Permission forms at daycare: photos, outings and school transport

Signing a form about your child's photos, outings or school rides can feel like handing over a lot. What exactly are you agreeing to, and what can you say no to?

This guide covers three separate forms, each with its own signature. Everything below comes from our forms, the Registration Package and our Parent Handbook, and the forms are the final word.

Which forms do I need to look at?

Each form is its own page in the Registration Package.

1. General Field Trip Permission, page 7: one Yes or No for outings with us.
2. Photo and Video Permission, page 8: a Yes or No for each of five uses.
3. School Transportation Agreement, page 9: only for families who need school transportation.

The Handbook asks you to complete the separate permissions that apply before the first day. The package also has a fourth form, the Provincial Childcare Record and Funding Consent. It is separate from the field trip and photo permissions, so we leave it out here. For the rest of the paperwork, see how registration works.

Can I say no to photos?

Yes. You tick Yes or No for each of five uses. The form says a No choice does not affect enrolment, so you can say Yes to some uses and No to others.

• Internal classroom displays and learning documentation
• Sharing with your family through the parent communication system
• Newsletters given to enrolled families
• Our public website
• Our public social media (Facebook and Instagram)

The last two are public. The form says public images can be copied or shared by others. It also says we will not publish a child's name, home address, birth date or contact information with an image.

Your choices apply during enrolment unless you change them in writing. If you withdraw permission for future use, we take reasonable steps to remove affected content we control, but we cannot promise to remove other people's copies.

What does the field trip form cover?

It is one Yes or No for outings with us. The form says our field trips extend play-based learning into the community.

Summer outings may include local parks, Millennium Place and Kinsmen Place, the Edmonton Valley Zoo, the Royal Alberta Museum, Ukrainian Village, the Strathcona County Library, Cineplex Sherwood Park for age-appropriate movies and the Edmonton downtown library. Local walks and library visits may also happen all year, and we will get extra permission for a trip when it is required. Children may travel on foot, in a centre vehicle or on a chartered yellow bus. Staff supervise, check attendance before and after travel and during activities, and carry emergency contacts, first-aid supplies and a phone.

You get trip details in advance: the destination, date, departure and return times, how children will travel, and any clothing, supplies or costs to prepare for. Your answer applies during enrolment unless you change or withdraw it in writing. If you have limits in mind, or your child needs support, talk with the director before your child takes part, as the form asks.

Do I need the school transportation form?

Only if your child needs school transportation. The form says to skip the page if it is not needed. Page 1 of the Registration Package asks the same thing: Not needed, Centre, Yellow bus or Both.

If you do need it, you choose:

• the service: centre vehicle, escorted walk, school yellow bus or a combination
• morning, afternoon or both
• the days, Monday to Friday

Staff confirm the route details and fill in the start and end dates and the monthly transport fee. The Handbook asks you to confirm the school, route, care schedule and applicable charges with the director. It also says availability and arrangements must be confirmed for your child.

The part to remember is changes. Tell the centre directly as soon as you know about an absence, a family school pickup or a schedule change: before morning departure and, for afternoon service, before 2:00 p.m. (or earlier if pickup is before then). The Handbook says telling the school or a teacher alone does not notify us. For a yellow bus, tell the school or bus operator too.

If a child is missing from the expected pickup point or bus, staff promptly check with the school, driver or operator, contact guardians and the director, and follow the missing-child procedure. Our guide to before and after school care covers school days in more detail.

What if my answer changes later?

Tell the director whenever your contacts, health needs, custody arrangements or permission choices change. For a photo or field trip choice, put the change in writing so we can update our records. Not sure about something? Call us at 780-464-2637.

Your next step: read page 7 of the free Parent Handbook, which covers field trips, photos and transportation on one page.