Friday, March 14, 2014

Licensing Visit Report



On January 10, 2014 the Authority completed a review of the agency as required in Standard 1 of the Manual. As a result of the review, it was identified that Hemel House Child Care Services Ltd was compliant with the provincial standards for the family day home program.


On December 16 a review was completed at 2 Family Day Homes, at which time it was identified that the homes were in non-compliance to the Provincial Family Day Home Standards as listed below.

Day Home #1

Provider Standard 2: Child’s Information Records: Children’s Information Records must include up-to-date information for each child that includes:

  • child’s name, date of birth, home address;
  • completed enrollment/registration form and parent/provider/agency contract; 
  • parent/guardian’s name, home address, work address, home telephone number, work telephone number; 
  • emergency contact name and telephone number(s); 
  • evidence that child’s parent(s) have been advised of any outings including transportation and supervision arrangements;
  • daily attendance details including arrival and departure times (parent(s) should initial the child’s arrival and departure times as a security measure for the transfer of responsibility between the parent and provider);
  • information about any health care provided to a child, including written consent of the child’s parent to provide or allow for health care; and
  • any other relevant health information about the child provided by the child’s parent(s), including immunization records and allergies.

Providers will maintain updates to children’s information records (i.e., attendance sheets, new health information, etc) for no longer than one month. Within five working days after the last working day of the previous month providers must submit to their agency all updates to children's information records.

At the time of the visit:
  • There was no work address of a parent on one child’s record.
The updated Child Application with complete work address was submitted to the office on the evening of December 16th.

Provider Standard 3: Portable Information Records: The provider must maintain a complete, portable record for each child in care, which must be taken on all outings and must include:

  • child’s name and date of birth; 
  • parent’s name, home address, work address, home telephone number and work telephone number; 
  • one emergency contact name and telephone number(s); and 
  • relevant health information including immunization status and medical condition(s)


At the time of visit: 

  • There was no work address of a parent on the portable record of one child.

The portable record is a copy of the Child Application, as above the completed and updated Child Application was submitted to the office the evening of December 16th.

Provider Standard 8: Child Supervision:
  • Up to 19 months old: within the provider’s sight at all times, unless the children are napping, in which case, an infant monitor must be used 
  • 20 months to 4 years: not allowed to use outdoor play space without supervision, must be within hearing distance of the provider at all times, provider physically checks every 3-5 minutes, when children are napping, an infant monitor may be used 
  • 5 years to 8 years: may use outdoor play space without supervision if they are within sight of the provider (e.g. through a window), provider physically checks every 5-10 minutes 
  • 9 years to 12 years: may be allowed more freedom within the residence and in the provider’s private outdoor play space, provider must know where children are at all times, provider physically checks frequently, considering what is age appropriate and developmentally appropriate for the children being cared for
At the time of visit:
  • Two children, 19 months old and younger, were not observed to be within the provider’s sight various times throughout the visit
The Child Supervision Standard was reviewed on December 19th with the provider, a copy signed by the provider and Child Care Consultant is on file. Management strategies for supervision were brainstormed:
  • Answer the door – provider advised all children will go to the door with her every time she answers the door or sees a visitor out. This was observed on December 19th during the follow-up visit. 
  • Retrieving additional play materials – provider advised that all children will go with her to help retrieve materials. Consultant suggested that the material may be able to wait in order to not interrupt a child’s play, provider follows children’s lead therefore if they ask for something then they will all go together and make an activity of it.
Provider Standard 10: Home and Safety: all medications, vitamins must be kept under lock and key; all chemicals, alcohol, personal care products and household cleaning products must be stored in an area that is inaccessible to children.

At the time of visit: An unopened can of alcohol was observed on the bottom shelf in the refrigerator. Personal care products were observed in the downstairs bathroom and Lysol wipes were on the bathroom counter.

Provider advised she removed all products in question immediately after the Licensing Visit. The Hemel House Product Storage list was reviewed with provider on December 19th and all products in question were stored according to regulation.

The agency submitted to the CFSA:
  • All contact notes between the agency and provider with regards to the Licensing visit
  • A copy of the follow-up visit write-up from December 19, 2013. 
  • A copy of the completed Child Application including work addresses for both parents.
  • A reviewed and signed copy of the CFSA Family Day Home Standard 8: Child Supervision.
  • A reviewed copy of the Hemel House Product Storage List.

Day Home #2

Provider Standard 4A: Family Day Home Provider Residence: The residence must be in good repair. Space must be adequate to accommodate the following requirements: 
  • windows in every room used by children; 
  • adequate heat, light, and ventilation;
  • clean, comfortable surroundings; 
  • sufficient space for developmental activities of children in care.
 At the time of the visit the office was accessible and is not a safe space for children.

The office door has a privacy latch which was unlocked during the visit. On December 16, a picture was submitted to Hemel House of this latch closed and it was observed being locked during the follow up inspection on December 20th.

Standard 5:Transportation and Outings: Providers must have the parent’s written permission to transport their child. Parent(s) must be advised in writing of any outings or excursion the provider plans for a child, including transportation and supervision arrangements.

At the time of the visit the provider advised she takes the children to the school grounds for outdoor play. There is no evidence the parents have been advised of this activity. The parents have given prior written permission to transport to the school for pickup and drop off, however not for playing at the playground. There was no supervision plan documented for this activity.

On December 20th field trip forms for each child including supervision plan to play at the school grounds were submitted.

Standard 7: Child Care Program: The daily program, which includes both indoor and outdoor activities, should be made available to parent(s) and home visitor/consultants who ask to see it.

At the time of visit the daily program did not include outdoor activies.

On December 20th the provider had the agency Activity Menu Report posted and completed. The outdoor activity documented was backyard outdoor snow play.

Standard 10B: Home and Safety: fire drills must be practiced monthly and recorded monthly (it is recommended that the drills include the sounding of the smoke alarm so that children learn to recognize the sound and connect it with the practiced evacuation). All medications, vitamins must be kept under lock and key. All chemicals, alcohol, personal care products and household cleaning products must be stored in an area that is inaccessible to children.

At the time of visit the documentation evidences the last fire drill was practiced on August 30, 2013. Fire drills must be practiced and recorded monthly. 

At the time of visit the medicine cabinet has a broken latch making the personal care products accessible to children. 

At the time of visit there was a sleep aid tea in packages in a box on the microwave. This tea contains melatonin.

On December 20th a completed fire drill log was submitted to the agency. On December 16th the provider e-mailed a photo of the replaced latch for the medicine cabinet making the personal care products inaccessible to the children again as the prior latch broke that same day. On December 20th this latch was tested during the follow-up visit and was locked. On December 20th the sleep aid tea was under lock and key.

Provider Standard 10C: Illness: If a provider notices that a child exhibits any of the signs or symptoms listed below, the provider must ensure that:
  • the child’s parent(s) arranges for the immediate removal of the child from the program premises
The provider sent a child home due to illness in November and had no illness tracking evidence of this.

On December 20th a copy of the Illness Tracking form was in the provider’s home with 2 entries; a child sent home in November and a child stayed home sick in December.

The agency submitted to the CFSA:
  • All contact notes between the agency and provider with regards to the Licensing visit
  • A copy of the Family Day Home Agency Visitor/Consultant Checklist for December 20, 2013 
  • A photo of the privacy latch locked on the door to the office.
  • Completed Field Trip forms including supervision plan to play at the school grounds.
  • January planning: including monthly webbing and daily Activity Menu Report including outdoor play.
  • A reviewed and signed copy of the Hemel House Fire Drill policy along with a copy of the completed Fire Drill Log.
  • The e-mail dated December 16, 2013 from the provider with photos of the new safety latch on the medicine cabinet to make personal care products inaccessible to children.
  • A reviewed and signed copy of the CFSA Family Day Home Standards 10 B & C.
  • A reviewed and signed copy of the Hemel House Manual Standard 10: Illness and Illness Tracking Form. 
  • A copy of the current Illness Tracking form displaying 2 entries.