I Praise You Because I Am Fearfully and Wonderfully Made; Your Works Are Wonderful, I

“I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14

The mission of Bethany Lutheran Early Childhood Center is to nurture the spiritual, academic, physical, and social growth of children entrusted to our care by sharing the teachings of our Lord

and Savior, Jesus Christ, encouraging outreach in His name.

In partnership with our congregation, our Early Childhood Center will be fully accessible and available to families with children ages 12 months and walking through 5 years of age. We will actively reach as many families as possible who will benefit from a warm, caring Christian environment for their children.

WELCOME

Welcome to our Bethany Family. We are excited to add you to our family. Our staff is here to serve you, provide your child with Christian loving care, and to share the love of Jesus with your

child each day. In response to Christ’s command to love one another and to share HIS STORY

with others, the families of Bethany Early Childhood Center are welcomed into our fellowship.

You are always welcome to join us for worship, Bible Classes, and church activities. In our individual lives we all face times of grief, times of joy, situations which may benefit from spiritual support, prayer, or just someone to talk to. Pastor Mark is available to assist you in any way possible.

Your child will become familiar with Pastor Mark. He tries to greet students and families at the door after staff devotions. He participates in our chapel services, and is often seen by the children in the hallway.

HOURS OF OPERATION AND HOLIDAYS

The Center will operate from 6:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, year round. The Center will be closed and care will not be provided on the following holidays:

New Year’s Day, Good Friday ,Easter Monday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and the Friday following, Christmas Day, and either the day before or the day after the Christmas holiday is observed. If the holiday falls on Saturday, we will observe it on the Friday prior and if the holiday falls on a Sunday, we will observe it the Monday following.

No credit or refund of tuition shall be given for the days that the Center is officially closed. Tuition is the same for each week regardless of holidays.

INCLEMENT WEATHER

The Center will only be closed under extenuating circumstances (i.e. two feet of snow or loss of power/water). If the Center does not have power or water then per Kansas State Regulations Bethany Early Childhood Center CAN NOT be open.

If the Center is closed it will be announced on the following

as BETHANY EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER.

DROP OFF AND PICK-UP PROCEDURES

The security of your child is important to our entire staff. To ensure the safety of your child we will dismiss only to parents, guardians, or designated persons noted on your paperwork. In the

event it is necessary for someone other than those noted on your form to pick your child up, a note is required. Please let the designated person know that they will be required to provide a picture ID before your child will be released to him/her.

NO CHILD WILL BE DROPPED OFF AT THE DOOR Parents are responsible for assisting their child/children to their classroom and into the care of a staff person.

Upon Arrival:

+  Sign in with the current time

+  Discuss concerns or special instructions with the staff member.

+  Try to do the same thing each day upon arrival (put belongings away, assure your child you will return, say good-bye, then leave.

At Pickup:

+  Sign out with the current time

+  Discuss any questions or concerns with the staff member.

TUITION AND FEES

The registration fee of $45.00 is due upon enrollment. This is an annual, non-refundable fee for as long as the child is continuously enrolled. You may withdraw from Bethany Early Childhood Center whenever you wish, after giving the Center two (2) weeks’ notice. Should you wish to apply for re-enrollment, the registration fee is payable and admission is contingent upon available space in the Center at that time.

Part time care MAY be available. Parents can enroll their children from one to four days per week. The number of days and days of the week must be the same each week. Parents will be charged for the same number of days each week whether or not their child attends.

Tuition is due on MONDAY of each week in advance for that week of care. Statements will be issued prior to Friday to parent(s) with a balance due. IF TUITION IS NOT PAID BY WEDNESDAY FOLLOWING CARE, a $5.00 late fee will be assessed to that account for each business day that tuition is not paid. Checks should be made payable to Bethany Early Childhood Center.

No credit or refund of tuition shall be given for the days that the center is officially closed. Tuition is the same for each week regardless of holidays.

Our goal is to care for your child in the best possible way. Children become anxious when it is time to go home and no one has come for them. It is not only unfair to the child, but to the teacher as well because she cannot perform the duties required at that time. For these reasons a stringent late pick-up fee will be assessed. $5.00 will be charged for every 5 minutes that the parent is late. We will make every attempt to contact you and/or the emergency contact listed,

however, it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to contact the Center if you are running late. The late fee will be assessed the following day and is to be paid with the next weekly tuition.

A charge of $50.00 will be applied to all returned checks. After the second returned check, fees will be accepted only by cash or money order.

ABSENTEE POLICY

In the event that your child is ill and/or needs to miss a day, please call at least 1 hour before the scheduled time of arrival. Parents will be responsible for that day’s tuition.

VACATION CREDIT

Tuition will be charged at 50% of the regular fee paid for two weeks of family vacation per year. The Center MUST BE notified at least two weeks prior to the time that the child will not be in attendance. If proper notice is not given parents are responsible for full payment whether or not the child attends the Center.

APPLICATION/ADMISSIONS

Upon the completion of the required forms, Bethany Early Childhood Center does not discriminate in regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, physical disability or gender. Each child must be between the ages of 12 months and walking, to 5 Years. ALL APPLICATION FORMS MUST BE COMPLETED PRIOR TO THE CHILD’S FIRST DAY AT THE CENTER. The forms to be completed are as follows: Bethany Early Childhood Center application, health assessment, immunization information, parent contact, photo release, transportation agreement (as needed) and acknowledgment of Parent Handbook. Upon completion of the forms, students are admitted when space is available. Priority is given to full-time students and/or siblings.

IF THERE ARE ANY CHANGES ON THE APPLICATION FORMS SUCH AS NAMES, ADDRESSES, PHONE NUMBERS, OR PLACES OF EMPLOYMENT, THE PARENT(S) MUST NOTIFY THE CENTER IN WRITING IMMEDIATELY.

RECORDS

Your child’s records will be maintained in an accessible manner in the Center’s office. These are to include the following:

+  Your child’s identifying information (name, birth date)

+  Parent(s) name, address, home, cell, and business phone numbers, and Social Security Number

+  Name and address of person(s) to whom the child may be released

+  A signed statement by the parent regarding any allergies and other known health problems (medical, mental, emotional) and any special procedures that should be used in caring for the child

+  Parental agreements for transportation, field trips, and/or other activities away from the Center if the child will be participating in these activities

+  Description of accidents or serious illnesses occurring while your child is at Bethany Early Childhood Center, including the date, time, and condition under which it occurred and the action taken

+  Current Health Assessment and immunization information

TERMINATION POLICY

We do reserve the right to terminate a child’s enrollment for violations of policies and rules of the school or of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Parent and/or guardians need to abide by the rules and guidelines that are outlined in this Handbook. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT PARENTS RESPECT THE RELIGIOUS NATURE OF BETHANY EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER.

HEALTH PROCEDURES

We will promote the health and safety of your child by providing a clean, smoke-free environment, safe toys, physical education, supervised physical activities, and maintain information for disease prevention resources for parents. For the protection of the children we MUST enforce rules on illness and administering medication.

GUIDELINES

To help us successfully meet all of our goals, the following guidelines have been set:

+  All personal items must be labeled (blankets, clothing, toys, etc.)

+  Sick children should remain home. Please do not bring your child to school if he/she is showing signs or symptoms of illness. If we notice any symptoms while your child is in our care, we will call you to arrange to have him/her picked up. If we send your child home due to illness, he/she must remain out of the center for at least 24 hours. This means that a child may NOT RETURN to the Center the day after being sent home.

THE UNACCEPTABLE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

+  Temperature of or over 100.5 degrees

+  Pus or mucus in the eyes

+  Continuous mucus from the nose

+  Child is lethargic

+  Diarrhea

+  Vomiting

+  Skin rash (unknown origin)

+  Lice ( Students will be sent home, and may not return until treatment with an anti parasitic drug is initiated)

MEDICATION

The Center WILL NOT administer a non-prescription medication unless it is accompanied by a physician’s request to do so. The Center will administer physician prescribed medication and non-prescription medication only on the written request of the child’s parents or guardians on our “Authorization to Administer Medication” form. The medication will be kept in the original container with the prescription name on the container and will be locked up in the Center’s office. A lock box for the medication that requires refrigeration will be provided. PLEASE FOR THE SAFETY OF THE CHILDREN IN OUR CENTER, DO NOT LEAVE MEDICATION IN YOUR CHILD’S CUBBY OR TOTE BAG!

Medication administration records are kept on the form provided to parents for consent.

BECC STAFF WILL NOT GIVE THE FIRST DOSE OF MEDICATION. THE FIRST DOSE MUST BE GIVEN BY THE PARENT/GUARDIAN AND MONITORED FOR THE RISK OF SIDE EFFECTS AND/OR ALLERGIC REACTIONS TO THE MEDICATION.

Epi-Pen

If your child has an allergy that may require the use of an Epi-pen, BECC will require their own Epi-pen kept on site which will be provided by the parent or guardian. If your child would require the use of the Epi-pen while in attendance the following steps will be taken:

1.  The Epi-pen would be injected by a staff member.

2.  911 would be called after the Epi-pen is injected.

3.  The parent or guardian would then be contacted and given further information.

CONFIDENTIALITY

Any child care provider or center staff who gives or applies medication shall not disclose information about a child’s medication unless such information is needed to protect the health of other children or staff.

ACCIDENTS/INJURY

In the event of an accident, appropriate procedures will be followed and parents will be notified. Reports are kept on all accidents and copies are released to the parent upon picking up the child at the end of the day. Please give us the name of an emergency contact other than the parent or physician. We also need a signed emergency medical treatment form (provided by the Center) in the event a child needs emergency care. If we cannot reach you, 911 will be called for medical assessment. The recommendation of the EMT professionals will be acted upon. Accident insurance is carried on each child enrolled at the center and records are kept on file.

ILLNESS

A current (within 6 months) Health Assessment by a licensed physician that includes a record of the child’s immunizations (or a physician’s statement that immunization is contraindicated) is required upon enrollment and must be kept current. We will help you with this by reminding you at least 30 days prior to expiration and we do expect your support in this important health requirement. (K.A. R, 28-4-430) We are required by the Department of Health and Environment to have the name, addresses, and telephone number of your child’s physician in our files. Please be sure to bring this information with you when you are ready to enroll your child, the Center MUST have this information prior to attendance.

A child that is vomiting, or has a fever of more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit, or has three loose bowel movements (diarrhea), or has signs or symptoms of any communicable disease shall be isolated from the other children and given appropriate care by a staff member until picked up by a parent, guardian, or designated representative. Parents must make arrangements to pick up their sick child within one hour of being notified. If the child is not picked up within the hour time, the emergency contact listed in the child’s file will be notified and asked to pick up your child.