We continually monitor our children's growth and learning, and we want to work with you to help promote your child's optimal development.

We are a vital part of a network of cooperating social agencies and professionals throughout York County who provide a wide range of services. Please let us know how we may help you connect with any help you feel you need beyond the services we offer here at the center.

We honor diversity and appreciate the uniqueness of all of us. Our contract with Child Development Services of York County (CDSYC) can provide the extra aid we may need helping children with special needs become the best they can be. When you have a question of your child possibly having a developmental delay, CDS can provide screening and any of a variety of therapeutic services as considered appropriate, free of charge to you.

Free developmental screening is provided by the Special Needs Outreach Project of Catholic Charities for all children of York County. We serve the Sanford community as its base for this service. You can request a screening which can be done here by appointment.

Fire Drills are held every month, overseen by Sanford Fire Department's Captain of Fire Inspection and Prevention. Primary and Secondary fire exit routs are posted in every room at the Center, and all center staff have assigned classrooms to aid during each drill.

Need to Evacuate the Center Orders are announced by special code on the center-wide intercom system. Using Fire Drill staffing, we proceed to the Community Room at East Side Acres.

Unwanted or Unauthorized Persons on the Premises are likewise announced over our intercom with a menu of coded messages bringing immediate help and/or the Police.

Other Threats to Person or Property are immediately handled through Center channels and may involve the Rescue, Fire and/or Police Departments, as appropriate.

We uphold our Open Door Policy every hour we're open and invite you to share time with us in any or all activities. Drop in or plan ahead with the teachers if there is a specific activity you wish to see, participate in, or YES, volunteer to lead. The children are especially proud when their family members participate in any capacity that feels comfortable, such as sharing a special interest or talent, helping on a field trip, or reading a story: the list of possibilities has no end!

Remember to check your child's cubby and your mailbox every day for messages, news, notices, and "refrigerator-door-worthy" art work for home display.

Twice a year, in October/November and in May, Parent-Teacher Conferences are offered in the evening--a great time to discuss your questions: what your child is working on, their friends; strengths; likes; needs; interests; progress from past meetings; transitions to another class or to Kindergarten; projections for the future--an over-all Status Review.

Of course, we are always available to you if you have concerns of an immediate nature, and you may request a meeting at any time.

Please let us know of any changes in your child's life that may effect his/her behavior. This helps us in giving your child any special consideration she/he may need. Also, please know that we are mandated by law to report suspicion of abuse or neglect of children to the Department of Human Services. Let us know if your child has been injured or experienced trauma of any kind, so referrals are made only when necessary.

At least once a year, we request your feedback on what you think of your Child Care Center. We use the questionnaire designed by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Your comments and ideas help make our program stronger.

Birthdays: We all have 'em, and kids love 'em. We celebrate their special day here if you have no objections. We invite you to attend and/or to make a cake or cookies for your child to share with classmates during afternoon snack.

Class Parties: We take every opportunity to celebrate - holidays, and great events!! Special invitations for you to attend these fun-filled times are posted on the sign-in sheet.

Family Get-Togethers: In August, our Family Barbecue offers food, friendship and fun times for all family members. We ask you to sign up ahead of time, so get pencils ready.

Center Beautification and Protect Day: Held on a Saturday, it's a chance for you to "own" part of the Center as you help make the environment safer, prettier, more loved and cared for. Specific goals for these days are posted, so you can join us, match your likes and talents with the projects and go to it.

Miscellany: Parent Workshops, Holiday Parties, Open Houses: These are held periodically throughout the year. Watch your classroom mailboxes for offerings and details.

Weeks We're Closed: Each year, we shut down during the week of Christmas/NewYear's Eve and during the week of the 4^th of July. You do not pay for those two weeks. Our Board of Trustees determines the exact dates we're closed.

Holidays: A sign is posted on the entrance doors as a reminder when we're closed:

Teacher Workshop Days: These vary each year. We schedule two each year. Those scheduled are posted at least two weeks in advance for your planning for alternate childcare.

Snow Days & Cancellations due to bad weather: We rarely close and try to stay open, even on "Snow Days" for public schools. We ask parents who are not working during bad weather to keep children home, as we are often short-staffed during these days. Announcements of closings & late openings are made on WCDQ (92.1FM) and Channel 6 Storm Center, WCSH.

PAYMENTS AND PAYMENT PROTOCOLS

Payment: Your fee remains the same each week, whether your child attends or not. Please see page 6a for particulars.

Free Week: Once a year, you can choose one week when your child does not attend; you do not pay for the week, and your slot is held for you. Please give us a two-week notice stating the seek dates, Mon-Fri you wish to take off.

Protocols and Policies around Payments: It has been said that "The best things in life are free." Indeed, many "best things" are free, but even more "best things" need capital. Just as the electric company needs capital in order to keep the lights on, so do we--to keep providing quality care for your child.

We are continually trying to keep costs down for you while providing the best possible environment for the children. We know quality, developmental child care is expensive and we consider it an excellent investment in the future--our children.

Please be sure that you keep your account current, as arrears are very difficult to pay on a stretched budget.

If you receive subsidized help in payment for child care, our Administrative Assistant will send a notice to you for a re-determination of your fee at least every six months. If your account is in arrears, (meaning you haven't paid us in a few months) our Financial Manager will send notices of balances due. The amounts and dates will be posted on your notice as follows. They indicate that you must take immediate action in order to retain your child's place here at the Center.

We must exclude a child by asking you to keep them home or by sending them home with you or a person designated on your emergency contact sheet when they have:

Our consulting physician/pediatrician: Dr. Donald Burgess is on call to us for medically related questions and makes final decisions regarding our center's medical problems.

Our consulting registered pharmacists: David Hebert and Bill Sanborn, owners of DownEast Pharmacy in Sanford, answer our questions regarding side effects and interactions of over the counter and prescription medications.

Maine Poison Control Center: 1-800-442-6305 is available 24 hours a day.

The Disease Control Center: 1-207-287-5301 or 3591 serves as a clearing house monitoring health status and providing information and guidance regarding illness and illness controls.

Medications and Medicating

We can administer prescription medicine only when:

Note Exception: Children who need maintenance medications are covered by your signing a specific release allowing us to medicate by using a tracking system without daily sign-in. Whenever the child is reassessed regarding the medication, we need to know the results of the reassessment in order to continue medicating your child.

Medications must be given to a teacher upon your arrival and NEVER left in your child's bag or cubby. All medications are stored in locked boxes away from the reaches of children, yet within the easy access of the teachers.

We can administer non-prescription over-the-counter medicine only when we have

Some children have difficulty in large groups of peers and need smaller child care groupings than we can offer here.

In such cases, we help you to find other care. Children with behavioral problems may need be excluded from programming when they are acting out to the degree where staff cannot ensure the safety of the child, other children, or staff. This decision rests with the Program Director in consultation with the Team Leader. The decision to re-admit rests with the Program Director.

All children misbehave in ways that distress us, at times, as they exercise their powers and assert their growing independence. They very naturally test limits. We help them learn to understand and accept health limits for social and safety reasons and guide them toward acceptable ways of dealing with their problems. Some of our methods include:

Praise for Positive Behavior: one of the best ways to prevent behavior problems is by telling children FROM BIRTH what pleases you, what specific behaviors and qualities you like to see in them. Instead of saying "no, don't" a lot, we point out what they are doing well as they are doing it. This gives them security in our expectations.

Contingencies: "When we pick up the toys, we can go outside to play."

Consequenses: "Are you sure you want to do that? If you dump out the bubble soap, we won't be able to blow any more bubbles."

"I" Messages: "My ears are hurting. I wish you wouldn't scream at the dog."

"You" Messages: "You are very angry because the dog chewed your toy. Let's talk about it instead of screaming."

Peer Problem Solving: We encourage the children to use "I" and "You" messages when they have conflicts, instead of being physically aggressive or becoming overly upset. They develop vocabulary, verbal expression and understanding of the effects of their behaviors on each other.

Limits: "We can run outside in the playground, but we need to walk inside."

Modeling: Children imitate spoken words or unspoken actions of adults, consciously and unconsciously. We model pro social behaviors, ones we want our children to imitate.

Expectation: "You told me you wanted to do this, and I know you can. Let's try!"

Choice: "We can't leave yet, but you CAN play with the blocks or do a puzzle while you wait." (We don't give a choice unless there really is one.)

Re-Direction: When we see a potential problem about to happen, we try to intervene before it occurs: "Why don't you come here to the block area with me; there are too many kids in the kitchen area."

Ignoring: When a child is behaving negatively in order to get our attention, ignoring is often effective when the behavior is physically harmless.

Take a Break: Also know as "Time Out", we prefer helping a child regroup his actions and feelings, to think about the event that caused difficulties. "You stay here (away from the group). When you're ready to talk about what happened, we'll work it out. Then you can come back to play,"

We welcome you to ask for aid or resources if you are having difficulty with discipline at home. Working together, we can provide the consistency children need to meet the age appropriate behaviors we try to instill in them.

We often hear people dismiss children's activities by saying, "Oh, they're only playing!" This play is a child's work as they learn their world and their place in it. Many good outcomes happen when quality surrounds their play.

Schedules at the Center vary with the needs and ages of the children in various classrooms. The Infant Room accommodates the infants' individual schedules as they are held and snuggled, play together on the floor, exercise their senses and bodies, explore objects and textures, drink bottles, nurse, feed themselves, and enjoy each other playing side-by-side.

In the Younger Toddler Room the children enjoy activities loosely scheduled by their teachers through observation of their needs throughout their day. They have graduated from cribs and rest on the safety of mats. Their play and interests become increasingly complex and enriched as they mature.

As the children move up through our Older Toddler Room, the Younger Preschool Room and finally to the Older Preschooler Room, schedules and activities change to fit the developmental needs and interests of each classroom grouping.

Table and Floor Play: Organizing and conceptualizing his/her world, developing hand-eye coordination, developing classifying skills, making generalizations about the properties of various objects, developing, number concepts, solving problems, developing and following a mental plan. "Playing" with blocks, paints, paper, crayons, play dough, cards, games, scissors, paste, all contribute to this learning.

Dramatic Play: Practicing cooperation, developing creative mobility of thought, and developing richer language and more elaborate vocabulary. Playing in the kitchen area, dressing up, and talking through puppets are a few ways we encourage this learning.

Outdoor Play: All children adore being outside when the weather is favorable. They learn to play cooperative games, taking turns, enjoying testing their powers and skills. We spend up to four hours per day, especially in the summer, bringing the classrooms outside, as well.

Indoor Gym Play: In rainy, too hot, or too cold weather, we bring the outdoor play indoors. Many of the same activities played outdoors are offered inside. The multi-activity tile floor grid offers a special menu of games, such as four-square, hopscotch, twister, and a variety of body-in-space awareness activities.

Circle Time and Story Hour: Learning to listen to others, speaking in a group, sharing space and special moments together, developing a sense of story and sequence, enhancing language comprehension, taking turns, expressing ideas, thoughts, and imaginations all challenge and help develop intelligence, interest, personality, temperament, knowing about the world and their place in it.

Structured Free Play: Making choices of friends, activities, and materials to use while playing, learning, exploring their interests, and mastering their skills.

Exploring Materials: Understanding the properties of items around them, such as paint and brushes, paper, crayons, markers, play dough and clay, sand, water, textures and colors, wet stuff and dry stuff--the list goes on and on with unlimited possibilities.

Meal and Snack Times: Mastering using a spoon, fork, serving, cleaning up, enjoying table talk. Meals are served family style and mealtime conversation runs the gamut of topics relating to the days' activities, to favorite events/happenings at home, and hopes and dreams.