1.) Q. Can my child bring his/her toy to school?
A. No personal toys, coins (unless they are being taken to chapel), lollipops, or other objects are allowed in our center. We provide the children with games, art, books and projects. We do allow the children to bring in a special blanket or stuffed animal to sleep with during naptime. Please make sure they are properly labeled and durable.
2.) Q. What should my child wear to school?
A. Children should come to the center comfortably dressed in washable play clothes. Because your child will play outside as well as use water, paints, glue, etc. an extra change of clothes should be at school for him/her at all times. Boots and sandals without back straps become a safety hazard and are not allowed. Coats, jackets, sweaters, caps, blankets and other clothing that are likely to be lost or misplaced must be clearly marked with the child's name on it. St. Paul Lutheran Child Care Center is not responsible for lost property.
3.) Q. Are meals provided?
A. A breakfast snack, hot lunch and afternoon snack are provided for the children. A variety of nutritious foods are prepared and served, giving your child a balanced meal each day. Children are always encouraged, but never forced to eat their food. A menu will be posted at the entrance to the Director's office as well as outside your child's classroom. If for any reason your child is allergic to any type of food, make sure you let the teacher and the Child Care office know. Parents are encouraged to feed their child a good breakfast before coming to school. If your child arrives before 8:00 A.M., you may provide him/her with a nutritional homemade breakfast. We discourage fast food. Morning snack is served between 8:00 and 8:30 A.M. Lunch is served at 10:50 A.M. during the holidays, summer and other school breaks. In the event you bring your child late and their class has already eaten in the cafeteria, it is the parent's responsibility to sit with your child in the cafeteria while he/she eats lunch. Children are not allowed to eat lunch in the classroom while the other children are napping. Parents are welcome to have lunch with their child and the adult cafeteria plate will be added to your monthly bill.
4.) Q. Can my child celebrate his/her birthday in the classroom?
A. Birthdays are very special. We allow children to have parties at school with their classmates; however, gifts may not be exchanged at these parties. Birthday invitations for parties away from the Center may not be distributed at school unless all children in the class are invited. Children who attend our school and/or childcare will not be released for after-school activities such as birthday parties unless the teacher receives written consent from the parent. Please let us know in advance so we may assist in making your child's day special.
5.) Q. What is your Discipline Policy?
A. Discipline and guidance shall be consistent and based on an understanding of the individual needs and development of each child and shall be directed toward teaching the child acceptable behavior. Understanding this, we provide the following rules and their consequences to aid us in our walk together and toward greater maturity in discipline. A caregiver may only use positive methods of discipline and guidance that encourage self-esteem, self-control and self-direction, which include at least the following:
6.) Q. What is your policy regarding sick children and their attendance at your Center?
A. Children are to be kept at home when they are sick and a doctor should be consulted. For the protection of the other children, a sick child can not be admitted to our Center. Children are to be kept at home if they show any of the following symptoms: sore throat, fever, earache, inflamed stomach, rash, impetigo, ringworm, diarrhea, vomiting and any other communicable disease or if the illness prevents the child from participating comfortably in the Child care activities including outdoors. If your child is absent more than two days, please call the office to discuss the nature of the illness so that we may alert others to the possible exposure of the illness. When a child becomes ill while in the Center, he/she will be separated from the other children and be given supervision until arrangements can be made for his/her removal from the Center. The parent will be notified immediately if the child:
In the event of a sudden acute illness or serious injury of a child, emergency medical care procedures will be to Call-911, parents and/or emergency contacts will be notified immediately as well as the physician or dentist listed on the child's Emergency Medical Care form.
7.) Q. What are the immunization requirements for entrance in your Child Care?
A. Documentation acceptable for immunization records must have been validated by a physician or other health-care professional with a signature or rubber stamp and should include:
A. Discipline and guidance shall be consistent and based on an understanding of the individual needs and development of each child and shall be directed toward teaching the child acceptable behavior. Understanding this, we provide the following rules and their consequences to aid us in our walk together and toward greater maturity in discipline. A caregiver may only use positive methods of discipline and guidance that encourage self-esteem, self-control and self-direction, which include at least the following:
- Using praise and encouragement of good behavior instead of focusing only upon unacceptable behavior
- Reminding a child of behavior expectations by using clear, positive statements
- Using brief supervised separation or time out from the group, when appropriate for the child's age and development, which is limited to no more than one minute per year of the child's age
- Notification of parents- behavior problems will be reported to parents. Parents will be expected to support the staff with their disciplinary actions.
- Temporary removal- If a child commits a serious offense, the parent may be asked to remove the child from the center for the remainder of the day.
- Parents of both the children will receive an accident report from the teacher; this report needs to be signed and returned to the Child Care office. A copy of the report will be given to the parent and the original will be held in the child's file in the Child Care office.
- The child's name who did the biting is kept confidential and not shared with the parent whose child was bitten. Likewise, the child who was bitten, their name is not shared with the child's parent who did the biting.
- In severe cases when the biting continues after all interventions have been exhausted, the Child Care Director may deem it necessary to ask the family to find child care elsewhere.
6.) Q. What is your policy regarding sick children and their attendance at your Center?
A. Children are to be kept at home when they are sick and a doctor should be consulted. For the protection of the other children, a sick child can not be admitted to our Center. Children are to be kept at home if they show any of the following symptoms: sore throat, fever, earache, inflamed stomach, rash, impetigo, ringworm, diarrhea, vomiting and any other communicable disease or if the illness prevents the child from participating comfortably in the Child care activities including outdoors. If your child is absent more than two days, please call the office to discuss the nature of the illness so that we may alert others to the possible exposure of the illness. When a child becomes ill while in the Center, he/she will be separated from the other children and be given supervision until arrangements can be made for his/her removal from the Center. The parent will be notified immediately if the child:
- Is injured and the injury required medical attention by a health-care professional
- Has a sign or symptom requiring exclusion from the Center as specified in Subchapter I (Relating to Health Policies)
- Has been involved in any situation that renders the center unsafe, such as fire, flood or damage to the Center due to severe weather
In the event of a sudden acute illness or serious injury of a child, emergency medical care procedures will be to Call-911, parents and/or emergency contacts will be notified immediately as well as the physician or dentist listed on the child's Emergency Medical Care form.
7.) Q. What are the immunization requirements for entrance in your Child Care?
A. Documentation acceptable for immunization records must have been validated by a physician or other health-care professional with a signature or rubber stamp and should include:
- The child's name and birthdate
- The number of doses and vaccine type
- The month, day and year the child received each vaccination
- Documentation on file at the Child Care center may be the original record, a photocopy or a handwritten copy that the Child Care center Director has signed
- Documentation of TB testing is required to be on file
