TURN THE PAGE

CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER, INC.

PARENT HANDBOOK

1201 Jewell Avenue

COLUMBIA, MO 65203

573-449-9905 INFANT/TODDLER

573-874-6868 Toddlers/Twos

573-874-8827 Preschool

Fax # 256-2828

Revised March 13, 2012
Table of contents:

Page number

Mission Statement3

Philosophy3-4

Enrollment Requirements4-5

Enrollment forms4

Parent Specialized Instruction for Infant/Toddler4

Income eligibility form4

Child physical form4

Payment contract5

Parent Handbook5

Key card form5

Orientation Procedures5-6

Communication6-7

Authorization of pick up7

Abuse/Neglect policy and procedures7

Grievance procedures7-8

Emergency and Disaster planning Guides8

Discipline8-9

Clothing9

Diapers9

Toys9-10

Health policy10

Accidents10

Emergencies10-11

Medication11

Holiday and weather closings11-12

Safety12

Field trips12-13

School hours13

Meals13

Fees14

School age care14

State funding14

Closing comments15

Signature form16

Mission Statement:

Turn the Page Child Development Center, Inc. provides services for a diverse community of children birth through 5 years old and their families. Using a research based curriculum, committed nurturing staff facilitate children’s developing skills to explore and learn. The materials and equipment offered encourage children to make independent choices and develop critical thinking in an environment which supports their social, emotional, physical and cognitive development.

PHILOSOPHY:

We are a State of Missouri Licensed child care facility. We follow all of the rules and regulations set by the Department of Health and Senior Services Section of Health Standards and Licensure. We are also accredited by Missouri Accreditation and follow their guidelines and policies.

We believe a child’s time at school should be an extension of their lives at home. As childcare providers our purpose is to nurture the developing child and work with their families. Developing and maintaining an open stream of communication with our families is an important part of our program so that we as a team may best serve the developing child in our care. Because of this philosophy we have set the following goals and objectives.

The goals of our program include:

  1. Creating a community where the child and their family is valued and empowered.
  1. We offer parent teacher conferences 3 times a year, home visits are offered 2 times a year, and we have parent breakfast and social gatherings several times a year that allow our staff and families to spend time together and develop relationships with each other.
  2. We also provide links to community resources to help families answer questions that they might have or to help provide services that families might need
  1. Helping children gain a sense of self, which is how children feel accepted and valued by the people most important to them.
  2. Helping children to take responsibility for self and others so that children develop habits and character traits that foster independence and self-direction.
  3. Helping children develop pro-social behavior that includes their ability to get along in the world and empathize with others.

Our staff offers guidance and support to the children in their care providing diverse activities and experiences. Individual child observation and assessment result in activities that respond to the developmental needs of each child. For assessment we use the Creative Curriculum Developmental Continuum, which addresses 4 areas of development - social emotional, physical, cognitive and language. Under these areas are 10 goals and 50 objectives for 3-5 year olds and 4 goals and 21 objectives for infant toddler and two year olds.

We believe that children learn through play. Because of this philosophy, we have chosen to use the research based Creative Curriculum for Infant, Toddlers and Twos and Creative Curriculum for Early Childhood. This curriculum allows our teachers the freedom to be creative and responsive to children. Creative Curriculum uses the environment to encourage learning. Interest areas are set up to encourage children to explore and learn from personal experience within their environment.

Positive development of your child’s self-image is important to us. We enjoy working with children and are committed to providing an affectionate, safe, and loving environment for each child in our care.

Turn The Page CDC is an equal opportunity childcare program. We believe that all children, no matter what race, religion, creed, ability or disability are entitled to quality childcare.

ENROLLMENT REQUIREMENTS:

The following forms will be given to you when you have made your decision to enroll your children in our center. These will be completed by you and turned back into the office.

Enrollment Form: This form gives us very important information, including emergency contacts, telephone numbers, doctors, preferred hospital, and the names and numbers of the people who are allowed to pick up your child. It is very important that if any of this information should change at anytime you immediately provide us the new information. If an emergency occurs with your child and we don’t have a current phone number, we will be unable to contact you.

Parent Specialized Instructions for Infant and Toddlers: (Only for children under 2 years of age): This form gives us your child’s daily schedule and allows us to accommodate their individual timetable for feeding, napping, etc. We also need to know what formula your child uses because we provide formula.

Income Eligibility Form: We are enrolled in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) this program reimburses us money for meals that we provide your child. This is a fantastic program because it allows us to keep our cost for child care down. It is very important that you complete this form. If you are receiving food stamps or temporary assistance, the form requires the last 8 digits of your case number.

Child Physical Form: This form needs to be filled out by your child’s physician within 30 days of enrollment. If the Physical Form is not filled out and signed by your child’s physician within 30 days, your child will not be allowed to attend Turn the Page Child Development Center. At the time of enrollment we must also have a copy of your child’s immunization records. These must be current. When your child receives shot updates, we also need this new information.

Payment Contract: This form is for you to read and then return to us. When it is returned we will determine what your weekly fee or co-pay is (if you have state funding), then you and the office administrator will sign the form and a copy will be made for you. Payment for child care services is due weekly unless other arrangements have been made with the Director.

Parent Handbook: You will be given this document. It is VERY important that you read the Parent Handbook and refer to it often. We require that you sign the back page and return it to us along with the rest of the enrollment documents.

Key Card form: Each family will receive 1-2 key cards. These will need to be presented at the door when dropping off and picking up your child for you to enter the building. These will cost $5.00 each. If you lose a key there will be a $10.00 replacement cost per card.

ORIENTATION PROCEDURES:

The orientation process will begin prior to or on the first day the family brings their child in. The following items will be performed with the Director:

  1. The enrollment packet is returned by parent/guardian and Administrator goes over the information to make sure it is complete and all questions are answered for the parent/guardian.
  2. History of family and child is discussed.
  3. The Parent Handbook is discussed to make sure that all of the policies and procedures are understood and any questions are answered.
  4. Childcare fees are discussed and payment contract is agreed upon and signed.
  5. The parent/guardian is given key card for access to buildings and informed about the hours of use for card.
  6. Parent/guardian and Director will take the child to his/her room for orienting visit in the classroom at least 30 minutes, but longer if the family wants.

ORIENTING TO NEW CLASSROOM:

After your child has attended our center for a while, there will come a time when he/she will move to a new age group. As we have childcare positions available, we will talk with you and send you a letter explaining when your child will be moving, who the teachers are, and what the visiting schedule will be. Listed below is a typical visiting schedule.

Visiting Schedule:

Monday 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Tuesday 9:00 a.m. – through lunch

Wednesday9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Thursday and Friday – Parent drops off child in their old classroom and picks up child in their new classroom.

Following Monday - Your child will start in their new classroom.

We ask parents to be sure to visit each of the buildings at any time to meet the teachers in all the classrooms. The directors are available to take you on a tour of the new building your child will be attending. Please take time to look around the classrooms and see where the schedules, lesson plans, and pertinent parent information are. We especially invite families to visit the building their child is moving to so they may meet the staff and so that your child will make a smooth transition to his/her new classroom. We are always interested in your input, so please let us know what will make this time a positive transition for you and your child

COMMUNICATION:

We believe that your interest and input is what makes our program better. Therefore we are interested in your ideas, concerns, views, and praise concerning our childcare center. Please share your input with your child’s teacher and the directors. Please take time to speak with your child’s teacher everyday so that you get to know the person your child spends the day with.

Teachers have Parent/Teacher conferences three times a year. Typically these conferences will be in April, August, and December, and Home Visits will be offered twice a year, in June and October. These conferences are important to us and we will do everything we can to fit your child’s conferences into your schedule. After observing your child in a classroom setting, if the teacher has concerns about your child’s development, he/she will talk with you and ask if you are interested in having your child observed by a professional. If you have concerns about your child’s development then you may set up a meeting with the staff or a director to discuss your concerns. At this point all members can decide if you would like your child observed and then we will provide you with contact numbers and paperwork for you to complete so a therapist may visit the school to observe your child. If your child does need therapy of any type, they are welcome to have the sessions at the center. If your child has an IEP/EFSP we will need a copy to be placed in your child’s file. If you would like to have the teacher and therapist discuss any information regarding your child's assessment, you must sign a release form.

We will have parent/family gatherings several times a year. These events are set up to keep Parent/Staff communication open at all times.

Parents are welcome to visit their child at anytime or call when you have questions or concerns. We highly recommend that you volunteer time in your child’s classroom. These times might include going on field trips with the children, coming to participate in activities, or coming to have lunch with your child.

Your child’s developmental records/portfolios are available at any time. Please talk with your child’s teacher to obtain these records. We do ask that you look through them at the school. On your child’s last day at our center, you will receive their portfolio to take home. Also your child’s file is available at any time if you need to make changes

We also have a copy of the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) rules/regulations available by the front doors of each building. Please ask for assistance if you cannot find it and we will make one available.

AUTHORIZATION OF PICK UP:

When the enrollment form is completed, there is an area for parents/guardians to list all adults (must be 18 years or older) who are allowed to pick up your child/ren. Throughout the year we do ask you to update this information along with change of phone numbers, address, etc. If you want someone else who is not listed on the enrollment form or the updated form to pick up your child, we will need written permission. You must write the name of the authorized person on the daily sheets provided in the Infant, Toddler or Two-Year-Olds Room when you drop off your child or you must fax us written permission before the day is over. Calling in is not acceptable. We must have written permission. If you no longer want a person on your pick up list we need to be notified immediately. We are not able to keep a parent from picking up a child without copies of legal documents on file. Please provide them as soon as possible so that we are able to follow your wishes.

ABUSE/NEGLECT POLICY AND PROCEDURES:

The law requires our teachers to be mandated reporters of child abuse or neglect or even suspected incidents of abuse or neglect. This means that if a teacher from our center sees a child who has been harmed through abuse or neglect or suspects that they have been, they are required by law to call the child abuse hot-line and report the incident. If a teacher has a concern, we ask them to speak with a Director about the incident and write a report describing the situation. The Director will call in the report. If the Director is unable to call in the report, the staff member will be responsible for reporting the incident. If we do have to report an incident, we are not allowed to discuss the situation with the parent and/or guardian until that person has been contacted by the proper authorities.

GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES:

If you have concerns we ask that you follow the procedures below.

  1. Contact your child’s teacher with your concern and set a time to privately discuss the issue. Please try to maintain a calm manner and not discuss issues in loud voices or use abusive language.
  2. If an issue is not settled with the teacher in charge, please contact the Director. At that time, a private meeting will be set with the Director, parent, and teacher.

We will always attempt to settle problems as quickly as possible. Your input is very important to us and we respect your right to discuss your concerns with us. Our door is open at all times.

Emergency and Disaster Planning

In each classroom there is an Emergency Plan for the staff to follow in case of:

  1. Disaster emergency closing
  2. Missing child
  3. Accident and/or Injury
  4. Earthquake
  5. Tornado
  6. Fire
  7. Intruder/Lock Down
  8. Bomb Threat
  9. Evacuation of our Center

If you would like to familiarize yourself with these Plans, please look through them, but please leave them in the classroom. If you have any questions talk with your teacher or visit the office.

DISCIPLINE:

Children learn what we show them, not what we tell them. Discipline is another form of learning and should not be threatening to the child. We will not allow spanking, slapping, abusive language or any physical form of discipline to be used by our teachers or parents within the school or on the school property.

There are many ways to teach a child to communicate with others without it being a negative experience. We will attempt to use love, acceptance, encouragement, natural consequences and redirection. The staff will use “safe place” as a means of discipline only when all other attempts to redirect are used. Our safe place is a place where the child is allowed to calm down or think through a problem. The teacher will continually monitor the child and, when the child is ready, they will discuss solutions to the attitude, action, or behavior that has been disruptive or unsafe. Safe Place is always supervised and will not exceed the child’s age in minutes (i.e., 2 years old = 2 minutes, 3 years old = 3 minutes, etc.). The child is allowed to stay in this space for as long the child wants.

If the child is continually hitting, slapping, spitting or biting, we will call the parents and ask that the child be removed for the day. This is done for the protection of the other children and our staff. In cases of chronic physically aggressive behavior, the following procedures will be followed. At the first incident, we will complete an incident report and both families (if more than one child is involved) will be notified. The child will be redirected and talked with about the behavior. We will work with the child to figure out more appropriate responses to situations that occur between children. We will give them words to use. If the behavior continues, we will ask for a conference with the parents to seek solutions. If none are reached, we will terminate the child’s enrollment.