Off Site Policies and Procedures
Philosophy and Values
Mission: Green Venture inspires and equips Hamilton residents to take individual and collective action to preserve our natural environment, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and build a community resilient to climate change.
Philosophy: We recognize the importance of time in nature, especially during development, and have a big focus on reducing barriers that may limit access to natural spaces and nature-based programming. We do our very best to make sure that every child attending our programs feels supported and included, and has a sense of belonging. We are committed to reconciliation and integrate reflection on our roles in caring for and living on the land.
Green Venture is a BIPOC and 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusive environment dedicated to serving its community. We are in the process of renovating the property to include an accessible entrance and washroom to reduce physical barriers to accessing our programs and services.
Our Commitment
Green Venture is committed to having safe, knowledgeable, and competent staff overseeing children’s programming such as Nature Kids. We follow these protocols in order to ensure a safe and enriching environment for Nature Kids participants:
- All staff have completed a Criminal Background Check
- At least two staff members on site are trained in First Aid
- No staff member without a Vulnerable Sector or Enhanced Police Check shall be in a role where they directly supervise or mentor children
- We follow a ratio standard to the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board which is one adult for every ten children (volunteers do not count towards this ratio)
- All staff and volunteer guides for the program undergo internal training focused on providing a safe, inclusive environment for all campers
- Indoor and outdoor sensory spaces are available for any children who need them, and staff work with campers’ families to help everyone proactively recognize when a child may need these spaces
- Staff also participate in training around cultural safety, supporting diverse needs of children, child sexual abuse prevention, Wilderness/Remote First Aid, and Food Handler Certification as needed
Physical Accessibility
EcoHouse is undergoing renovations to include a wheelchair accessible entrance and washroom. The renos may be complete before Nature Kids starts, but may extend later into the summer.
We have all-terrain wheelchairs that are available for use during programs to support participants with reduced mobility. We have one child-sized chair and three adult-sized. The all-terrain wheelchairs are available free of charge for Nature Kids participants. If you think your child would benefit from the use of one of these chairs, please contact us at [email protected] to discuss and make arrangements.
What to Bring
All campers should come prepared each day with:
- Reusable water bottle
- Swimwear or clothing that can get wet
- A change of clothes
- Shoes appropriate for playing and running around
- Shoes that can get wet
- A towel
- Sunscreen
- Sunhat
- Nut-free lunch
Inclement Weather Policy
Nature Kids will run outdoors rain or shine! Please ensure that your child is dressed appropriately for the weather conditions. We are able to lend appropriate outdoor gear to our participants as needed; please reach out to us if this is something your child would benefit from. In the case of severe inclement weather such as thunderstorms, high winds, or poor air quality, Nature Kids will move indoors.
Staff will also adapt or cancel programming as needed to adapt to environmental risks.
Behavioural Policy
Green Venture is a safe and welcoming space for all staff, children, and volunteers. We strive to be encouraging and model positive, kind, and respectful behaviour. If your child’s behaviour is leading to an unsafe environment for others, we will contact you to work together to find a solution. Examples of unsafe behaviour include (but are not limited to): violence toward themselves or others, bullying, damaging property, refusing to follow safety rules, repeatedly running out of sight, continued disruption to the program, or being disrespectful. When conflicts do arise, Green Venture staff can help to guide children to resolution and work with the child’s grown ups to meet the child’s needs and modify behaviour. As a last resort, if we are unable to maintain a safe environment, the child may need to leave the program. We understand that children develop in their own time and we welcome children back to try again at future sessions if they are not able to complete the program at this time.
Absence Policy
Nature Kids aims to be a welcoming place for all children, and we encourage children to attend every session. Due to the popularity of the program, we are sometimes unable to find all children spots and incur a waitlist. Therefore, we take it seriously to ensure that spots are given to those who will use them. We understand that sometimes something comes up that may prevent your child from attending (emergencies, illnesses, or planned absences), and we kindly ask for notice of this. If you are not able to give us advance notice we ask that you follow up after the missed session to let us know you are still interested in continuing with the program.
If a registrant misses two sessions in a row without notice, or one session without any communication even after the session, they may lose their spot to the next person on the waitlist.
Cancellation Policy
Registration is required for Nature Kids. This program runs on a first-come first-served basis with preference to individuals belonging to equity-deserving groups. Green Venture reserves the right to indicate if your child has a place in the program, but not the exact sliding scale level until a later time, as we take time to carefully assess need. Your child’s spot is not confirmed until payment is received.
Children will be added to a waitlist once the session maximum is reached. If a spot becomes available, the next person on the waitlist will be contacted.
In the case of not enough registrants, specific (or all) weeks of Nature Kids may be cancelled. Green Venture staff will update you as soon as possible and follow the refund policy outlined below.
The following cancellation and refund policy also applies to before and after care.
Refund Policy
The following schedule will be followed in determining refunds:
- 4+ weeks before the start of the camp: full refund minus a $25 processing fee
- 1-4 weeks before the start of the camp: 50% refund
- 1-6 days before the start of the camp: 25% refund
- On or after the first day of the camp: Receive 25% of the camp fee as a credit towards future Green Venture camps (valid through the end of the following year)
If you are accessing one of the fully subsidized camp spots, please do your best to communicate with us if you will not be able to use the spot so that we can pass it along to the next person on the waitlist. If your child(ren) do(es) not attend the camp and you do not give notice, you will not receive free program spaces for future camps.
If Green Venture needs to cancel the camp, a full refund will be given to registered families.
Adventurous Play
Adventurous Play, also called Risky Play, has numerous benefits for child development. Research shows that risky play supports the development of self-confidence, resilience, executive functioning abilities, and risk-management skills. Risky play also reduces the risk of injury as children gain more independence later in life. In Green Venture’s Nature Kids program, we provide opportunities for Outdoor Free Play and Outdoor Risky Play. This includes age- and skill-appropriate running, climbing, and playing with sticks. We follow the principle of “as safe as necessary” over “as safe as possible”. An example of what this looks like during Nature Kids sessions is: children sometimes climb trees on the property, but must first learn to assess risk. This includes climbing only onto the lowest branches, and checking the ground for hazards such as rocks and roots and then climbing only where there are no major hazards to fall on. Program Guides are always nearby to supervise and redirect behaviour as needed. You can read more about the benefits of Risky Play here for a scientific overview, and here for a summary. Reach out to us if you have any questions.
Drop off and Pick Up Policy
Please do your best to drop off your camper(s) during the 30 minute drop off window. After that point, the gates will be closed to help keep children safe and ensure that any grownups interacting with the children have completed our training and background checks. Upon arrival, participants will meet staff and volunteers on the red deck, located above the garage. It’s best to enter on the driveway on Ambrose Ave. When you arrive on the first day, come to the red deck and a staff member will let you know which group your child is in. They can then proceed to their assigned group. If you think your child will need support settling in at drop off time please arrive on the earlier side of the drop off window and let a staff member know.
Only grown ups included on the approved pickup list for the camper can pick them up. Please provide photo ID at pickup time every day. With so many participants (and several participants with multiple people on the approved list for pickup) it is challenging for our staff to get to know everyone in such a short time. Please ensure all parents and caregivers who have permission to pick up your child are listed on your registration form and know to bring photo ID with them every time, and be sure that the name provided matches the name on their photo ID. Even if our staff recognize you, our policy requires that they still check your ID to support child safety. If you need to add someone to your approved pickup list, please try to let us know in advance. If someone tries to pick up your child and is not on the list we will call the main emergency contact to verify. If we cannot get in touch with you, we will not release your child to someone who is not on the list. If there are any custody or other care arrangements that you think we should be aware of please let us know before the start of the camp.
Staff will reopen the gate at the start of the pickup window. When you arrive for pick up please approach the barrier at the entrance to the red porch. A staff member will confirm which participant you are here to pick up, and check your photo identification. The staff member will notify the participant that it is time to go home, and bring them to you. We appreciate your cooperation in following these policies as we endeavor to keep all of our participants safe.
Due to the high demand of the program, we can only accept participants who intend to be present for the full program.
Late Pick Ups
If you arrive after the end of the pick up window, you will be charged an After Care fee of $20 for that day.
Before and After Care
Before care is available from 8:00 - 9:00 am at $30.00 +HST for the week. For early drop-off, please follow the same procedure as regular drop-off except that children may arrive as early as 8:00am.
After care will run from 3:30 - 5:00 pm and cost $50.00 +HST for the week. Please follow the same pickup procedure as outlined above.
In the event that a child is not picked up by 5:00pm, we will do our best to get in touch with you to talk through next steps. Additional charges may apply to ensure we can pay any staff who stay late, and if needed we will call Child Protection Services to take over care so that our staff can go home.
Snacks and Dining
A healthy snack will be provided by Green Venture each day both in the A.M. and P.M. but all campers are required to bring their own nut-free lunch. During registration, you will be asked to provide a list of participants’ food allergies and sensitivities. While none of these items will be included in the snacks provided, EcoHouse is not an allergen-free workplace and cross contamination is a risk.
Participants are encouraged to bring their own reusable water bottle with their name on it. Participants will eat outdoors unless programming needs to move indoors. Staff and volunteers will assist participants with hand hygiene before and after eating each session.
Missing Child Procedure
To minimize the risk of missing children, staff carry out frequent head counts, particularly when transporting children between locations. We also break the group up into smaller groups, each with a guide who will stay with the group all week. The guides of the smaller groups will get to know the children better and will keep track of the participants in their group. If a child cannot be located, the following steps will be taken:
- All staff will be informed that the child is missing.
- Staff will conduct a thorough search of the premises and surrounding area.
- After 5 minutes the police will be informed.
- The Staff Leader will then contact the child’s parents or carers.
- Staff will continue to search for the child while waiting for the police and parents to arrive.
- We will maintain as normal a routine as possible for the rest of the children.
- The Staff Leader will liaise with the police and the child’s parent or carer.
- The incident will be recorded in the Incident Log.
A review will be conducted regarding this and any other related incidents along with relevant policies and procedures. We will identify and implement any changes as necessary.
Bathroom Policy
All children attending the Nature Kids program should be fully toilet trained and should be able to complete all toileting activities independently. If your child needs additional support with toileting please get in touch with us before registering so we can work together to see if we can provide the support needed. We do understand that in some cases children, particularly younger ones, may have an accident or be in need of assistance in some way while in our bathrooms. If a child is in need of assistance our staff members will take the following steps, in order:
- Attempt to help the child from the other side of the closed door using verbal instructions and guidance.
- If the child is in need of new clothing but does not need assistance beyond that, staff will hand the child clean clothing and a damp cloth through a gap in the door while still maintaining privacy.
- In the event that these first two steps are not enough to remedy the situation the staff member will ask the child’s permission to open the door. If the child is comfortable with this, the staff member will make sure all other children are no longer in the room and that there is another staff member in the adjoining space who is able to hear the conversation.
- Once the door is open the staff member will assess the situation, and the staff member will leave the door open for the duration of the time they are in the bathroom with the child.
- If the child needs help with their clothing the staff member will help untangle or adjust things as necessary while avoiding touching the child’s body as much as possible. If the staff member needs to help them balance or hold them to help remove shoes or tangled clothing, they will hold the child’s shoulders or ankles.
In signing off on our policies, you will be offered the following options with respect to bathroom use:
- I am comfortable with Green Venture staff following the above bathroom procedures as is and informing the pick-up person of the situation at the end of the program.
- I would like Green Venture staff to call my child’s emergency contact before opening the door so that the emergency contact can be involved in determining next steps.
Illness and Injury Policy
To reduce the risk of illness, Green Venture staff will continue to encourage self-screening, personal hygiene measures including hand washing, and will be performing cleaning and disinfecting of frequently touched surfaces.
If a participant becomes ill or is injured during a Nature Kids session staff will record the incident in the Incident Log and contact their emergency contact if required. Trained staff will provide first aid for minor procedures such as tick or splinter removal, cuts and scrapes, etc. or call for emergency services as needed. If staff deem it necessary the participant will be isolated from the rest of the group and a staff member or volunteer will stay with them until they are picked up from the program.
If your child is ill, please follow the guidelines under “Ill Children” on the Hamilton Public Health Guidelines for childcare settings.
Sunscreen
To protect all participants from the sun we recommend all children come with sunscreen applied. We will make this available to all adults at drop off so that if sunscreen is needed they can help their children apply as they see fit. Sunscreen will be reapplied around lunch time. Please send your child with sunscreen in their backpack. We will have some on hand as a backup but prefer to use what you have selected for your child(ren). If campers needs assistance, with permission, staff will help apply the sunblock. If any exposed skin would typically be covered by shorts and a tanktop, we will use the hand-over-hand method to support the child in applying sunscreen to those areas, with the exception of parts of their backs if they can’t reach. We will put the sunscreen into the child’s hand and then guide them to rub it into their exposed skin. Sunscreen will be mineral-based and intended for use by children.
When signing off on our policies, you will have the following options:
- I am comfortable with Green Venture staff following the above procedures to help my child apply sunscreen
- Please have my child apply sunscreen themself
- Please do not provide sunscreen for my child
Off Site Policies and Procedures
General Procedures
- Children must always be able to see at least one staff member or guide
- Staff will have hand sanitizer with them at all times
- Staff will carry portable first aid kits
- Staff will have an established means of getting the children’s attention
Crossing the Street
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When using a crosswalk
- Hold hand with youngest children
- Staff at front and back of group, and one in the middle of the crosswalk until all children have crossed
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When not using a crosswalk
- All staff will wear bright yellow and orange safety vests
- Hold hand with youngest children
- One staff member will stand in the middle of the road to block any oncoming traffic (although we will also wait for a gap and cross in small groups if necessary). There will be a staff member at the front and the back of the group.
Activities Near Water
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Staff will give a safety talk to the children beforehand, including:
- Establish boundaries
- Everyone has a buddy
- Lowering centre of gravity before leaning over the water (for ex, to look for bugs)
- What to do in case of falling in water (in Davis Creek, stand up)
Litter Clean Up Safety
- Set clean up boundaries and rules (ie, stay with an adult at all times)
- Wear gloves, adults will carry garbage & recycling bags
- Staff will do a preliminary check to remove dangerous items, but in case something gets missed children are not to pick up anything hazardous, including needles, broken glass and other sharp objects
- If children find something hazardous they should alert a staff member and they will follow city procedures
- Ask children to tell adults when they find something they are not sure about
If you have any questions or requests for your child(ren)’s participation in the program in regards to these policies, please contact [email protected]