Transportation Procedures and Responsibilities:

Centre Staff will comply with the following process when transporting a child between the Centre and their school.

1. Parents/guardians are required to complete an Enrollment form before commencing at the Centre;
2. Parents/guardians are required to complete a form authorizing Centre Staff to transport their child to and from the Centre;
3. Parents/guardians are required to nominate the school that their child will be attending;
4. Each school will have a nominated collection point for children to meet Centre Staff. Administration staff working at the school will be advised of the nominated collection point;
5. Parents/guardians are required to practice the after-school routine with their child before they commence at the Centre. This practice will include taking the child to the nominated collection point and accompanying the child back to the Centre;
6. Parents/guardians are required to notify the Centre if their child does not need to be collected for after-school care as soon as practical. The Centre Director or Designate is required to acknowledge this communication from the family by responding either through email or phone by confirming the change and making a note in the Log board. The Centre Director or Person-In-Charge will amend the School Roll accordingly and notify the designated staff as well.
7. The Centre Director or Person-In-Charge must check that all children enrolled in the school program are taken to their school by the nominated time.
8. Centre Staff responsible for escorting children to and from schools must mark a roll to check attendance at both locations; and
9. If the collection times are altered for any reason, the Centre Director will inform relevant parents/guardians and the school.

Attendance Record:

The following process will be maintained for recording a child’s movement between the Centre and the school:

1. Educators will sign the children in on the bus checklist. The bus checklist will remain on the bus until the end of the day;
2. Centre Staff are to park the vehicle safely and assist the children in and out of the vehicle at drop off and pick up.
3. Centre Staff will sign the child/children out of the bus as they are dropped off at the nominated school (applies to the school run). Please refer to the Off-Site Activity and Emergency Evacuation Policy for Centre excursions;
4. If the school doesn’t provide assistance to greet the Kindergarten children from the bus, they will be escorted to their classrooms and collected from their classrooms;
5. In the afternoon, Centre Staff will collect the children from the nominated collection point. Children’s seat belts are to be checked and ensured they are fastened correctly before the vehicle moves;
6. Centre Staff are required to sign the children onto the bus and a second roll marked to ensure all children are accounted for and have been collected. In the event that a child is not accounted for, Centre Staff will:
   • Contact the school reception or office to determine if the child attended on the day or has been delayed;
   • Contact the Centre and advise that the child has not been accounted for. The Centre Director or Person-In-Charge will contact the parent/guardian to advise the circumstances, and the Missing Child Policy will be followed.
7. On arrival at the Centre, staff will conduct the roll call and headcount as they come out of the bus. Staff will not allow parents to pick children until the headcount is complete.

During the Journey

The following process will be followed during a journey in a vehicle:

1. Children are not to be seated in the front passenger seat;
2. Children are to be seated and secured using the required safety restraints provided:
3. All passengers provided transport in a BrightPath vehicle must:
   • Remain polite to other community members;
   • Remain seated at all times whilst the vehicle is moving;
   • Not throw or discard items, for example, garbage, from the vehicle; and
   • Not place or hang hands, arms, or other objects out of the vehicle when the vehicle is moving.
4. All loose items must be secured. For example, school bags, drink containers, and first aid kits must be placed under seats or in the rear of the vehicle; and
5. Centre Staff are not permitted to make a change to the destination not previously approved by a parent/guardian prior to commencing an escorted journey.
6. Staff are not permitted to talk on mobile phones, including hands-free headsets, while driving.

Accident or Breakdown: The following process will be followed in the event of a vehicle accident or breakdown:

• Centre Staff or Person-In-Charge will stop and assess the situation for danger;
• Centre Staff will attend to children and provide first aid if required;
• Where necessary, Centre Staff will contact Emergency Services 􀍴 911;
• Centre Staff will contact the Centre Director or Person-In-Charge

The Centre Director will make a decision to:

• Wait for repairs,
• Return to the Centre via alternative transport; or
• Continue the excursion via alternative transport.
• An Incident and Accident Report form must be completed by the Centre Staff in charge of the excursion or trip from the Centre.
• In the case of injury to a child or adult, separate Incident and Accident Report forms (Centre and Parent copies) must be completed.
• Parents/guardians and agencies are to be notified as per the Accidents and Incidents Policy.
• The use of taxis/cabs may be required to transport children in case of a breakdown.

Severe weather: Changes to the transportation routines may occur when severe weather is experienced. The Center’s Weather Guidelines will be followed all the time. Similarly, the program will adhere to the advisory from Environment Canada or any authorized body.

Pick up and Drop off Guidelines and Procedures

• Our center staff will drive children to and from school for pick up and drop off using the center bus. Center may use a taxi or vehicle registered under Prince Rupert Daycare
• For drop off in the morning, staff members will gather the children at the scheduled time and sign them in on the daily pick up and drop off list, roll call, headcount and escort them to the central bus.
• Center Staff will conduct a head count as children enter the bus.
• Our staff will make sure that all the children are seated, and the seat belt is fastened all the time.
• Center staff will drop off the children according to the school’s schedule. Children will be dropped off @ the designated drop-off area when the supervisor is present. If the center bus arrives earlier than the scheduled time, center staff will wait till the school supervisor arrive. Center staff will escort the kindergarten children to their designated entrance or classroom if school supervision does not attend to the children outside the bus.
• For pick-up, center staff will park the van at the pickup area and wait for the children at the designated pick-up area (Near to Kindergarten exit area). If the center bus has a second staff assisting the driver, grade 1 and up children may walk to the van and wait till other children arrive.
• Centre staff will pick up the children from school at the scheduled time. In case of a late arrival or no show-up at the pickup area, staff members will follow the following procedures (Please for detailed procedures, read our Parents Handbook):

1. Wait extra 5 minutes at the designated location after a specified time.
2. Contact the school authorities to locate the child

• Contact the program director or supervisor for any communication and information from parents

1. Contact parents regarding the location of the child
2. Contact emergency contact in case, communication with parents could not happen
3. Call Edmonton Police Service to locate the child.
   • Our staff member will wait at the school and parents will be notified to make an arrangement to pick up their children in the event of inclement weather.