Enrolment Procedures:

 The parent will be given a Parent Handbook with the policies and procedures as well as an example of our schedule and menus. The following forms must be signed and returned before your child can start here at Lil Praying Hands Child Care:

 Child Profile

Contact Information

Financial Agreement

Permission Forms

Medical Release

Enrolment checklist It will be necessary to pay for two week upfront in order to hold your child’s spot. This week’s payment will be used against your last week of attendance at the daycare.

Before your child begins attending full time I encourage you bring them over for a ‘visit’ during the morning in order to see and experience the child care with other kids present. Also if your child seems over anxious we may want to introduce him/her more slowly with them coming over for a couple of hours at a time and gradually work them up to the scheduled time you will be needing care. (During this time of easing your child into the daycare there will be a charge of $5/hour)

Trial Period: 

Your child's adjustment is important to all of us. It is therefore agreed that a two week trial period will exist before arrangements for continued care become final. At the end of this period, you and I will discuss how the child has adjusted to the new setting, realizing that this varies from child to child. At this time, either party may terminate care. You will not be required to give me a two week notice even through the trial basis. 

FEES:

Full days                                                                $30 daily                           

Half days for Junior and Kindergarten children           $20 daily

Before/After school                                                 $15 daily

Walk-ins/Drop-in Care                                             $35 daily

 There is a limited number of spaces available therefore; weekly payments are not based on a child’s attendance. No refunds are given for late arrivals, early departures, or absence due to child/parent illness unless it is over an extended time.

Arrival and Departures:

Please send your child clean and dressed for the day, and fed (if arriving after 8:30 a.m.) We will be playing and are apt to get dirty, please keep this in mind when you dress your child. Also we will be playing outside so make sure you dress the child appropriately for the weather. No one other than the parents or designated person will be allowed to pick up your child without prior arrangement. I must be notified in advance and have written note with the person's name and relationship to the child. I may request a photo ID.

Provider Illness: 
Caring for many small children leaves me and my family at great risk for becoming ill. On rare occasions I may need to close Lil Praying Hands due to an illness in my family. I understand you will have to pay someone else to care for your child, therefore payment is not required when I have to close due to illness. It is the parents' responsibility to find other arrangements. Please have a back-up plan ready.

Vacation and Absences:

I will/may take unpaid two-weeks of vacation during the year. I will notify you as far in advance of the dates. You will be responsible for finding alternate care during that time. If you are taking vacations I would like to know the dates as soon as you can tell me. I will not charge you for two weeks of your vacation but if you will be gone longer there will be a charge of half your weekly fee in order to hold your child’s spot. 

LATE FEES:

Please understand that I also have family commitments after the kids go home. If you are going to be late picking up your child for any reason please let me know. There is a late charge of $5 of every half hour that you are over your arranged pick up time. 

Payment:

I accept cheques. IF a cheque comes back NSF I will need the full payment plus the fees that I have incurred immediately. If I have more than two NSF cheques I will unfortunately only accept cash from that point onward. Payment is due bimonthly at pick-up on Fridays or on the last day of care for that week. Please make checks out to: Adrienne Richardson. Receipts are available upon request.

Termination

If for whatever reason you decide to stop bringing your child to Lil Praying Hands Child Care I will need two week notice as this will give me a chance to fill your child’s space. Payment will be required for this two week notice whether or not your child attends. If I can no longer watch your child for one reason or another, I will give you at least a two-week notice, but I would try to give you four weeks. Examples of why I would terminate your child's care include (but may not be limited to):

• Failure of parent to pay.
• Failure to complete required forms.
• Lack of parental cooperation.
• Failure of child to adjust to the center after a reasonable amount of time.
• My inability to meet the child's needs without additional staff.

Open Door Policy and Communication:

Please feel free the drop in at any time throughout the day. But please be aware that I will have little time to discuss things with you while I am with the children. If there are concerns that you wish to discuss with me please arrange for a meeting after hours or call me after hours. If you need to get a hold of me during the day and I do not answer the phone it will be because I am tied up with the children. I will check messages frequently and endeavour to phone you back as soon as possible.

Nap time/Rest time:

No child will be forced to sleep but will be encouraged to. If your child does not nap they will be given quiet play things. Babies and toddlers will be put down for naps more often and on their own schedules. They will be placed in travel beds in separate rooms if possible.

Meals/Snacks:  

I will provide lunch and 2 snacks for your child. If they have food allergies or special foods please let me know. Please see my menu examples for the foods that I will be serving. Milk will be offered during the meals and juice at snack. Water will be offered throughout the day.  There will be a prayer of thanks before all meals and snacks. I will encourage the children to take turns saying this.  All baby food and formula will be provided by the parent. Your child will not be forced to eat but will be encouraged to try everything. No food or drink are allowed outside of the kitchen. Please do not send candy, gum etc with your child. If you wish to send a snack to share with the whole group that would be fine.

Diaper Changes:

Diapers are changed every 2-3 hours or more frequently if required. Parents are to supply the diapers, wipes, change of clothing, and any creams that you would want applied. Please put your child's name on everything.

Toilet Training:

I will be more than happy to help with toilet training your child; however I ask

that you begin the training process at home, over a weekend or a vacation, before starting at daycare. I will send home a report of progress at the end of each day. I ask that the parents

provide several complete sets of extra clothes during this time. Since most children find that

they are easily distracted at child care I will continue to use pull ups until your child can

announce that they need to use the washroom and hold it for a couple of minutes beyond that announcement. At that point your child will be able to wear the heavy training pants until they

are relatively accident free. I will use pull ups during naptimes until they are completely dry

during these times.

Curriculum:

I will be incorporating preschool activities into our daily activities for fun and to prepare the older children for school. W. I will be reading both Christian as well as some good preschool level books that will be a part of the theme that week and or month. I will let you know what we are learning for the month in the monthly newsletters. As a part of this curriculum we will be having a daily “circle time” for the older children. Please see the example schedule that is included in your packet for an idea on how the day will run. The younger children will be encouraged to join in and participate or just listen or have free play. If we do plan a field trip you will be informed and all children will be properly restrained in the van and I will have extra help for the trip.

Infants and Toddlers:

Infants and toddlers will not necessarily follow the same schedule as the preschoolers. They are not capable of sitting still for circle time, may need a morning nap, etc. Infants are always fed on demand and toddlers usually eat meals and snacks with the older children. This is one reason our daily schedule is not "set in stone." While the older children engage in free play or nap I try to take some time to play with the infants and toddlers (especially infants -- toddlers often play alongside the older children). Feeding time and diaper changing time are good times for interaction with infants and toddlers. Of course, children develop differently, and whenever these "wee ones" wish to join in with the older children (unless it is not a safe activity for them), they will be allowed. I will be sending daily reports on how and what your child did for the day.

Toys:

I will have adequate amount of toys available to meet the children's need for fine and gross motor play. Toys may be brought from home ONLY if your child is willing to share the toy and it is understood there is always the possibility of the toy getting lost or broken. I will not be responsible for lost or broken toys!

Discipline: 

The philosophy of a child-centered classroom, with its freedom, independence and opportunities to make choices, does not overlook the importance of discipline. Safety and respect for the rights and feelings of children need to be incorporated into any method of discipline. Discipline for infants is a matter of safety. There is no such thing as a bad or naughty baby. They do not understand rules or consequences. A safe environment is provided to prevent problems by:

Ø Removing and keeping the child away from harmful areas

Ø Saying "no" in a calm but firm manner when s/he is in danger

Ø Child-proofing areas where infants play

Ø Helping older children understand what things need to be kept away from babies and why

Toddlers are beginning to understand simple directions, but they are unable to remember things, so rules are repeated frequently. Because the toddler is struggling to understand his/her world, s/he often exhibits acceptable behaviour with unacceptable objects; i.e. throwing blocks. Safety procedures used with infants are used with toddlers as well as: 

Ø Keeping things out of reach

Ø Removing him/her from frustrating situations

Ø Talking to him/her about his/her feelings and giving him/her words to express those feelings

Ø Redirecting attention

Ø Focus on "do’s" instead of "don’ts" and outline for them how to handle the situation in a better way. Telling a child what "not" to do does not prepare him/her for what "to do" in the future.

Ø Give a choice. It is important for children to learn to make decisions. "Sit at the table or sit in the high chair."

Ø Explaining a more appropriate behaviour ("Blocks are for building." Or "Keep the blocks on the floor, please. You can throw a ball when we go outside."

Preschool and school-age children are better able to understand and remember rules and consequences. The children are reminded of what is expected of them at all times. When children know what is expected of them, problems are less likely to occur. The basic rules are: 

Ø   Walk while inside

Ø   Use quiet voices while inside

Ø   Use polite words (no name-calling, foul language)

Ø   Be kind to our friends (no hitting, kicking, pushing, biting, pulling hair, taking   toys away)

Ø   Use manners (please, thank you, etc.)

Ø   Use toys respectfully

Ø   Follow directions

When a problem does occur, positive methods of discipline are used in a quiet, calm manner. These methods encourage self-control, self-direction and cooperation. The child is directed and encouraged to solve his/her problems using polite words. "I" messages are used with children such as: "I don't like to hear those kinds of words" or "My job is to keep you safe and I can't allow you to stand on the table." The methods used are:

Ø Redirecting attention.

Ø Focus on "do’s" instead of "don’ts" and outline for them how to handle the situation in a better way.

Ø Have child sit in time-out, if necessary, to gain control of him/herself

If a child is misbehaving or hurting another child, and does not cease after attempts at redirection and verbal warnings, I will place him or her in a “time-out”. A child will never be left alone during a time-out. I use time-outs to calm the child down, and then I use behaviour-modification techniques to encourage appropriate ways of acting. My goal is to help each child develop a strong sense of self-discipline and self-esteem. If a child seems to exhibit a behaviour that is not age-appropriate and it continues to be a problem, I will set up a time when the parent and I can work together on possible solutions. If a problem becomes so severe that it is disrupting the other children’s daily activities, removing the child from the program will have to be considered.

When attempts at behaviour modification continue to be unsuccessful, I will conference with the parents to work together on possible solutions. If a problem becomes so severe that it is disrupting the other children’s' daily activities, then another child care arrangement will have to be considered. We believe children are responsible for their actions and we teach them to respect other people's property and the value of those items. Should a child break a toy or personal item due to excessive roughness after they have been asked not to, or because s/he broke a rule, parents will be responsible for AT LEAST 50% of the replacement cost.

Health Matters:

Please keep in mind I don't allow your child if s/he is sick; I can only care for children with a mild cold-like symptoms (clear runny nose, slight cough, and NO fever). It is neither fair to your child or the other children if they are in need of more loving care and attention and are too sick to join in with the group. Your child will be unable to attend if they have a fever of over 101(F) and/or one of the following:

• conjunctivitis (pink eye) or "cold in the eye"
• flu
• unusual rash
• severe cough
• rapid breathing or laboured breathing
• severe cold
• vomiting
• yellowish skin or eyes
• diarrhea
• head lice
• an illness of any sort which results in child being too ill to participate in daily activities.

Medication:

If your child is on medication and it needs to be administered while he is at day care, the medicine must be in the original container and labelled with the child's name, doctor's name, name of medication, dosage, and when to be taken. I will also have a form for you to sign giving me permission to give the medication to your child. Medication will be administered at the time or with the meal you specify and a written record kept.

Medical Emergencies:

 For minor injuries like bumps or bruises, I will provide home first aide. If the injury is more serious (i.e. needs stitches, suspected broken bones, etc.) the parents will be notified immediately. I have an updated First Aid and CPR course.

In case of a serious accident or sudden illness requiring medical attention, the following procedures are followed:

1) A phone call is made to 911

2) Child's parents (or emergency contacts) are called.

Please make sure that all emergency contact info is up to date and correct, report

changes immediately. If you list a cell phone or pager as your main contact, please make sure they are on at all times while child is in my care

Pets

Please be aware that I do have a dog and a cat. Both animals will have some contact with the children only if both the child and the animal take an interest. The dog and cat are not allowed in the indoor and outdoor play area while the children are there.

Smoking:

 This is a NON-SMOKING home.