Change is never easy, especially when it is forced. New and added stress are difficult for children, parents, child care providers, educators, and businesses. We must stay connected and care for each other as best we can during this time. As an agency, we want to help influence a positive mindset that will get us all through the coming weeks/months. 

Reopening our doors is going to look a little different. New policies are in effect to minimize risks and keep everyone as safe as possible. Our strategies and requirements come from multiple sources, including WHO, HPEPH, Hastings County Children's Services, Provincial leaders (Ontario and across the country), and the Ministry of Education. 
​Please note, we feel to reopen with a safety-first mindset listening to the most current science-based recommendations is a priority. As a private business, it is within our right to create, implement, and enforce these policies.  
 If a parent has a concern related to the home child care premises and requests a tour of the home, this request will not be denied. However, Little Lambs Home Daycare partners with amazing women who we trust to provide quality care, each home has received a thorough inspection upon licensing and monthly home visits by our staff. Requiring a tour should not be necessary. 

Child Care Reopening Plan

Version 2.0
Date created: June 15, 2020 
Updates: this document will be reviewed and amended as needed in consultation with the Ministry of Education, OCCSM and HPEPH. Once amended any previous versions will be void. 

Purpose: This document is intended to support home child care providers, staff, RECE Home Visitors, persons residing at or normally at the child care premises and families of Little Lambs Home Daycare. This document is designed for use in conjunction with our current policies and procedures, the CCEYA, and the guidance of our local public health authority. 

While the focus of this document is on the new health, safety and operational measures that are required in order to safely re-open child care, please note that every effort should continue to be made to uphold the welcoming and caring environment that our families have come to know and expect. 
Disclosure; In the event of a conflict between this document and any other Little Lambs policy/procedure this document will prevail. Advice of HPEPH (local health unit) must be followed, even in the event that it contradicts this document.  

Licensing Requirements Inspections-Ministry
  • Ministry staff will conduct in-person monitoring and licensing inspections of child care agencies, home child care premises and in-home services where necessary.
  • Ministry staff must:
    • Be screened prior to entering the premises following screening protocol (see screening section below);
    • Wear personal protective equipment;
    • Maintain social distancing as much as possible during their visit, and 
    • Follow any other protocols requested by the home child care, or in-home service provider. 
  • Ministry staff will use technology (e.g., telephone, video conferencing) to complete virtual monitoring and licensing inspections where appropriate. 

Inspections-Agency/RECE Home Visitor
  • Agency staff will conduct in-person monitoring and quarterly inspections of home child care premises and in-home services as required by the CCEYA.
  • Agency staff must:
    • Be screened prior to entering the premises following screening protocol (see screening section below);
    • Use hand sanitizer before entering the child care premises
    • Wear personal protective equipment; disposable face mask (1 time use)
    • Maintain social distancing as much as possible during their visit, and 
    • Follow any other protocols requested by the home child care provider, or in-home service provider. 
  • Agency staff will use technology (e.g., telephone, video conferencing) to complete virtual monitoring where appropriate. 

Maximum Cohort Size
  • There are no changes to the maximum group group size for home child care which allows for a maximum of 6 children, not including the providers own children who are 4 years or older. 
    • It is recommended to follow provincial group sizes within the child care setting wherever possible. Up-to-date group size information can be found @ www.ontario.ca
    • In situations where the home child care premises exceeds provincial group sizes (large families, extended family residing at the premises etc.) the following protocols will be implemented;
      • Child care providers in this situation will implement individualized plans for health and safety protocols ensuring; 
        • maintained separation between persons ordinarily residing at the child care premises and the child care program (where possible). 
        • Hand sanitizing protocols for all persons residing at the premises 
        • Use of PPE as necessary 
        • Any other protocol deemed appropriate for the individual circumstance 
        • Individualized plans created by the child care provider will be submitted and reviewed by the RECE Home Visitor. The plans will be updated as necessary following recommendations/requirements of our local Public Health

Staffing
  • Staff should work at only one location.
  • RECE Home Visitors and/or Agency staff should limit their movement between home child care premises to no more than 3 programs per day;
    • See “Inspections- Agency/RECE Home Visitor” section above
  • Qualified staff 
    • All RECE/home visitors must hold current Director Approvals as set out in the CCEYA. 
  • Certification in Standard First Aid Training, including Infant and Child CPR
    • Home Child Care Providers, back up child care providers, in-home service providers and RECE Home Visitors are required to have valid certification in first aid training including infant and child CPR, unless the certification has been extended by the Workplace  Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). 
    • The WSIB has indicated that all certifications that expire after March 1, 2020 are automatically temporarily extended until September 20, 2020. 
    • The agency will continue to monitor the WSIB website for any updates on First Aid/CPR certificate extensions for any staff, home child care provider or in-home service providers whose certification would have expired after March 1, 2020. 
  • Vulnerable Sector Checks (VSC’s)
    • The agency is required to obtain VSC’s from staff and other persons who are interacting with children as per the agencies Police Record Check Policy.  
    • The agency is not required to obtain a new VSC from staff or persons interacting with children where the fifth anniversary of staff or person’s most recent VSC falls within the emergency period, until 60 days after the emergency period ends. 
    • Offence declarations which expired during the emergency period must be completed as soon as possible but no later than 60 days after the emergency period ends. 

Health and Safety Requirements         

 Routines and Sanitary Policies   

   Handwashing
  • Specific times of the day: 
    • Arrival to the child care premises 
    • Before and after mealtimes 
    • After nap/ rest time 
    • After going outside 
    • After toileting/ diaper changes
  • Anytime a child puts their hands in their mouth, eyes, nose, pants or touches their friends face they will be required to wash their hands. 
  • Best practice everyone in the child care premises should be washing their hands frequently (example: every 30mins).                  

Additional sanitary practices 
  • Frequently touched surfaces should be cleaned twice a day. 
    • Doorknobs
    • Light switches 
    • Toilet 
    • Faucet 
    • Handles 
    • Tabletops 
    • Railings 
  • Only disinfecting products that have a DIN or a low level hospital grade disinfectant may be used. 
  • Check expiry dates of products used and always follow manufacturer's instructions. 
  • Providers are required to keep a cleaning and disinfecting log that demonstrates their cleaning schedule. 
  • Linens are to be labelled and not shared between children. 
    • Linens are to be laundered as needed with a minimum of weekly. 
    • Linens are to be stored in such a way to prevent cross contamination between children. Eg. individual bins or bags for each child. 
  • Children must not share soothers, bottles, sippy cups, toothbrushes, facecloths, etc. Providers should label these items with the child’s name to discourage accidental sharing
  • Providers are required to cover their clothing with a cloth or blanket when holding infants and toddlers and change the blankets or cloths between children. (receiving blankets would be a great option)
  • Thermometers must not be used between children/staff without single-use protective covers or disinfecting between use.
  • Please refer to Public Health Ontario’s Environmental Cleaning fact sheet and the Public Services Health and Safety Association’s Child Care Centre Employer Guideline for more information on cleaning. https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/documents/B/2018/bp-environmental-cleaning.pdf
                         
Screening for Symptoms

All individuals including; children attending child care, child care providers, in-home service providers, persons ordinarily residing at the premises or normally at the premises must be screened each day before children arrive and/or before entering the child care setting, including daily temperature checks. 

Parents and guardians should be reminded of this requirement when children are first registered for the program. Visible signage at child care entrances may be supportive, as a gentle reminder for those returning to care.  

Drop Off
  • Providers will text parents/guardians prior to the child's arrival at daycare asking the standard screening questions and photo proof of temperature. 
  • Providers will record screening on the daily active screening sheet 
  • If the child is able to attend childcare parents/ guardians will knock on the door upon arrival and wait. Parents are requested to wait outside the home and maintain physical distancing to support current practices. If a parent/ guardian has concerns about the home child care premises they will not be denied access. 
  • When the provider opens the door the child may enter the home. The provider should assist the child with taking their coat and shoes off, putting their bag away, etc. The provider will then wash their own hands and help the child to wash their hands. (see daily routines)
Pick Up
  • Parents/guardians will knock on the door upon arrival and wait. Parents are requested to wait outside the home and maintain physical distancing to support current practices. If a parent/ guardian has concerns about the home child care premises they will not be denied access. 
  • The provider will get the child dressed to go home, and belongings (if required) packed and ready to go. 
  • The provider will open the door and wait in the doorway with the child. Quick updates concerning the child's day can occur while respecting social distancing. Providers are required to continue to use HiMama for documentation purposes. Providers should encourage parents to log on to view the daily reports of their child as well.  

Attendance Records
  • The child care agency is responsible for maintaining daily records of anyone entering the facility/home and the approximate length of their stay (such as cleaners, people doing maintenance work, people providing support for children with special needs, those delivering food).
    • Records are to be kept on the premises (centre or home). No form has been provided for this documentation. The child care provider is requested to keep a visitation log in such a way that respects confidentiality and is easily accessible. 
  • Records (e.g. name, contact information, time of arrival/departure, screening completion/result, etc.) must be kept up-to-date and available to facilitate contact tracing in the event of a confirmed COVID-19 case or outbreak. 
  • Attendance for children in care will continue being documented on HiMama as normal

Testing Requirements
  • Please refer to the provincial testing guidance for updated information regarding the requirements for routine testing in the child care setting. 

Protocols when a Child or Home Child Care Provider Demonstrates Symptoms of Illness or Becomes Sick
  • Staff/home child care providers, parents and guardians, and children must not attend the program if they are sick, even if symptoms resemble a mild cold.
  •  Symptoms to look for include but are not limited to: 
    • Fever (38 degrees celsius )
    • Cough 
    • Shortness of breath
    • Sore throat
      • In children who are not yet verbal, sore throat can be expressed as not wanting to eat or drink, or trouble swallowing.
    • Nasal congestion 
    • Headache 
      • In children who are not yet verbal, headaches can be expressed as crying for an unknown reason, holding head, distancing or withdrawing from regular play, wanting to sleep more.
    • Runny nose 
      • This is genuinely a difficult requirement to make because we are all aware of how common this symptom is. It is normal for both adults and children to have to blow their noses throughout the day. Standard tissue requirements are not considered runny nose.
      •  As defined by the Mayo Clinic, "A runny nose is excess nasal drainage. It may be a thin clear fluid, thick mucus, or something in between. The drainage may run out of your nose, down the back of your throat or both."
      •  If a child needs to blow/wipe their nose every 5-10 minutes or a child care provider needs to do this, the child will be separated from the other children and sent home. 
      • Allergy medications will not conceal any signs of true ill health. We suggest speaking with a pharmacist concerning any plan of treatment for   allergies. Our child care providers are not medical professionals and will not distinguish between different types of "runny noses."  
    • and a general feeling of being unwell. 
  • Prompt identification, monitoring of symptoms and appropriate management of symptoms is the only treatment for the virus at this time. Children in particular should be monitored for atypical symptoms and signs of COVID-19. 
  • There has been evidence of transmission through close contact between humans, most likely from secretions or droplets in the air or on surfaces due to coughing and sneezing. At this time, it appears that the virus is most often being spread through close contact with another infected person who is showing symptoms. While experts believe that spread from a person who is asymptomatic (not showing symptoms) is possible, this is considered to be rare.
  • medicating children with over the counter cold medications, acetaminophen (brand name: Tylenol), ibuprofen (brand name: Advil) or another fever suppressing/cold symptom suppressing drug will result in the immediate termination of care. 
  • The agency can not readmit children after 24 hours symptom-free. Return to care dates will be set individually in consultation with medical professionals and as recommended by HPEPH.

If a Child Becomes Sick During Care. 
  • If a child becomes sick while in the program, they should be isolated and family members contacted for pick-up.        
  • If a 2-metre distance cannot be maintained from the ill child, advice from the local public health unit will be necessary to prevent/limit virus transmission to those providing care.
    • While contacting the public health unit, at minimum the child and childcare worker should wear a surgical / procedure mask (if tolerated and/or available).
    • Hygiene and respiratory etiquette should be practiced while the child is waiting to be picked up.
    • Tissues should be provided to the child for proper respiratory etiquette, with proper disposal of the tissues and proper hand hygiene.
  • All items used by the ill person should be cleaned and disinfected. All items that cannot be cleaned (paper, books, cardboard puzzles) should be removed and stored in a sealed container for a minimum of 7 days.
  • Contact the local public health unit to notify them of a potential case and seek input regarding the information.

If a Person Who Resides in the Home Becomes Symptomatic and/or Tests Positive for COVID-19.
  • The local public health unit is to be notified and their advice on next steps should be followed 
  • Where a child, home child care provider is suspected of having or has a confirmed case of COVID-19, the agency must report this to the ministry as a serious occurrence.
    • When a person becomes sick the home child care agency will report to public health, the ministry, and where public health advises, families.
  • Other children, including siblings of the sick child, and child care provider in the program who were present while the child or provider became ill should be identified and grouped together until they can be picked up by parents/guardians to self-isolate at home. 
    • The local public health unit will provide any further direction on testing and isolation of these close contacts. 
Serious Occurrence Reporting The agency has a duty to report suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 under the Health Protection and Promotion Act. The agency should contact their local public health unit to report a child suspected to have COVID-19. The local public health unit will provide specific advice on what control measures should be implemented to prevent the potential spread and how to monitor for other possible infected staff members and children.
    
Where a child, parent, staff or home child care provider is suspected (i.e. has symptoms and has been tested) of having or has a confirmed case of COVID-19, the agency must report this to the ministry as a serious occurrence.
    
Where a home child care is closed due to COVID-19, the agency must report this to the ministry as a serious occurrence.
                        
The agency is required to post the serious occurrence notification form as required under the CCEYA, unless local public health advises otherwise.
                                                     
Operational Pre-Program/New administration considerationsCommunication with families 
  • Open and respectful communication between the agency/staff/child care providers and families regarding the enhancement of health and safety measures facilitates transparency of expectations.
  • New policies will be shared with families prior to returning to care, for their information and to ensure they are aware of these expectations, including keeping children home when they are sick. 
  • Families can access www.littlelambshdc.com anytime to review all Little Lambs policies, procedures and updated information concerning current practices. 
  • Waitlist policies have not been amended at this time. When a child care space becomes available priority will be given to families in order; 
    • date submitted and location requested. 
Parent Fees 
  • In an effort to stabilize parent fees when re-opening, Little Lambs will set fees at the level they were prior to closing in March. Private home child care providers licensed with Little Lambs should also hold their parent fees to the level they were at prior to when they closed. 
  • Little Lambs prohibits it’s child care providers and staff from accepting or charging fees to add a family to a priority list for preferred access to spaces;
  • No family will be billed if a space is not available to them or they chose not to accept a space; and,
  • Home child care providers must give parents 30 days to indicate whether they want to keep their space. After 30 days, payments would be required to secure the space, whether the child attends or not. 
  • Individual agreements can be made between families and their child care provider to terminate care until a later date. For example; a family chooses to keep their child home until September 2020. If both parties agree, the provider would have the ability to fill the space for the summer and welcome back the previous family come September. 
    • If an alternate agreement is made between a child care provider and a family choosing to terminate care until a later date, a formal letter documenting the agreement must be kept readily available at the child care premises. Both parties are required to sign their acknowledgment of the agreement. 
      • Electronic signatures are accepted where necessary. 
  • Emergency child care, including associated funding, will come to an end on June 26th, 2020.

Access to Child Care Spaces and Prioritizing Families 
  • Emergency child care clients were provided with a termination of service letter by Hastings County on June 12, 2020. All child care clients currently registered for emergency care will return to their previous child care arrangements effective June 27th, 2020. 
    • Only families who explicitly requested to remain in the care of Little Lambs and who were offered a child care space with Little Lambs will be permitted to stay. 
    • Emergency care families will be supported, where possible, during this transition to ensure continuity of service. 
    • Any child remaining in the care of Little Lambs Home Daycare after June 26th, 2020 will be billed according to our parent handbook. 
  • Priority will be given to families registered with Little Lambs Home Daycare prior to March 17, 2020. With the following considerations;
    • Families who must return to work or who are currently working. 
    • Families who work outside of the home.
    • Families with special circumstances that would benefit from children returning to care, such as children with special needs; and 
    • Other local circumstances 
  • Full time child care requests will be prioritized over part time child care requests 
Subsidy
  • Clients accessing child care subsidy through the County of Hastings or Prince Edward Lennox and Addington Social Services need to contact their child care caseworker prior to returning to care. 
    • Assessments are being completed by child care caseworkers to ensure families continued eligibility. 
    • Clients returning to care without a formal subsidy approval letter (emailed by child care caseworkers) will be billed according to our current fee guide. 
      • Fee guide can be found in our parent handbook

 
Staff Training 
  •  This policy and any relevant information will be shared with staff, RECE Home Visitors and Home Child Care Providers prior to reopening. 
    • Sharing and group conversations will be hosted on the “Little Lambs Home Daycare-Providers” Facebook page to support social distancing efforts.  
  • All individuals involved with Little Lambs Home Daycare are encouraged to consult HPEPH for ongoing health and safety information pertaining to their specific needs. 
  • Communication between all staff, home child care providers and in-home service providers can be arranged if requested prior to reopening.
    • Individuals seeking to clarify their understanding of new health and safety requirements can book a phone meeting with the agency by texting “meeting request” to 613-827-1441. 

In Program Considerations Visitors 
  • There should be no non essential visitors during daycare hours
  • Ministry staff and other public officials are permitted to enter and inspect a home child care 
  • Parents are encourage to not enter past the front door 
  • No volunteers or students are permitted at home childcare premises’ 
  • Providers are not permitted to gather with other childcare providers and children. (stick to your own cohort)

Toys and resources
  • All soft surfaces that can be removed should be taken away from the daycare space. Including carpets, blankets, pillows, stuffies, dress-up clothes, and fabric books. Fabric drapes that children can access should be removed or tied out of the way during daycare hours
  • Daily cleaning/ sanitizing requirements may damage wooden or natural toys. It is recommended providers revert to plastic, metal toys or wooden toys sealed with a water-repelling solution. All toys/resources touched by children need to be able to sanitize once daily or as needed. 
  • Toys should be offered in a number that allows for a variety of interests while being in quantities that are manageable to clean. 
  • Mouthed toys should be cleaned and disinfected immediately after the child is finished.
    • If not possible to sanitize toys immediately, a designated bin/vessel must be available to store mouthed/dirty toys until the child care provider is able to properly sanitize them.
  • Play structures can only be used in a way that supports physical distancing.

Arts and Crafts 
  • Individual arts and crafts bins for each child are required to mitigate risk due to common touch items that are difficult to clean between rapid use.
    • Example: pencils, markers, paint brushes, glue sticks etc. 
  • Having individual art bins with various materials encourages children to participate in open ended activities while preventing cross contamination by sharing resources. 

Sensory Play 
  • Certain types of group sensory play are permitted if children are able to maintain social distancing. Sensory play is defined as any activity that stimulates any of a child's five senses (hearing, sight, smell, touch, taste)
    • Individual sensory play is required when the sensory play items can not be easily cleaned or sanitized between use. Eg. water, slime, goop, natural materials, messy play materials,  
    • Similarly sensory items that are commonly mouthed are to be monitored and sanitized as needed or for individual play only.    
    • Playdough (and any similar activity) needs to be single-use/thrown away at the end of the day and not shared. Each child would have a portion of their own. 
      • Additional precautions are to be taken to ensure children are not sharing resources. 
  • All surfaces and tools used during sensory play need to be cleaned between use or as needed.
  • Sand boxes 
    • Use sand that is prepackaged and sealed. It must be labelled as play sand that has been washed, dried and is dust and silica free.
    • Please do NOT place spilled sand back into the sand box.
    • Children should maintain social distancing while playing in the sand. For example: no child should be able to touch another child's body.  
    • Providers are required to sanitize toys once daily or as needed 
    • Providers and children are required to wash their hands immediately after playing in the sand
      • Indoors·
        • Keep food away from sand 
        • Keep sand table covered when not in use 
        • If sand becomes wet, allow to air dry overnight 
        • The actual sand table must be constructed by material that is rust proof and easy to clean 
        • Replace sand monthly and make sure to disinfect box
        • Clean and disinfect sand table toys daily/after each use 
        • Clean area beneath sand table daily
      • Outdoors: 
        • Sandbox must be covered when not in use to prevent access to animals 
        • Ensure sandbox is raked daily and inspected for animal waste
        • If animal waste is found the sand must be replaced
        • Clean and disinfect toys daily/after each use 
  • Water play 
    • Similar to sand and other sensory activities children should maintain social distancing while playing 
    • Children are required to have their own sensory bucket for water play. Water for sensory play is not to be shared between children.
    • No open vessels or cups are permitted during water play. This is to discourage children from drinking the water 
    • Toys are to be sanitized between use/once daily or as needed. 

Meal Time
  • Children should be seated in such a way that no child can touch another child's body, food, utensils or cup. 
  • All cups, plates,utensils and eating surfaces need to be cleaned between uses. 
  • Providers are required to ensure proper hand hygiene and sanitary practices are being followed while preparing/ serving food. 
  • Children are not permitted to assist in food preparation 
  • Proper hand hygiene is required for all children before and after eating
  • No food is to be provided by families except when required (allergies, dietary requirements)
  • No food items should be shared or self served by children 

Water
  • Water needs to be available throughout the day and whenever requested. 
  • All cups/ drinking vessels need to be out of reach of children when not actively engaged in meal times. Example; children need to ask for their water or the provider needs to offer a child their cup vs the child going and grabbing a cup off the table.

Napping/ Rest Time
  • Each child needs to be no less than two metres/ six feet apart during nap time
  • Visual checks need to be completed every 30 mins or sooner. 
  • Providers should place children in a toe to toe manner if space is limited
  • Child care providers need to continue following safe sleep policies as outlined in Little Lambs “sleep supervision policy”

Sanitary Practices 
​Space Set-Up and Physical Distancing 
  • Encourage physical space between children for example:
  • Educate the children on personal space  
  • Encouraging “use your words” to express feelings 
  • Sit children in chairs for story time
  • Avoid getting close to the faces of all children, where possible
Outdoor Play Outdoor play is encouraged to support social and physical development as well as well-being. Child Care Providers are encouraged to participate in outdoor play, go on community walks, access conservation areas and trails. Children should be provided with a variety of outdoor activities while ensuring the following: 
  • Stick to program “cohort”, maintain social distancing from other cohorts/community members while on outing. (including other child care programs)
  • Washrooms are not available, providers are required to bring all necessary diapering, toileting and sanitizing materials with them.  
  • Providers are not permitted to drive children to any outing. Any outing must be walkable. 
  • Providers are not permitted to attend public playgrounds 
  • Play structures in providers own yard are to be added to the cleaning schedule as a frequently touched surface
  • Children should bring their own sunscreen and it should not be shared if possible. 
    • Providers are required to exercise hand hygiene before/after applying sunscreen to a child and in between children. ​
sanitary_policy_2019.pdf
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Letter to Parents/Guardians
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Provider Daily checklists
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