God’s Garden - Assurance UMC After School Program
Family Guidelines 2012-2013
Registration
Online registration and printable registration forms are available at
Paper registration forms are available atAssurance United Methodist Church, which is located at
9700 Mt. Holly-Huntersville Rd., Huntersville, NC 28078.
There is a $45 registration fee per child, which is due by the child’s first day of attendance.
Program Fees
Regular weekly fees for full-time care (Mon-Fri) are $62 for the first child and $58 for each sibling.
Regular fees for part-time care are $15/day.
Fee Payment
Fees are to be paid monthly and are due on or before the 1st of the monthfor that month’s care. (For example, September’s care should be paid by Sept. 1st) Please contact the program Director if monthly payments are unable to be paid for any reason. For your convenience, a monthly invoice will be sent via email. However, fees may be paid in advance for any period of time.
Fees should be paid online using the following website:
Or you may go to the Assurance UMC website at and click on the “Giving” tab. You will be required to create a User Login. If payments are not able to be made using the recommended online method, please contact the program Director to set up specific payment options for your needs.
Late Payment Penalties:Monthly payments are considered late if fees are not received by the 1st of the month and will result ina $15 late fee which will be automatically assessed. An account is considered past due if not paid by the 1st and there is a prior balance due. The total balance due must then be paid within two weeks in order to avoid possible dismissal from the program.
However, please do not hesitate to contact the program Director if you experience any financial hardship or special circumstances preventing you from being able to make your payment(s).
Returned Check Fee: There will be a $15 charge for returned checks.
Days of Operation
God’s Garden will begin operation on the first day of school each year, and will operate on every regular school day Monday-Friday, 3pm-6pm. God’s Garden will not be open on school-recognized holidays.
PLEASE NOTE: Full weekly fees are charged for school weeks with holidays
Holidays
Labor Day: September 3, 2012
Veterans Day: November 12, 2012
Thanksgiving Break: November21-23, 2012
Winter Break:December 21, 2012 – January 1, 2013*
Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday: January 21, 2012
Presidents’ Day: February 18, 2013
Spring Break: April 1-5, 2013*
Memorial Day Holiday: May 27, 2013
*God’s Garden will offer optional full days of care during Winter and Spring Breaks.
Fees for full break days are $35.00 daily for the first child in a family and $32.00 per day for each sibling. There must be a minimum of 10 children registered to be able to offer programming for this specified fee. (If 5-10 children register, programming may still be offered, but with an increase in the fee. The cost would then be dependent upon the number of children registered. If this special circumstance arises, parents will be notified of the fee as soon as an accurate count can be obtained of how many children have registered, as each situation/fee will vary.)
Teacher Workdays
God’s Garden will offer full days of programming from 8am-6pm on CMS teacher workdays during the school year.There will be a $35 fee for these full-days of care, which will replace the normal fee for that day.
Full-time care would be charged an additional $22.60 for the first child and $23.40 for siblings. Part-time students would be charged an additional $20.00 if the teacher workday falls on a regular attendance day or $35 if it falls on a day the child does not regularly attend.)
Teacher workdays
October 29th and November 6th of 2012
January 22nd and March 29th of 2013
Inclement Weather
God’s Gardenwill not operate when school is closed due to weather conditions. If school closes early due to inclement weather, we will not be open and parents should arrange to pick up their child at school. Normal fees are still charged for closure days due to inclement weather.
Absence
Full fees are charged when a child is absent.
Extended Absence: If a child needs to be away from the program for two weeks or more, the parent may arrange ahead of time to hold the child’s placement in the program by paying one-half the usual weekly fee during the weeks absent. However, if there is a waiting list for new enrollments at the time of absence, full payment will be required to hold the space.
Authorized Persons to Pick Up Child
God’s Garden must have written authorization from a parent for anyone picking up their child other than persons listed on the child’s “Authorized Person to pick up” form. Authorized persons must be 18 years of age or older.
Late Pickup Penalties
If a parent is going to be late picking up a child, we ask that you please call to notify us of your estimated arrival time so that we may plan accordingly.
A late pickup fee will be charged at a rate of $3.00 per child per minute. This fee should be paid on the day of the occurrence at the time of pickup. After the third late pickup, an increased fee of $5.00 per child per minute will be charged. After the fifth late pickup, a child may be excluded from the program.
Termination
Parents are asked to give a two week notice when planning to terminate their child’s participation in God’s Garden After School program. If a child is absent for two weeks without communication from parents, we will assume the child’s participation has been terminated, and will drop the enrollment.
Sick Children and Epidemic Control Policy
For the protection of all students enrolled in the program, God’s Garden will not allow a child to participate in a group if s/he shows any of the following symptoms: a fever of 101 degrees or higher, diarrhea, vomiting, a rash, nasal discharge or discharge from eyes or ears, or conjunctivitis (pink eye). Should a child develop these symptoms while in school and be sent to AUMC, or should symptoms develop while in After School care, the child will be removed from the group and the parent(s) will be contacted to pick up the child. The child may return to the program when s/he has been symptom-free for 24 hours. This is for the other children’s safety. Please do not send your child to After School until s/he has been symptom free for a full 24 hours.
***Parents will be informed if there is an outbreak of a communicableillness in their child’s group.
Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect
North Carolina law requires that any person who suspects a case of child abuse or neglect must report those concerns to the proper agency.
Safe Sanctuaries
Assurance UMC is a Safe Sanctuaries church and God’s Garden falls under its guidelines. You may obtain a copy of the Safe Sanctuaries policies through the program Director.
Code of Conduct
Parents and Children are expected to adhere to the Code of Conduct included in this booklet.
(please see attached “Code of Conduct” for further details)
Parent Participation
We encourage your involvement with God’s Garden After School program in any of a number of ways:
• Communicate with staff about your child’s experience
• Volunteer
• Make a presentation to the children about your job or specialtalent
• Donate snacks, games, books, or toys
• Ask your kids about what they’re learning at After School and find ways to relate that to their home life
Parent Questions and Concerns: contact Heather Love*, Director at 704-391-9567 ext. 33
or
*During the After School hours of 3pm-6pm, please contact Heather at 920-362-7303.
You may call or text, as this is a mobile number.