Inclusion Policy

DEFINITION OF INCLUSION

All children having differing mental, physical, developmental, behavioural and/or learning abilities and needs are provided space in the Home Child Care program and are fully encouraged to connect with others, build relationships, and contribute to the learning and development of not only themselves but of other children on the premises. In an inclusive program, children with and without special needs learn and participate in the same daily activities and routines, with any necessary adjustments made to aid their inclusion.

POLICY STATEMENT:

Learning Happens Home Child Care Agency is committed to an inclusive early learning home child care program that promotes positive and healthy environments for all children. The Agency will look for ways to promote inclusion and will support families and children through Employee and affiliated Provider training, use of resource services, and in guiding and monitoring the practice of Providers involved in this service.

The Agency will endeavour to include all children with varying developmental, physical, cognitive, and/or cultural needs within naturally occurring proportions, providing that the affiliated Home Child Care Provider can meet the child’s needs with all reasonable modifications in place. The Agency will ensure that all requirements of the Child Care and Early Years Act (2014), the Ontario Human Rights Code, and the How Does Learning Happen? Pedagogy are followed for all children, including the preparation and execution of an Individualized Support Plan, if needed.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

All children are welcomed and valued within our program and community.

Our program is designed to support each child’s sense of belonging, well-being, engagement and expression (HDLH Four Foundations). Children are best supported through collaboration between Provider, Home Visitor, and consultants
Parent/Guardians are integral to our program and the inclusion process.

We are committed to working with community partners to enhance our ability to support all children including those with identified special needs through training and consultation.

PROCEDURES

Families interested in admission to our program are dealt with in a fair and equitable manner.

The Agency will make any reasonable program modifications as needed to ensure every child is included in the program.

The Agency commits to making every effort to support new and existing placements with the help of Peel Inclusion Resources Services (PIRS) and the Continued Placement Process.

Before sharing information about a child with outside agencies or schools, the agency will receive parental consent and keep it on site in the child’s file.

Home visiting staff will review the Inclusion Policy and the Individualized Support Plan Policy to assist in making appropriate plans and attend focused training opportunities as they become available.

Home Child Care Providers will receive training related to inclusion and supporting children with ISP’s.

Providers will adapt the environment and routines necessary to meet the needs of the children enrolled, including any needed material and equipment, with the support of the Agency.

The Agency will discuss with Providers children’s strengths and capabilities and will think about how other children, providers, volunteers, and even other parents can learn from a child with extra support needs.

Providers will look for ways to strengthen relationships with families and children to ensure social inclusion, participation and a sense of belonging.

The Agency will document the experience of Providers and children in care in order to learn about each child’s unique abilities, characteristics and growth. This documentation will be shared with parents and other professionals working with a child to gain a deeper understanding of the child.

The Agency will review its Inclusion Policy with Home Child Care Providers, Home Visitors and board members on an annual basis and retain documentation that this has been done.

Where necessary, the Agency will create an Individualized Support Plan to serve the needs of any child with extra support needs.

MONITORING AND ACCOUNTABILITY

The Agency’s Inclusion Policy including Subsection a) Individualized Support Plan Policy, must be reviewed annually, and at any other time when changes are made to the policy, by each affiliated Home Child Care Provider, by volunteers, students or other persons who are ordinarily residents of the Premises, or regularly at the Premises during operating hours. This policy must be reviewed by any of the above before they may begin to interact with children in the program. It must be reviewed by the Home Visitors and employees of Learning Happens Home Child Care Agency before they begin scheduled employment. The policy must be implemented and monitored for compliance and contraventions in accordance with subsection 6.1 of O.Reg. 137/15

Subsection a): INDIVIDUALIZED SUPPORT PLAN POLICY

POLICY STATEMENT

The Agency’s assigned Home Visitor shall create an Individualized Support Plan (ISP) for each child with defined support needs in their caseload. The ISP will be developed in consultation with the child’s parent/guardian, the Provider if assigned, any relevant health professionals or resource support workers, and the child if their age / developmental level is appropriate for participation.

PROCEDURES

The Individualized Support Plan will include:

How the Home Child Care Agency will support the child to function and participate meaningfully while in the care of the Home Child Care Premises.

A description of any support aids, assistive devices, adaptations or other modifications to the physical, social and learning environment that is necessary for the child to participate fully in the program.

Instructions relating to the child’s use of the supports or aids referred to in the ISP or, if necessary, the child’s use of or interaction with the adapted or modified environment, where applicable.

The Agency is required to maintain the confidentiality of a child’s medical history including diagnosis. Sensitive or confidential medical information and detailed reports from medical professionals shall not be included in the plan unless consent, in writing, has been given by the parent.

The assigned Home Visitor shall explore all available resources within the Home Child Care program to determine what services are available and needed by the child, and whether the affiliated Home Child Care Provider is able to meet all of the child’s needs. (See Procedures on Concerns / Alternatives below)

Once an ISP is in place the assigned Home Visitor is responsible for ensuring that it is implemented correctly by the Provider, and any volunteers, students present on the premises, and any residents or persons regularly on site during care hours. The Home Visitor will regularly review the ISP with the Provider and the child’s parent/guardian to ensure that any critical information is up-to-date, and that it meets the current needs of the child.

Subsection b): HANDLING CONCERNS ABOUT AN ENROLLED CHILD

PROCEDURES

When there is a concern about a child who is already enrolled in the Home Child Care Program, the Provider will inform their Home Visitor about the exact nature of the concerns. The Home Visitor will consult with the parent/guardian about these concerns.

The Agency must obtain written permission from the parent/guardian before any information about the child can be shared with outside support resources.

With permission from the parent/guardian, the Home Visitor and Provider will observe the child and document any relevant instances. The Home Visitor will use any approved observational systems to assist with this, including the developmental screening tool “LookSee” (formerly the Nipissing Developmental Screening Tool). Confidential records of these observations will be kept in the child’s file.

The Provider, parent/guardian and the Home Visitor will continue communicating and documenting to help identify which of the available resources may be needed to suit the unique needs of the child.

The Home Visitor will establish an action plan to support the child, with short and long term goals, responsibilities, and any recommendation for outside support.

When additional support is needed, The Home Visitor will arrange a meeting including the parent/guardian and any appropriate outside resource support service to discuss what can be done serve the child’s needs in the Home Child Care Program and at home. Ongoing communication and documentation will continue on a regular basis between the Home Visitor, the Provider, the parent/guardian and the outside resource support service.

Suggestions, referrals, modifications, and updates will be incorporated into the ISP as needed.

Any request for further assessment, additional supports and limitations will be discussed at all forthcoming meetings.

Parent/guardians will be included in all decisions about accommodations for their child.

ALTERNATIVES

When all possible arrangements and accommodations on the Premises have been implemented, and it has been determined by all parties that the Home Child Care program is unable to meet a particular child’s needs, alternative child care arrangements shall be considered. The external resource support professional and the Home Visitor will assist the parent/guardian in determining possible child care options.

The Agency will consider the withdrawal of the child only when all reasonable accommodations have been implemented and all recommendations have been exercised in an effective manner.

The Home Visitor will assist the parent/guardian with the withdrawal, including referrals where possible to alternative child care programs.

The Agency will conduct a case review after a child’s withdrawal with input from the Provider, the Home Visitor, and any involved resource professional to determine if any improvements to the Home Child Care program, the practice of the Provider, the action plans created by the Home Visitor, the physical location, or the Agency’s Policies and Procedures may be warranted.