Revised Drop off and Collection Procedures
The purpose of our collection policy is, in as far as possible, to support social distancing and minimize the number of contacts that parents and children have with other parents and children, especially at the entrance to the service or in the arrival area. The service will where practical:
- We have organised staggered drop off time, which is between 08:30 and 08:45
- We have organised staggered collection time which is between 11:30 and 11:40
- Request that only one parent per family drops off and collects their child/children.
- Parents/Guardians will not be entering the building to drop off or collect their child.
- Children will be collected at the door in the morning by a member of staff.
- At home time children will be accompanied to the door and handed over to parent/guardian, social distancing being adhered to at all time. One occasions children will be escorted to the car.
- Ask the children to wash their hands on arrival at the service , in the instance of outside play on arrival antibacterial solution will be used
Verification of Child’s Fitness to attend
Whoever drops the child to the service will be asked the following questions:
- Has the child been ill in the last 24 hours?
- Has the child had anti-febrile medication in the last 24 hours?
- Has the child had a temperature in the last 24 hours?
The staff member who is accepting the child into the service will verify the answers and the child will be admitted only if the staff member is satisfied with the answers to these questions.
Communication with parents/guardians
In advance of children returning, the service will make contact with parents:
- Enrolment forms will be updated if required particularly in relation to authorised collectors
- To enquire if their child is returning to the service
- To ask them to complete the return to service child form
- To explain the revised COVID-19 health and safety and risk management procedures, the revised drop off and collection procedures, the purpose of these new procedures in reducing the transmission of the virus and that the service is safe for their children to return to while acknowledging that the risk of the virus being transmitted cannot be fully eradicated
- To emphasize the importance of their child only attending the service if they are well and with no symptoms of COVID-19 and actions to be taken if their child is displaying any of the symptoms of COVID-19 or is a confirmed case or is a close contact with a suspected or confirmed case
- To explain the actions that will be taken if a child or staff member shows symptoms of COVID-19 while attending the service including that their child’s temperature may be taken in this context
- To request an additional emergency contact in the event that they are not contactable
- To explain the parental agreement, what it will cover and that parents will be required to sign it
- To assure them that the service’s practices will continue to be child-centered
- To emphasize the responsibilities of parents in supporting the new procedures.
- The service will also seek to understand if COVID-19 and the restrictions have had any traumatic or difficult impacts on the child and family and how the service may need to support the child on their return.
- The service recognizes that ongoing communication will be really important especially if procedures change or are updated and this helps to make everyone feel secure and safe with the new procedures.
- The service will ensure that parents are met at the entrance of the service each day by a staff member ..
Given that communication between staff and parents will be reduced to drop off and collection times, management and staff will use alternative ways to communicate with parents e.g. email, text, phone, whatsapp