Upon becoming a member of the Cathedral Area Coop Daycare you will be provided with a Parent Handbook that outlines the policies and procedures of the daycare. Here are some of the more common policies that we refer to for your consideration.
Extreme Weather Handbook – Please refer to our temperature thresh holds and school walk cutoffs HERE.
Cooperative Volunteer Policy
All members of the Daycare, (which means every family represented at the Daycare that pays monthly fees) are required to perform 2 hours of volunteer time monthly.
The volunteer hours are now tracked on a quarterly basis (3 month period). Each quarter (January -March, April-June, July-September, October-December) is 6 hours of volunteering and extra hours can carry over. Volunteer hours are self reported by parents and can be tracked on the volunteer log inside the child’s locker.
Typical volunteering tasks include snow shoveling, laundry, odd jobs, recycling, etc. As well, volunteering for fundraising events or other daycare events (Holiday party set up or clean up, baking for the bake sale, etc) allow families to volunteer in fun and meaningful ways.
Near the end of the quarter, hours will be tallied and parents will be billed for whatever portion has not been completed. Billing will occur on January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1st for the previous quarter.
The monetary cost is:
- $90 for 3 months (parents can choose to pay this outright if they prefer)
- $350 for the full year (parents can choose to pay this outright if they prefer)
Illness Policy – Children, who are too ill to go to school or to go outside, are too ill to attend Daycare. In a Daycare setting any contagious illness will spread rapidly, therefore keeping ill children out of daycare during this time is best for all children.
Children who become ill while at Daycare will be monitored and assessed by the staff closely. A child’s condition is considered serious when they have experienced their third incident of diarrhea or vomiting, have a high fever of 38 degrees or higher and/or are exceptionally unwell due to some other unknown cause.
When the Director and/or supervisor deems a child’s condition to be serious, parents (or emergency contacts) will be contacted and asked to pick up the child within one (1) hour of being contacted. The following guidelines will be used to determine precautions to take and when a child may return to the daycare.
| Symptoms | Could Be | Should my child attend Daycare? | Do we have to see a doctor? | When can my child return to daycare? |
| -High temperature-Fever/Chills-38 degrees or higher | -Strep Throat (usually very painful)-Chicken Pox- Measles | No | Yes, if fever lasts longer than 3 days or cannot be controlled with acetaminophen or ibuprofen, or if Measles is suspected. | After spending 1 full day away from daycare; pending they have been fever free for 24 hours without the need of Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen. |
| -Rash-Rashes have many different causes and some are very contagious. | Allergic reaction, insect bite, heat rash-Fifth’s Disease/Parvovirus B19________________
-Scarlet Fever/Strep Throat -Impetigo -Chicken pox/Shingles -Hand, Foot and Mouth virus -Scabies – Measles |
Yes, if allergic reaction, heat rash, insect bite, fifth’s disease or treated scabies.No | -Parents will be contacted if their child develops a new rash while at daycare.-Parents will be asked to take child to physician to determine cause of new rash.-Parents are asked to communicate to daycare if child is experiencing a rash that is common and attributed to allergies. | -If child is diagnosed with HFM, the child will be allowed to attend daycare pending they do not have a fever or open and leaking sores on their body or in their mouth.-If antibiotics are prescribed for Impetigo or Strep infections, can return to daycare after 1 full day away following the start of treatment.Chicken pox – when feeling well enough to attend.
Shingles – if lesions are covered. |
| Vomiting and/or Diarrhea | -Upset Stomach (caused by bacteria, virus or the toxins they produce)-Gastroenteritis-Norovirus
-Common Flu |
No | Yes, if the child :-is unable to keep any fluids down for 24 hours-is dehydrated
– has blood in stool |
Not until it’s been at least 48 hours since the last episode of vomiting or diarrhea. |
| -Redness in the white part of the eye or along eye lids-Itching or pain in eye-Watering eyes (tearing)
-Discharge from the eye |
Conjunctivitis“Pink Eye” | No | Yes, if discharge is seen from the eye(s). | If antibiotics drops are prescribed for pinkeye, can return to daycare after 1 full day away once the antibiotic was started. |
| -Cough-Minor Cold-Runny Nose
-Minor Sore Throat |
-Seasonal cold-Influenza (a very contagious viral infection that attacks the nose, throat and lungs and also causes fever, weakness and severe aches.) | Yes, if the child is eating, sleeping and playing normally,symptoms are minor and any fluid running from nose is clearNo, if it is influenza (A very contagious viral infection that attacks the nose, throat and lungs and also causes fever, weakness and severe aches.) |
Yes if there is a fever lasting longer than 24 hours or breathing becomes difficult. | Children can return 48 hours after symptoms start to improve or once cleared by a doctor’s note. |
| -Itchy scalp | Lice | No | No | -Can return after 1 full day away from daycare and with a lice treatment completed. |
Hours of Operation and Late Pickup
The daycare opens at 7:30 am and closes at 5:30 pm. It operates every Monday to Friday, but is closed on weekends and statutory/civic holidays.
A Late Pick-Up Fee will be charged anytime a child is not picked up by 5:30 pm. This fee is $15.00 per every 15 minutes (or portion thereof) past 5:30 for each child.
- If a child is picked up late 3 times or more, the parent may be given notice to withdraw the child.
- If a child is not picked up within 30 minutes of the Daycare closing and the parent or emergency contacts cannot be reached, the Mobile Crisis Unit will be called and the contact number for you to call to locate your child will be posted.
Note that school age children are not supposed to attend the daycare during school hours – the only exception is on school holidays/closure days.
Celebrations
In an attempt to be equitable, encourage healthy eating and to safe guard our children with allergies no outside food or candy of any kind will be permitted to be brought into the Daycare for celebrations. Daycare staff along with Kitchen staff will work together to provide healthy alternatives for the children and use alternative ways to celebrate holidays (Halloween, Valentine’s Day, Easter) and children’s birthdays. Parents are welcome to provide alternatives such as a goody bags (stickers, pencils, stamps) for their child’s group, but should not feel required to do so. Please contact the director to let her know if you choose to do this.
Cathedral Area Coop Daycare 