Additional Measures to Protect Children
- During the initial screening of an applicant for employment, potential employee or volunteer over the age of 18, or prospective board member, the Centre will advise of Police Record Check requirements and will provide a copy of this policy.
- All decisions regarding hiring employees or accepting the services of volunteers, placement students and board members will be made in accordance with existing hiring and recruiting practices and policies and procedures of the Centre. The Centre has taken steps to ensure that its hiring practices are incompliance with all legal requirements, including those established under the Ontario Human Rights Code.
- A conditional offer of employment or volunteer position must be extended to a successful candidate prior to the Centre requesting the candidate to sign the Consent to Disclosure to submit to a Criminal Reference Check. The Centre will advise the candidate that the Criminal Reference Check will include Vulnerable Sector Screening. The Centre will ensure that the Consent to Disclosure Form is completely and accurately filled out and reviewed by the candidate.
- The individual will pay the costs of obtaining reference checks upon hiring. The Centre will reimburse for subsequent copies required by the Centre.
- An originally-signed copy of the Consent to Disclosure Form to the Police Service Department is required to apply for a CRC and VSC for Toronto. Other regions may or may not require a form or letter from the Centre.
- The results of the CRC/VSC will be provided by the Police Service Department to the employee or volunteer directly. It is his or her responsibility to provide these results to the Centre consistent with the terms of the conditional offer of employment, placement or volunteer position.
- Where appropriate, a person who has not provided a VSC will be allowed to start their employment or volunteer position, or otherwise start interacting with children if they apply to obtain a VSC as soon as possible and provide evidence of their application to The Executive Director/Designate.
- Until a VSC is obtained, the child care centre will put additional measures in place to protect children who interact with a person who has not yet provided their VSC. Examples of the additional measures that will be used may include, as appropriate:
- verifying of the candidate’s credentials (e.g. their standing with regulatory bodies) and three references;
- obtaining an offence declaration from the individual until a VSC is obtained;
- ensuring all interactions between the person and children are supervised at all times by an employee who has provided a clear VSC;
- monitoring and documenting the individual’s behaviour and interactions with children on a weekly basis, at a minimum, by the supervisor, designate or lead RECE in the program room(s) in which the individual works, where appropriate;
- ensuring the individual is not left alone with children; and
- conducting informal interviews with staff who work with the individual at the child care centre to collect their observations of the individual’s behaviour with children, parents and colleagues.
- If a VSC is not provided within one month of their start date, the child care centre will rescind their offer of employment, except in extenuating circumstances where evidence is provided that indicates that the delay for obtaining a VSC is out of the individual’s control.
- Students fulfilling their community hours must present the community service documentation from their school and must provide two (2) positive reference letters from unrelated persons over 18 years of age.