Welcome to Bright Beginnings Child Care

2018 Parent Handbook

Owner/Provider: Kristen Connell

License # 0070711-009

Please read this Parent Handbook thoroughly, as it covers very important policies and procedures that not only governs our childcare contract agreement, but also pertain to the care of your child. There may seem to be a lot of information, if you have any questions regarding my policies, please don’t hesitate to ask. We went over this book during your interview, but this copy is for you to reference back to. There will be a yearly revision to this Parent Handbook and the accompanying contract. All families will sign a new contract each year, at the end of December. I reserve the right to make changes to the policies and procedures, as I deem necessary. You will be notified, in writing, of any changes that may occur.

HOURS OF CARE

My services will be available Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Drop offs before 7:00am are NOT allowed unless prior arrangements have been made and are subject to additional fees. Children must be picked up by HIS/HER contracted time or late fees apply. Children must be here by 9:00am (unless they have a doctor’s appointment) or they will not be able to attend that day.

TUITION

FULL TIME DAYCARE (3 or more days)PART TIME DAYCARE (2 or less days)

Infant-18mo $160.00 Week Infant-18mo NOT AVAILABLE

19mo to 4yrs $135.00 Week19mo to 4yrs $35 per day

School Age (5+) $100.00 WeekSchool Age (5+) $20 per day

ANNUAL ENROLLMENT/SUPPLY FEE

All paperwork needs to be completed PRIORto the first day in care. This is required by the State of Kansas and there are no exceptions to this policy. There is a $35 enrollment/supply fee per child. These fees are due at enrollment for each child. This enrollment/supply fee is due annually at contract renewal time, at the end of December. This fee is nonrefundable. If you are not starting care right away, you may be required to pay full time rates to hold your spot.

Address: 2224 E James Derby, KS 67037

Phone: 316-210-0946

Email:

Website:

Facebook:

RELEASE OF LIABILITY

Parents enroll their child in Bright Beginnings Child Care and through signing the contract corresponding with thisparent handbook, hereby release Kristen Connell, her family, and all employees, substitutes, independent contractors, and volunteers of Bright Beginnings Child Care of any financial responsibility in the case of any and all accidents both minor and fatal, and including illnesses occurring on the childcare premise.

Why choose me to care for your child?

  • Most important, I provide a loving home with smaller groups of children, where your child can learn and grow and feel comfortable and secure in their surroundings
  • Competitive rates with tax receipts each January
  • Preschool themes weekly
  • Daily learning time: Shapes, Numbers, Letters, Colors, Days of the week, Months of the Year
  • Follow development learning program (Age appropriate) where your child can also learn while they play
  • KBI screening for all person living in home and substitutes
  • Yearly Fire Marshal Inspections, Monthly Fire & Tornado Drills (April- September)
  • Inspections at least once per year by the (K.D.H.E) Kansas Dept. of Health and Environment
  • Dramatic play, blocks/cars, writing and crafts, reading, science, listening skills and manners
  • Nutritious and healthy breakfast, lunch and PM snack.I am on a USDA food program
  • Fenced daily outdoor play (weather permitting)

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES TO ME

  • Provide all necessary information on all registration forms in a timely manner.
  • Make sure that the child's immunizations are kept up to date, providing me copies of all records.
  • Fees must be paid on time each Friday at drop-off.
  • Drop-off and pick-up child within times specified in your contract.
  • Keep child home when displaying signs of illness; arrange to get your child within 1 hour if they become ill during daycare time.
  • Notify me immediately if your child has a communicable disease defined by the K.D.H.E.
  • Provide all diapers, pull-ups and wipes.
  • A change of (weather appropriate) clothing must be kept here at all times.
  • In summer months you will provide sunscreen, bathing suit, and swimming diapers for water play.
  • Dress your child appropriately for the weather as we are outdoors all year round (weather permitting).

MY RESPONSIBILITIES TO YOU

  • Provide your child/ran with a loving, clean and nurturing environment for your child to flourish.
  • Provide you open honest communications on your child’s day at daycare.
  • Provide a monthly newsletter with notices of birthdays, outings, closings, etc.
  • Provide nutritious meals and snack.
  • Provide all age’s children appropriate educational and fun things to do.
  • Help to teach your child good manners and social skills.
  • Notify you of any illness of children of families that attend my daycare.
  • Notify you of any illness or injury of your child.
  • Provide all payments made and issue yearly statement for your taxes each January.

PETS

We do have a pet in our home/daycare. We have a Golden Retriever. He is current on his vaccinations as required by KDHE. If you child has an allergy to pets, I will not be able to provide care

MEALS

BREAKFAST: 8:15AM LUNCH: 12:00PM SNACK: 3:15PM

VISITS AND PHONE CALLS

Parents or guardians are welcome to drop by unannounced at any time during the hours their children are in care. If you call and I am busy, I will call you right back. Texting is easiest during the day.

NO SMOKING

Smoking will NOT be allowed on Daycare premises at any time. It is also K.D.H.E law that no smoking around children in daycare centers or daycare homes.

CHILD ABUSE

Unfortunately, this is a topic that must be addressed in today’s society. It should go without saying that I will not knowingly allow any form of sexual, physical, or emotional abuse of any child in my care at any time.I am required by law to report to proper officials. I have been trained in the recognition of all forms of child abuse, and will do everything in my power to prevent any instances from occurring. If I notice any signs of abuse at any time, I will alert that child’s parent(s) immediately both verbally and in writing, along with a full description of the symptoms. I will document this same information for myself, and if necessary, alert the proper authorities after first attempting to handle the situation discretely. Please feel free to discuss this or any other issues with me at any time.

NAPS

Normal naptime is from 1:00-3:00. All children will be offered an afternoon nap shortly after lunch. All children sleep in the living roomdownstairs. I have a baby monitor in my basement living room so I can hear all children in the nap bedroom. They are visually checked on at least every 15 minutes during nap time. At naptime, each child will have clean and separate bedding. Children will be expected to sleep/rest quietly during this time, so that other children who need to sleep can do so. Children will not be exempt from naptime. Also, please refrain from dropping off or picking up your child during the scheduled nap times as this potentially disrupts the entire group.

DAILY ACTIVTIES

I will strive to provide a safe, comfortable, stimulating, fun, educational environment in my home with a semi-structured day plan. Activities will include free playtime, structured playtime, large motor skill playtime, weekly preschool theme, group learning time, small motor skills activities, story time, arts and crafts, music and dance activities, nature, nutrition, and other educational yet fun activities. I will also provide nutritious meals and snack, and encourage good personal hygiene skills and manners.

POTTY TRAINING

The decision of when to assist your child with potty training is your decision, and should be made based on your child’s signs of emotional and physical readiness. I will be happy to offer you verbal assistance. Please do not request that I begin training your child until he/she has experienced prolonged toileting success in your own home. Your child will need to remain in diapers or “Pull-Ups” during daycare hours until he/she has shown the ability to remain accident-free in your home for at least two weeks. Asking me to allow your child to go without diapers before he or she is truly ready would cause unnecessary stress on your child, my home, and myself. Please send child in loose fitting clothes that they can do themselves. I require at least 2 extra sets clothes when I am helping to potty train your child.

SUBSITUTE PROVIDERS

Substitute care is NOT provided on days I am closed, such as vacation or personal days and holidays.

Parents will need to find alternate care during these times. If I have to leave due to an emergency and/or appointment during Daycare hours I will have a licensed sub that will cover Daycare.

FIELD TRIPS

Admission fees for field trips will be YOUR responsibility. I will provide their food and drink as I normally do. I will always welcome your assistance and participation during field trips or other special fun events, though this will be purely voluntary. You will also be responsible for leaving a carseat for your child.

WEAPONS AND FIREARMS

At no time will I allow any form of weapon / gun in the day care. This includes, but is not limited to: guns, knives, pocket-knives, swords, stun-guns, pepper spray, mace, num-chucks or other martial arts accessories, lassos or hand-cuffs, smoke bombs, etc. This policy also includes all toy guns and other toy weapons such as plastic swords.

LATE FEES

If you fail to pick up your child by their scheduled time and I have not been notified and arrangements made, a charge of $2.00 per minuteyou are late will be added to your weekly fee. If you fail to pay your weekly tuition by Friday at 5:00pm a charge of $10.00 per daylate fee will be applied. If tardiness becomes frequent, that can lead totermination of daycare services.

PAID HOLIDAYS

In order for you to spend quality time with your child, and me with my family, I willNOT provide child care on these LEGAL holidays. All holidays/vacation days are to be PAIDregardless if your child is enrolled for full-time or part-time care. If the Holiday falls on a weekend, I will take the following Monday or Friday before off paid.

Memorial Day

Independence Day & the Day after Independence Day (July 4 & 5)

Labor Day

Thanksgiving Day & the Day after Thanksgiving

Christmas Eve & Christmas Day (Dec 24 & Dec 25)

New Year’s Eve & New Year’s Day (Dec 31 & Jan 1)

CHRISTMAS BREAK CLOSING

Daycare will be closed from December 23 through January 1. This will be an unpaid closing. You will be responsible for paying for the actual (HOLIDAY DAYS): Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. If any of these Holiday days fall on a weekend then I will take the following Monday before OR Friday after off paid. All other days are an unpaid. Tuition for these Holiday Days over Christmas Break will be due on the last day that Daycare is open in December. If your child does not attend that day then there tuition will be do the last day they attend in December.

PAID VACATION/PERSONAL DAYS

I will take 10 paid vacation days, but only with at least two (2) weeks’ notice. Working with exposure to many families and especially children, it is expected that I will become ill occasionally. Therefore, I reserve the option to take 10paid Personal daysper calendar year. These days will be used for appointments, illness, my children/family illnesses and regular personal days. I will always attempt to give as much notice as possible when closing my home. In the event that one of my own family members is mildly ill, I will also give you as much notice as possible to allow you to decide if you want to risk exposure to your child. These days will not count toward the paid sick days since I will still be available to care for your child. These days can be used in place of one another.

BEREAVEMENT DAYS

I can take up tothree paid bereavement days in the occasion an immediate family member of mine or my spouses passes away. You will be given as much notice as possible in this situation.

PAYMENT

Charges for the next weeks care will be due on Friday by 5:00 PM or closing time on the last day I am open for that week, you may postdatea check for the due date. All daycare tuition is payable prior to my daycare services no matter if paid weekly, bi weekly or monthly. If payment is not made by 5:00pm on Friday, I reserve the right to charge you a $10.00 late fee per day (including weekend days) until payment is received. Your child or children will not be allowed to return until tuition and late fees are paid in full. If your child does not attend Daycare on Friday payment is still due Friday. You can drop the payment off during business hours. Regular fees will be assessed for the days children do not attend due to illness, vacation, or other circumstances.

RETURNED CHECKS

If writing a check and check does not clear, you will be charged the maximum fee allowed ($35.00) by law for returned checks. If this occurs, you will be on a cash basis only.

BIRTHDAYS AND OTHER HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS

Please feel free to bring a special treat to share with all of the children in my care on your child’s birthday, but this is certainly not necessary. As for other festivities, I will always give you plenty of notice prior to the celebration. Please feel free to discuss with me any preferences you have in my handling of these topics where your children are concerned.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Because your kids are away from you for extended periods of time, I like to try and photograph them for you throughout the day.I also like to capture fun moments of the children doing crafts/projects together. These pictures may also be posted on my Facebook page or used in advertising. You may share these photos with friends and family. Parents may choose to not have their posted on website and or advertising materials. The form for permission or to decline permission is in your child information booklet.

DISCIPLINE POLICY

For children under the age of about 18 months, I find it most effective to remove the child from the situation and redirect their attention elsewhere. I will explain to the child that the offending behavior was inappropriate. For children age 2 and over, I will alert the child to the offense by saying firmly NO. I will then explain why the behavior is unacceptable. If the child chooses not to behave appropriately then I will place the child in time-out. Isolated observation of the child for a period of 1 minute per year of age, not to exceed 5 Minutes. At the end of the time-out, I will ask the child if he or she understands why they had a time-out. I will also encourage children to apologize to the other child involved, when developmentally appropriate. Dangerous and hurtful offenses will not be tolerated: hitting, biting, kicking, pushing, hair pulling, throwing objects at someone, climbing on an inappropriate structure, willful destruction of property, and tantrum throwing.

TOYS/OBJECTS/FOOD

All personal toys and objects need to be left at home. Children are NOT allowed to bring in food or drinks and carry them around. All eating and drinking is done at the table.

SUPPLIES

Not Potty Trained: Diapers/Pull-Ups, Wipes, Blanket and 1-2 Changes of clothes.

Potty Trained: 1 Blanket and 1 change of clothes.

DAYCARE HOUSE RULES

  • No running up and down the stairs. Children are to stay in the basement
  • No playing upstairs
  • No name calling, yelling, foul language or teasing one another

  • No hitting, pinching, throwing, pushing, hair pulling, biting or otherwise hurting ourselves or others.
  • No children in the front yard/driveway without adult supervision

  • No intentionally breaking anything

  • No running, jumping, wrestling, or climbing, etc. in the house on the furniture or any stairs.

ABSENTEEISM
If your child will be absent, I appreciate a phone call or text before 8:00amto let me know so I know how to plan for the day. If your child is not here within 30 minutes of the contracted drop off time and I have NOT been notified then I will assume your child is NOT attending that day and will continue with daily activities/plans.

PICK UP

I will not under any circumstances release your child into the custody of anyone other than his or her parent or legal guardian, as indicated by the signatures on the contract. If you wish to have anyone else pickup your child, YOU will need to call/text me and notify me. In the event of an emergency, I will attempt to contact you and/or your spouse, or the child’s other legal guardian, or other adult listed on your emergency contact form for approval.