YMCA Safe Arrival and Dismissal Policy and Procedures

Date Policy and Procedures Established: December 15, 2023

Date Policy and Procedures Updated: February 7, 2025

Purpose

Provide staff, students, and volunteers with a clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities for ensuring the safe arrival and dismissal of children. It will outline the steps required:

When a child does not arrive as expected
To ensure safe dismissal

Expectations and Responsibilities

All Supervisors/Designates will ensure the Safe Arrival and Dismissal Policy and Procedure is implemented

All Staff, Students, and Volunteers will follow all the steps outlined in the Safe Arrival and Dismissal Policy and Procedure

Child and Family Development Management will review and update the policy as required

Policy Statement

The YMCA will ensure that any child receiving care at the child care centre is only released to the child’s parent/guardian or an individual that is authorized by the parent/guardian.

The YMCA considers any responsible person 16 years of age or older an adult for the purpose of safe arrival and departure.

In extenuating circumstances, a parent/guardian may request that a child over the age of 10 be released without adult supervision. This request will be considered pending an agreed-upon written plan that includes instructions regarding the release and time of dismissal of the child.

In instances where a child does not arrive in care as expected or is not picked up as expected, staff must follow the Safe Arrival and Dismissal Procedures set out below.

Procedures

A parent/guardian must accompany all children into their classroom and transfer them to YMCA staff. YMCA staff assume responsibility for children only after they have been signed in for care

Upon the child’s arrival, staff must:

Complete a Daily Health Check
Sign the child in on the classroom attendance record, indicating the time
Document in the Daily Written Record any change in pick-up arrangements as indicated by parent/guardian

Infant, Toddler, Preschool

When a child has not arrived by 9:30 a.m.

A Weemarkable™ App notification and email notification will be sent to a family to confirm the child’s absence. This communication will serve as the sole notification from the centre regardless of whether a response is received from the family.
In the event that the Weemarkable™ App notifications system is offline, staff will communicate via email, text, phone call or other means.
Document the child’s absence on the attendance and any additional information in the Daily Written Record.

Before & After School Programs on Instructional Days

Attendance and Absences: Parents/guardians are required to call the centre to report their child’s absence before the start of program. YMCA staff will monitor messages and document the child’s absence on the attendance and any additional information in the Daily Written Record.

Due to the frequency of morning absences and the short duration of the program, children enrolled in our Kindergarten/School Age morning programs may attend inconsistently based on family needs.

If a Kindergarten or School Age child has not arrived as expected before the school bell rings in the morning:

The child will be marked as absent on our attendance records.
YMCA staff will not contact the parent/guardian.
In collaboration with school boards where we operate Before & After School programs, a safe arrival protocol procedure is in place to ensure the safety of kindergarten and school age children. School boards will follow their established Safe Arrival Protocol and contact the parent/guardian.
At the completion of the School Boards Safe Arrival Protocol a child’s attendance will be confirmed.

If a child has not arrived at the afterschool program the supervisor/designate will check the child’s attendance with the school office. If the child is unaccounted for:

Check the school premise
Call the parent/guardian to confirm the child’s absence
Call the police
Contact the Manager/General Manager
Complete the YMCA Incident/Accident notification and file a Serious Occurrence with the Ministry of Education

Non-Instructional Days

When a child has not arrived by 9:30 a.m.

Supervisor/designate must:

At their first opportunity, communicate via email, text, phone call or other means, with a family to confirm the absence. This communication will serve as the sole notification from the centre regardless of whether a response is received from the family.
Document the child’s absence on the attendance and any additional information in the Daily Written Record

Releasing a child from care

At the time of pick-up, staff will only release to the child’s parent/guardian or those individuals who are authorized by a parent/guardian.

If the staff does not know the individual picking up the child:

Confirm authorization with another staff
Where the above is not possible, request the individual’s government-issued photo identification, to verify the individual with the child’s authorized pick-up contact list
When the parent provides the name of an alternative adult to pick up, check the government-issued ID against the name provided

Extracurricular activities

If a child is participating in extra-curricular activities not part of our program:

Written instructions from the parent should include the activity, location, date, time, and whether the child will go directly to the activity or the YMCA first

If a child has not been picked up and the centre is closed:

The staff must:

Call the parent/guardian or authorized individual
Call an emergency contact when unable to reach the parent/guardian or authorized individual
Notify the supervisor/designate who will notify the Manager/General Manager
After one hour, call the appropriate regional child protection agency if there has been no contact with the parent/guardian/emergency contact
Follow the instructions provided by the regional child protection agency