Principle: We are committed to ensuring the safety and care of the children upon arriving and leaving the service.
Childcare Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016 (Síolta Standard 10: Organisation, Síolta Standard 12: Communication) (National Standard 1: Information, National Standard 2: Contract, National Standard 3: Working in Partnership with Parents/guardians or Guardians, National Standard 20: Safety
Statement of Intent:
All parents/guardians/employees must follow the collections and arrivals policy and procedure.
Attendance
It is essential to the efficient running of our service that parents/guardians inform us if their child is unable to attend the service and follow up with a telephone call to inform management when the child will be returning. A register of the times and days that children attend is kept.
Arrivals
• As the main door is locked at all times, parents/guardians gain access via the Intercom System.
• A member of staff will register each child on arrival.
• Children will be supported to remove coats and find their coat pegs.
• Parents/guardians are asked to ensure that all external doors are securely closed for the safety of all the children when they leave.
• If a child will not be attending, we request that parents/guardians advise us.
Collection Policy
The Collection Policy of will be achieved by:
• 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 from 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.
• Please ensure that you park safely and do not cause an obstruction, even for a very short time.
• In the event of a parent collecting another child a prior arrangement must be made.
• In order to comply with childcare legislation which determines the staff/ child ratios and in the best interest of the children (children can become distressed when no-one comes for them when all the others have been collected) it is important that children are collected on time.
Attempted collection by a person who is not on the child’s records
Children should be collected only by the adult/s named on the Collection Authorisation. Should the person responsible be unable to collect the child, a letter of explanation must be presented signed and dated by the parent / guardian with a contact telephone number, the staff member will then telephone the parent prior to allowing the child leave the service. If the parent personally arranges this with the staff the telephone call may not be necessary, but signed consent will be required at all times. Signed consent not requested in this Centre once we receive verbal consent from parent/guardian on phone
If the parent has not been personally contacted to authorise the collection of their child, the child will not be permitted to leave the premises until an authorised collector, as recorded in the child’s records is available.
Late Collection of Children
We understand that sometimes a parent is unavoidably delayed when coming to collect their child. We will ensure that the child receives a high standard of care in order to cause as little distress as possible. Parents/guardians in this situation must contact the Manager to say that they will be late and arrange with staff what to do. Children are only released from the service to individuals named by the parent.
There is a Late Collection Fee of €10 after 15 minutes late.
Early Collection of Children
We ask that parents/guardians let us know if you will be picking up your child early so that we can have the child ready for you and to minimise disrupting the rest of the group.
Late Drop Off
We ask parents/guardians to drop children off at the correct time to avoid disrupting the group once they have started and so that your child benefits from our full daily programme.
Separated and Divorced Parents
Married parents are automatically joint guardians of their children. Neither separation nor divorce changes this.
• We cannot refuse either parent to collect their child unless a court order is in place.
• We ask that parents give us information on any person that does not have legal access to the child.
• Where custody of a child is granted to one parent, we would ask you to clarify the circumstances with us. This information will remain confidential and will only be made known to the relevant staff. If there are any legal documents i.e. custody order, barring order we would ask you to provide us with a copy to keep on file.
Attempted collection by a parent who has been denied access in a court order:
• A parent who has been denied access to a child through a court order will not be permitted on to the premises
• If the parent who has been denied access becomes threatening or violent and insists on removing the child from the service, this will be viewed as trespassing. The service will in this event contact the Local Gardaí.
By law, an unmarried mother is the automatic guardian of a child born outside of marriage. In some circumstances, unmarried fathers have automatic access. The service should be informed about access rights.
After School Care Service
If a child has not attended school due to appointment, illness etc. the service should be informed no later than 10:30am. This policy also applies to un-notified changes of collection times. This should also apply in any event where by the child does not need to be collected. Failure to do so can waste valuable time and causes undue concern for staff collecting the child from their school.
• It is the responsibility of the parent to make the necessary arrangements to get the child/children to the service and to inform the person in charge in writing of these arrangements.
• Where the service agrees to collect the children from the school signed consent will be sought from the parent/guardian. Signed consent again not requested in this centre once we receive confirmation from parents via phonecall/email/directly
• The children will be escorted by a known staff member who will always carry proof of identity. Prior contact will be made with the children and the school for new staff members.
• The children will meet the staff in an arranged place and a register will be taken. Should a child be missing, the staff member will confirm with the school if the child was absent from school that day. This will cause delays for the staff and other children therefore we would request that the parent informs the service by telephone if a child will not be attending on any day.
• Phone calls can be made straight to the Afterschool leader:
• 087/9819580 or 0872737179
• The children will go in a group directly from the school to the service by the safest most direct route.
• When staff are collecting a child from school, the staff member walks up to the school.
• The children must also hold hands when crossing any roads. When walking staff will walk behind the children.
• In the interest of child protection and to comply with legislation child / staff ratios will be adhered to at all times.
Collection by bus (only junior and senior)
• Children aged 3 or over or who are 150cm in height and weighing less than 36 kilograms (i.e. generally children up to 11/12 years of age) must use an appropriate child car seat when travelling in cars or in good vehicles fitted with safety belts.
• While seated on the bus children are forbidden to change seats or move around and noise is kept to a minimum as not to distract the driver. Children are always to wear their seatbelts.
• Children will never be left unattended on the bus and an adult is always to be at the door when children are entering or exiting the vehicle.
From the After School Service Home
• Please collect child/children on time.
• We only will allow 18 or over to be allowed to collect child/children
If a child is booked into the After School service and they do not arrive we will follow the following procedures:
• The person in charge will telephone the school to find out if the child was in school.
• The person in charge will telephone the parent or other emergency contact from contacts list.
• If the child was in school and the parent cannot be contacted, we will contact the local Garda station to report the child missing.