The Supervisor will always be available to meet with parents who have concerns about our Centre. Day to day concerns will be dealt with as quickly as possible. Please feel free to call the main site at 613-702-1116 to speak with our Supervisor between 8:30 am and 4:00 pm and leave a message for the supervisor or e-mail at info@educara.ca. Concerns are triaged based on severity and the supervisor will reach out as soon as possible.
Parent Issues and Concerns Policy and Procedures
Purpose:
The purpose of this policy is to provide a transparent process for parents/guardians, the child care licensee and staff to use when parents/guardians bring forward issues/concerns.
Definitions:
Licensee: The individual or agency licensed by the Ministry of Education responsible for the operation and management of each child care centre it operates (i.e. the operator).
*Staff: *Individual employed by the licensee (e.g. program room staff).
*Policy
General:*
Parents/guardians are encouraged to take an active role in our child care centre and regularly discuss what their child(ren) are experiencing with our program. As supported by our program statement, we support positive and responsive interactions among the children, parents/guardians, child care providers and staff, and foster the engagement of and ongoing communication with parents/guardians about the program and their children. Our staff are available to engage parents/guardians in conversations and support a positive experience during every interaction.
All issues and concerns raised by parents/guardians are taken seriously by Educara and will be addressed. Every effort will be made to address and resolve issues and concerns to the satisfaction of all parties and as quickly as possible.
Issues/concerns may be brought forward verbally or in writing. Responses and outcomes will be provided verbally, or in writing upon request. The level of detail provided to the parent/guardian will respect and maintain the confidentiality of all parties involved.
An initial response to an issue or concern will be triaged accordingly and a response will be provided to parents/guardians within a timely manner during business hours. The person (s) who raised the issue/concern will be kept informed (while maintaining confidentiality and privacy guidelines as outlined below) throughout the resolution process.
Investigations of issues and concerns will be fair, impartial and respectful to parties involved.
Confidentiality:
Every issue and concern will be treated confidentially and every effort will be made to protect the privacy of parents/guardians, children, staff, students and volunteers, except when information must be disclosed for legal reasons (e.g. to the Ministry of Education, College of Early Childhood Educators, law enforcement authorities or a Children’s Aid Society).
Conduct:
Our centre maintains high standards for positive interaction, communication and role-modeling for children. Harassment and discrimination will therefore not be tolerated from any party.
If at any point a parent/guardian, provider or staff feels uncomfortable, threatened, abused or belittled, they may immediately end the conversation and report the situation to the supervisor and/or licensee.
Concerns about the Suspected Abuse or Neglect of a child:
Everyone, including members of the public and professionals who work closely with children, is required by law to report suspected cases of child abuse or neglect.
If a parent/guardian expresses concerns that a child is being abused or neglected, the parent will be advised to contact the local Children’s Aid Society (CAS) directly.
Persons who become aware of such concerns are also responsible for reporting this information to CAS as per the “Duty to Report” requirement under the Child and Family Services Act.
For more information, visit: http://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/English/childrensaid/reportingabuse/index.aspx
Procedures:
*Escalation of Issues or Concerns: *
Where parents/guardians are not satisfied with the response or outcome of an issue or concern, they may escalate the issue or concern verbally or in writing to the Supervisor and/or Educara’s board of directors at the address provided by the Supervisor.
Issues/concerns related to compliance with requirements set out in the Child Care and Early Years Act., 2014 and Ontario Regulation 137/15 should be reported to the Ministry of Education’s Child Care Quality Assurance and Licensing Branch.
Issues/concerns may also be reported to other relevant regulatory bodies (e.g. local public health department, police department, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Labour, fire department, College of Early Childhood Educators, Ontario College of Teachers, College of Social Workers etc.) where appropriate.
