Elevate Child Care Center Llc

ELEVATE CHILD CARE CENTER LLC

PARENT HANDBOOK

First Edition, January 2017

Updated December 2017

Welcome to Elevate Child Care Center!

The information contained in this Parent Handbook will introduce you to the philosophy and organization of our center. It will serve as a quick reference to our daily operating policies and procedures. Your familiarity with the information within this handbook will help to make your child(ren)’s time with us an enjoyable and rewarding experience. Not all policies and procedures are listed here, but will be available upon request and posted at the center or online. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

We look forward to providing a safe and structured play and learning environment for your child(ren), as well as working with you to secure a firm foundation of successful growth and learning.

Elevate Child Care Center follows ADA laws and is an equal opportunity employer and provider.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Philosophy & Communication3

Our Staff4

After School Program

Tutoring Program6

Dance 7

Tumbling 7

Movie Day8

Clubs8

Outings9

After School Program Example Schedule10

Summer Program

Summer Program11

Summer Program Example Schedule12

Weekend Care13

Daily Policies

Hours of Operation14

Security System14

Open Door Policy15

Drop Off / Pick Up Policies15

Transportation16

Personal Belongings16

Meals and Snacks17

Discipline Policy18

Confidentiality20

Inclement Weather Policy20

Wellness Policy21

Mandated Reporting23

Financial Policies24

High School Scholarships26

Signature Page (to be returned to Elevate)27

PHILOSOPHY & COMMUNICATION

The job of a child care provider is to support the role of the parent and provide a safe and structured environment for the children in care. Elevate Child Care Center will strive to enhance the physical, emotional, and cognitive growth of each and every child.

We believe that good childcare is dependant upon consistent care giving in a positive atmosphere. Children learn and grow best in a safe environment that provides opportunities to explore, create, and communicate with their peers and adults. The program is designed to be inclusive of all children, including those with identified disabilities, special learning, and developmental needs. The Elevate program is designed to include planned, free choice, and spontaneous activities in response to children’s interests. Experiences with music, movement, developing control and refinement of gross motor skills, art and developing fine motor skills, language and communication, and continued academics are incorporated into daily plans. Regularly scheduled snacks and meals, homework and quiet time, indoor and outdoor play, and stable routines promote children’s health, comfort, and budding individuality and self-sufficiency. Children are encouraged to develop a positive self-image and respect for others, to learn inner controls, and to cooperate with peers and caregivers. Clearly defined rules and boundaries help them recognize and accept their emotions and appropriately express their feelings as they continue to grow and gain a feeling of security in the world around them.

Clear communication is of the utmost importance. When a new child is enrolled into our center, we like to be sure that we can share openly about any concerns or questions that may arise. Parents and teachers become a team, and it is important that there is a similar child care philosophy between the center and its families. Parents will be contacted via phone or email should any issue arise after acceptance into the program. We welcome questions, feedback, or discussions of any kind that are oriented toward a positive outcome for the child(ren). Sensitive issues will be discussed in private at a mutually beneficial time. Elevate’s Director, Sara Grant, can be contacted via phone or email. We ask that communications for any reason not be done through texting unless there is no other way. Head Teacher personal phone numbers will not be given out. Communications with your child’s Head Teacher will be managed through Mrs. Grant.

Thank you for choosing Elevate Child Care Center!

Sara Grant, Director

(207) 944-6186

Elevate Child Care Center LLC

Dirigo Drive

Brewer, ME

OUR STAFF

Elevate will be a fully licensed child care center. All of our Head Teachers will be minimally or more than qualified under State of Maine requirements for Head Teachers in Facilities Licensed for 50 or More Children as described below, and all will be registered with the Maine Roads to Quality Network.

Rules for the Licensing of Child Care Facilities

Section 28.4.1.5

Credential and experience. Child Development Associate (CDA) as awarded by the CDA National Credentialing Program with five (5) years direct childcare experience; or

Section 28.4.1.6

Experience and training. Seven (7) years experience and one hundred and eighty (180) hours of training in healthy, safe environments, child development; observation and assessment; developmentally appropriate practice; guidance; relationships with families; individual and cultural diversity or business and professional development; childcare, early childhood education, topics related to operating a Child Care Facility; or other subjects related to the age or characteristics of children for whom care is planned.

Section 28.4.1.7

School-Age Childcare Programs. Directors and/or head teachers of School-Age Childcare Programs (Section 23) will have a BA/BS in Early Childhood Education or a closely related field such as elementary education, youth development, or recreation management or have an AA/AS in Early Childhood Education or a closely related field, such as elementary education, youth development, or recreation management and two (2) years experience.

Our Director, Sara Grant, is qualified by the State of Maine Licensing Department as Director under the same guidelines. She has nine years of experience as a Child Care Center Director and is currently rated a Level 5 in the Maine Roads to Quality system. Though her current position is administrative in nature, there will rarely be a day when she is not found working with the children in the tutoring program, in dance/tumbling classes, or generally interacting with the children or joining in activities.

Most Summer Assistants, Floaters, and Substitutes will be qualified as Group Leaders. Minimum qualifications to be considered a Group Leader is as follows:

Section 27.5.2

Group Leader. The Group Leader or person having the primary responsibility for a group of children in a facility with thirteen (13) or more children shall be at least eighteen (18) years of age and meet one of the following: CDA as awarded by the CDA National Credentialing Program, six (6) months experience working in a child care facility licensed for thirteen or more children, or one year (30 credit hours) of college work including a course in a child related subject.

All other employees must meet the following minimal requirements for entry level positions as stated by the Rules for the Licensing of Childcare Facilities:

Section 28.4.2.1 – 28.4.2.3.3

All staff shall be at least eighteen (18) years old.

All staff shall have a high school diploma or equivalent or be attending high school or be enrolled in a GED (General Educational Development) preparation program.

All staff shall demonstrate the following:

The ability and willingness to comply with all applicable laws and rules;

The ability to provide safe and compassionate services; and

A history of honest and lawful conduct.

The center provides ongoing training to all non-seasonal employees, including first aid and CPR certifications. Summer Assistants who intend to continue their education in child care services, upon continuing work into the After School Program or returning for a second summer season will begin receiving paid training by the center.

Volunteers are always welcome at Elevate! Parents, guardians, family, friends, and students 16 and over may be present at the facility and helping with daily activities at any time. Please give Elevate at least one weeks notice if you would like to volunteer, as we must create a personnel file and run a state background check on anyone wishing to work with the children in our care. Volunteers are welcome to bring in a special activity or lead a special class; we ask volunteers to give us one week of notice as we might have to make schedule changes to make sure your activity has the time it needs to complete and send out permission slips if needed.

AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM

Our After School Program supports and encourages the development of confidence, independence, and responsibility. We at Elevate know all these are essential for a child’s ongoing success throughout all life experiences.

Our program focuses on social, emotional, intellectual, and physical development by offering structured and free choice activities for the children in both one-on-one and group dynamics. For example, the tutoring program is designed to actively engage each child with developmental and age appropriate activities exploring the content areas of literacy, mathematics, science, and social studies. The program is exciting, challenging, and supportive of each child's own learning style, helping them to achieve age and developmentally appropriate academic levels. Our room arrangements allow children easy access to toys, activities, materials, and books during Free Play, which enables them to initiate and expand their individual choice activities. Rooms are organized with areas for block and building play, manipulative toys, art creativity, dramatic play, and quiet actives such as reading, drawing, or board games, in addition to large open spaces for group and gross motor skills activities.

Children enrolled in our After School Program enjoy a structured schedule that allows for some flexibility. Our schedule helps the day flow more smoothly and allows the children to anticipate upcoming events. Having a routine promotes a sense of security. There will be times when we have to make adjustments to the schedule, but we will adhere to our written schedule to the best of our ability.

Upon entering the facility each child will bring their backpacks/coats/etc. to their designated spaces in the Mud Room. Children with their own snacks/drinks will retrieve these and all will go to the General Purpose Room. Children are provided 30 minutes of homework/tutoring time directly after snack. We help all children regardless of whether or not they’re in the Tutoring Programwith their regular homework. If you would rather your child do their homework at home instead of at the center, written notice is required. All children who do not have homework or who do it at home will have a minimum of 15 minutes quiet reading time. Following the homework/tutoring time is a structured dance/tumbling/art/club activity. Fridays are movie days for those who wish to participate.

Tutoring Program

When a child comes into our program and is behind their peers in academic courses, we will provide tutoring at no extra cost to the parent/guardian. Before a child joins the tutoring program there must be a meeting between the parent, the Director, and the child’s primary school teacher. We will work as a team to help your child reach age and developmentally appropriate academic goals.

Our teachers provide learning activities in both one-on-one and group dynamics for children in our tutoring program. They document children’s development, participation, and learning throughout the program. General assessments are ongoing and gathered from structured individual and group lessons (when applicable). When a child’s skills reach an age and developmentally appropriate level as deemed by the center’s teachers, school teacher, and parents, and all agree tutoring services are no longer required, the child will resume regular “homework/reading time” activities. The tutoring program also runs during the summer months for one hour each day. This time is not a substitute for traditional Summer School.

Dance

Elevate provides free dance lessons in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and Hip Hop. During the After School Program, each class is provided for 30 minutes per week per group of children and teaches technique in each dance style from September through May. Starting in May the children begin practicing routines with music for the Summer Showcase in August. Summer Program lessons focus on mastering skills and techniques and practicing routines for the Showcase.

Clothing must be “exercise appropriate”, meaning nothing excessively loose or tight. No jeans or baggy clothing. Traditional leotards and tights are fine but not required for ballet and tap. Children can bring clothes to change into or leave dance practice clothing in their cubby for up to two weeks (two classes) unless soiled, at which time they must be brought home and laundered.

Elevate will provide all ballet slippers and tap shoes for use at the center. Children may use their own dance shoes if they have them and bring them on dance days or leave them in their shoe cubbies. Children signed up for Jazz and/or Hip Hop will wear their regular sneakers. Elevate will provide all costumes for the Summer Showcase at no cost to parents/guardians. Parents may choose to purchase their child’s costume(s) at cost from Elevate at any time before or directly after a Showcase.

A signed Participation Form is required for children to be enrolled in any dance program at Elevate.

Tumbling

Tumbling class, or “floor gymnastics”, is provided for free for one hour per group of children per week. Skills learned in these classes range from the basics of forward and backward rolls up to more advanced tumbling such as tucks, layouts, and aerials.

Children wearing extra long/loose/baggy/restrictive clothes must have spare clothes to change into for tumbling class. Extra loose or restrictive clothing can be a hindrance and even a danger in these types of lessons, and if clothing is not appropriate the child will not be able to participate. In short, if they shouldn’t wear it for gym class at school, they shouldn’t wear it for Tumbling. No shoes are required for Tumbling as these lessons are practiced barefoot on tumbling mats.

Practices run from September through May. In May the children will begin practicing routines for the Summer Showcase. Summer Program lessons will focus on refining technique and mastering skills while practicing routines for the Showcase. Elevate will provide all costumes for Showcases at no cost to parents/guardians. Parents may choose to purchase their child’s costume(s) at cost from Elevate at any time before or directly after a Showcase.

Movie Day

Every other Friday the center will play a movie for the children. At the end of each movie week a notice will go out to parents/guardians of the next movie selection. If you do not wish your child to participate in Movie Day for any reason, the center must receive written notice. Movie Day is optional for the children and they do not have to watch any movie provided. Children who have begun a movie but do not wish to continue watching may go to another activity, but may not return to the movie once they’ve chosen to leave.

Clubs

Art Club- This club will focus on developing and refining artistic skills as well as working on more advanced art projects. Some projects will be for sale at the Summer Showcase to help fund-raise for Outings.

Choral Club- This club will meet for voice lessons and singing practice. The club will perform at the Summer Showcase.

Drama Club- This club will learn about and develop skills in dramatic arts. The club will put on a short play during the Summer Showcase.

Garden Club- This club will learn about growing organic fruits, vegetables, and flowers. They will help tend the landscaping around the center and raised beds of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Fruits and veggies will be harvested for fresh snacks, and flowers will be cut and arranged for sale at the Summer Showcase to help fund-raise for Outings.

Lego Club- This club is designed to foster creativity and cooperation within frameworks of individual and group projects. The club will design their own building plans and constructions given specific conditions and instructions. Some creations will be on display at the Summer Showcase.

Logic Club- This club will focus on practicing both linear and abstract thinking skills. The club will play logic, strategy, and thought focused games, and work on science experiments and logic projects. Some projects and experiments will be on display at the Summer Showcase.

Music Club- This club will learn how to read music and receive lessons/practice time on their instruments provided by parents or schools. Elevate will provide some instruments for use at the center.

Outings

Outings (field trips) are earned special activities. When an Outing is planned a notice describing the Outing (destination, date and time of departure from the center and arrival back to the center, any needed gear such as bathing suits and towels, what the center will provide for snacks/meals, etc) and a permission slip will go out to all parents at least two weeks beforehand. Children will go on Outings with the Director or a Head Teacher, and one assistant(another Head Teacher, Group Leader, or Assistant Teacher) in groups of ten. Children without permission slips or those who have not earned the Outing by their date will remain at the center for regular center activities. All outings are paid for by the center and require no additional fees from parents, though donations are gladly accepted and volunteers welcome. After School Program Outings will mainly be of an educational nature to museums, farms, galleries, police or fire stations, etc.