Hours of Operation
Leq’á:mel Head Start program is a completely free program for children between the ages of 3-5 Head Start will run on Thursdays from 9am-12pm
(More days may be implemented later)
Closures
Leq’á:mel Head Start on Reserve is closed for all statutory holidays, we are also closed for Holidays based on the days of the week that December 24 to January 1st land on.
Statuary Holidays include New year’s day, Family Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Victoria Day, Indigenous Peoples Day, Canada Day, BC Day, Labor Day, National Truth & Reconciliation Day, Thanksgiving Day, Remembrance Day, Christmas Day, Boxing Day.
Parking
Parents will have parking located at #62 Moq’wem Place. Parents are asked to turn vehicles, please no idling, off when dropping your child off and when picking your child up.
Open Door policy
At Leq’á:mel Head Start, we value, and respect families and we encourage family involvement. Parents are encouraged to share their gifts into their child’s programs. Parents are encouraged to participate in programs special events at the daycare or participate in going on program field trips.
Complaints and Concerns
Please email or call if there are and complaints or concerns for your child, Leq’á:mel Head Start will do their best to resolve and come to a solution that works for all people involved. If the complaint is regarding lost items, please give us time to track down missing belongings. If the complaint is regarding a staff, we first would like parents to try and communicate with the staff to come to an agreement for their child in our care. If the communication is not successful with the staff, then management will work with the parent(s) on coming up with a solution that works for everyone in the best interest of the child. In an instance regarding specific care for your child, a care plan will be developed for the best interest of the child. The parent(s) and staff will agree to the care plan.
Confidentiality
All staff will keep confidentiality with our programs, children, and families. Staff will only communicate with you about your child and will not communicate information regarding other children. Anything that is said in confidence is kept confidential between Leq’á:mel staff and kept confidential if it doesn’t put anyone in harm’s way.
Photographs and Videos
Parents have an option to sign consent for your child to have their photograph and/or video taken for advertisements, head start promotions, head start website and daycare social media pages.
Devices and Screen Time
Leq’á:mel Head Start will not be allowing any screen time in the childcare facility unless it is for Educational Purposes, or special occasions if not for educational purposes parents will be notified prior to and all programs will be rated G. Children are encouraged to engage in daycare program activities. Leq’á:mel head start staff request you keep your child’s device at home.
Leq’á:mel daycare is not responsible for any broken, lost, or stolen devices brought into the daycare.
Home Toys Policy
Children are required to keep home toys at home. Leq’á:mel daycare has a variety of toys supplied at the daycare for the children to play with. Leq’á:mel daycare is not responsible for any broken, lost, or stolen toys that are brought into the daycare.
Guidance and Behaviour
Leq’á:mel head start staff will guide your child behaviors with a variety of strategies. Our environment is set up to peek your child’s interest in play. Leq’á:mel head start staff will engage with the children and develop relationships with your child. The children are valued, their emotions are acknowledged and Leq’á:mel head start staff listen to what the child has to say about what they need. Leq’á:mel head start staff redirect behaviour by guiding the child into play and focus on acknowledging and encouraging the positive behaviour. Children will hit and push or fight over a toy and this is common as they are learning how to resolve conflict. Sometimes the children have disagreements, Leq’á:mel head start staff encourage communication between children to resolve their conflicts. We help the child develop the words they want to say to each other.
Biting
Sometimes children bite. Children with less vocabulary to express what they want and/or being able to express their feelings, the child is frustrated, they will bite. Sometimes biting occurs because a child is teething and other instances where in defense if another child is hitting or pushing.
Aggressive Behavior
Aggressive Behaviour defined as punching, choking, kicking, throwing toys and furniture that is exhibited by a child that causes serious physical harm to other children and staff. Every effort will be made to try to implement behaviour strategies to reduce/eliminate aggressive behaviour Care Plans are developed to help design an individual strategy or plan to meet the needs of the child.
Inclement Weather Policy
Inclement weather is described as heavy snowfall and storms that potentially can affect the safe commute of staff and families. Leq’á:mel Head start will be for inclement weather when the school district announces school closure.
Unforeseen Closure
Unforeseen closures can occur sometimes with advanced notice or short notice. For instance, if city crews give advance notice for the shut off our water or power, we will inform families as soon as possible of the planned closure and instances where short notice would be given is when a water pipe bursts. Leq’á:mel daycare staff will do our best to inform families as soon as we possibly can in unforeseen closures.
Power Outage
Leq’á:mel Head start will be closed in the occurrence of a power outage. Our procedure:
If the power outage has occurred during the night and is still out by 8:00 am, Leq’á:mel head start will remain closed. If the power outage occurs during operation hours, we will first contact BC Hydro for an estimated time for restoration of power. If the estimated time is more than two hours, we will contact parent(s) to pick up as soon as possible and close. If power restoration is less, then 2 hours and we are losing heat fast then we will contact parents for pick up as soon as possible. Leq’á:mel Head start will not accept any drop from any children when the power is out.
Medical Emergency and Emergency Transportation
In a medical emergency where a severe injury has occurred and ambulance has been called, a staff will apply first aid until Paramedics arrive. Emergency Transportation consent is required for Leq’á:mel Head Start staff to transport your child by ambulance or allows Leq’á:mel staff to provide transportation in a medical emergency.
Non-Medical Emergency
When an injury has occurred and is a non-emergency, the staff will administer first aid and then the parent will be notified, and the parent will make the decision to come pick up their child and bring them in to see a doctor for further assessment or if they allow their child to stay at daycare and continue out their day.
Illness Policy
Parents are required to keep their children at home when their child is sick and if they have experienced any of the following symptoms within the past 48 hours, as recommended by the Centre for disease control.
- Fever over 38.3°C / 100°F
- Complaint of unexplained or undiagnosed pain
- Cold with a fever, runny nose, teary eyes, coughing or sore throat
- Difficulty breathing wheezing, or persistent cough
- Sore throat or trouble swallowing
- Infected skin or undiagnosed rash and infected eyes
- Headache or stiff neck
- Diarrhea, vomiting, or upset stomach
- Severe itching of the body and scalp
- Any child unable to participate fully in the program.
- Children with known or suspected communicable diseases or viruses
If a child comes to the Head Start exhibiting any of these symptoms and is not well enough to participate in the program, the child will be required to go home.
If your child is sick, we require your child to be symptom free without the aid of medication (Tylenol, Advil) and homeopathic medicine for 48hrs before returning to Head Start.
Headlice
Parents have the primary responsibility for the detection and treatment of headlice. Because head lice spread so easily children with lice cannot attend childcare. If your child is found to have headlice or nits, we will require you to pick up your child immediately. If you discover headlice at home, please let us know immediately so all other children in the Centre can be checked. If your child does have lice this information will be kept confidential as to whom had lice in the Centre. Please keep your child home until they are lice and nit free.
