CDEC 2326/2328 - Child Care Admin. Class

Meals and Snacks
As part of your monthly tuition, we provide breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack. We participate in the USDA Child Care Food and Nutrition program and only healthy and nutritious foods are served in our program. Because of this, we do not allow any outside food in our center. Please do not bring fast food or any other food items from home into the center. If your child has a food allergy, our cook will provide a healthy substitute for their meal/snack.
Birthday celebrations are the only exception we allow in regards to outside food. Parents may bring in store-bought cookies or cupcakes for their child's classroom and this will be served along with their afternoon snack.

Our Philosophy
At Imagination Station, we have a play-based philosophy and recognize that when children play, they are "working" and building knowledge about the world.
Play Based Philosophy — Playing to Learn/Learning to Play
High quality early childhood programs teach children to think creatively so they may succeed in a complex and
ever-changing world. Purposeful play is developmentally appropriate and a significant element of any early childhood
program. The following emphasizes the importance of play in a child’s intellectual, social, emotional and physical
development.
Play is a way of learning for children. During a typical preschool day there will be structured and unstructured
periods, enabling children to learn through at their own rate. Values that support learning through play include:
• Children are viewed as thinkers, reflecting about their world
• Purposeful play is when children learn through the process of their efforts
• Children gain knowledge by building on a path of ever increasing knowledge
• Children are encouraged to make choices and practice individual decision-making
Learning environments support purposeful play by the many types of materials, activities, and experiences that are planned where children get to make choices.

TUITION POLICY:
At Imagination Station, all tuition payments are due in full and in advance of the month services are rendered. This includes whether your child attends or is absent. Your tuition holds your child’s space in our facility.

Preferable payment methods are credit/debit cards, but we will also accept personal checks and cash. All cash payments should be given to the director or associate director only. Be sure you get a receipt with all tuition payments paid by cash.

A fee of $30.00 will be charged for insufficient funds and returned checks. Once notice of a returned check has been received, the amount of the check plus the returned check fee will be charged back to your account. You may not pay this amount with another check; it can only be settled with a credit/debit card or cash. The center will have the option to refuse further payments by check and may require payment by credit/debit card, cash, or money orders.

LATE TUITION PAYMENT FEE
A late fee of $20.00 will be applied weekly to each overdue account.

Complaint and Grievance
It is our goal to strive for quality and excellence in the care of your child. Therefore any positive comments or suggestions are greatly appreciated and can be made to the Director of the facility.

We always welcome your input and feedback toward the care of your child. The Director appreciates questions, or discussions of any kind that affect a positive outcome for your child. However, if you feel that there is a problem concerning the facility or a staff member, please follow the steps as listed:

* Speak with the educator involved with your child.
* Allow follow up from the educator to you.
* If you are still not satisfied with the results of your concerns, please make an appointment to personally talk to the Director.

All comments made to staff members are relayed to the Director, so that the Director is aware of any problems or issues. If a complaint is made, the Director will listen carefully to the issue that the parent has, and will attempt to work with the parent(s) to rectify the problem. At this time it may be appropriate to discuss any other issues that the Director may feel is important concerning the child in the context of the complaint.

We feel that Communication is essential to the success of your child’s care. We must make sure that we can share openly any concerns or questions that may arise. We believe in an open door policy and encourage parents to feel free to call and check on your child’s day if you have any concerns. We understand that, to you, the most important person in the entire center is your child and we respect that fact and in turn treat your child with just as much respect. We recognize that you have a right to expect the best care possible for your child.

Communication between parents and staff member is very important. We encourage daily interaction between parents and staff to ensure that as parents you are kept abreast of how your child’s day was and that you are made aware of any specific incidents.

Also, it is equally important that staff members are kept abreast of any concerns parents may have about your child at the center and/or at home that may assist in the care of your child.

All comments are taken very seriously and we will all do our best to ensure your complete satisfaction. We aim to keep parents stress-free and self-assured knowing that their children are in our loving care.

Arrival & Departure Policies:
Our center opens promptly at 7:00 a.m. We are unable to accept any children for care before 7:00 a.m. without prior arrangements.
Children must be brought into the center by an adult.
An attendance form is located on the cabinet near the cubbies. Licensing regulations mandate that I keep a current and accurate written record of each child's arrival and departure, therefore each child must be signed in by the person who brings him/her to the center. Remember to list a phone number where a parent can be reached every day.

If your child will be arriving late, in a manner different from his/her normal routine, or will be absent for the day please let me know ahead of time.

Departure Procedures

Our center closes promptly at 6:00 p.m. Please plan ahead so you can arrive in time to have your child ready to leave by closing time. If you are unavoidably delayed please let me know so I can let your child know when to expect you, and keep him/her from worrying about you.
Be sure to allow a few minutes at departure to let your child “wind down” from the activities of the day and reconnect with you. I understand that this may be hard for tired parents, but it makes the transition home easier for your child.

Remember to check your child’s folder and cubby for important information, artwork, and other items. For safety’s sake please keep your child near you during departure - especially on the way to your car. You must sign your child out and note the time of departure.

If a child is not picked up by the center’s closing time of 6:00 p.m. without previous notification the parents will be contacted. If a parent cannot be reached I will assume an emergency exists and will contact the emergency contact person/s listed on the child’s Enrollment Form. If parents and emergency contacts cannot be reached and the child is still in care at 6:00 p.m., I will call social services and arrange for the child to be picked up. A fee will be charged per call for this service; overtime fees and other fees may also apply.
Parents arriving after the center’s closing time of 6:00 p.m. may be charged a late fee; if you are late picking up, please depart as promptly as possible. If a child is picked up late without prior arrangements more than three times, child care services may be discontinued. Disregard for the center’s closing time puts the program's license and child care services for all parents at risk, and therefore is cause for immediate termination of child care services.

Now Hiring!
Preschool teacher needed full-time, Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm.
Qualifications: Associate's degree in Child Development, Early Childhood, or related field AND at least 2 years of experience
The preschool teacher is responsible for the care and well being of 12 preschoolers. This includes lesson planning, implementing developmentally appropriate practices, parent conferences, and working as a productive team member with the teacher assistant.
To apply, candidates can come by the office to request an application or contact us online at ImaginationStation.Col

Staff Qualifications:
At Imagination Station, we believe that highly trained, educated staff provide the best quality care for your child. Every lead teacher in our program has at least an Associate's degree in early childhood education or a related educational field along with a minimum of 3 years experience working with young children. Our teacher assistants have at least one year of experience and at least 6 credit hours in early childhood education and have made a commitment to continue their education.
We have hired the best, because we want you and your child to have the best!

Dress Code Policy:
Please dress your child each day to match the weather conditions. We ask that the children arrive to school in clothes to “play”. Many
activities include the use of ingredients that will get children dirty or messy.
They are also outside each day, weather permitting, and have access to mulch, and grass. Children must wear closed toed and closed heeled shoes to keep their feet safe. Crocs/clogs are not allowed. This will protect their feet while in classrooms, outside, and in the gym and other rooms in the school.
The clothes left at school for emergencies should also meet the same guidelines. All young ladies must wear shorts when wearing any dresses or skirts at all times.

Operating Hours and Holidays:
Our center is open for operation Monday through Friday, from 7am until 6pm each day. We recognize the following holidays and will be closed for business on these days:

Winter Break: Christmas Day through New Year’s Day
Martin Luther King Day
President’s Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Columbus Day
Veteran’s Day
Thanksgiving (Thursday and Friday)

What is Child Care Licensing?
As you know, we are licensed by the State of Texas Child Care Licensing Office. This means that our center has passed the minimum requirements of health, safety, and ensuring the well being of your child while he/she is in care. Even though these are minimum standards, I assure you that we go above and beyond the criteria for each standard. Here are a couple of examples:
According to Child Care Licensing, the center only has to have one First Aid kit for the building. We feel it is important for each classroom to have a First Aid kit on hand when such incidents occur. Keeping your child safe is our number one priority.
Another Licensing standard has to do with the staff to children ratio. Licensing permit (15) 3 year olds with one teacher. We thinks that's too many children for one adult, so we have created a smaller group of 12. This way our teachers can give your child more attention as they need it.
If you want to know about what Child Care Licensing regulates, please stop by the office and I will be happy to share our latest compliance visit report with you.

Enrollment Policies:
Step 1: Interview and Tour
I strongly recommend that parents visit any child care center they are considering prior to enrolling. It's almost impossible to tell if a program is right for your child without seeing it in person.

Schedule an interview so we can discuss your child's specific needs, review important information about the program, and tour the premises. Feel free to bring your child with you so he or she can meet the other children and see what fun things there are to do here. Be sure to allow 30-45 minutes so we have adequate time to discuss your child's specific needs, program policies, and to address all of your questions.

During the interview you will receive a copy of the Daily Schedule, and other materials to help you choose the program that is right for you. You may request a copy of the Parent Handbook beforehand so you can bring any questions with you to the interview.

Generally all interested families are interviewed before a decision is made, however in certain circumstances the opening may be filled before all of the scheduled interviews are completed.

Step 2: Submit an Enrollment Application
Child Care Enrollment - Once you have completed the tour and reviewed the paperwork, you have 24 hours to let me know if you are interested in enrolling.

Step 3: Reserve your child's space
In order to reserve your child's space in the program, an Enrollment Application must by completed by the parent and submitted, along with all required paperwork and current immunization record. Please be prepared to pay the $25 enrollment fee and the first week's tuition, at that time. Checks may be made out to:
Imagination Station Preschool Center
100 Dream Highway
Anytown, US 12345

(Sample) POLICY UPDATE:
In keeping with Governor Abbott's mandate, Imagination Station will be implementing the following health procedures as a means to keep all children healthy and safe while in our care:

1. Modifications to our drop off and pick up procedures - Effective immediately, families will follow these guidelines for drop off:
When dropping off your child, you will only be allowed to enter the lobby where a child care staff member will perform a health check on your child..... (Students, decide whether parents must wear masks during drop-off and pick-up times and what your drop off procedure will look like. Maybe you are just going to let them drop off at the front of the center and not actually enter the building? )
2. Social distancing strategies - (Students, describe how keeping the group sizes small will help with social distancing. Children will still be able to play with each other but with more space in the overall classroom. )
3. Cleaning & Disinfecting - (Students, describe what you are doing to keep everything clean and sanitary. Will you require parents to provide additional disinfectant supplies such as Lysol wipes? Handwashing should also be addressed here. )
4. Masks - (Students, describe what your center's expectations are for the use of masks for children over the age of 2 and adults. Who will provide them? What happens if a child enters without one?)

Here is the guidance for the State of Texas that was issued with Governor Abbott's reopening of child care centers on May 18, 2020: https://gov.texas.gov/uploads/files/organization/opentexas/OpenTexas-Checklist-Child-Care-Centers.pdf