Our policies, procedures, and forms have been developed to ensure that all personal information necessary to support the health and safety of families and children at our Centre is kept confidential. All staff and Board members are required to sign confidentiality agreements annually. The collection of information is vital to us. It is important that we have your child's name, address, date of birth, work information for parents, allergy information and your child's doctor's name and phone number. This information is collected as a requirement of the Child Care and Early Learning Act, the legislation governing all child care centers in Ontario. Please update us in writing when there is a change to any of your child's information.
St. Thomas' Day Care collects and retains this information, as stated by the Act which govern our business, and discloses it only with your permission or through a legal requirement. Your informed consent is required prior to the release of your personally identifiable information to third parties. Your child's file will be kept in the day care office and will be available to you upon request at any time. Others with access to your child's file include administrative staff, program staff, the Day Care auditor and the Ministry of Education Program Advisor.
Confidentiality: Every issue and concern will be treated confidentially and every effort will be made to protect the privacy of parents/guardians, children, staff, students and volunteers, except when information must be disclosed for legal reasons (e.g. to the Ministry of Education, College of Early Childhood Educators, law enforcement authorities or a Children's Aid Society).
Conduct:Our Centre maintains high standards for positive interaction, communication and role modeling for children. Harassment and discrimination will therefore not be tolerated from any party. If at any point a parent/guardian, provider or staff feels uncomfortable, threatened, abused or belittled, they may immediately end the conversation and report the situation to the Executive Director or designee.
Concerns About the Suspected Abuse or Neglect of a Child: Everyone, including members of the public and professionals who work closely with children, is required by law to report suspected cases of child abuse or neglect. If a parent/guardian expresses concerns that a child is being abused or neglected, the parent will be advised to contact Family and Childrens Services Niagara (FACS) directly. Persons who become aware of such concerns are also responsible for reporting this information to FACS as per the "Duty to Report" requirement under the Child and Family Services Act.