Heaven Sent Children’s Academy
Parent Handbook
Mission Statement
We partner with parents to provide a positive environment for your child with lots of love and attention so you can feel secure that your child is well cared for. We promise to provide a safe, clean environment, with well balanced meals, creative play time and quality education so your child will thrive inside and out! Our goal is to give families the best of both worlds - all the benefits of commercial child care, with the personal TLC of home care, all at a very reasonable price!
Updated 11/1/2010
Communication
Communication is very important to us. When we accept a new family into our care, we like to be sure that we can share openly any concerns or questions that may arise. It is important that there is a similar child care philosophy between us. We welcome questions, feedback, or discussions of any kind that are oriented towards a positive outcome for your child(ren). You may meet with us any time (by appointment) to discuss sensitive issues.
Hours and Rates
Our hours are flexible. We are generally open from 6am-6pm, but can offer extended hours on an occasional basis. We also offer full-time and part-time care, as well as before and after school care. Our rates are as follows:
Infant – 12 months 12 months – 3 yrs. P.T. 3 years & Up*
Drop In $6.00/hr - $60 min.$5.00/hr - $50 min.$4.00/hr - $40 min. Less than 15 hrs.
Part Time $4.50/hr$4.00/hr $3.50/hr 16 to 35 hrs.
Full Time $160/week $150/week $135/week Up to 45 hrs.
School Age$50/week for before & after school care. 3 hrs/day maximum
*Must be potty trained for this rate.
Enrollment Policy
Due to the limited spaces available, weekly payments are based using or holding your slot, not on the child’s attendance. No refunds are given for late arrivals/early departures, parental vacations or exclusion due to illness. You must pay for your child’s scheduled time regardless of whether or not your child is here. Those days and times are reserved for your child.
Payment Procedures
Your specific rates will be outlined in your Contract and Rate Agreement. Payment is payable in advance and is due no later than 6:00pm Friday for the following child care period. If this day is a holiday, payment is expected on the previous day. If you go away on vacation, payment is due BEFORE you leave. In cases of illness, your payment is still expected unless other arrangements have been previously made. If the center is closed due to weather or emergency, payment will be expected on your child's first day back to child care.
Payments may be made by check or cash and should be made out to Heaven Sent Children’s Academy (HSCA). Checks must be dated for the day they are due. No post-dated checks will be accepted. There will be a late fee of $10.00 per day for any payments received after the due date (unless previous arrangements have been made for special circumstances). Repeated late payments may be grounds for termination of childcare services.The success of HSCA depends on the prompt payment of tuition for each child.
Returned Checks
There will be a $40.00 fee for all returned checks. You are also responsible for any other fees that I may incur as a result of the returned check. This fee as well as the tuition that was due will be required within 24 hours upon notification of the returned check or childcare services will not be provided.
Discrimination
We will not discriminate against any child on the basis of their sex, religion, national origin, or disability.
Sanitation
We practice good sanitation guidelines such as washing hands before preparing food, after changing diapers, after being with a sick child, etc. We also teach the children good sanitation habits such as washing hands before and after eating and using the toilet. All children wash their hands immediately upon arriving in the morning. Good sanitation is important to us and to the welfare of the children in our care.
Open Door Policy
Our center maintains an open door policy for parents during the hours in which childcare is provided. This means that parents are always welcome to call or drop in to see their children.
Open door policy does not mean that our doors will be kept unlocked. I believe that it is important to keep the doors locked for the safety of the children and our employees.
Webcam Access
Webcam access is a service that will soon be available and will be password protected. You will receive information regarding access in your enrollment package once your child’s spot is confirmed. The webcams are intended to give parents peace of mind and a secure feeling about their choice in daycare. We just want to let parents know, as kindly as possible, that the webcams are not intended to be an open door for criticism, correction, and the like. We value the opinions of parents tremendously, and we want parents to come to us with any valid concerns. We will do our very best to meet the needs of each child in our care. With these webcams, we are opening our center and our activities to you in a way that many providers would never do. We do want to work together with you to provide the best care possible for your child.
Birthdays/Holidays
We do celebrate birthdays and holidays. Each child’s birthday is his/her special day. We will have a mini party and you may bring cupcakes or your child’s favorite treat. If the child’s birthday falls on Monday- Friday we will celebrate on that day. If it falls on a weekend, we will celebrate the Friday before. We will also be celebrating all holidays throughout the year and we will learn about each one.
Our Daily Schedule
Open – 8:30amBreakfast, Quiet time
8:30am – 9:30amEducational Focus
9:30am – 10:30amOutside Play/Inside Play
10:30am – 10:45amSnack
10:45am – 11:45amGroup Play, Songs, Stories, Games
11:45am – 12:30pmLunch Time
12:30pm – 2:30pmStory Time, Nap Time, Quiet Time
2:30pm – 3:30pmOutside Play/ Group Play
3:30pm – 4:30pmEducational Focus, Arts & Crafts
Various activities throughout the day will include story time, music/singing, theatre, puppet shows, group games, computer time, arts & crafts and indoor & outdoor free play.
Health Policies
Please find alternate care if:
-illness prevents child from outdoor activities or group participation.
-child has a fever, or has had a fever within the last 24 hour period.
-child has had vomiting or diarrhea during prior 24 hour period.
-child exhibits any signs of contagiousdisease, such as persistent cough, red
or itchy eyes with discharge, lice, unidentified rash, or nasal discharge
which is not clear.
Good judgment is important in the containment of childhood illnesses. If your child is ill, please call us to let us know. We strive to keep our daycare as germfree as possible. If any child shows any signs of illness while at daycare, parents will notified. We will then discuss the best plan of action regarding theneeds of the child, and if they will need to be taken home.
Each full time family will be allowed 2 sick days per year, per child. This means that in the event that your child is too sick to attend daycare, you will beallowed 2 freebie days. If your child is ill for any additional days, payment willbe required as normal. Part time children are not offered sick or vacation days.
What if my child needs medication during the day?
For insurance purposes, we are not allowed to administer medication, UNLESS it has been approved in advance by us and the clearance paperwork has been
completely filled out. If you would like us to administermedication such as Tylenol, you must supply it and write your child’s name on it. If your child has to take an antibiotic, we recommend you ask your doctor for an AM/PM twice daily dosage that you can administer from home.
Discipline
We maintain a positive discipline policy, which focuses on prevention, redirection and consistency. Our goal is to use as little "discipline" as possible. We much prefer the term "guidance”…however, occasionally the need for correction and/or discipline does arise. When a child must be disciplined, caregivers will work with the parents to choose a method most fitting to the circumstance from the following methods.
A.) Redirecting the child’s behavior. By simply talking with the child, explaining the rule or expectation and showing him/her how to change the behavior, many problems can be corrected. With very young children, sometimes just distracting the child by providing them with an alternate toy or activity will be all it takes to turn tears and tantrums into smiles and giggles.
B.) Time Out may be used to remove the child from a situation in order to discontinue negative behavior. The caregiver will respond immediately with a brief explanation. If the child's behavior is out of control to the extent that he/she can not stand or sit independently, the caregiver will assist the child in calming down. The caregiver may need to stand or sit with the child in time-out, and possibly hold the child’s hand or place her hand on the child’s shoulders or back to assist the child in calming down. Breathing and relaxation techniques will also be encouraged.
C.) In order to use a consequence as a learning experience for the child, the caregiver will remove a privilege that is a logical response to an inappropriate or un-allowed behavior. For example, if the child continues to jump off the swing set in an unsafe manner after being aware of the safety rules, the caregiver may take away the privilege of swinging for a short period of time.
D.) In certain situations, parent involvement may be necessary. Our staff will notify a parent if this is the case, or if there seems to be a consistent problem area that needs to be addressed. Our center believes that it is very important for parents to work closely with us in regards to any child-rearing goals, especially with discipline issues. We will communicate any behavior issues with you either during our end of the day conversation, by a phone call to your home or work, or by a note or email. If a serious problem needs to be discussed we may choose to schedule an appointment to explore solutions. We strongly encourage parents to communicate with us regarding any issue with the center, including discipline.
Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES will there be any spanking, physical abuse, verbal abuse, name calling or isolation used.
Pick-Up Policy
In order to keep your child safe, please provide us with a list of people who you approve to pick up your child. We will ask to see photo identification for anyone picking up your child that we do not know well. Children will only be released to pre-approved persons with your verbal consent.
Custody Agreements
If there are custody issues involved with your child, you must provide us with court papers indicating who has permission to pick up your child. We may not deny a parent access to their child without proper documentation.
Child Abuse Reporting
All staff members are mandated reporters of child abuse. If staff has suspicions that a child is being abused or neglected, they MUST make a report to the local Children’s Services Agency. The safety of the children is always our first concern.