Nicole's Tot-Time Daycare

Commonly Asked Questions

1. Do you have access to back up childcare?

Most of my appointments are made during the evening or on weekends to ensure that I inconvenience my daycare families the least amount as possible. In the event of illness or family emergency my husband is my alternate childcare provider. However there may be times when he is unable to provide back up childcare. If a daycare family does not have their own alternate childcare plans, I have local network caregivers who are familiar with the children, as we see them on a regular basis, who are willing to provide childcare in my absence. It is the parent's responsibility to secure alternate childcare in the event that it is needed.

2. Do you accept part time or occasional childcare into care?

Yes, children who require part time or occasional childcare are accepted when there is space available. Part time tuition requirements are set at the same rate as a full time family, unless negotiated in advance.

3. Do you provide receipts?

Yes, I provide annual receipts for taxation purposes.

4. Are there additional costs involved in childcare?

Yes, there will be additional programming fees that are not included in your tuition. Included in your tuition is approximately 8 field trips or children's events through the CCPRN per annum (a maximum of 1 per month). Additional programming fees would cover field trips and children's events beyond the 1 per month, for example January 2011 we went to Play Time 4 Kids, to a puppet show, a magic show, and Tiny Hoppers and the programming fees were $15.

During the winter months we try and have a music and movement teacher attend daycare. This year we are having Dianne Smith from Music for the Young. The fee for music lessons is $5 every 2 weeks from November to March.

5. Do you take annual holidays?

Yes, daycare is closed during the week between Christmas and New Years and 2 weeks in the summer.

6. What is your behaviour management policy?

My behaviour management policy begins with respect for people, animals, and property. Children and adults are encouraged to express their feelings, thoughts, and actions in a positive and respectful manner. When children do behave in a disrespectful way, I first remind them of appropriate behaviour, encourage language development, and model appropriate behaviour. If further intervention is required the child is separated from the group until he or she is able to rejoin the group in a positive and productive manner.

My object to behaviour management is to provide disciplinary practices which are appropriate to the child's actions and developmental level which will promote self-discipline, health, safety. and respect.

7. Are parents permitted to be involved in daycare?

Parental involvement is encouraged and welcomed. It is encouraged that parents attend field trips or special events when they can. It is my belief that a healthy relationship between family and daycare is the backbone to a happy, healthy, and secure child.

8. What are parents responsible for supplying?

Summer: hat, swimsuit, towel, crock (or crock like sandals), little swimmers, sun screen, and bug spray (optional)

Winter: weather appropriate outerwear and footwear

All year: spare set of clothes, diapers, diaper wipes, diaper cream,

Special: infant foods/formula for children not on solid foods, and a special treat on your child's birthday

9. Do you have a nut free home?

No, the daycare and my home are not a nut free environment. With that being said I do not serve peanut/nut products to the children in care who are under 2 years of age.

10. Will you accept children with asthma or allergies?

Yes! I have 2 children of my own who have environmental allergies and asthma. I request that parents provide their allergy medication/Benadryl, emergency inhaler and if possible mask that I am able to keep with me at all times your child is present. *exception* I am not equipped to accept children with nut allergies. Please note: At this time I cannot accept children with peanut/nut allergies.

11. Do you have a sick policy?

Yes! I have a sick policy :) There are some exceptions but in general I follow the Ottawa Public Health units guidelines for Childcare Centers and Schools. The general rule of thumb is the child needs to be well enough to participate in our activities. There is a specific sick policy provided in your handbook outlining the sick policy in more detail.

12. What happens when you are sick?

In general I am a healthy caregiver and don't get sick too often. With the assistance of my family providing back up care I have only had to take 4 days off in almost 15 years of daycare. I do have 5 sick days per annum if it is needed. I do not take my sick days just because they are there and available. In the event that I am too ill to provide childcare and my husband is unavailable families notified by 6:30/7am. I plan most of my appointments in the evenings and weekends reducing the amount of time daycare is closed. In lieu of not using my sick days unless absolutely necessary and not using daycare hours for appointments, I do plan 5 personal days off through the year, generally between the months of April - June. I provide on average of 4 - 6 months notice for these days off.

CCPRN Parent check list answered

About Me ....

Does the caregiver have training and experience in caring for your age child?

Yes. I have a diploma in Correctional Worker program: which provided training to work with children ages 6 - 16 with behavioural management in a Youth Home Setting and an Early Childhood Education: which provided training for children newborn - 6 years of age in an Early Childhood Setting.

I have several years experience working with children from 6 months to 12 years old. Please see my qualifications page for a more detailed list of my experience in the field.

Does the caregiver have liability insurance?

Yes. I have additional liability insurance. As both my home and vehicles are with the same insurance company, my home insurance extends to cover my vehicle during our field trips.

Does the caregiver have a Police Records Check?

Yes, I have a police record check completed every 3 years.

Health and Safety

Are toxic substances inaccessible to children?

It is common practice to keep substances that are toxic for children out of reach.

Are there smoke detectors and fire extinguishers?

I have a smoke detector on each level, with an additional smoke detector in the furnace room. I have a carbon monoxide detector also located in the furnace room. There are fire extinguishers located on the mid level of the house.

Are stairs barricaded if there are young children in care?

The daycare has a child proof gate at the stairs to provide safety to the children. However, the main level of the house does not have permanent child proof gates installed. During the times of upstairs play, I use a baby fence to block the stairs and provide the necessary safety for children.

Are play areas and equipment clean, safe and well maintained?

All my equipment and toys are under 4 years of age and are replaced as needed. Infant toys are cleaned as needed and toddler/preschool toys are cleaned once a month during the toy rotation.

Are electrical outlets covered?

My daycare area was built specifically with children in mind, all outlets are high and not accessible to the children.

Are rooms clean, bright and well ventilated?

Daycare has 4 rooms, my office, a fine motor room, a gross motor room, and a learning room. The fine and gross motor rooms allow sufficient space for the children to run and play without toys obstructing them. The daycare is bright spacious and has 2 basement sized windows.

Do children receive nutritious meals and snacks?

Yes, please see the menu page of the website for more information.

Do children have a rest or nap time each day?

Children under the age of 3 years old are required to have a minimum of a 2 hour rest period. Children 3 - 5 are required to have a minimum of 1 hour rest period and 1 hour of quiet time.

Does each child have his/her own crib/cot/bed?

Yes, I have 5 play pens and 5 nap mats. Each child also has their own bedding which is washed every Friday.

Program

Is there a consistent, clear daily routine? Is there enough flexibility in the routine to accommodate individual children’s needs and creativity?

Yes, my program is structured yet flexible. For more information on my structure please see my schedule page on my website.

Is there quiet time as well as active play?

Definitely! Both quiet time and active play are a very important part of our day! Each morning we have 1 hour of free play where the children are able to explore their environment, we have 1 hour a day (depending on weather) for the children to have active play in a fully fenced in park, and we also have a quiet period of 2 hours each afternoon to charge our batteries.

Are there field trips into the community, as well as community members sharing with the children in their care environment?

Yes and yes, I take the children on approximately 1 field trip per month to places like Cosmic Adventures or Play Time 4 Kids. During the summer months we visit places like Little Ray's Reptile Zoo and Valley View Little Animal Farm. We also take weekly trips to the splash pad in the summer. This summer we had a special field trip to the fire station!!!