Welcome to Peanuts Day Care! We are a small child care facility dedicated to giving each child enrolled in our center the close personal one-on-one they need and deserve. We provide child care for infants, toddlers, preschoolers and have a class for pre-k along with a limited school age program for children through eight years of age. Our programs run year round and are all taught by trained early childhood professionals and teachers. All staff members are required to attend staff development workshops and are encouraged to take additional courses in early childhood education. We also have a nurse consultant available to the program.

Our facility is licensed by the Department of Early Education and Care, located at 95 Liberty Street, Springfield, Ma. 01103. The office telephone number is; 413-788-8401. All parents/prospective parents may contact DEEC for information regarding the program’s regulatory compliance history.

OUR PHILOSOPHY, GOALS and OBJECTIVES

We feel that at this stage in development, each child learns best in a small, warm and relaxed atmosphere. Our objectives are designed to help each child gain a healthy respect for themselves and adults. We know that our daily program, which includes art, music, and physical activities, will help each child develop creative abilities. Our goals are to provide a more personal, close working relationship between the staff, child and parent, which will enable us to ensure excellent care and the protection of each child enrolled in our program.

HOURS OF SERVICE

Our center is open year roundand provides care Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm. Within these hours we offer full and part time care to children ages 4 weeks through 8 years of age.

We will be closed for the following holidays; New Year’s Day, President’s Day (for staff development), Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day (for staff development), Thanksgiving Day and the day after, Christmas Day and December 26th. We will close at 3:00 pm on both December 24th and December 31st.

FEE SCHEDULE

GROUP / FULL WEEK / DAILY / HALF DAY
INFANT / $245.00 / $57.50 / $39.75
TODDLER / $225.00 / $52.50 / $34.75
TODD/PRE / $200.00 / $50.00 / $32.75
PRESCHOOL/PRE-K / $185.00 / $47.50 / $29.75
BEFORE SCHOOL / $8.50
AFTER SCHOOL / $15.50
BEFORE/AFTER / $115.00 / $24.00

A family discount of 10% will be applied to the weekly tuition off the oldest child.

NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY

Our center, its agents or employees will not discriminate in any way, educational programs, services, or employment on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, color, religion, age, marital status, national origin, ancestry, mental retardation, learning disability, toilet training status, or any other legally protected class.

INTAKE PROCEDURE

  1. Parent calls
  2. Parent and child come to see the center by appointment or walk-in and meet with the Director.
  3. If there is an opening, parent is given all required paperwork to complete and sign.
  4. A deposit of one week’s tuition is left to hold the child’s spot. No spot is held without a deposit. This deposit is used for the last week’s enrollment.
  5. Parent gives director the child’s start date.
  6. If there is no opening, child is put on the wait list. The Director will call when an opening is available.

Prior to a child’s official start date at Peanuts, we strongly encourage that parents and children visit the center at least 3 times for a period of no less than 1 hour each time. This will help the parent and child to become more familiar with us and will help ease the transition phase once the family begins care.

ENROLLMENT

At the time of enrollment, we require the following:

  1. A registration fee of $40.00 for a single child, or $60.00 for the family, which is non-refundable.
  2. A completed current health and immunization record from your child’s pediatrician, prior to child’s start date.
  3. Our registration packet completed and signed.
  4. The parent handbook agreement signed.
  5. A deposit equal to one week’s tuition, which is non-refundable, and tuition for the first week.

TUITION, WITHDRAWAL of CHILD, and DISMISSAL of CHILD

Your tuition is due every Fridayfor the following week. Please keep in mind that your rate is due weekly, even if your child is out sick, or if we are closed for holidays or emergency snow closings.

A deposit equaling one week’s tuitionis due at the time of enrollment. This deposit is NON REFUNDABLE, but will be applied to your last week’s tuition, only if we receive a full two weeks written notice. No refund checks/payments will be issued for either prepayment or tuition deposits. Credits will be given only at the Director’s discretion. Deposit will cover normal scheduled hours and at no time will be extended or saved.

If we plan to increase tuition rates, you will be notified of such increase at least 30 days prior to the actual increase. Rates will be good for one year.

We will also charge a late fee of $10.00 per day for all checks not received by Friday evening at closing time. If a payment is made on Monday, it will need to include a $10.00 late fee. Late fees will continue to incur each day tuition is not paid. So, if payment is brought in on Tuesday, a $20.00 late fee must be included. Your payment must be made by drop off on Wednesday or your child may not attend the center until such payment is received.

If your child is not scheduled to be in on Friday’s, you may leave payment on the last day your child attends. These payments may be post dated. If your child is out sick on a Friday, and payment is received on Monday morning, the late fee will be waived for this reason only.

If tuition is paid on a monthly basis, a 3% discount is given. A late fee will be incurred if payment is not made when due for the upcoming month.

ADDITIONAL FEES, LATE PICK-UP CLOSING POLICY and YEARLY FEE

There will be a returned check fee of $25.00 per check. Money orders or cash will be required after two returned checks.

A fee of $1.00 per minutewill be imposed for any reason that your child is picked up after closing – NO EXCEPTIONS! This fee needs to be included in your next tuition payment. Never pay the late pick up fee directly to the closing staff. After 10 minutes late, the staff will start to call your emergency contacts to have them pick the child up. If emergency contacts can not be reached and your child is still on the premises at 7:00 pm then the child may be deemed abandoned andthe staff in charge will be responsible for contacting the Department of Children and Families and the Southampton police.

VACATION POLICY

Full time children will receive one weekno tuition. Children must be absent from the program to use the vacation policy. Vacation time will not be granted within the first 90 days of enrollment. Vacation time will be figured from January 1st to December 31st. Part time children enrolled less than 3 FULL days will receive no vacation credits. If at any time a leave of absence is granted, at the Director’s discretion, all vacation time will be forfeited for that year. Vacation requests must be in writing two weeks prior, and only two families per week will be granted their wish to take vacation from tuition. If more than two families request vacation time for the same week, you may take vacation, pay for this week, but not pay on a different selected week. Children enrolled from September through June only, receive no vacation credit.

DROP OFF and PICK UP PROCEDURES

Parents must bring their children into the facility each day. Children may not enter or exit the building without an accompanying adult. Upon arrival to the center, each parent mustsign in their child in the attendance book located by the door of the office/entrance of the center. The same procedure should be followed when picking up each child. Parents should check their child’s cubby and mailbox for art work going home or for anything else that is going home, such as, newsletters, calendars, teacher notices, etc.,.

If someone other than the parent is picking up a child, we require a written note from the child’s parents, and then we will require the person picking up the child to show us a picture ID. Please let them know an ID is required to remove a child from our center. Under no circumstances will we allow a child to leave the premises, if this step is not carried out. If you forget to send a note, you may call us to let us know who will be picking up your child then we will require a note stating such, be faxed to the center.

Family members, parents, and/or grandparents who come to the center to pick up a child will be asked for identification if the staff members present have not yet met them.

In the event of custodial disputes, we must have legal documentation regarding child custody on file.

Please notify the center by 9:00 a.m., if your child is going to be absent or late. We appreciate your cooperation in this matter. This way we can schedule staff accordingly, and your child’s class can begin the day without waiting and wasting time.

IMPAIRED JUDGEMENT

Since our staff members are legally responsible for the welfare of the children in our care, we are not allowed to release a child into the custody of a person who represents a danger to the child. If, in the staff’s opinion, a parent/guardian’s judgment is impaired by the use of alcohol and/or drugs, the staff WILL NOT release the child. Instead, staff members will ask the parent to make other arrangements. For example, he/she may be asked to call a person listed on the emergency contact list. Should the parent/guardian prove to be uncooperative in this matter, the staff will call the local emergency number, 911 for assistance.

SEPARATION ANXIETY

While many children are able to enter childcare with little to no anxiety some children however, find this transition to be difficult for them. Our teachers will do everything they possibly can to help both the child and the parent overcome the anxiety of separation. It has been our experience that children will calm down and begin to explore their environment once the parent is out of sight.

To help ease the anxiety on both child and parent we have a few tips that maybe helpful.

1.)Start a goodbye routine and make sure to do it each day.

2.)Neversneak out of the center. Always say good-bye when you are ready to leave. When sneaking out unnoticed it’s hard for the child to build trust with his teachers.

3.)When saying good-bye always say it with a kiss, a hug and a wave, then go on your way. When the good-bye is prolonged the transition becomes much harder for both the child and the parent.

PARENT/TEACHER COMMUNICATION

Daily notes detailing naps, diaper changes, meals and special activities of the day will be completed and sent home at the end of each day for the children in the infant and toddler programs. For those who are in the toddler-preschool, preschool and pre-k programs, a white board is located in each room detailing the day’s events. Individual notices will be sent home if information needs to be shared with someone’s parents.

A newsletter is sent home each month. Each classroom teacher contributes information regarding their class, and administrative information is detailed by the Director. At any time, we always encourage input for our newsletters.

Telephones are located throughout the facility and parents are encouraged to call their child’s teacher, if they would like to check on their child during the day. Parents who have children in the toddler and preschool programs are encouraged to call between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., if possible.

PARENT PARTICIPATION

Parents are always welcome to visit their children during the day. We have an open door policy and welcome parents at all times. If parents wish to participate in a special activity with their child’s class, they are always invited to join. We will have various events throughout the year that we would love your participation in, such as, Birthday Parties, Holiday Parties, Graduation Parties, Mother’s Day Tea, Father’s Day Ice Cream Social, etc.,. If you would like to share a special project/talent with the children, check with your child’s teacher to schedule an appropriate time for such special project/talent to take place.

POTTY TRAINING

We encourage you to work with your child’s teacher(s) on this issue. A clear understanding must be carried out at both the center and at home. While potty training, please do not dress your child in clothing which could be discouraging for him/her, for example, onesies, bib pants, belts, etc. We also ask that you provide plenty of extra clothing for your child while potty training. This includes pants, underwear, socks, shirts and even an extra pair of shoes. At home and at the center the same reward system should also be followed. At no time do we encourage discipline in potty training.

DRESS

We will be involved in many activities that are messy, such as, water play, painting, outside play, etc. Because we know that children learn best when activities are hands on and we want all children to participate fully in these activities, we request that your child not come to school in clothes that you would not like to see dirty or stained.

While we will not be responsible for stains or other damage to your child’s clothes, we will do everything we can to keep them in good condition.

PROGRESS REPORTS and CONFERENCES

Progress Reportsfor those in the toddler and preschool programs will be completed and sent home x2 per year. For those children in the infant program, progress reports will be completed and sent home every 3 months. These reports will be based on the teacher’s observation and documentation, through notes, pictures, art work, writing samples, etc. of the child’s progress in the developmental domains of Cognitive, Social/Emotional. Language, Fine and Gross Motor Skills and Life Skills and are designed to provide parents with a portrait of their child’s experiences, activities and accomplishments while at the center.

Parent Conferences will be offered with each progress report and are also available throughout the year if requested.

TRANSITION TO THE NEXT CLASSROOM

While children will move up into the next classroom as a group at the start of the school year session (last week in August), there will be occasions that children will move between groups during the school year, if it is felt it would be a better situation for the child and there is space available. When this happens you will be notified verbally from your child’s teacher and/or in writing from the Director.

All children who will be moving from one class to another will be given many opportunities to visit the new class at various times throughout the day to help them become familiar and comfortable with the teachers, the children, the class itself and the expectations of said class, which will make the final transition to the class smooth and easy for the child.

While the length of the transition process may be different for all children, no child will move into the new room until they are comfortable. During the transition process the teachers from the newclassroom will contact parents with any necessary information pertaining to that class.

When a child transitions out of our program and into another, we will assist in any way we can. If parents want and request in writing, we will provide the new program with copies of progress reports, incident reports, and any other information that will help the program learn about the child.

LAUNDRY

We will provide the bedding (sheets) for all infant cribs. These will be changed weekly or more often as needed and will be stored separately. However, we ask that each child bring a favorite blanket from home along with a crib sheet for their mats at nap time. These items will need to be brought home weekly, every Friday, to be laundered and then returned on Monday... Please make sure all personal belongings are labeled.

BABYSITTING

Our center will not be responsible for any accident, injury, or occurrences, which are a result of our staff being hired for personal babysitting. If a staff member is to remove your child from the facility, they must be added to your pickup list, and you shall assume all responsibility.

PERSONAL BELONGINGS, TOYS, BOOKS, and CLOTHING

Our center, any employee, or agent will not be responsible for any toys, articles of clothing, or personal belongings that are missing, damaged or ruined while in our care.

OUTDOOR PLAY

As we will be goingoutdoors daily, we ask that you please dress your child appropriately. The director will decide whether or not outdoor play should be scheduled, if weather conditions are above 98F or below 32F. During the summer, hats and sun block will need to be provided for your child. We may also request they have a bathing suit, towel and water shoes available to them for water play. No open toed shoes or loose fitting shoes are allowed on the playground. Please make sure that your child has a pair of sneakers available to them each day. During the colder months all children need to have a winter jacket, snow pants, boots, hat and mittens. If your child cannot go outdoors due to the lack of attire at the center,you may be asked to pick up your child or immediately bring in appropriate clothing. We cannot afford to keep one staff member inside to watch one child only, as this staff is needed outside to maintain the ratio given by DEEC.