Physical Contact

PHYSICAL CONTACT & RESTRAINT

POLICY:
Appropriate physical contact is important in the emotional development of all children, and children at different developmental levels will need different degrees of physical contact. Educators will respect children’s rights to not be touched in ways that make them feel uncomfortable and will respect their right to say no. Educators should not place themselves in a situation where someone may misjudge their actions. However, we are very aware of the need for clear boundaries for physical contact in order to protect everyone involved.

EXAMPLES OF ACCEPTABLE AND UNACCEPTABLE PHYSICAL CONTACT 

REASON FOR CONTACT	ACCEPTABLE CONTACT	UNACCEPTABLE CONTACT
Consoling and reassuring a child who  is upset, possibly due to an accident  or disagreement, or maybe a child is  struggling to separate from parent or  caregiver.	Hugging a child with their consent or request while ensuring child can  disengage, leave, walk away whenever  they wish. Child sitting on knee at their  request best practice is to have child sit  beside you versus on you. Occasionally when separating a child from  parent/caregiver it is necessary to physically transfer the child to staff. This  requires the adult parent/caregiver  consent. Occasionally there is no alternative to picking a child up, but for health and  safety reasons this is a last resort, and  you must have child consent.	Kissing better Contact without consent
Toileting children who require support	Providing child with necessary verbal  direction and supplies. Bathroom door will  always be left open to the bathroom facility. Staff will stand outside the closed  stall. If there is no stall separation the  staff must receive consent from the child  to enter and modesty must be preserved.	Touching child’s private parts; rather the adult may verbally direct the child help themselves
To prevent imminent and serious  danger to a child or others when all  other de-escalation methods have been  exhausted and the situation qualifies as a crisis.  These are rare and extreme cases  where the child’s behavior poses an  immediate risk of physical harm to	– Use a rear or side supportive hold,  ensuring contact is made only with  open forearms or upper arms (not  with hands or fingers). – The hold must be non-restrictive,  avoiding the chest, neck, and face  areas at all times.	– Grabbing or squeezing a child’s  limbs or clothing with hands or  fingers, especially in a way that  may cause bruising or pain.  – Using physical force to  discipline, control, or gain  compliance for non-dangerous  behavior.

themselves or others. Examples include: A child running into  a street, parking lot, or unsafe area  where risk of injury is high. A child  aggressively attempting to harm others, including hitting, biting, kicking, or  throwing heavy or dangerous objects. A child actively engaged in self-harm,  such as head-banging, scratching, or  attempting to ingest harmful objects. A  child attempting to flee from a safe,  supervised space during an emergency  (e.g., lockdown, fire drill, or field trip)  where elopement puts the child at  immediate risk. These situations must be assessed in  the moment and followed by immediate  documentation, family notification, and  team debriefing.	– Staff must speak calmly and  maintain a reassuring presence.  – The goal is to reduce risk and  support regulation, not to restrain  indefinitely. – The hold must be released  immediately once the child is no   longer at risk.  – Must involve 2 trained staff, one  being a designated supervisor, and  align with a Positive Behavior  Support Plan (PBSP) with parental  consent.  – A written incident report must be  completed, and the family contacted  as soon as reasonably possible.	– Applying any pressure to a  child’s neck, chest, face, or  using methods that restrict  breathing or movement.  – Dragging, pushing, or forcibly  removing a child.  – Conducting a physical restraint  without prior training,  supervision, parental consent, or without following the child’s plan. – Failing to document, debrief, or  notify guardians after an incident occurs.
Assisting with dress up clothes  adjusting clothing, zipping coats,  buttons.	Ensure contact is brief and that you first  communicate directions for the child to try  themselves.	Intimate or sustained contact with body
Holding hands, such as for  reassurance, in circle games or for  safety reasons	Gently holding hands when implied  permission is given. The child must have the ability to let go at anytime.	Using unacceptable force or if done for disciplinary reasons
Children sitting beside staff during  program activities such as community  unity or reading a book	Putting arm or arms around a child’s back with your hands exposed.	Unacceptable force or for disciplinary  intentions
Rough and Tumble play, Physical  play, Risky play	Holding child around upper body i.e.:  assisting on bikes, stilts, helping them jump, bounce, hop, climbing ladder, swim  etc. It is vital any contact must be on the child’s terms and with their willing participation. The staff must always be sensitive to the  child’s feelings and body language as the child may not always communicate  verbally.	Piggy backs (for health and safety  reasons), tickling. Any unreasonable  force or intimate contact e.g., wrestling without agreed upon  guidelines and consent

Use of Physical Restraint in Licensed Child Care Settings (Alberta)

Staff must always prioritize proactive strategies and emotional regulation tools over physical restraint. Physical restraint is to be used only as a last resort in emergency situations where a child’s behavior poses an imminent and serious risk of harm to themselves or others. It is never to be used as punishment, discipline, or to manage non-dangerous behavior. All use must follow Alberta Education standards and licensing requirements.

Guidance & Coaching Steps:

• Connect before you correct: Build strong relationships that reduce escalation.
• Offer clear choices and expectations: Support children in feeling empowered and safe.
• Use visual tools and regulation areas: Help children recognize and manage their feelings.
• Provide redirection and coaching: Help children learn through calm problem-solving.
• Call for help before it escalates: A second staff can de-escalate without restraint.

Alberta Requirements for Restraint

• Last Resort Only: Restraint is only used when a child’s behavior is immediately
  dangerous.
• Staff Must Be Trained: Physical restraint must only be carried out by staff with formal
  training.
• Parental Consent Required: Must be included in the child’s PBSP and discussed with
  families in advance.
• Documentation Required: All incidents must be documented in detail.
• Parental Notification: Parents must be notified as soon as reasonably possible after an
  incident.
• Debriefing Must Occur: A debrief with both staff and the child is essential to reflect
  and plan.
• Ongoing Review: Review PBSPs regularly to adapt supports and avoid repeated use.

ADDITIONAL PHYSICAL CONTACT RULES INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:

• Always keep your hands visible as much as possible
• Always practice appropriate displays of affection i.e., High Fives are Great!
• Educators/staff should get down to the child’s eye level when comforting or playing
• TOPP KIDS educators must not touch children on any location of child’s body that would be covered by a bathing suit
• Educators should not lift-up school aged children (to reduce potential for abuse allegations and physical injury)
• No spanking, slapping, whipping, hitting, pushing, grabbing, kicking, poking punching, or use of other physical force for any reason. Reasonable restraint may be used temporarily to prevent injury (e.g., it is okay to grab a child to prevent them from getting run over by a car)
• Employees/educators should not place themselves in a situation where someone may misjudge their actions
• Use other strategies such as verbal instructions, or get support from other staff instead of physical intervention
• Disperse other children away from a situation in the program space if you are dealing with physical intervention of a child
• Staffs level of physical intervention needs to be appropriate and proportionate to the circumstances of the situation
• Any physical intervention must be the minimum needed to achieve the desired result and must not be continued beyond a point where it is needed
• Physical contact or restraint must not be used to provoke, punish or humiliate a student or inflict pain