Licensing Officer Report

On August 13, 2013 a provider file review was completed for two contracted family day homes that were visited on August 9, 2013. As a result of the file review it was found that Hemel House Child Care Services Ltd. was in non-compliance with the following Provincial Family Day Home Standard:

Agency Standard 2: Caseloads and Monitoring: Agencies must monitor all active providers a minimum of six times per year with both scheduled and unscheduled visits using the Family Day Home Agency Home Visitor/Consultant Checklist.
- CFSA ‘Family Day Home Standards Manual’

• Hemel House Child Care Services conducts day home visits 11 times per year exceeding the minimum requirement of 6 times per year set out by the Southwest Alberta Child and Family Service Authority. 
• Our visits are 1 – 2+ hours long. The Child Care Consultants monitor day homes using the approved Family Day Home Agency Home Visitor/Consultant Checklist and the Hemel House Visit Report Form on a monthly rotation ensuring the CFSA form is used 6 times per year. 
• During our file review on August 13, 2013 we were informed that the expectation is that the approved Family Day Home Agency Home Visitor/Consultant Checklist is used every other month. Even though Hemel House conducts visits every month (with exception of summer months and day home closures) and ensures the CFSA form is used 6 times per year the expectation was not met. Due to the exception of summer months and holidays coinciding with the rotation of the CFSA and Hemel House form being used, one day home received 2 visits in a row with the Hemel House form instead of the Licensing expectation of using the CFSA form every other month. 
• To ensure we are in compliance at all times Hemel House has now changed polices and the Child Care Consultants will use the approved Family Day Home Agency Home Visitor/Consultant Checklist at each of the 11 visits per day home each year.

Following the recommendation of the Licensing Officer Hemel House also made alterations to all offsite programming consents and authorizations.

On August 9, 2013 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 10E: Medication: Providers may administer medications including prescription and non-prescription drugs, emergency medications and herbal remedies, when the:

• provider has written consent of child’s parent(s);
• medication is in its original container; and
• medication is administered according to the label directions.

In all cases where medications are administered, the provider must record the name of the medication, the time and dose administered and sign or initial that they administered the medication.

At the time of the visit:

• A medical form on file was not filled out completely by the parent and provider. 
• The form currently being used does not evidence this standard being met.

The non-compliance was communicated to the agency on August 13^th. On August 14^th the agency created a new Medication Authorization form and submitted to the Licensing Officer for review. The new Medication Authorization form, once approved, was reviewed with the provider on August 16^th as well as Standard 10E: Medication. On August 16^th the new Medication Authorization form was also e-mailed to all Hemel House day home providers.

Day Home #2

Provider Standard 7: Child Care Program: The family day home provider plans and implements a daily program of activities that is consistent with the agency’s philosophy and is developmentally appropriate for the ages of the children.

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.

Children with special needs may require activities and experiences adapted to their needs and abilities.

The daily program ensures children’s developmental needs are met, including:

• emotional; 
• physical;
• intellectual; and 
• creative and social.

At the time of the visit documents regarding routine and weekly themes were provided but did not include outdoor activities.

Provider Standard 8: Supervision: children 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

The licensing officer noted that at the time of the visit a 3 children were napping in a downstairs room, the children were not within hearing distance and an infant monitor was not used. The provider was not observed to physically check on the children every 3-5 minutes.

Standard 10E: Medication: Providers may administer medications including prescription and non-prescription drugs, emergency medications and herbal remedies, when the:

• provider has written consent of child’s parent(s);
• medication is in its original container; and 
• medication is administered according to the label directions.

In all cases where medications are administered, the provider must record the name of the medication, the time and dose administered and sign or initial that they administered the medication.

At the time of the visit a medication form was on file for a child no longer registered in the program. Written consent did not match what was administered by the provider. Where medication was administered to a child, the provider used ditto (“) marks as opposed to recording the name of the medication and the time and dose administered.

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 August 28/13 
• A copy of Standard 7: Child Care Program signed and dated by the agency members and provider to evidence it has been reviewed by all parties 
• A copy of Hemel House’s ‘Child Care Programming and Interactions’ and ‘Meeting Developmental Needs of Children’ policies signed and dated by the agency members and provider to evidence they have been reviewed by all parties 
• A copy of the provider’s weekly themes and activities for August and September
• A copy of the Medication Standard that is signed and dated by the agency members and provider to evidence it has been reviewed by all parties, and recorded discussion had 
• An e-mail from the agency sent to all providers with the attached revised medication form
• A copy of Standard 8: Supervision that is signed and dated by the agency members and provider to evidence it has been reviewed by all parties, as well as contact notes confirming an infant monitor is now being used while children are napping 
• A copy of the Family Day Home Agency Visitor/Consultant Checklist for September 18^th, 2013 
• A copy of an e-mail confirming that the agency reviewed the correct completion of the Medication Authorization form including that ditto (“) marks cannot be used on the medication form