2.5 Medication
Do NOT provide the child with any medication without a WRITTEN and signed permission from the child’s parents. Verbal permission is NOT sufficient.
As per BC Licensing Regulations, regardless of whether a child takes over-the- counter medication (such as pain relievers or cough syrup) or prescription medications (such as antibiotics or steroid creams), you must have a written permission form and consent signed from the parent together with clear instructions from the child’s doctor.
The form should include:
- the name of the medication
- how often it is to given
- the dosage and route to be given
- any special instructions (for example before or after a meal)
- all possible side effects
- start and end date for administering the medication the parent’s signature.
The prescription medication must have the original prescription label adhered to the container, and must be clearly marked with the child’s name.
All medication (including over the counter medications or supplements, like vitamins) must be made inaccessible to children and stored in a locked container.
If the medication needs refrigeration, the medication must be kept inside the fridge in a locked container.
To communicate clearly with parents about the safety and wellbeing of every child in care, a child care setting must have a written child care wellness/illness policy. This policy is part of the parent handbook. It will also inform the parents of the requirement of emergency contact information and consents to medical treatment if the parent cannot be reached. Families should also be informed that smoking is prohibited in and around child care facilities when children are present and that parents should refrain from smoking when they are dropping off or picking up their children.
A larger child care center may have an extra employee (staff) wellness/illness policy explaining to you, the child care provider, how to proceed if a parents brings an ill child to child care. An employee wellness/illness policy could even state with what kind of symptoms you (the employee) should stay home, if you become ill.