Arrivals and departure of children enrolled in the service

Purpose
To provide clear guidelines to the educators and all the other stakeholders to ensure the required procedure for arrival and departure of children whilst ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the children at all the times.

Scope
These guidelines will apply to the Approved provider, nominated supervisor, educational leader, supervisors, educators, staff, students on placement, volunteers, parents/guardian, children and others attending the service.

Objective
To ensure the children are dropped off and picked -up in a safe manner
To ensure parent/guardians are aware of the safety of the child while dropping and picking up including their responsibilities

Policy
At FIRST IDEA FAMILY DAY CARE SERVICES, we are committed to ensure duty of care exists at all times the child is attending the FDC. In addition, the service has the duty of care to the child who is on the service’s premises to provide an adequate level of protection against harm and all reasonable foreseeable risk of injury, even if the child has not yet been signed into the service or has been signed out of the service, and legally under the care and supervision of a parent/guardian

Procedures
Approved Providers and delegates are responsible for:

• Ensuring the child does leaves the education and care services premises in care of
• A parent of the child; or
• An authorised nominee named in the child enrolment record; or
• A person authorised by a parent or authorised nominee named in the child’s enrolment record to collect the child from the premises; An authorised person does not include a parent who is prohibited by a court order from having contact with the child
• The National Law and National Regulation do not specify a minimum age limit for an authorised nominee. At FIRST IDEA FAMILY DAY CARE SERVICES, we have determined that a person over the age of 16 constitutes the minimum age to be recognised as an authorised nominee
• On an excursion in accordance with ‘Excursion policy and procedures.
• Is given into the care of a person or taken outside of the premises because the child requires medical, hospital or ambulance care or treatment; or
• Because of another emergency
• Notifying Department of Education and Training (DET) within 24 hours of a serious incident or a complaint alleging legislation was breached in accordance with the Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011 r.176
• Monitoring, maintaining and storing all legislated and required records confidentiality
• Be contactable whilst children are in attendance at the service
• Ensuring educators understand the requirement of maintaining and keeping attendance records
• Checking all authorisations are completed
• Ensuring any received updates are communicated to the child’s educator within 24 hours of notification
• Notifying educators immediately to changes in authorisations, parenting plans, custody orders – verbally and in writing (signed acknowledgement required)
• Custody orders and parenting plans to be reviewed for currency at least twice per annum with any changes to be updated and provided to the educator immediately
• Providing current telephone contact details of approved provider, educational leader/coordinators, and educator
• Monitoring the attendance record of children attending care at the educator’s home
• Monitoring the visitors’ register.
• In case of late collection if the original FDC educator is un available, the approved provider should try to arrange for a back-up care with another FDC educator and wherever possible this FDC educator should be known to the child
• After one and half hours since the allotted collection time the Co-ordination unit staff or FDC educator cannot contact the parent or emergency contact/authorised person, the co-ordination unit staff will then notify local police to assist

Educators and assistants are responsible for:

• Monitoring, maintaining and storing all legislated and required records
• Maintaining records to inform the Child Care Management System (CCMS) in accordance with Department of Education and Training (DET) requirements
• Being contactable by telephone whilst children are in attendance at the service
• Ensuring families have completed the authorised nominee section of their child’s enrolment form
• Ensuring details of any court orders, parenting orders or parenting plans are provided and recorded on the child’s enrolment
• Knowing each child’s authorisation for collection (check with approved provider if unsure prior to collection)
• Implementing procedures of unauthorised attempt to collect child
• Implementing procedures if person collecting a child is displaying unsafe behavior (such as appearing under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol)
• Notifying the approved provider/nominated supervisor if family regularly are late, absent or neglect to complete required records
• Ensuring an attendance record is kept and is available for families to complete at delivery and collection
• Ensuring the attendance record is fully completed with the full name, date and time each child arrives and departs the service and signed by person collecting and dropping off.
• The educator can sign on record if parents does not – this will need to initial by the parent on their return
• Ensuring all gates and locks are in working order daily
• Ensuring all visitors sign the Visitors Register
• Ensuring that families are contacted immediately in the event that an unauthorized person arrives to collect a child from the service, and that appropriate procedures are followed
• Preparing children for any known change of collection, either timing or person collecting
• In the event where the educator is concerned for the safety of a child or do not consider that a person is in a safe state to take responsibility for a child, and that appropriate procedures are followed
• In the event that family fail to collect their child at the end of the day and after the service has closed ensure that appropriate procedures are followed

Families are responsible to:

• Ensuring documentation/authorisations are completed and signed
• Ensuring all records are completed
• Ensuring any changes to children’s information or status is communicated promptly to the educator or approved Provider
• Notifying the educator of any changes to normal routine
• Supervising child at all times whilst present at the service Ensuring doors are closed upon entering and exiting
• Sharing and exchanging daily information with educator about their child, during arrival and departure.
• Delivering and collecting children within nominated and agreed collection time unless otherwise negotiated with educator
• Notifying educator in writing as soon as practicable if running late to collect child or if an unauthorised person is collecting the child from service
• Providing written or telephone authorisation with identifying information (Photographic identification will be required of person prior to release of child) if an unauthorised person is to collect child from service

NATIONAL QUALITY FRAMEWORK

Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010	Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011	National Quality Area	National Quality Standard
161-175	99, 116, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 168	2	2.3.1, 2.3.2
		7	7.3.1, 7.3.5

RELATED LEGISLATION

• Children’s Health and Wellbeing Act 2009
• Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005
• Children, Youth and Families Act 2005
• Family Law Act 1995
• Information Privacy Act 2000
• Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004
• Privacy Act 2000 (Vic.)
• Working with Children Act 2005

RELATED POLICIES

• Authorisations – Acceptance and Refusal
• Code of Conduct
• Complaints and Grievances
• Confidentiality
• Emergency and Evacuation
• Enrolment and Orientation
• Excursions
• Incident, Illness, and Trauma
• Medical Conditions
• Participation of Volunteers and Students

Related resources

• Department of Education and Training (DET)
• Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA)
• Early Childhood Australia – Code of Ethics
• Early Childhood Australia.
• Criminal History Requirements: Family day care
• Guide for Family Day Care Educators
• Delivering children’s programs in a family day care service
• DET Emergency Management Guidelines
• Protecting the Safety and Wellbeing of Children and Young People
• Children’s Wellbeing Act 2005

REVIEW

POLICY REVIEWED	July 2018	NEXT REVIEW DATE	July 2019
MODIFICATIONS	Policy created for First Idea Family Day Care Services, inclusive of changes to the National Quality Standards and Education and Care National Regulations