📒Children’s Belongings Policy (QA2) (video needed)

National Quality Standard (NQS) - Quality Area 2: Children's health and safety

Implementation

It can be distressing for children to misplace their toys from home and can cause conflict between children.

• Children often want to share or show other children or caregivers special things from home, but these treasures may be easily broken or lost. To save the upset and heartache, parents are requested to encourage children to leave their toys at home, unless they are essential to a child’s emotional wellbeing and/or sense of belonging.  We have numerous stimulating and challenging toys and resources for all children to play with and are in numerous quantities, catering to their interests. 
•  During exceptional program circumstances, the children may (on occasion) be able to bring with them personal belongings, this may include school holiday programs, news, etc. News is a great way to encourage children to talk during group time about their special toy or personal belonging. This practice encourages children’s social development, enables children to verbalise thoughts, fears, and feelings, broaden the cultural and social backgrounds of all children involved in group time activities, assist in the development of language skills and provide an opportunity for the development of special interests for the group.
• We will provide appropriate storage for a lost property that will be available to children and families at all times. 
• Any grievances or concerns related to lost damaged or stolen property of the children will be managed in accordance with the grievance and complaints procedure. 
• Where children wish to bring in DVD/Blu-ray, music or electronic games, these should be discussed with management and be rated no higher than PG.
• We will take as much care as possible in ensuring that personal belongings are returned to the correct family. 
• We will encourage children who bring special belongings into care to place them in a special “toys from home” box to reduce the prospect of them becoming lost or broken. 
•  We will enforce a non-violent toy policy in which we seek family assistance in preventing their children from bringing in violent toys from home. Any such toys will be removed from the child immediately and placed in the reception area for parental collection at the end of the day
• We discourage the wearing of dress-up clothes to Woodlands. For example those incorporating capes, guns, holsters, knives, or swords. Such clothing encourages violent play and may present a danger to the child and others within our child care environment
• The staff and educators will take as much care as possible in ensuring that clothing; toys, books, and puzzles, etc. are returned to their correct family. The labeling of all items can help us achieve this. However, we must make it clear that the Service is not responsible for damaged, lost, or stolen items. If families choose to leave belongings in the Service during the day it is completely at the family’s own risk

We will actively encourage children to care for their belongings by:

• Reminding children appropriately when belongings need to be placed in storage e.g. Lunch box into the bag. 
• Providing suitable storage to keep belongings safe 
• Collaborate with families any item of personal belonging which is either special, expensive or at risk of being damaged to be kept in a secured and safe position
• We will inform the family through relevant newsletters and publications such as the family handbook of appropriate personal belongings required at the Service.

Families will 

Be responsible for providing the child with appropriate belongings and property required for active participation in the Service. This property may include (but is not limited to): 

• Enclosed footwear 
• Weather appropriate clothing 
• Wide brim hat
• Suitable Schoolbag (backpack) 
• Appropriate food and lunch box
• Ensure all personal property and belongings are clearly named or labeled

Comfort Toys

We recommend children bring security blankets/items that soothes them. This may include dummy, bottle, soft toy, books or blanket, etc.