It is the priority of Louisburgh Childcare to protect all children attending our service and all persons working in our service from the transmission of infections. The health and well-being of all children, staff and visitors to our service is paramount and our aim is to prevent and manage any infection which may be present in the service.

This policy is available and communicated to all parents, children and staff.   This policy has been updated in line with current guidance the HSPC Infection Prevention and Control guidance for services providing childcare during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the DCYA’s Return to Work Safely Protocol and Tusla’s Children Services Regulations Guidance Document for Early Years Services: COVID-19  (with references from: Health Protection Surveillance Centre, Preschool and Child Care Facility Subcommittee, Management of Infectious Disease in Child Care Facilities and Other Child Care Settings)

In order to ensure the safety and health of our children and staff, children who are ill should not attend the service. If a child has an infectious disease or contagious illness for example, we ask that you please keep your child out of the playschool until they are fully better and clear of any symptoms that could be passed on to other children. We also ask that you contact the Directors to let them know that your child has a contagious illness or infectious disease.

If a child becomes ill, the parent or emergency contact person will be contacted and if necessary the child’s GP will be called.

All parents will be informed of any infectious disease or contagious illness that arises.

Children suffering from sickness or diarrhoea must not return to the childcare service until at least 48 hours have elapsed from the last bout of sickness/diarrhoea and they are eating normally. (See full details in the separate Parent’s Policy Handbook).

We give careful attention and a prompt courteous response to any suggestions, comments or complaints thereby ensuring the development of a high-quality childcare service, which meets the needs of children and parents.  A complaint may be about a staff member or concern about an element of practice.  All complaints will be recorded and acted upon within two weeks of receipt of the complaint.  A register of complaints will be maintained and made available for inspection on request. (See full policy details in the separate Parent’s Policy Handbook).

If you have any concerns about the care of your child, please do not hesitate to speak to the Principal Childcare Leader, Martina Kilcoyne or Principal Childcare Leader, Bernie Needham or contact the Board of Directors at louisburghchildcaredirectors@gmail.com.

• Parents/guardians must collect their child by the agreed collection time.  Parents/guardians will be asked to give the names of at least two other people who are authorised to collect the child. If the parent is late arriving to collect the child, the person in charge will endeavour to contact the parent.  In the event of being unable to contact the parent, the person in charge will contact the other named persons to collect the child. 

• Children will not be released into the care of a person under the age of 18 years or to a person who appears to be incapable of caring for the child.  Should this situation arise the staff will contact an authorised collector.  If no one is available to collect the child, then the person in charge should contact the TUSLA social work child protection team.

• We ask that parents/guardians do not collect their child while under the influence of alcohol. This can lead to embarrassment and worry within the team. If parents/guardians feel that this situation may arise they should arrange for an authorised collector to collect their child.

• In the event of a parent collecting another child a prior arrangement must be made and the person in charge notified.

When a child is enrolled, the immunisation section of the Confidential Child Record Card must be completed. Parents have the right to choose to immunise or not. In the event of an outbreak of an infectious disease all parents will be informed. Parents are asked to notify the service if their child has been exposed to an infectious disease. 

Public health doctors are responsible for the prevention and control of Notifiable infectious diseases. On being informed of a Notifiable Infectious Disease, Community Services will be contacted. (See full details in the separate Parent’s Policy Handbook).

In our effort to provide a healthy lifestyle for children, it is our policy to ensure that all children in our service are protected from harmful rays of the sun, while attending playschool. Staff will assist children to apply their sunscreen as necessary. Parents/carers should provide suitable sun hats and sun screen of factor spf30+ for their children.

Louisburgh Childcare Ltd has adopted the TUSLA Child Protection Policy (Full policy details can be viewed on request) and a Child Safeguarding Statement is in place (which is displayed in reception).  Martina Kilcoyne and Bernie Needham are the Designated Liaison Persons and have completed the Children’s First training.

At Louisburgh Childcare Ltd we have a settling in period for all new children and parents starting preschool.  Settling in should be a very positive and enjoyable experience for both the child and the parents (See full details in the separate Parent’s Policy Handbook).

Every child is different and where one child will happily walk into school on their first morning and wave their parents goodbye, it might be entirely different for another child.

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1.  If your child is anyway nervous on the first day of preschool/afterschool, we encourage you the parent or parents to stay for the child’s first session.

2.  Some children may not be ready for a full session immediately and that is fine, it is important to ease in gradually if they are nervous or shy. In this case we encourage the parent to leave the child in for an hour or so the first week and then come back so that the child knows they are not being left indefinitely.

3.  Over the next few weeks we gradually build up this time and eventually the child does not realise he or she is staying the full three hours and is having a great time. This must however be done at the child’s pace.

4.  The settling in period has no time limits and may need to be repeated if a child becomes unsettled.

Louisburgh Childcare Ltd believes in promoting positive behaviour and aims to encourage self-discipline and consideration for each other, our surroundings and property. Staff will follow the six steps from the High Scope approach for conflict resolution. (See full details in the separate Parent’s Policy Handbook)

It is the policy of this service to obtain parental consent for their children to be photographed or video recorded whilst in the service.  Parental consent is obtained on the Confidential Child Record Card that each parent fills in when a child starts in the service.  Photographs/videos may be used for (i) child observations and feedback to parents, (ii) Tusla Inspection and service evaluation and (iii) displays and information. (See full details in the separate Parent’s Policy Handbook)

It is the policy of this service not to discuss details of any child or family outside the service without written permission.  In the event of a suspicion of child abuse the manager will talk to Garda or Tusla representatives with the knowledge of parents.  Confidential information is shared only with staff members who need the information to effectively perform their job.  Personnel details are not discussed without the consent of staff.  Both staff and parents have a right to examine their own files.  Parents will have access to records kept in the service, but only in relation to their own child. 

All new staff and volunteers will be informed of the service’s confidentiality policy and procedures as part of their induction programme. All staff and the directors are required to sign the confidentiality statement.  Information held in the service in relation to Child Protection Concerns will be stored in a separate locked drawer and will be shared only on a need-to-know basis in line with the Child Protection Policy.  All information discussed at meetings is confidential.