Positive Guidance & Discipline Policy

Standard:

This policy sets forth the company guidelines on all positive guidance and discipline of children. Staff members must always use positive methods of guidance with emphasis on redirection and self control of the child.

Procedure:

At The Gardner School we seek to build a child’s self-esteem by helping them develop self-control and responsibility for their actions. Expected behavior is based on the developmental level of each child. To help employees use positive guidance and discipline while dealing with our children, the company has established guidelines for all employees to follow. These guidelines are designed for the safety and protection of all children, to help children learn:

-Acceptable social behavior

-Positive techniques to solve their own problems

-Intrinsic motivation to solve future conflicts on their own as they arise

When dealing with children, each employee’s goal should be to help each child learn self-control and self-discipline. You can achieve this goal by:

-Encouraging children to use language to resolve conflicts whenever possible.

-Redirecting children away from problems towards constructive activities in order to reduce conflict

-Ensure that each child is provided with a positive model of acceptable behavior

-Refraining from using developmentally inappropriate language or discipline with children.

-Implementing developmentally appropriate programs and guidance for the children in our care between six weeks and six years of age.

-Teaching children how to use acceptable alternatives to problem behavior in order to reduce conflict

-Protecting the safety of children and staff persons

-Providing immediate and directly related consequences for a child’s unacceptable behavior

At our company, no employee is permitted to use physical punishment on a child or belittle a child in any way. You are prohibited from using the following as means of punishment on a child, including your own, while on company property:

  • Hitting, shaking, biting, pinching, pulling, pushing, rough handling, shoving, hair pulling, ear pulling, slapping, kicking, spanking or inflicting any other form of corporal punishment
  • Restricting a child’s movement by binding, tying or any other type of physical or mechanical restraint or time-out
  • Mental or emotional cruelty such as humiliating, shaming, threatening, name calling, ostracism, derogatory remarks about child or their family, or frightening a child
  • Separation of a child from the group, except within the rule requirements
  • Punishment for lapses in toileting/accidents
  • Withholding food, light, warmth, clothing, or medical care as a punishment for unacceptable behavior
  • Depriving a child of meals, snacks, rest, recreation time or necessary toilet use, etc.
  • The use of physical restraints other than to physically hold a child where confinement is necessary to protect a child or others from harm
  • Confining a child in any enclosed area such as a closet, locker room, cubicle, etc.
  • Leaving children unattended or unsupervised for any amount of time
  • Separation from the group, unless the following has occurred
  • Less intrusive methods of guiding the child’s behavior have been tried and were ineffective
  • The child’s behavior threatens the well-being of the child or other children in the program
  • A child who requires separation from the group must:
  • Remain within an unenclosed part of the classroom where the child can be continuously seen and heard by a program staff person
  • The child’s return to the group must be contingent on the child’s stopping or bringing under control the behavior that precipitated the separation; and
  • The child must be returned to the group as soon as the behavior that precipitated the separation abates or stops
  • Must be documented on the Minnesota DHS Separation Report
  • Children between the ages of six weeks and 16 months must not be separated from the group as a means of behavior guidance

It is absolutely mandatory that all employees strictly adhere to this policy. Staff will adhere to all disciplinary requirements imposed by the applicable state licensing authority. The regulations of the state licensing agency will supersede the policy of The Gardner School in the event of a conflict in our positive guidance and discipline policy. As mandated reporters, employees must notify their School Director and State Licensing Agency of any known discipline that is inappropriate.

The School Director and staff will make every attempt to include parents/guardians in the guidance process. If the behavior is considered a safety risk to other children, staff or property is uncontrollable or the child repeatedly misbehaves, the parent/guardian must work with the School Director to resolve the behavior concern. If the parents refuse to work with the School to resolve the behavior concern or there continues to be behavioral concerns that are not resolved through behavior modification techniques, dis-enrollment may result.

Please sign to acknowledge you have read and understand The Gardner School’s Positive Guidance and Discipline Policy.

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Parent/Employee SignatureDate