everyone responds to illness in the same way.

If any staff get sick, we have to close as we have no substitute staff. Lack of qualified ECE staff is a real problem on the coast so please help us stay healthy so we can stay open by keeping your child home if they are sick. You must have a back-up plan in place.

If your child becomes ill while in the centre, we will contact you immediately. If a parent cannot be reached, staff will then call the emergency number on the consent form, so we ask that parents make sure that each contact person is aware of this procedure.

If a child is on medication, only prescription drugs will be administered and only from the original bottle or tube with the instructions from the physician. These medications must be handed to staff on arrival, and will be kept in our lock box, and a medication form needs to be filled out before staff can administer any medication.

Please note: Children who are not well enough to participate in all program activities, both indoor and outdoor, must be kept at home.

All registered children must have up to date vaccinations and provide that documentation in their registration package before attending. Returning students will need to update their packages each year with vaccination information to keep it current.

The children need to bring enough food in their lunch kits for morning snack and lunch. Please make sure to have ice packs in your child’s lunches and nothing that requires food handling by staff at this time.

In order to limit the transmission of illness , staff won’t be heating up food as we are trying to minimize contact with their containers. Please open packages/oranges etc. slightly to allow children to finish on their own.

We encourage parents to provide their children with meals and snacks that are wholesome and nutritious, as this will allow the child the freedom to choose what to eat and when. This also helps to foster a sense of independence and encourages healthy eating habits. A child’s energy level is dependent on the food that they eat, and that regular meals and snacks are important for optimal health. We respectfully ask parents to please refrain from sending sugary treats to daycare. If parents really think that their child needs a sweet treat, we ask them to save it for home or for the car ride home.

For birthdays, we make room for celebrating with treats so if you’d like to bring in something for everyone to share you are welcome to do so.

Children need to be fully toilet trained before enrolling.

We are a non-profit society. The fees each family pays does not cover all the operating expense for the Halfmoon Bay Childcare Centre. Fundraising covers this shortfall.

The physical and emotional well being of each child is of paramount importance. The staff use positive guidance techniques to help the children manage their emotions, learn acceptable limits and acquire the skills necessary for healthy group living.

It is important to us that the children be allowed to learn the skills they need to resolve conflicts in socially acceptable ways, to the child’s own satisfaction, and without loss of dignity. We wish to facilitate the child’s development of self-control, self-confidence, and ultimately self-discipline. To this end we actively encourage
verbal expression of feelings and assertion of felt needs. Hitting, biting and other forms of physical, emotional and verbal abuse are not permitted.

Yes, we are licensed.

Yes. Fees are calculated by the space you book for your child and must be paid in full, regardless of sickness or vacation days missed. You are paying for their spot in the program – and this ensures you are still guaranteed your spot when you return from any absence.

A teacher-child ratio of 1 to 8 or less is maintained. Class sizes are limited to 16 in order to provide high quality care.

Yes.  All teaching staff have valid First Aid Certification and most have Food Safe Certification as well.