Session 2

Session 2: Health, Safety, and Well-Being of Children

 

Inquiry 1: Health, Safety, and Well-Being of Children

 

 

Did you know?

• There are rules or guidelines and standards to ensure that every child in Alberta has access to quality care.
  
  
• There are regulation and licensing policies that must be followed to ensure the health, safety, and development of children.
  
  
• If a family moves, their child will find similar standards of care in another child care centre.

• Licensing officers/child care specialists are responsible for licensing and monitoring child care programs.

The Purpose of the Child Care Licensing Act

 

Who Is Affected by the Child Care Licensing Act?

 

By law, any facility providing care for seven or more children in the province of Alberta must obtain a licence to operate. Exceptions include educational programs, day camps, and recreational facilities or any other commercial facility where the parents remain on the premises and are readily available. The Child Care Licensing Act and Child Care Licensing Regulation set out specific standards of care for children attending child care centres, preschools, and out-of-school care centres (for children attending grades 1 to 6).

 

What Is a Child Care Licence?

 

A licence is an official document that indicates a child care centre has met the minimum standards to provide care for children as outlined in the Child Care Licensing Act and states the maximum number of children allowed to be in care. A licence is issued for a maximum of one year at a time. The licence must be posted in a visible and prominent place in the child care centre. All caregivers should read the licence and be aware of any conditions.

 

What Are the Child Care Licensing Act and Regulation?

 

It is the legislation that indicates what facilities require a licence, what kind of licence is issued, how to obtain a licence, and what enforcement actions can be taken.

 

What Are the Minimum Requirements?

 

These are the basic requirements that a child care centre must meet to protect children’s health and safety, and ensure their developmental needs are met. The standards address such things as staff-to-child ratios, health and safety practices, and the practices used to guide children’s behaviour.

 

A copy of the Child Care Licensing Act and Regulation is available through the Queen’s Printer bookstores in Edmonton and Calgary. This document should be on site in each child care centre. Copies are also available on the Alberta Children and Youth Services website.

 

It is the job of licensing staff to inspect child care programs on a regular basis to ensure that each program is meeting its legislated requirements.

 

Child Care Accreditation

 

As of September 2004, the Government of Alberta has approved an accreditation program where centres are recognized and supported for exceeding current licensing requirements and providing excellence in care based on the accreditation standards. Parents can choose accredited centres knowing they will provide the best available care.

 

The accreditation process is voluntary, so not all centres may choose to participate. You will have to contact the program director to determine if the centre is accredited or has applied for accreditation. Provincial grants are available to accredited child care centres and include a component for enhanced staff wages.

 

Types of Licensed Programs

 

Day Care Program

 

A day care program provides care to infants, preschool children, and kindergarten children for four or more consecutive hours each day.

 

Group Family Child Care

 

This program provides care to infants, preschool children, kindergarten children, and school-aged children in the private residence of the licence holder. The program must not provide child care for more than 10 children, including the licence holder’s own children and not more than three children may be under three years of age and not more than two children may be infants. Overnight child care is not permitted.

 

Out-of-School Care

 

This program is provided to kindergarten children and school-aged children in any or all of the following periods:

• before and after school
• during the lunch hour
• when schools are closed

Preschool

 

This program is provided for preschool children and kindergarten children for less than four hours per child in each day the program is provided.

 

Innovative Child Care

 

This program, approved by the director, is designed to meet the unique child care needs of the community where the program is provided, such as overnight care in a 24-hour work place setting (e.g., hospitals, factories).

 

Family Day Home Agency

 

This organization oversees and monitors approved family day homes to ensure that the health, safety, and developmental needs of children are being met.

 

The Child Care Licensing Regulation

 

The Child Care Licensing Regulation is concerned with the following four key areas:

• Application process. This section provides the regulations regarding who can obtain a licence and how to apply for a licence.
  
  
• Child care programs. This section provides the regulations regarding the physical setting (space, furnishings, and equipment), the program, child guidance, and the practices that ensure the health and safety of children.
  
  
• Child care certification. This section provides the regulations for staffing, including the qualifications of caregivers and director, staff-child ratios, and the supervision requirements for children at all times. These are considered critical standards.
  
  
• Administrative matters. This section provides forms for applying for a Child Care Licence and Notice of Appeal to an Appeal Panel.

Read “What Does the Child Care Licensing Regulation Say?”

 

Role of the Licensing Officer

 

The licensing officer/child care specialist is a person with expertise in child development and child care, who is responsible for ensuring that child care standards are being followed and providing consultative advice on quality child care practices. Among her or his responsibilities are the following:

• Recommending new licences. When a centre is ready to open, or an existing centre moves, licensing officers work with the licence holder to ensure the centre meets the Child Care Licensing Regulation requirements before the program opens.
  
  
• Monitoring facility standards. Licensing officers inspect child care centres on a regular basis to see whether they meet the legislated standards. If the centre does not meet the standards, the licensing officer will inform the director or owner and follow up to ensure that any violations have been cleared up.
  
  
• Investigating complaints. A large part of the licensing officer’s job is responding to concerns and complaints from the community, parents, and staff. All complaints relating to the Child Care Regulation are investigated by licensing officers.
  
  
• Liaising with other government departments. In addition to meeting the Child Care Licensing Regulation, child care centres must also meet public health and fire safety standards. When licensing officers observe that a centre is not meeting these requirements, they will refer their concern to the appropriate authority for follow up. Licensing officers also liaise with building, zoning, and other authorities.

Licensing officers ensure the child program meets all regulated requirements, which include, in part:

• developmentally appropriate programs
• size-appropriate and safe furnishings
• adequate supervision
• proper staff-to-child ratios
• proper staff qualifications
• appropriate staff interactions
• appropriate child guidance and management techniques
• appropriate and safe outdoor areas
• cleanliness of facility
• condition of the floors and rooms
• appropriate management of broken toys, ripped books
• child-directed activities
• play centres opened during circle time
• awake activities for children who do not sleep
• interaction that is warm, with talking, singing, laughing, and praising
• welcoming of children and parents by name
• knowledge of children’s interests
• appropriate responses that comfort children and meet their needs

All of these checks by the licensing officer are vitally important to make sure that child care centres are safe and healthy places for children.

 

Licensing officers also provide information, offer workshops, and attend staff meetings to address questions from parents, the general public, and child centre staff. Discussions are often about quality and age-appropriate child care practices. Officers also help people who wish to obtain a licence.

 

Officers are pleased to respond to your questions, so don’t hesitate to contact them. If you are not certain about the meaning of a particular regulation or are unsure if what you and other staff are doing is within the regulations, it is very important to consult an officer. Contact your regional Child and Family Services Authority office for a direct contact number or address.

 

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