Students in early grades often need assistance with washroom routines/diapering when they start school. These requests for assistance generally diminish by the winter.
The ECE job description specifies that DECEs are to support toileting duties, as follows:
- Assist children in washroom routines, dressing and lunchtime activities;
- Maintaining hygienic/safe environment;
- Work in collaboration with the Kindergarten teacher to … address individual student’s identified needs, stages of development;
- Other related duties as assigned.
Diapering duties are a necessary component of maintaining a hygienic and safe environment and are an extension of assisting children with washroom duties. If a particular child continues to routinely soil beyond the fall months of the school year, the child’s educational team is to discuss a long-term plan. The long-term plan may involve the assignment of an SNA to a student with medical/psychological issues on a case-by-case basis. The Board’s Special Education Report outlines the procedure for SNA allocation. DECEs should also be provided with proper equipment and materials to perform diapering in a safe manner. If the Employer does not provide such equipment and materials, DECEs may choose to refuse unsafe work if the circumstances call for it.
Statement from the Director of the TDSB (February 2014):
“The TDSB will be revising the registration procedure to address any perceived barriers to enrolment of children who are of eligible school age. While there is no requirement in our current procedure that a child be toilet trained in order to register at a TDSB school, we remind all school staff that no child shall be refused or discouraged from enrolling in school if they are not yet toilet trained.”
If you have questions or need assistance, please email, or call your Steward Co-Ordinator.
