We currently have space for children aged 3-5
We currently have space for children aged 3-5
Please note our COVID-19 Health and Safety Plan is based off WCB, CDC, and Licensing guidelines. There are also additional policies and precautions Best Friends Children’s Centre Inc have put in place to keep the children, families, and staff as healthy and safe as possible. We appreciate everyone’s co-operation and understanding during this time.
Arrivals and Departures
To ensure the health and safety of all, parents and children must check in outside unit 106 prior to drop off every day. Parents will be asked a series of questions. Parents will be asked to sanitize after the question process. Please take your child’s temperature prior to arriving at the centre. Once you have cleared the health check you may drop off child off in their classroom, please remain outside of the classroom. Going through health checks may make drop offs a little longer than usual, please give yourself extra time in the morning to allow for this. Please drop off school age children before 8am and all other programs before 9am. Parents may pick up their children at anytime from outside their classrooms, please communicate with your child’s teacher as to when pickup will be each day. We ask all families to stay 6 feet apart from each other during drop off and pickups. We ask parents to please wear masks as per current regulations directed by Doctor Bonnie Henry of being a public place.
Health Checks
Health checks will take place every morning at drop off outside unit 106 (office). Parents will be asked questions in regards to illness symptoms. Parents must take child’s temperature at home.Your child’s temperature must be below 100/37.8. Parents will be asked to ensure that they have an authorized person available to pickup their child within an hour if their child develops any illness symptoms while in our care. Please note that all family members must be able to pass the health check questions in order for the child to attend.
For children in the school age program, if we are not bringing your child to school in the morning, but we will be picking them up, please phone the centre by 1:30pm for us to do an over the phone health check.
Greeting Children
All children will be greeted at their classroom door by their teacher. Teachers will then direct the children to put their belongings away and wash their hands.
Sick Children and Staff
Staff and children will be excluded from the centre for:
- fever
- taking fever reducing medications within the last 12 hours, regardless of the reason (fever, pain, teething, etc)
- persistent clear runny nose, or yellow/green mucous nose
- cough, new or worsening of persistent cough
- sinus congestion
- difficulty breathing or wheezing
- unexplained fatigue, aches, cold or flu symptoms (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, etc)
- exposure to COVID-19 within 14 days
- out of country travel
Please note this may differ from case to case depending the symptom and on prior doctor notes regarding chronic conditions.
We understand this may be inconvenient to some but please remember this is in the best interest of all parties.
Staff and children are not able to attend the centre if anyone in their household unit, including themselves, have symptoms from the health check – listed above.
Children will be asked to go home upon arrival if the household is unable to pass the health check. Children who develop symptoms while at the centre will be asked to be picked up within the hour to avoid the spread of any illness symptoms.They will be isolated with a staff member to limit transmission. If the child is 2 or older they will be given a mask to wear until picked up.
If a staff becomes sick they will be directed to stay home or leave the premises as quickly as possible. They will self isolate away from the group if unable to leave immediately until a replacement staff is available.
Staff and children are able to return to the centre once they (entire household including themselves) have been assessed by a doctor to exclude COVID-19, infectious diseases, AND their symptoms have been resolved for 48 hours WITHOUT any medications.
Please note in order to stay in ratio with licensing standards you may be asked to pickup your child early, be turned away in the morning if there are no replacement staff available, or wait until the next staff comes on shift.
Please notify management immediately if your child is staying at home due to any illness symptoms or is in contact with a COVID 19 case immediately.
Ratios and Group Sizes
Our ratios will be maintained as per licensing requirements.
Programs will be kept separate and only combine in emergency situations or if required to continue care with the staffing we have.
In order to keep program sizes as small as possible all non nappers will be taken outside during nap time. This will allow for further social distancing, fresh air and more cleaning opportunities during this time.
Children’s Naps and Rest Times
All cots, bedding and personal items will be laundered on a daily basis. If laundered at home, please bag item immediately, once cleaned placein a sealed plastic bag before returning to the centre. Please only send required items that your child needs to sleep.
All items will be stored in your child’s cubby to avoid contact between others. Children will sleep head to toe to avoid possible transmission of illness.
Cleaning and Disinfecting Objects and Surfaces
Cleaning and disinfecting will happen at least 2 times a day. During nap and once all the children have gone home for the day - if something is not able to be done at night it will be done in the morning before the children arrive to ensure classrooms are ready. When staffing ratios are able – cleaning will also take place when children are outside.
Throughout the day all mouthed toys will be placed in a bin to be washed and sanitized before others can play with them.
Toys will be cleaned and sanitized before storing away and upon taking out of storage or being shared between programs.
If parents would like to donate any cleaning or day to day supplies that would be greatly appreciated. We can only operate as long as we have the supplies to do so. Donations must be discussed with management in order to ensure they can be used with our licensing regulations and delivered outside of unit 106 (office).
Hand Washing
Hand washing with soap and water is still the single most effective way to reduce the spread of illness. When sinks are not available hand sanitizer will be used with staff supervision. Hand washing should be taking place:
-arriving and leaving centre
-before and after food handling
-before and after applying medication
-after changing diapers
-after assisting child using a toilet
-after using the bathroom
-after contact with body fluids, runny nose, spit, vomit, blood
-before and after putting on your PPE
-after cleaning
-after handling garbage
-whenever hands are visibly dirty
-after playing outside
-after sneezing or coughing
-after handling pets or animals
Coughing/Sneezing/Nose Blowing
At the centre we will be discussing proper coughing, sneezing, and nose blowing etiquette. We ask you work with your children at home on this as well. For example we are teaching the children to cough or sneeze into their elbow – or “chicken wing”.
Physical Distancing Strategies
Staff will be assigned to specific rooms to minimize movement of staff and children between rooms – except in the case of emergencies or to stay within licensing regulations.
We will be keeping group activities small and reminding children to keep hands to themselves.
Bathrooms and laundry room can have 1 adult at a time unless an immediate need or emergency arises.
Personal Protective Equipment
Masks and gloves are not required or recommended to be used by children in the centre.
Staff are required to wear masks while at the centre. Staff will use disposable gloves when cleaning body fluids, cleaning toys, doing first aid, and when diapering.
Mealtimes and Food Service
To avoid cross contamination lunch kits will be placed under each child’s chair, not on the table. Water bottles, dishes and utensils will be kept out of children’s reach and teachers will assist as needed.
When possible please pack food in disposable packaging to limit staff handling food and to allow for easy clean up.
Staff will wash their hands between handling each child’s food items.
Special events for food will require parent consent prior to the day in order for your child to participate. Items will be store bought in packaging.
Staff and Management
Staff will assess themselves on a daily basis to ensure they are healthy. Management will continue to use email and phone for communication with parents. Please be sure to check your email daily for any new information. We will do our best to keep you as informed as possible. Please note that any questions or concerns will be answered as soon as possible and we apologize for any delays as we work through new policies and guidelines.
Suppliers and Visitors
We will not be allowing suppliers or visitors insidethe centre during this time. Suppliers will be met outside and any meetings or tours will take place either by phone, online, outside of the building or out of business hours. Support staff will able to resume visits during outdoor play time. If at any time outside visits are not possible due to staff maintaining ratios, health checks must be passed by visitors and they will be asked to sanitize before entering and will be given a mask.
Amendment 1 - June 8, 2020
Due to the low COVID cases we are making an amendment to our COVID safety plan. We will still continue to health check at unit 106 in the mornings. However parents will be allowed to walk their child/ren to their class and pick them up. We just ask that you (parent) remain outside the classroom door and wait for your child there. The doors will be sanitized between families, elevator buttons and hallway railings will be sanitized and teachers will continue to sign children in and out. If there are multiple families picking up/dropping off at once, we ask familes to remain 6 feet apart at all times. If families call ahead of time it will ease in this transition and make pick up times move faster.
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