GENERAL POLICIES
NON-DISCRIMINATION:
Building
Blocks Daycare admits children of any sex, race, religion, and disability,
national and ethnic origin. All Children admitted are entitled to the same
rights, privileges, and activities. A gently structured, multi-cultural, creative curriculum based on kindness and compassion is embraced by our daycare.
HOURS
OF OPERATION:
Please make sure your child is dressed and ready for
their day upon arrival.
ADMISSION
AND ENROLLMENT:
Ages of admission are 6 wks through 4 years. Once a child turns 5
& begins kindergarten, they may no
longer attend. Children beyond
kindergarten are not accepted.
Enrollment is subject to availability of space. Registration fee is due at enrollment
Pre-placement interviews are scheduled after
The following forms are required by the State of
1. Completed Registration Form
2.
Record of immunizations & signed health statement from child's physician
3. Written consent for emergency
medical treatment
4. Signed statement acknowledging
the type of discipline used by daycare.
5. Signed transportation consent in
case of emergency
6. Signed Day Care Contract with
fees & policies outlined & agreed upon
7. Copy of original birth
certificate
Registration form, signed contract, and copy of
birth certificate are due on the first day of care. Immunization records and health statement are
due within 30 days of starting daycare.
DAYCARE TUITION POLICIES
REGISTRATION
FEE:
There is a one time registration fee of $25 per
child due upon enrollment.
BASIC
TUITION:
Your childcare rates are based on enrollment,
not attendance. Basic Tuition is charged for 50 weeks of care per year.
Childcare
fees are $105 per week per child.
There is
no discount for additional children enrolled in the same family.
Please Note: Tuition is due regardless of attendance, with the exception of an
emergency closing on the part of the provider, in which case, your fees will be
adjusted.
All major holidays are paid holidays. These holidays are as follows:
New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day,
Thanksgiving Day and the day after, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. If a holiday falls on Saturday, daycare will
be closed the preceding Friday. If it
falls on Sunday, daycare will be closed on Monday after the holiday
Daycare fees may be
adjusted annually by $5 per week, per child.
If imposed, this increase takes place on the first Friday in
January. You will be notified by July
1st of any impending increase.
PAYMENT SCHEDULE:
Daycare
tuition is due and payable in advance, each Friday morning upon arrival for the
coming week. If payment is not made upon arrival Friday morning, your child may
not stay at daycare until account is brought current, including any late fees
which are due. Delinquent tuition fee is
$20 when fees are paid after
If child will be absent on
Friday, it is your responsibility to arrange for payment to reach daycare by
Checks
are accepted for daycare payments, but a returned check will result in all
future payments being due in cash, with no exceptions. Returned checks will be assessed a $30
returned check fee. Checks should be
made out to: Nancy Clark.
Families
on the State voucher program are responsible for remembering your ‘Hoosier
Works’ card. Two days in a row of not
bringing it, and your child will not be allowed to stay at daycare until you bring
it. If your child is on the voucher
program, any fees the voucher does not
pay are your responsibility.
Daycare fees may be paid weekly, bi-weekly, or
monthly, but must be paid in advance.
Once you choose an option, it may not be changed until the first Friday
after your anniversary date.
RESERVING
A DAYCARE SPACE IN ADVANCE:
You may reserve a daycare space for your child for up to one month in advance (longer if pre-arranged with provider) by paying a non-refundable deposit equal to one week’s tuition.
ABSENCE
/ TARDINESS:
In the event your child will be absent or late,
please call the daycare to inform us of your change in schedule.
LATE
PICK UP FEES:
The fee for late pick up is $25 per hour
(or any portion thereof). The late fee is due upon pick up, in cash and
your child may not return to
daycare until the late pick-up fee is paid. Three late pick-ups without good
cause in a one-year period may result in termination of your childcare
contract. If late pick-up is imminent,
we expect a phone call explaining why you will be late. Late fees accrue starting five minutes after
closing time, according to the daycare room clock, which is set with the time
on WHAS TV.
EXTENDED
LEAVE:
If your
child is enrolled full time and you should need an extended leave, (major
illness, maternity leave, summer break for teachers and students, etc.) while
your child is enrolled in our daycare, your child’s spot may be reserved for up
to 6 weeks by paying for 3 days per
week, at your regular weekly rate, during your absence. In the event you choose not to exercise this
right, there is no guarantee of a day care opening should you wish to
return. Once you have used up your 6
weeks of leave, any further absence will need to be paid at your full weekly
rate in order to hold your child’s spot. The only exception to this will be if
you or your child has a catastrophic illness and you require a longer medical
leave. You will need a doctor’s letter
in order to extend your part time pay leave beyond 6 weeks. Any
extended absences should be discussed and agreed upon with provider prior to
date absence will begin or this provision may not be used.
WITHDRAWL POLICY:
Two full weeks
of advanced notice is required prior to withdrawal from our program, along with
two full weeks of tuition. In the
absence of two week's notice, two weeks’ tuition will still be due. Parents and/or guardians are signing a legal
and binding contract for childcare, and in cases of non-payment of fees, legal
action will be taken and parents may be responsible for all legal fees incurred
HOLIDAYS:
ALL MAJOR HOLIDAYS,
(New Year's Eve & Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and
the day after, & Christmas Eve and Christmas Day,) are paid holidays. In the event a holiday falls on Saturday or
Sunday, Provider will take off Friday before the holiday if it falls on
Saturday or Monday after the holiday if it falls on Sunday.
PROVIDER
& DAYCARE FAMILY VACATIONS:
No
tuition is due when Provider is on vacation, however if families take a
vacation, tuition is due as usual unless you take your vacation at the same
time as Provider. A calendar is handed
out each January with the dates daycare will be closed for the coming
year.
PERSONAL
DAYS:
We
usually do not have to close without plenty of notice, but as with all
families, you never know if an illness, death, etc. will come up out of the
blue. It is your responsibility to
secure back up childcare in the unlikely event I need to be closed for a
personal emergency. In the event of unforeseen circumstances, you will be given
as much notice as possible, and you will not be expected to pay for the time we
are closed. In 27 years of daycare, this
has happened very few times, so it is usually not a problem.
NAP TIME, MEAL & SNACK POLICIES: NO GUM,
EVER!
Please
refrain from bringing food into the daycare for your child unless you plan to
bring enough for everyone. This means if your child is eating in the car and you
arrive at daycare, they need to either finish their food in the car or leave it
in the car. They cannot bring it into daycare under any circumstances. If you bring a snack for your child at the
end of the day, it must remain in your car until you leave daycare. The
same goes for drinks & sippy cups.
Toddlers & young children do not understand the concept of another
child bringing in food & drinks that they cannot have. If food or drinks are brought into daycare,
& not enough is brought for everyone, it will be put away until pick -up
time.
We are
enrolled in the Federal food program for daycare facilities, and as such we follow the
nutritional guidelines for meals & snacks set forth by the government for
daycare facilities & schools.
MEAL
SCHEDULE: Below is
the schedule for meal time for toddlers and up. If your child is not here by
Breakfast......
A. EATING BEHAVIOR: Children are never forced to eat, but
they are encouraged to try their meals.
If your child does not eat well, we will let you know at the end of the
day.
B. SPECIAL DIETS: We cannot prepare special foods for picky
eaters unless there is a medical necessity, with a written note from your
child's doctor, or a known food allergy, documented by a doctor’s note. It is State & Federal regulation that all
children are served the same food.
INFANT FEEDING POLICIES:
Parents are welcome to either bring pre-made bottles
or bottles and formula for me to make up on a daily basis. If you are breastfeeding, feel free to bring made up bottles or frozen breast milk to store in our freezer. We are familiar with procedures for handling breast milk, and welcome breast feeding families. All breast milk brought for the freezer must have your child's name and the date the milk was expressed on the package.
Whatever is most convenient and comfortable for you, is fine with me. If you choose to let me make up bottles, I will let you know when we have a two day supply of formula left so that you can replenish your child’s supply. Infants are fed according to a schedule given by the parents.
NAP TIME: State
regulations require that all children five and under must have a rest period of
at least 2 hours each day. Older
children nap after lunch until between
NAP TIME BUDDY: All
children may bring a favorite blanket and/or stuffed toy for naptime. These items will be kept in their cubby until
naptime
Infant Sleep Policy: It is
state regulation that all infants under the age of 1 year be placed on their
back to sleep. This is part of the statewide ‘Back To Sleep’ initiative to
reduce the number of infant deaths due to SIDS.
Please do not ask me to put your infant to sleep any way except on their
back, as I cannot do this. If they roll from their back once placed down, this
is fine, but I MUST start them out on their backs.
DISCIPLINE POLICY
The
discipline policy for Building Blocks Daycare is as follows:
A. Positive Reinforcement: Your child will be encouraged when he/she is demonstrating
acceptable behavior.
B. Redirection: Your child will be redirected to another activity and given an
opportunity to try again at another time.
C. "When...Then" Statements: A statement in which your child is encouraged to accomplish
something before going on to something else.
Example: "When you pick up the blocks, then you may play ponies."
D. "If...Then" Statements: A statement in which your child is encouraged to make a positive
choice. Example: "If you pick up the blocks then you may play with the
puzzles”
E. Time Out: This is the discipline of last resort. When all other guidance techniques have been
exhausted without success, the child is separated from the group for a short
period of time. This technique is used only when a child is exhibiting temper
tantrum type behavior, hurting themselves
or others, or deliberately destroying equipment. When child is able to regain their composure,
they are welcome to join the group and try again.
At
Building Blocks Daycare rules are in place for the health and safety of the
children. I also believe rules help in developing a child’s own sense of
self-control. I teach respect for other people and respect for property, and
achieve this through compassion and consistency. Please take the time and
review the following with your child(ren):
- Walking feet used Indoors
- Kind Touches Only – People and pets are not
for hurting
- Use inside voice indoors
- Furniture is not for climbing or standing on
- Always clean up your mess
- No mistreatment of belongings, daycare area,
or toys (throwing - kicking)
- No roughhousing or wrestling
- Children must sit at the table when eating or
drinking
- Only adults may open daycare door to parents
& others
- Always use good
manners
-
Follow
directions given by parents or provider
HEALTH & SAFETY POLICIES & PRACTICES:
STRICTLY ENFORCED!!!
These policies are mandated by State Regulation!
Please note! It is the responsibility of PARENTS to have a back up child care plan in place for times your child is too ill to attend daycare.
CONTACTING PARENTS &/OR EMERGENCY CONTACTS: In the event I need to reach a parent while your
child is in my care, it is imperative that I have a phone number where you can
be contacted. If you have a cell phone
number listed, and you must turn your cell off, you need to let me know in
advance you will not be able to be reached by your cell phone, and I must have
an alternate number to reach you or someone who can come immediately for your
child in an emergency. If you must leave
your workplace for a time, or if you will not be at work on a particular day,
the same holds true. Please do NOT list
as an emergency contact someone who cannot come for your child in case of an
emergency. State regulations say that I
cannot turn your child over to anyone who is not on their registration form as
a designated alternate pick-up person.
Therefore, anyone you list as an emergency contact on your child’s
registration form must also be listed on your child’s registration form as an
approved pick-up person.
SICK
CHILD POLICY: If your child has symptoms of illness,
(some examples include, but are not limited to: fever of 100 F or above,
vomiting, diarrhea, head lice, discharge from the eye, mysterious rash, open
sores, thick, green or yellow nasal discharge, etc.), by State Regulation, they will
not be allowed to attend daycare.
If any of
these symptoms have been exhibited within the previous 24 hours,
they may not attend
daycare. When in doubt about bringing
your child, please call first. If you
bring them sick, you will have to take them back home. This
is a state regulation, not simply a daycare policy.
NON-ADMITTANCE: Children will not be allowed to attend daycare until they have
been symptom free for at least 24 hrs, and/or have a doctor's note stating
attendance is not a health threat to others.
This means if your child throws up or has diarrhea at
Please
act now to make alternate arrangements in the event of illness!
ILLNESS
WHILE AT DAY CARE: When
children become ill while at daycare, parents and/or guardians will be
notified, and arrangements must be made to pick up your child within one hour of
notification. We do not have the facilities to isolate sick children for a long
period of time. This is state regulation as well as day care policy.
IMPORTANT
NOTE: In cases of divorced, divorcing, or separated
parents, unless otherwise directed by court order, both parents will be called
when a child becomes ill, & it will be up to the parents to decide who will
come for the child.
MEDICAL
EMERGENCIES:
In the
event of a medical emergency, 911 will be called, and then parents or guardian
will be notified. We must have a phone
number where a parent or the emergency contact may be reached at all times.
This means if you are going to be away from work, it is your responsibility to
give an alternate contact for emergencies.
If a parent or guardian cannot be reached, the emergency contact on the
enrollment form will be contacted. In
the event no one can be reached in an emergency, state regulation may mandate that child
protective services be called & your child will be taken to the hospital
listed on your registration form.
Someone will accompany your child and await your arrival.
MEDICATIONS:
All
prescription medication must be brought to daycare in the original container,
with dosage and frequency of administration clearly marked. Parents and/or
guardians must fill out and sign a release form for prescription medication.
THERAPY: In the event your child needs any type of therapy, (physical,
speech, occupational, etc) you will need to schedule these sessions in your
home, not at daycare. My liability
insurance does not cover outside people coming in to work with the children,
and under advice from our attorney; we do not allow therapists to come into
daycare to work with the children.
Should they, God forbid, hurt a child, I could be held liable, as it
would be my word against theirs as to who injured your child. In addition, every outside person allowed
into my home is like letting in every other person they know too. I have a big responsibility caring for your
child, and I take it very seriously. In
this day and age, I do not want to possibly invite trouble into my home and
your child’s daycare.
ACCIDENTS
& INJURIES: Universal
precautions are used any time we are dealing with an injury at daycare. First aid will be administered to any child
needing care. Serious injuries will be
reported to the Department of Social Services.
Parents will be called at once if child is seriously injured, and will
be notified at pick up of any non-serious injury such as a scraped knee, etc.
FIRST
AID & CPR: CPR and First Aid training is required
annually for direct childcare providers.
HAND
WASHING: Hand washing is the single
most effective way to prevent illness at day care and at home. Therefore, we take advantage of every
opportunity throughout the day to practice proper hand washing skills.
DIAPER
CHANGING: Universal precautions are observed when
diapering. Soiled diapers are disposed of in a closed container outside the
daycare area.
BEDDING
& SOILED CLOTHING: These are laundered by day care weekly or as
needed. Each child has their own set of bedding
provided by the daycare.
REPORTING
CHILD ABUSE: As a state licensed family childcare
facility, we are mandated by State regulation to report immediately to Child
Protective Services any reason to suspect child abuse, neglect, or
exploitation. We are not obligated to
inform parents/guardians of this report
RELEASE
OF CHILDREN: Children absolutely WILL NOT be released to anyone other than a parent or legal
guardian unless they are authorized on your registration form. If you need someone on your list to pick up
your child, prior notification will be required. If someone shows up to pick up
your child without prior notification from you, I will call you before they
will be released. If I cannot reach you,
and you have not called ahead to tell me they are coming, I will not release
your child until I speak with you, so PLEASE
remember to call me! Picture ID will be
required from people not familiar to us.
Children will not be released to minors under any circumstances. In the event someone attempts to take the
child who is not authorized, the local sheriff may be called to remove them
from the premises. I cannot release your
child to anyone not authorized on your registration form, so please do not call
and ask. If you will need someone new to
pick up your child, you will need to add them to your authorized list before
they may pick up.
CUSTODIAL
ISSUES:
We
realize that domestic issues can often intrude into our lives without much
notice. Therefore,after a discussion with our attorney and
liability insurance carrier, the following policies are in place concerning
custodial issues & domestic disputes. Concerning custodial issues, the only
thing which will prevent a parent or legal guardian from being able to pick up
their child is a court order which says the parent or legal guardian may not
have the child.
TOYS
& EQUIPMENT: Toys and
equipment are sanitized daily or as needed.
FIRE
DRILLS: Practice
fire drills are held monthly & a log is kept for the State Fire Marshall
SHOES AND CLOTHING: We do not wear outdoor shoes in the
daycare room. The State Department of Environmental Services recommends that
outdoor shoes not be worn in daycare rooms where children crawl and play on the
floor. I provide slipper sox for all of
the children to wear over their socks in the daycare room. Please remove your child’s outdoor shoes upon
entering daycare. I also respectfully
ask that parents not walk on the daycare mats with their shoes. I wear house slippers in the daycare and my
home to provide a safe and sanitary environment for your child.
Please
make sure when you dress your child for the day that they wear clothing that
can be played in and that you do not
mind them getting dirty. We play very
hard, we paint, we color, we cook, and we do all the fun things that children
do to get dirty. Please don’t scold your
child at the end of the day if they are covered in ‘play.’
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS:
BIRTHDAY
TREATS: Children
are welcome to celebrate their birthday at day care. Please let us know in advance if your child
will be bringing a treat so that we may let you know how many children will be
in attendance that day. TYPES OF TREATS: Any treat sent in
must be commercially packaged and sealed upon arrival. No home made treats are allowed, per food
program regulation. We respectfully ask
that you please do not send cupcakes, cake or brownies for birthday
treats. While these items are fine when
dealing with one or two children, they are an unbelievable mess when dealing
with a group of children. It often seems
the more you wipe them, the more they ‘grow’!
'Neater' but equally fun treats are fruit kabobs, pudding pops, pudding
cups, 'big' cookies, etc.
TOYS
FROM HOME: Personal toys are not allowed at daycare
with the exception of the naptime buddy, which will be kept in your child's
cubby until naptime. We have a large
assortment of toys and it is much easier to share "community" toys
than special ones brought from home. If
personal toys are brought into daycare, they will be placed in your child’s
cubby until pick up time.
ALTERNATIVES
TO TOYS: If your child has a favorite C/D, book,
or video they would like to bring and share with the group, this will be
fine. These items lend themselves well
to sharing by the group and are a nice alternative to toys.
WE WILL NOT BE
RESPONSIBLE FOR TOYS FROM HOME WHICH BECOMES LOST, DAMAGED, OR BROKEN.
ADJUSTMENT
WHAT
IS
FIRST
EXPERIENCE: If this
is the first time your child has been separated from you, it is natural that
he/she be hesitant. A cheerful good-bye
kiss, a smile, and a reassuring word that you will be back after work is all
you need to do. We will take it from
there. Please do not sneak out on your
child! They need to know you are leaving and you will return in order to build
their trust in you and their confidence in themselves to handle difficult
situations.
COMMON
BEHAVIORS: Children
will miss their parents, and, depending on their age & ability to adapt, will often cry or 'act out' their
feelings by exhibiting one or more of these types of behavior
1.
Clinging to you and refusing to let go
2. Having
tantrums
3. Not
eating
4.
Forgetting their toilet training
5. Thumb
sucking
6.
Bed-wetting
7. Waking
at night and having bad dreams
8.
Expressing their desire to stay home
These
problems are usually temporary. If your
child is treated lovingly but firmly, this behavior should go away rather
quickly. Please feel free to leave a picture of your family for them to look at
throughout the day!
WHAT
TO DO: Please
feel free to call or e-mail us when you arrive at work. Chances are your child will be busy playing
and you can relax and concentrate on your work.
We do have a digital camera and we will be more than happy to take a
picture of your child and e-mail it to your
workplace! The kids LOVE doing
this! Just let us know if you would like
for us to do this for you! Prolonged
goodbyes are not encouraged. A tight
hug, a goodbye kiss, and a quick scoot out the door are the best way to help
your child learn to say goodbye in the mornings. Once they know they can manipulate you with
‘guilt 101’, mornings can become terribly stressful for everyone involved. If they know you are going to bring them in,
say goodbye and leave, within a few days, the morning tears will subside. Please trust me on this. I have done this for 27 years. I PROMISE that as soon as you are out of
sight, your child will become engrossed in an activity and will be playing
fine. It is only when mom or dad is
present that they usually ‘perform’.
TRIAL
PERIOD: We assure
you that we do not want your child to be unhappy any more than you. We like for
the atmosphere at daycare to be cooperative, and a good "fit." Therefore, each child is given a two-week
adjustment period to see if they are going to adjust to us. Most children do
just fine, but there are instances where, for one reason or another, a child
just cannot adjust. Children are
entitled to their feelings, and just as we adults do not always adjust to new
situations or like everyone we meet,
children are entitled to these feelings also.
Please do not take it personally if we must ask you to seek another
daycare. It is only for the benefit of
your child if we do so. We all have the
goal of helping your child to become the best person they can be.
ODDS & ENDS:
NEWSLETTERS: We try to send at least one newsletter per
month home, but there will be times when they will be sent home more or less
often, depending on what is going on.
UNDER
THE INFLUENCE: In the event a parent, guardian, or other approved person tries to
take a child from our daycare while clearly under the influence of alcohol or
drugs, the authorities will be called, and daycare will be immediately
terminated. DO NOT
come to my home under the influence to pick up your child. You will not like the consequences.
CLEAN UP TIME: Children
who are old enough are expected to help pick up the playroom at the end of the
day. If you arrive and your child is
playing with a toy, please be patient while he/she puts it away. It is an important part of growing up that
they learn to respect the rules at day care as well as the rules at home, and
that they know you do also.
CHILDREN'S SUPPLIES: Parents need to supply each child with the following as needed:
One
complete change of clothing - shirt, pants, socks, underwear, etc.
Appropriate
seasonal outerwear - coat, hat, mittens, jacket, sweater, etc
Nap time
blanket & "buddy"
- if child uses these items
Diapers - state regs require an unopened pack
Diaper
ointment
- Desetin supplied by
daycare
PLEASE
LABEL YOUR CHILD'S CLOTHING AND NAP TIME ARTICLES WITH THEIR NAME!!
BAGS & BACKPACKS: Space in the daycare area is limited. Therefore, I respectfully ask that you not
bring diaper bags or backpacks for children to leave on a regular basis. The occasional bag if someone else is picking
up is fine, but we have no storage for backpacks and diaper bags on a regular
basis. Each child has a cubby to store a
change of clothing and diapers, etc. A
bag or backpack is unnecessary.
CAR SEATS: Additionally, we have no storage for car seats left on a daily
basis. Again, the occasional car seat
left if someone else is picking up is fine, but not on a daily basis. I have bouncy seats, swings, etc. for
infants. A car seat is unnecessary.
PARENTAL
INVOLVEMENT: As a licensed facility, we are required by the State to have an
open door daycare policy and parents are encouraged to visit at any time. The
day care door is unlocked except when lunch is being prepared or we need to run
to the restroom. At naptime, the daycare
door is locked to prevent people from entering through that door and waking the
children. However, the front door to the
main house is unlocked during this time, and you may enter through that door. If we are playing out back and no one is
inside the house, the door will be locked so no strangers can walk in off the
street. You may come to the back yard fence on the left as you face the house
when we are in the back yard and enter from there. You are always welcome in our home when your
child is in attendance, with no prior announcement. Communication at drop off & pick up times
is strongly encouraged. If you ever
have a problem, suggestion, or just want to talk, we are only a phone call away
and we are always here to listen.
PARTIES: We have several parties throughout the
year. We will remind you in advance if one is coming up, in case your child
wants to bring a treat to share. We have a party for Valentine's Day, Easter,
Halloween, & Christmas. Parents are
always welcome to attend!
FIELD
TRIPS: We
usually go to Huber’s in the fall to pick pumpkins, and some years we go to the
zoo, depending on the age of our group.
Parents are strongly encouraged to come with us, and least a month's
notice of the impending trip is always given.
Grandparents are welcome to come along as well.
DAY
CARE FAMILY GET-TOGETHERS: We like for our parents to get to know the
other families their children spend their days with. Therefore, we have a family Christmas party
each year where Santa always pays a visit and if our group is old enough, the
children put on a short program A Mother’s Day Tea is always a highlight of the
year for the children on the Friday before Mother’s Day. The children pamper moms and grandmas with
tea and cookies and present a handmade gift.
TOILET
TRAINING: We are
happy to work with parents/guardians to initiate potty training when your child
shows interest. Your child must be able
to articulate well enough to tell us he/she needs to go potty, and must be able
to independently negotiate their clothing in order for potty training to
progress. This usually occurs somewhere
between the second and third birthday, however there are exceptions in both
directions. I always tell parents to
relax when going through potty training.
I have never had a child go to kindergarten in diapers, and just like
every other learning experience, there are all kinds of curves on the spectrum
of normal! We do not use potty chairs at
daycare, but do use an adaptive seat on the big toilet for sanitary reasons. Therefore, children must be able to use the
big toilet to start potty training.
Parents/Guardians must be willing to be consistent at home if toilet
training is to be successful.
Cleanliness and hand washing techniques are also emphasized during
training. If your child is toilet
training, they will need to wear pull-ups training pants while at day
care. We cannot have messy accidents on
the floor where other children crawl and play.
As soon as a child demonstrates that they can go a couple of days
without an accident, we will switch to big boy/girl pants. They will still need
to wear pull-ups at naptime until we have established they will not wet the nap
mats. Children MUST wear clothing THEY can pull up and down BY THEMSELVES
during toilet training. Part of the
skill of being potty trained is learning to be independent. If you send your
child in overalls, pants that button & zip, or a belt during potty
training, we will discontinue helping you to train your child as this indicates
a lack of cooperation. If it is not possible to carry out potty training at
home, there is no point in daycare attempting this learning experience. Please make sure you are ready to commit to
this training or it will cause unlimited frustration for everyone concerned. Once children demonstrate they can go to the
potty on their own, we will no longer go into the restroom to assist them
unless they ask for help. Again, one of the
biggest parts of toilet training is learning independence. Hand washing will be supervised once the
child returns to the daycare room.
DAYCARE PETS: We do have pets in our home.
They have minimal contact with the daycare children. Harper Lee is a five year old Bichon/Pug
mix. She thinks the daycare kids are her
special playmates and comes to the daycare room a couple of times a day to play
with everyone and get her daily hugs.
She is always supervised when she visits. We also have two outdoor cats, one of whom avoids the
daycare kids like the plague and rarely comes indoors, and one who seems to
think he owns the place. Popcorn, the
one who is very social, will usually
walk through the daycare each morning to check that we are doing what we are supposed to do, then
goes back outside take his day long nap. Noel, our
geriatric cat, is just biding her time outside as far away from noisy children
as she can possibly get and still be fed on a regular basis. On the extremely rare occasion when she does venture inside (usually in
the extreme cold of winter I can coax her inside), she will run like the wind
in the opposite direction of any child heading her way and she then heads for
the basement as fast as she can possibly get there! All are kept up to date on shots as per state
regulations, and their immunizations are registered with the state licensing
coordinator.