TG's Child Care's top priority is the health, safety and wellbeing of children, educators and families. We adhere to the guidelines provided by the NSW Government for Education.
These COVID safety procedures are applicable for all TG's centres. Each centre may have additional rules depending on local LGA requirements. If you have any questions, please check with the TG's Centre Manager.
Wellbeing of staff, children and families
1. Vaccination is required for all early childhood education and care educators and staff by 8 November 2021 under the current Public Health Order. Two doses of the COVID-19 vaccination will be required by this date. This includes:
All staff working on site.
All volunteers working on site.
All contractors, maintenance staff, cleaners and all other workers who are on site
TG’s Child Care reserves the right to sight digital COVID-19 vaccination certificates via Services NSW app or via MyGov or Medicare.
2. All staff, children and families who are getting tested, or have been tested, for COVID-19 will be excluded and advised not to return to the Service until they can provide evidence of a negative test result. If educators, children, and families return a negative COVID test, they must be symptom free and/or provide a medical clearance.
3. All children, educators, staff, families, and essential visitors are required to complete a once off COVID-19 Health Declaration or after a period of illness that they have no symptoms of COVID-19 and declaring they have not visited any identified hotspots, and will immediately get tested for COVID-19 and isolate at home if they develop symptoms.
4. We immediately report confirmed cases of COVID-19, or cases where children, staff or family members develop symptoms of COVID-19, to the Health Department including the areas of service the person has been in, who they have been in close contact with and for how long. We follow all guidance which may involve service closure for a deep clean, and assistance in contact tracing.
5. Masks must be worn when engaging with other adults such as during pick-up and drop-off and in administrative areas in the service such as staff rooms. All families dropping off or picking up children must wear a mask.
Physical Distancing
1. We comply with the Australia Government Department of Health's current public gathering limits and numbers of people allowed in indoor or outdoor spaces at Service and during excursions or other events.
2. We put plans and systems in place to monitor and control the number of families and visitors in or around the Service at any one time. Visitors are required to sign in using the QR code.
3. We review regular deliveries and request contactless delivery and invoicing where practical and to sign in and out via the QR code when entering.
(Video) TG's Armidale has put together this fantastic visual for children that breaks down the new drop off routine into easy to follow steps.Cleaning
1. We review cleaning procedures and schedules with staff to ensure they are familiar with requirements.
2. We disinfect all frequently touched areas and surfaces daily with particular focus on doorknobs, bathrooms (e.g., taps, toilets), tables and chairs, phones, tablets, keyboards and admin areas, toys and equipment including any mouthed toys.
3. We clean the Service as a whole at least once a day by follow Cleaning Procedures for each centre. We maintain disinfectant solutions at an appropriate strength and use in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
Hygiene
1. We ensure all our staff complete the online COVID-19 Infection Control Training made available by the Federal Department of Health. Certificates of completion will be displayed. We ensure we continue to implement hygiene processes outlined in the Health, Hygiene and Safe Food Policy to ensure high standards of hygiene and infection control at all times.
2. We enforce State Government requirements relating to the wearing of face masks and ensure all educators, families and visitors wear a face mask both indoors and outdoors unless they have a medical exemption.
3. We provide hand sanitisers at multiple locations throughout the workplace (at least 60% alcohol), at the front entrance and in each room.
4. Food is served by educators rather than allowing children to self-serve.
5. We continue with our current staggered lunch break structure to respect social distancing.
6. We maintain sufficient quantities of essential items such as gloves, wipes, sanitiser, disinfectant, soap, detergent, and paper towels.
7. We conduct risk assessments around activities that may have high risk of infections such as playdough and dress up activities (messy play and shared contact experiences). We follow effective hygiene and control measures.
8. Where possible, airflow is enhanced by opening windows and adjusting the air-conditioning if used for more fresh air e.g., set to external airflow rather than recirculation.
Access to Service
1. Stock/deliveries that are being dropped off are to be left in the front gate area. If delivery personnel need to enter, they must sign in and out via our Service NSW QR code.
2. Childhood specialists are required to sign in and out via Service NSW QR code each time they are moving throughout our service.
3. All families, visitors and educators are required to sign in and out via Service NSW QR code each time they are moving throughout our service.
4. Attendance records via our Kiosk will be used for children. If a person does not have a smartphone, TG's Child Care will provide an alternate sign-in method and record their check in and out details and contact details using the Services contact register. This will be kept ready and available for a minimum period of 28 days to provide to NSW Health if requested.
5. As of 10th November 2021, TG's Child Care drop off and collection point will now be at the front gate rather than inside the building to minimise risk and contact. The delivery and collection procedures will be as follows:
There will be a doorbell located on the front gate for families to ring to notify educators families have arrived.
An educator will meet families at the front gate to collect or deliver children and their belongings.
Educators will provide families with an iPad to sign in / out.
Service Closure
1. Where Service needs to be closed due to confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19, we report closures and re-opening within 24 hours to:
State or territory regulatory authority.
Department of Education, Skills and Employment in your state or territory.
Via your third-party software provider or via Operational Details in the PEP.
2. We follow our Lock Up Policy if our service closes early (through government directive or voluntarily) to ensure all children accounted for.
In event of closure, we will:
place notice on door advising families and visitors of closure, reason for closure likely closure time if known and how service will advise when centre is due to re-open.
communicate this information to families through relevant communication channels.
thoroughly clean services before closure and/or on re-opening.
Interactions with Children
Where appropriate, TG's Educators will speak with children about the coronavirus in ways that do not alarm them or cause unnecessary fear or distress.
Educators may, for example, discuss with children their feelings in relation to the virus, remind children that the risk of catching the illness is very low, review hygiene measures they can take to reduce the risk of infection, discuss some of the good things happening in the world, or implement other strategies outlined in our Relationships with Children Policy.
Educators will be careful not to speak to others in an alarmist way about the coronavirus if children are present or within hearing.
TG's will be closely monitoring the situation as restrictions are increased/eased and with ongoing advice and information released by the Australian Government- Department of Health, Department of Education, Skills and Employment.
This will enable us to assess the impact of changes, track progress, determine the pace of easing restrictions, and make any further changes and/or decisions moving forward.
TG's Child Care locations and contact details:
Urangan QLD
+61 (07) 4184 2282 | urangan@tgschildcare.com.au
61 Miller St, Urangan, QLD 4655
Armidale NSW
+61 (02) 6772 7810 | armidale@tgschildcare.com.au
11 Samuelson Crescent, Armidale NSW 2350
Uralla NSW
+61 (02) 6778 3369 | uralla@tgschildcare.com.au
23B John St, Uralla NSW 2358
Wauchope - Hastings St NSW
+61 (02) 6585 1033 | HastingsStreet@tgschildcare.com.au
33B Hastings St, Wauchope NSW 2446
Wauchope - High St NSW
+61 (02) 6585 3331 | HighStreet@tgschildcare.com.au
223A High St, Wauchope NSW 2446
Wauchope - Riverbreeze NSW
+61 (02) 6585 2981 | riverbreeze@tgschildcare.com.au
3 Riverbreeze Drive, Wauchope NSW 2446
About TG's Child Care
As one of Australia's leading early learning Long Day Care providers, TG's Child Care is dedicated to its philosophy of “Quality Lifelong Learning, where Playing is Learning for Life.”
Children attending TG's Child Care are encouraged to experience a love and joy of learning throughout their time there and are equipped with skills and tools to continue their personal growth long after they’ve left. In addition to the Urangan QLD campus, TG's Child Care has five others in New South Wales: in Armidale, three in Wauchope, and in Uralla.