Parent Handbook

Welcome to Grin and Grow

As our name implies, we’re interested in providing a positive environment where your child can grow socially, intellectually, emotionally and physically. This handbook is designed to help acquaint you with Grin and Grow’s philosophy, policies and procedures.

Mission, Philosophy and Goals of Grin and Grow

The mission of Grin and Grow is to provide a safe, nurturing, quality early childhood education program to a diverse population regardless of income.

By providing high quality, affordable child care services, Grin and Grow is able to provide a valuable support service to working or in-school parents, while at the same time, helping your child to acquire the developmental skills needed to be successful in school and in later life.

Grin and Grow seeks to help in your efforts to raise your child while at work or meeting school obligations. We do not exist to replace the parent, but rather, to act as an extension of the family. Parents are always welcomed in the classroom. Feel free to visit at any time to see how your child’s day is going or to evaluate center services.

Parents are invited to serve on Grin and Grow’s Program Review Committee and on our Board of Directors. See the section on parent involvement for more information on how you can be involved in making Grin and Grow the best learning environment for your child!

At Grin and Grow we are committed to the following a goals:

  • To provide you with affordable infant and preschool-aged child care.
  • To provide a safe nurturing and supportive environment for your child.
  • To promote your child’s social, emotional, physical and intellectual growth and development.
  • To provide your child with an educational environment that is developmentally appropriate to their age, addresses individual needs, and allows your child to develop at his/her own rate.
  • To promote the elimination of racism, sexism, and child abuse.
  • To provide your child with positive experiences that celebrates diversity in individual families.
  • To provide opportunities for parents to enhance their individual parenting skills.
  • To promote community education and outreach on child care, parenting skills, and other issues in early childhood education that affects both you and your child.

I. Program Information

Grin and Grow provides early childhood education and child care services at two center locations:

Pinecrest Center1407 Independence Ave., Waterloo, Iowa

West 4th St. Center608 West 4th St., Waterloo, Iowa

Services at these centers are provided through the following program options:

General Child Care Services Program

Families not participating in Project High Hopes, but seeking child care and preschool services may enroll their child in Grin and Grow’s General Child Care Services Program. Under its General Child Care Services Program, Grin and Grow provides full day, full year services for children between the ages of 6 weeks to 5 years of age. The program can also accommodate part-time and half-day enrollments upon space availability.

Children enrolled under our General Child Care Services Program are enrolled into classrooms based upon their age and developmental abilities. Preschool classrooms are led by teachers with degrees in Early Childhood Education, Child Development or related degrees. All classrooms adhere to state regulations regarding the number of staff to children ratios. All classroom staff are trained in first aid and CPR, and are screened through the Iowa Department of Humans Services for child abuse or other convictions prohibiting their employment in a child care setting.

Our daily charge for services is based upon the number of“units of care” your child receives in a day’s time. A unit care is defined as a 5-hour block of time. Children will be charged for one unit of care for the first 5 hours of service, and for two units of care for anything over 5 hours.

Parents are required to notify the center on any day that your child is scheduled to attend but will be absent. Notification is needed so that the center can adjust staffing patterns and food service for the day. Failure to notify the center of your child’s absence may result in your being charged for the day. You may be charged for up to 8 units of caredue to non-attendance on regularly scheduled days in any given month.

Payment on your account is expected by Friday of each week or on Monday of the following week. Where payment on your account is overdue, you may be charged a monthly late fee. In some instances your child’s enrollment may be suspended. Outstanding accounts left unpaid at the time that your child is no longer enrolled will be turned over to a collection agency for settlement.

Actual costs for services may be reduced if your child is eligible for participation in the State Voluntary Preschool Program or in one of several scholarship programs offered through our agency.

Project High Hopes

Project High Hopes is a Shared Visions program offered at no charge to families whose family income is at or below 130% of federal poverty levels. To be enrolled in this program, which is separate from our General Child Care Services Program, you must meet income requirements and your child must be four years of age by September 15th of the program year. This program is limited to a maximum of sixteen participants each year. This program is funded through a special grant and is provided without charge to the parent.

State Voluntary Preschool Program

Grin and Grow is a participant in collaboration with the Waterloo School District in the state of Iowa’s newly established Voluntary Preschool Program. Under this program, morning preschool services are provided free of charge to children for the school year. To be eligible for this service, your child must be four years of age by September 15th of the school year. Enrollment in this program is limited by the number of enrollment slots allocated to Grin and Grow by the Waterloo School District. Priority is given to parents seeking morning preschool services and full day child care. This program is provided through special state funds and is provided without charge to the parent regardless of family income size.

II. Enrollment Information

To enroll a child at Grin and Grow the following materials must be completed at the time of enrollment:

  • Registration application
  • Family Information form
  • Emergency/Medical forms
  • Current physical of child
  • Current Immunization record
  • Emergency Authorization form
  • CCAFP application.
  • Pre-enrollment visit

This information is required by state Child Care Licensing regulations for all children enrolled in child care. Physical and immunization information are required to be updated annually.

We feel that it is important for parents and the child to visit the classroom and meet the teaching staff prior to the child’s actual start date at the center. We ask that you accompany your child into the classroom during the pre-enrollment visit. Your child will have less anxiety about attending the center and an easier time adjusting to being in a group setting if not left alone on the first visit.

Immunization and Physical Requirements

State law requires that all children enrolled in child care have current immunization records on file with the center. State regulations also require that all children enrolled have an annual physical on file. Parents are asked to provide proof of immunizations and a current physical at the time of enrollment. Failure to provide the required immunization or physical health data can result in the child’s exclusion from child care services.

Accommodations

Grin and Grow seeks to provide an early childhood environment that promotes every child’s social, emotional, physical and intellectual development. If your child has a developmental condition an assessment will be conducted to determine what program accommodations are required to provide the requested child care services. In cases where it is determined that such accommodation is beyond the scope and means of the agency to provide, assistance will be given in referring your child to an alternative early childhood service.

Accommodations requested due to dietary, religious or cultural will be observed as part of your child’s experience at Grin and Grow. Such requests for accommodations should be submitted in writing at the time of enrollment so appropriate accommodations can be made. Some dietary accommodations may require a physician’s statement when in conflict with state requirements.

Days and Hours of Operation

Grin and Grow is open Monday through Friday, 6:00 am to 6:00 pm on a year round basis. Children cannot be received for care before 6:00 am due to licensing regulations. Parents must ensure that their child has been picked up from the center by the 6:00 pm closing time. Failure to do so may result in late fees and/or termination of your child’s enrollment

Staff to Child Ratio

Grin and Grow complies with state licensing regulations regarding the number of staff present in each classroom. In general one staff person is present for every four infant and toddlers; for every six 2 year-olds; for every eight 3 year-olds; and for every twelve 4 or 5 year-olds.

Snow Days – Inclement Weather Closures

On days that the Waterloo Schools dismiss early due to snow or inclement weather conditions, Grin and Grow will continue to operate as normal through the close of the day. Parents are encouraged to pick their child up as early as possible however, to avoid worsening weather conditions

On mornings that the Waterloo Schools do not open due to weather conditions, Grin and Grow will also be closed. On days of snow closure, Grin and Grow will attempt to have closure notices on area television and radio stations by 6:00 am. Parents are urged to check your local radio or TV station for announcements.

Holiday Closure

Grin and Grow is closed on the following holidays:

  • Memorial Day
  • July 4th (Independence Day)
  • Labor Day
  • Thanksgiving (both Thursday and Friday)
  • Christmas Day
  • New Year’s Day

Because the Pinecrest Center is located in a County building, the Pinecrest Center is also closed on Veteran’s Day as both Black Hawk County and State offices are closed.

Winter Break Closure

Grin and Grow is closed for the Winter Break period between Christmas day and New Year’s Day.

Illness and Absence Policy:

If your child is running a fever (100 degrees or more), is vomiting, has diarrhea, or has an infectious disease you are required to make alternate arrangements for your child’s care until they are well. Ill children with these symptoms are highly contagious and can easily infect other children in the classroom. If your child is displaying these symptoms in the classroom, he or she will be sent home to reduce further risk of infection to the other children. Your child may return to the center after he or she has been free of fever, vomiting, or diarrhea for 24 hours, or until he or she has been on medication for at least 24 hours. A certificate of health signed by a doctor may be required before a child may re-enter the after any lengthy or serious communicable disease or illness.

If an illness prevents the child from participating comfortably in activities or creates a greater need for care than staff are able to provide without compromising the health and safety of other children, or if a child’s condition is suspected to be contagious and requires exclusion as identified by the above symptoms, the child is made comfortable in a quiet location where she or he can be separated from the general classroom activities but remain supervised by a familiar caregiver. If the child is suspected of having a contagious disease you will be notified to arrange alternative care. Parents are expected to pick their child up promptly within one hour is contacted to remove their child.

If your child has been diagnosed as having a contagious disease like chicken pox, measles or pink eye, please contact the center so that we can notify other parents of the exposure and alert them to watch for similar symptoms in their child. In cases where your child has been exposed to a contagious disease, medial notices will be posted in the center and alerts will be sent home describing the nature of exposure, symptoms to watch for, and the action needed for treatment.

Grin and Grow maintains regular contact with the Black Hawk County Department of Health and with the Child Care Nurse Consultants of the SDAII, Resource and Referral Program. Health information regarding seasonal or other health outbreaks or updates in treatment or applicable immunization and health requirements for children will be shared with you.

Grin and Grow maintains a “No-Nit” policy with regards to head Lice. Children with live head lice or with nit casings in their hair will be excluded from the center until the hair has been treated and is nit free.

Client Confidentiality

All information concerning your child or your family is held confidential, and will not be released outside of the agency without your signed consent of release.

III. Financial Information

Parent Fees/Payment Expectations

Grin and Grow will strive to provide a nurturing, educational experience that enables your child to acquire the developmental skills needed to be successful in school. In order to provide this environment, we depend upon regular payments for the care that we provide. The following is a list of expectations regarding payment on your child’s account.

  1. An enrollment fee is charged to help defray the administrative costs of enrollment. Payment is due by the starting day of your child’s enrollment.
  2. You will be charged for each unit of service provided to your child. A unit of service is any 5-hour block of care provided during each day of attendance. If your child attends for more than 5 hours, you will be charged for two units of care. If your child attends more then 10 hours in a single day, you will be charged for 3 units of care. If you are receiving scholarship assistance through the state or other scholarship assistance programs, the unit of service rate will be determined by the funding source.
  3. You will be billed weekly for the previous week’s charges. Payment is expected in full on a weekly basis. Any balance over two weeks old will be considered to be overdue and subject to monthly late fees. Any over due balance remaining on your account at the end of the month will be subject to a $29.00 late fee.
  4. Failure to make regular payments on your account and to keep your account current will result in suspension of your child’s enrollment until the back balance in paid.
  5. All accounts must be settled or arrangements made for payment at the time your child leaves center enrollment. Failure to make payment as scheduled within 30 days will result in your account being turned over to a collection agency for settlement.
  6. All pass cards issued shall be returned to the center office on the child’s last day of enrollment. You will be assessed a $5 fee for each pass card not returned.
  7. You will be charged a minimum of 3 days per week in order to maintain your child’s enrollment. If you are receiving tuition assistance through the state of Iowa, you may also be charged for up to 4 days of non-attendance per month on a scheduled attendance day.
  8. Fee balances that are left unpaid will be turned over to a collection agency for settlement.

Scholarship Assistance

Grin and Grow recognizes that quality childcare is expensive. Grin and Grow offers a variety of scholarship programs to assist parents in affording the full cost of child care. Scholarship assistance is currently available at Grin and Grow through:

  • State Child Care Certificate program
  • Cedar Valley Promise/State Empowerment Funds
  • Rausch Scholarship Fund
  • Cedar Valley United Way
  • Iowa Voluntary Preschool Program

Eligibility for scholarship assistance is linked to income, family size and other criteria specific to the individual scholarship source. Individual scholarships may not pay for the full cost of care. In such cases where the full fee is not paid for by the scholarship source, you will be charged a parent fee for the remaining balance. For more information about existing scholarships and their individual eligibility requirements contact the Program Coordinator or Agency Director.

Receipts and Tax Statements

Receipts for payment on your child care account will be given during the year as payments are received. An itemized statement of child care payments received during the calendar year is available upon request after January 1. Parents requiring an itemized statement are asked to submit their request at least one week in advance.

Late Pick Up Fee

It is a parent’s responsibility to ensure that their child is picked up from the center by closing time. If you are unable to pick your child up by 6:00 pm closing time, alternate arrangements should be made to do so.A late pick up fee of $15.00 will be charged for any child remaining at the center after closing time. The late fee increases to $20.00 per each 15 minute unit of time past 6:15 pm..