Parent Agreements

Creative Minds Early Learning Society (the “Society”) is an incorporated non-profit Society that provides licensed group care at Creative Minds Early Learning Centre located at 5351 Camosun Street in Vancouver (the “Centre”). Recognizing the benefits of parents and Society employees working collaboratively for the benefit of children, this agreement encompasses the parental responsibilities necessary for the Society to provide this service.
Creative Minds Early Learning Society respects and upholds an individual’s right to privacy and the protection of his or her personal information. We are committed to collecting, using, and disclosing personal information in compliance with British Columbia’s Personal Information and Protection of Privacy Act (PIPA). A complete copy of Creative Minds Early Learning Society’s Privacy Protection Policy is available on request from the Centre Director.

If you have any questions about the personal information about you being held at Creative Minds Early Learning Centre that cannot be answered by the teachers, please leave a message for the Board of Directors at creativemindsels@gmail.com
The Parent Agreement is a signed document that is kept at Creative Minds. You will receive a copy of this agreement upon enrolment.

This agreement covers:

• Financial Policies
• Child Records
• Orientation
• Health and Safety
• Video and Photographic Recording
• Parent Involvement
• Right to Terminate Enrolment

Guidance Policy

At Creative Minds, our guidance objective is to help children acquire the skills they need to resolve conflicts in socially acceptable ways, to the child’s own satisfaction and without loss of pride. We want to facilitate children’s self-control, self-confidence, and self-discipline. We actively encourage children to share their feelings, thoughts, and needs. Teachers employ strategies that support a caring community of learners. Word choice, well-planned activities and consistently kind actions support children to become the best they can be.
Teachers employ guidance techniques based on the Ministry of Health booklet “Guidance and Discipline with Young Children,” a copy of which is available to parents through the Ministry of Children and Families 

• Every child’s ideas and feelings will be respected.
• No child will be subjected to harsh, belittling, degrading verbal, emotional, or physical treatment.
• No child will be humiliated.
• No child will be deprived of meals, rest, or necessary use of the toilet.
• No child will be physically restrained as a form of punishment or control.
• No child will be kept apart from other children without adult supervision.

Safety

Creative Minds Early Learning Society is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for all children and a supportive work environment for all employees and volunteers. There are routine measures taken to ensure that the Centre is clean and free of hazards. Parents play a role in helping to maintain the setting through their observations, comments and work. There are legal obligations to ensure that children are kept safe. This means that appropriate safety equipment is on site and teachers know how to use it. This responsibility extends to the protection of children. A person who has reason to believe that a child needs protection must promptly report the matter to the delegate of the Ministry of Children and Families (usually an Intake Worker).

Duty to Report

Responsibilities in Dealing with the Protection of Children
As a non-profit organization we are expected to comply with legislation, regulations and court orders. The policies in this manual are also based upon the professional code of ethics for early childhood educators- ECEBC Code of Ethics.

The Child, Family and Community Service Act state that all children in the Province of B.C. “are entitled to be protected from abuse, neglect and harm or threat of harm”. The Act also states that any “person who has reason to believe that a child needs protection must promptly report the matter” to the Ministry for Children and Families. The Act clearly defines when protection is needed and the duty to report need for protection.

The Child, Family and Community Services Act Section 14 states:

A person who has reason to believe that a child needs protection must promptly report the matter to the delegate of the Ministry of Children and Families (usually an Intake Worker). The responsibility for making a report to the Ministry of Children and Families rests with the person who has reason to believe that a child needs protection. Internal reporting procedures may be in place, but the duty to report is not discharged by a complainant reporting to any person other than the delegate of a director of the Ministry of Children and Families (usually the Intake Worker).

The Child, Family and Community Service Act indicates that a child is in need of protection if:

• The child has been, or is likely to be, physically harmed, neglected, sexually abused or exploited or emotionally harmed by the child’s parent
• The child is deprived of necessary health care
• The parent is unwilling or unable to provide protection for the child from another person who presents a danger to the child.

Emergency Procedures

Creative Minds Early Learning Society takes every precaution to ensure the safe and healthy environment for its teachers, members and children by:

• Eliminating or at least minimizing any hazards/risks
• Clearly marking all exit doors
• Ensuring First Aid training for all employees
• Orienting and training all employees in emergency procedures
• Orienting and training all families and children in emergency procedures
• Being prepared for all types of emergencies, including fire, earthquakes, floods, ice storms, gas leak, electrical, water or heat.
• Providing the necessary resources for any type of emergencies.
• Being trained to deal with strangers on the premises.
• All teachers and children practice FIRE and EARTHQUAKE DRILLS.
• Earthquake kits

All families must pay a fee for the emergency kits that is purchased and stored by Creative Minds staff. We ask that every family write a short note to your child and include a photo of your family and “special others.” The kits are kept in an accessible place.

Pick up and Drop off

If an enrolling parent/guardian authorizes a person who is unknown to employee to pick up their child, photo identification will be checked before teachers will release a child. All proper documentation must be completed upon registration and these documents include providing names of people who will be authorized to pick up the child.

Security

As parents ourselves, safety of the children is our number one priority.

Access

Access to the school site is limited to parents and designated adults and children by requiring all visitors to check in and identify themselves. We have clear policies and procedures that require parents to designate other adults who may pick up their children and only release children to parents or designated adults.

Access Code

All parents are provided with an access code for the door.

Supervision

A criminal background check is done on all employees. Children are never left alone or in the care of adults or employees who have not had a criminal background check. We always have sufficient staff to supervise the number of children and type of activities.