Children under 12 months of age will be placed in individual cribs/cradles for sleep.
· Children between 12-18 months of age in the Infant Program, who receive childcare for six hours or more, will be placed in individual cribs/cradles or cots for sleep based on instructions from the child’s parent.
· Children who are 18 months of age or older but younger than 30 months and/or are in the Toddler Program (including children younger than 18 months old), who receive childcare for six hours or more, will be placed in individual cots for sleep.
· Children 30 months or older but younger than six years old, who receive childcare for six hours or more, will be placed on a cot unless otherwise approved by a Director.
· All children who are younger than 12 months of age will be placed on their own backs to sleep, unless other instructions are provided in writing by the child’s physician. Parents of these children will be advised of the centre’s obligation to place their child(ren) to sleep on their backs, as set out in the “Joint Statement on Safe Sleep: Preventing Sudden Deaths in Canada”.
· Child’s Paradise Daycare will take reasonable steps to ensure that the needs for sleep and rest of the children being educated and cared for are met, having regard of the ages and development stages and the individual needs of the children.
· All children will be provided with individual cots that are safety approved as well as a cot sheet. Cots and sheets will be cleaned according to the childcare centre’s sanitizing schedule and policy.
· Staff will consult with families about their children’s sleep habits and be sensitive to each child’s needs ensuring a positive experience.
· Child’s Paradise will maintain ratios as required by the Child Care Early Years Act.
· Staff will perform (approx. every 30 minutes) direct visual checks of each sleeping child in infant, toddler and preschool age groups by being physically present beside the child sleeping. The staff member will be looking for indicators of distress or unusual behaviours. Observation times will be recorded on a classroom chart and kept for Ministry purposes.
· This policy will be reviewed yearly by all staff members.
Consultation with Parents
· All parents of children who regularly sleep at the childcare centre will be advised of the centre’s policies and procedures regarding sleep at the time of their child’s enrolment and/or any time the policies and procedures are revised, as applicable.
· The Supervisor and/or Staff will consult with parents about their child’s sleeping arrangements at the time of enrolment and at any other appropriate time (e.g. when a child transitions to a new program or room, or at the parent’s request).
· Significant changes in a child’s sleeping patterns or behaviours will be communicated to parents. Any significant changes in sleeping patterns or behaviours will result in adjustments being made to the child’s supervision during sleep time, where appropriate, based on consultation with the child’s parent.
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