Parents and children receive assistance with managing transitions between the home and the child care setting.
Interpretation: This can include helping the parent or child cope with daily drop-offs and/or departures or being sensitive to parents or children who are struggling with the idea of using out-of-home care for the first time.
Teaching staff promote smooth transitions throughout the day by ensuring:
- transitions are well-planned;
- children receive advance notice; and
- activities are long enough to promote sustained play.
When the child needs to transition to another classroom or age group within the agency, the current teacher:
- engages parents in a discussion of the child’s developmental needs and the reason for the transition;
- provides parents with general information on the transition process;
- arranges opportunities for the child to visit the new classroom and meet teaching staff and peers prior to the transition; and
- shares information with the new teacher to facilitate an orderly transition.
When the child needs to transition to school or another organization, teaching staff:
- engage parents in a discussion of the child’s developmental needs and most suitable options;
- provide parents with general information on transitioning from the program;
- share information with other providers to facilitate an orderly transition; and
- notify collaborating service providers that the child has transitioned from the program.
When the agency can no longer meet a family’s need for care, it refers families to local resources such as child care resource and referral.
Interpretation: Reasons why an agency may no longer be able to meet the needs of the family include non-payment, when special needs arise that the agency can’t meet with reasonable accommodation, or a change in work schedules that the agency cannot accommodate.
The agency has a systematic process for removing children from care that is communicated with families upon enrollment.
