Please take the time to review any programs, services and/or events that you offer, in order to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Review our COVID-19 Information for Workplaces page for more information.
Welcome to the Child Care Providers section of our website. Families depend on child care providers to maintain a safe and healthy environment where their children can grow and thrive. Licensed child care facilities under the Child Care and Early Years Act are required to meet and maintain certain criteria and provincial standards.This helps to ensure the safety and well-being of children.
Renfrew County and District Health Unit is responsible for monitoring licensed day care facilities to protect children, staff, families and all of Renfrew County and District. We hope this section has useful information for licensed and unlicensed child care providers as well as their families.
COVID-19 Preparation
With the reopening of child care centers it is important for providers and families to be informed of best practice recommendations.
Helpful Resources
Ministry of Health Link: COVID-19 Integrated Testing & Case, Contact and Outbreak Management Interim Guidance: Omicron Surge (Nov 30, 2022)
Ontario Link: COVID-19 Screening Tool for Employees and Essential Visitors in Schools and Child Care Settings
Ontario Link: COVID-19 Screening Tool for Children in School and Child Care
Ontario Link: COVID-19 Guidance: School Case, Contact and Outbreak Management
Ontario Link: Ontario COVID-19: Health, Safety and Operational Guidance for Schools (2021-2022)
PHO Link: Doffing PPE
PHO Link: Donning PPE
PHO Link: Masking for Source Control of COVID-19- Considerations for Workers in Non-Health Care Settings
RCDHU Link: COVID-19 PPE Modification in Schools Fact Sheet
RCDHU Link: COVID-19 Back to School/Childcare Confirmation Form
RCDHU Link: Childcare Operator Reference Guide
RCDHU Link: COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control Checklist for Reopening Workplaces
RCDHU Link: My Mask Protects YOU Poster
RCDHU Link: Washing Your Hands
RCDHU Link: Diarrhea – The Scoop on Poop
RCDHU Link: Fillable Childcare Screening Checklist
RCDHU Link: COVID-19 Daycare Algorithms
RCDHU Link: COVID-19 Employee Screening Tool
RCDHU Link: COVID-19 Retail Entrance Screening Poster
RCDHU Link: COVID-19 Resource Toolkit
RCDHU Link: Non-Medical Mask Use
RCDHU Link: Medical Mask Use
RCDHU Link: Infection Prevention and Control Checklist for Childcare Settings
RCDHU Link: Entrance Poster for Childcare Settings
RCDHU Link: COVID Childcare Facility Reporting Form
RCDHU Link: Illness of Child or Staff While Attending Childcare Facility
RCDHU Link: Chlorine (Bleach) Solution for Disinfecting
RCDHU Link: Cleaning and Disinfecting Shared Items
NCCEH Link: Shared Laundry Poster
Ministry of Health Link: COVID-19 Fact Sheet – Talking to Children About the Pandemic
Ministry of Education Link: Face Covering Procurement and Delivery to Child Care and Early Years Programs
Préparation pour la COVID-19
Avec l’étape 2 entamée et la réouverture des services de garde, il est important pour les fournisseurs et les familles d’être bien informé au sujet des meilleurs pratiques recommandées.
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Enlever l’équipement de protection individuelle
Comment mettre l’équipment de protection individuelle
COVID-19 Attestation pour le retour à l’école/service de garde
COVID-19 Attestation pour le retour au travail suite à une absence pour cause de maladie
Affiche ”Dépistage COVID-19’’ pour entrée
Affiche ”Attention!’’ pour les services de garde
Comment utiliser un masque en tissus dans un endroit publique
Comment mettre et retirer un masque
COVID-19: Trousse de prévention et de contrôle des infections
Immunizations
Children who attend licensed child care centres are required through the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 to have up to date immunizations as recommended by the local Medical Officer of Health (Regulation 137/15).
In Renfrew County and District, every child attending licensed child care must be immunized based on their age as recommended in the routine immunization schedule for Ontario. Immunizations are available at our immunization clinics and from family physicians.
Responsibilities of Child Care Centres
Each child care center is responsible for ensuring that immunizations for each infant/child enrolled in the centre are up-to-date. This includes keeping immunization records on file and forwarding copies to the Health Unit. If a parent/guardian choses to complete an exemption form, the Health Unit requires the original and the child care centre should keep a photocopy.
Please refer to the 2019 Child Care Instructions and Timelines, or 2019 Instructions et échéances concernant les soumissions d’inscriptions et des dossiers d’immunisation et/ou d’exemptions valides des enfants en service de garde for the instructions and timelines on how Child Care Centre Operators are to report immunization status of all enrolled children.
Please refer to the following documents for reporting immunizations:
English
- 2019 Immunization Requirements for Children in Childcare
- 2019 Immunization Questionnaire for Child Care Centres/Questionnaire, Programme D’Immunisation
- 2019 Child Care Entry/Withdrawal Form
- 2019 Child Care Centre Current Enrollment Report
French
- 2019 Immunisations exigés pour enfants en service de garde
- 2019 Immunization Questionnaire for Child Care Centres/Questionnaire, Programme D’Immunisation
- 2019 Formulaire d’adhésion et de retrait du service de garde
- 2019 Rapport d’inscriptions actuelles annuel
Employee/Volunteer/Student Immunizations
According to the Child Care and Early Years Act (CCEYA), “Every licensee of a child care center shall ensure that each person employed, has a health assessment and record of immunization as recommended by the local Medical Officer of Health”.
The Medical Officer of Health for Renfrew County requires all child care employees, students and volunteers have up-to-date immunizations. Please refer to 2019 Immunization Recommendations for Staff Working in Child Care Centres for a complete list of required and recommended immunizations. Child care centre operators are responsible for ensuring that each employee/volunteer/student has a complete immunization record on file.
An employee who objects to immunization due to medical or non-medical reasons must complete a standardized approved exemption form from the Ministry of Education and provide it to the child care operator.
Exemption Requirements
All exemptions should be submitted on the forms provided by the Ministry of Education. All previous exemptions will expire on September 1, 2017. If continued exemption is needed, a new form must be submitted.
Statement of conscience or religious belief must be completed by a parent or guardian.
Statement of medical exemption must be completed by a medical doctor or nurse practitioner.
For further information or questions, call the Health Info Line at 613-732-3629 or 1-800-267-1097 ext. 509.
Childhood Illnesses
Child Care Centres are encouraged to develop and follow their own illness policy and procedures for exclusion.
Reportable Diseases
Licensed child care centres are legally required under the Health Protection and Promotion Act to report any child with a known or suspected disease of public health significance to Public Health.The Ontario Health Protection and Promotion Act lists over 70 communicable diseases that must be reported to local health units. Directors of many institutions including licensed child care facilities are responsible for reporting suspected cases of reportable diseases to the local Health Unit. All reports are followed up by a Public Health Nurse or Public Health Inspector.
The Communicable Disease Guidelines for School and Child Care Facilities is intended to provide you with general information about communicable diseases commonly experienced by children, and to help you identify and prevent the spread of illness. Within this guide, you will find a description of common childhood diseases including information on how they are spread; incubation periods; periods of communicability; prevention; and facility reporting requirements. There is also information on general infection control practices that any facility can implement to prevent the spread of disease.
Communicable Disease Guidelines for Schools and Child Care Facilities, 2019
How to report communicable diseases
- See the list of RCDHU Reportable Diseases.
- For diseases which need to be reported immediately, call 613-732-3629 x 5 during office hours, and 613-735-9926 during evenings, weekends and holidays.
- For all reportable diseases, complete the Communicable Disease Reporting Form for Day Cares & Schools and fax to 613-735-3067 by the next business day.
Renfrew County and District Health Unit follows the Infectious Diseases Guidelines brought forth by the Ministry of Health in Long-Term Care. A suspected outbreak is defined as 2 or more people with the same symptoms, same room, and same day. The first step toward management of an outbreak is consultation with public health nurses or health inspectors for recommendations and guidelines at 613-732-3629. Child Care Providers have an important role in early identification of illnesses with children and staff. Parents must be encouraged to report their child’s illness and symptoms to help recognize an outbreak as early as possible. It is mandatory family members and/ or visitors are aware of an outbreak if it should occur. Ensure signs are posted at entrances and fact sheets are available for communication purposes.
Renfrew County and District Health Unit will work with you to ensure prevention, early detection and management of infectious diseases.
Infection Prevention and Control
Control Measures
There are many ways child care centres can help identify and take action to limit the spread of illness, infection or infestation. Accurate policies and procedures promote an effective approach to infection prevention and control. Public Health requires your child care centre to have policies and procedures in place for your facility such as hand hygiene, glove use and diapering and toileting.
Be Aware- We are Seeing an Increase in Gastrointestinal Illness
Be Aware- We are Seeing an Increase in Respiratory Illnes
Cleaning and Disinfecting
It is important to keep surfaces and toys within the child care centre clean to stop the spread of illness. Cleaning is the physical removal of dirt and germs from a surface by wiping or scrubbing, while disinfection kills germs using a chemical solution.
TIPS TO REMEMBER:
- Not all products are equal: some are cleaners, some are disinfectants, and some can be used for both. Review the label and ingredients to figure out what your product can be used for. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for product use (e.g., how long it must stay wet on a surface, mixing, and safety instructions)
- High-touch surfaces include doorknobs, toys and horizontal surfaces, such as table tops, are where bacteria and microorganisms are prone to settling. These surfaces require frequent cleaning and disinfection.
Resource Manuals
The following resources are available to support the health and well-being of staff, children and families who utilize child care services. These resources look at best practices to help prevent the spread of illness, infection and infestation. They will be maintained in an evergreen format only.
Communicable Disease Guidelines for Schools and Child Care Facilities, 2019
A Public Health Guidance Document for Child Care Centres, 2019
Child Care Posters
External Links
Caring for Kids Well Beings: A Guide to Health and Child Care
Child Care Rules under the Government of Canada
Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014, S.O. 2014, c. 11, Sched. 1
County of Renfrew- Child Care and Early Years Division
Infectious Diseases Public Health Agency of Canada
Government of Ontario Ministry of Education