Health & Illness

Please refer to our Health and Illness Policy.

Parents are required to complete and submit medical information prior to their child’s admission into the program, including up-to-date immunization records and any pertinent medical information such as allergies and other medical conditions.

Communication is very important. Educators and parents need to share health information daily in order to minimize illnesses, germs, and diseases. Educators will make general observations about the child’s health and well-being, and record it on their daily attendance sheet and log book. Please see Parent Handbook for further details

In order to reduce the spread of infections, children should stay home if they are unwell and unable to fully participate in the program (inside and outside activities). Bright Starts staff, students and volunteers are required to follow the same procedures.

Bright Starts follows the requirements of the Waterloo Regional Community Health Department as outlined in the Safe Healthy Children Resource Manual for Child Care Providers. We also develop and implement our own policies and procedures for certain ailments in order to further reduce the spread of germs and infections to the children in our care.

Medications

Please refer to our Medication Policy.

Parents are strongly advised to give medications to children prior to daily attendance if they can be administered without affecting their daily treatment schedule.

When it is necessary for a drug or medication to be given while in attendance, the medication must be administered to a child from its original container as supplied by the pharmacist and the container or package is clearly labeled with the child’s name, the name of the drug or medication, the dosage of the drug or medication, the date of purchase and expiration and instruction for storage and administration.

All drugs/medications shall be accompanied by written authorization and instruction signed by the parent using this form.

Bright Starts will not administer non-prescription drugs. Non-prescription drugs should not be administered prior to a child’s attendance to reduce a fever or mask other symptoms to keep a child at the centre when they should potentially be at home or visiting a doctor. Parents are not to leave any medication in their child’s cubby.

Please see Parent Handbook for additional details.