Arrival and departure of children policy.
How we manage safe sign in and sign out and supervise the transfer of children to and from our centres.
Arrival and Departure of Children Policy
This policy relates to the arrival and departure of children within our centre. It is the responsibility of staff and families to ensure the safe arrival and departure of children at the centre and the completion of statutory documentation. Practical and safe approaches will promote a smooth transition between home and the centre, assure the completion of the required records for the claiming of the Commonwealth Child Care Subsidy in long day care services and confirms children's presence or absence from the centre. This ensures a child's arrival and departure at the centre continues their safe care and custody.
Purpose: To ensure that the children at the centre are collected only by their parents/guardians or authorised carers (as stated on the enrolment form).
Aims
To ensure the safe and documented arrival and departure of children at our centre
To support children in settling into the centre each day and experience quality education and care through continuity of educators, positive interactions within the community of the centre.
To ensure that the children are going home with an authorised person.
To ensure that all staff/parents/guardians are aware of the centres policy, to allow staff to fulfil their responsibilities to every child with consideration of child protection issues.
To ensure no child be handed over to a primary carer who a staff member deems to be in an unfit condition to offer good enough care without reasonable attempts to implement alternative care arrangements.
To ensure that staff are aware of any court order being observed as stated on the child's enrolment form and ensure that this is followed.
Strategies:
A record of attendance, kept at the centre, includes full name of each child attending, arrival and departure times, signature of the person who delivers and collects the child or the name of the nominated supervisor or educator.
A child will leave the centre only with a parent, authorised nominee, an authorised delegate as part of an excursion or because the child requires medical care. (This does not include a parent who is prohibited by a court order from having contact).
The responsible person will:
Review the sign In and Sign Out register via the OWNA App. Where parents or authorised persons have not signed in/out, staff will sign the child in and parents will receive a notification to approve the sign in/out when they next log in.
Ensure that 2 staff members verify that all children have been signed out of the centre by their parent/guardian via the attendances tab in the OWNA app. If a child is not signed out educators will check all areas of the centre to ensure that no child remains. Educators will confirm that all children have been collected by signing off on a “End of Day” checklist via the OWNA App.
Allow the child to leave the centre only with an authorised person who appears able to appropriately care for the child. Educators and staff will always act in the interest and safety for the child, themselves, and other children in the centre.
Families/family member or delegated authority will:
Sign each child in and out of the centre upon arrival and at the time of departure on record of attendance with full signature.
Remain responsible for their child whilst they are on the centre premises.
Procedure: The following steps are to be followed by staff when: -
- Enrolling Children at the Centre
- Children are collected from the Centre.
- If staff/director feels parent/guardian/authorised person is unfit to take
responsibility of the child.
** Unfit condition could include being significantly affected by alcohol or other drugs, mentally or physically ill, threatening or in fear of violence.
Enrolling children at the centre
(i) That each family is made aware of the Arrival and Departure of Children Policy when enrolling their child and the authorisation of collection of their child is explained, completed, and reviewed by the Director and parent. The child can be collected by their parent/ guardian as recorded on the enrolment form unless this is prohibited by a court order.
(ii) The child can be collected by persons (over the age of 18 years) whose name appears under the section of collection of children on the enrolment form.
(iii) The child can be collected by persons (over the age of 18 years) when written permission has been given for a one-off collection via the day diary or via email. The full name of the child and person who is to collect the child must be written and signed by the parent/guardian.
(iv) Where facilities are available parents can email through a one-off collection notification, signed by the parent/guardian, stating the full name of person collecting the child.
** on arrival each day the child must be received by a staff member from the child's parent/guardian/authorised person.
Children are Collected from the Centre by persons unfamiliar to the staff: -
(i) To introduce yourself to the unfamiliar person and to determine their identity and relationship to the child through checking photo identification.
(ii) To check the day diary, centre App or email for a message from parent/guardian and collection of child authorisation on enrolment form for names and details of authorised persons.
(ii) If the unfamiliar person has been authorised in writing by the parent/guardian in the day diary/email or via the authorisation of collection of children in enrolment from the child can be released into their care.
(iv) If authorisation cannot be found in day diary/email or on enrolment form, the staff member must attempt to contact the parent/guardian as you can not release the child.
(v) If parents cannot be contacted by centre closure, staff should contact person on emergency contact section of enrolment form.
Staff must not release child to un-authorised person, no matter what their relationship.
If staff/director feels parent/guardian/authorised person is unfit to take responsibility of the child: -
(i) Firstly, consult with director or other staff member.
(ii) Try to delay parent/guardian/authorised person to contact another parent or emergency contact.
(iii) Example of discussion wording: -
* (Parent?) Could I talk to you for a minute?
* What have you been doing today?
How are you intending on getting home?
I'd like to contact (alternate person?) to come and get you both, so I can be sure you get home and that you are both alright.
How about a coffee while (another staff member) gives them a ring?
(iv) If despite efforts the child is taken from the centre by the carer, and that person is considered to be driving in an unfit state, the staff member will call the local police station to advise them of the situation. The staff member will provide the name and address of the child, the unfit carer and emergency contacts, and will request that appropriate action be taken.
(v) Full details of the situation and action taken, and outcome must be recorded on an incident form and the form must be signed by the centre staff.
(vi) Staff must inform Nominated Supervisor, Senior Director and Approved Provider of the situation and steps taken as soon as possible.
PLEASE NOTE
Educators must acknowledge that a primary carer has the right to leave the Child Care Centre with the child unless this is prohibited by a court order.
At the conclusion of the day 2 primary contact staff must check the centre including all beds/cot rooms and areas (indoor and outdoor) and follow all procedures as per the Lock Up Policy. Educators must complete the “End of Day” checklist on the OWNA app to acknowledge that all children have been collected by an authorised person.
Educators must ensure that they have checked that children have been signed in/out. If not, educators should sign for the families, which will trigger a notification for families to approve.
Community Early Learning Australia
Early Years Learning Framework V2.0 2022
National Quality Standard
Work Health and Safety Act
Work Health and Safety RegulationCentre Support
Dated: February 2024
Incident Report
| Centre: |
|---|
| Date: |
| Location: |
| Time: |
| Staff Present: |
| Children Present: |
| Reporting Staff: Signature: |
| Event in Detail: |
| Nominated Supervisor Report: |
| Investigations undertaken / Steps taken: |
Follow up / Findings / Further action requiredChild at Risk Report: Yes/No Office of the Children’s Guardian Report: Yes/No Serious Incident Notification: Yes/No |
Nominated Supervisor: Name _____________________________________
Signature _____________________________________
Reporting Staff: Name ________________________________
Signature _____________________________________
Parent Name _____________________________________
Signature (if required) _____________________________________
Sources
- Education and Care Services National Regulations
- National Quality Standards
*This policy is the property of Eikoh Seminar Australia Pty Limited and must not be reproduced without the consent of management.