Julie’s Home Day Care Policies

Philosophy

I believe that all children should be given the opportunity to grow in a safe and nurturing environment. I believe self-esteem is the critical component to optimal growth in every young child, that is why I focus on socialization, self-help skills, and cooperation. I give every child the opportunity to explore, experiment and create at their own pace in a healthy environment and within the community we live. My objective is not only to provide a happy safe place for children, but to encourage social skills and broaden their educational horizons.

An average day spent at my day care consists of supervised free play and weekly structured activity time. An opportunity for crafts with different textures and mediums will be given to each child within the realm of their abilities. Crayons, paints, markers and pencils are on hand and used with supervision to encourage creativity. Numbers and letters are taught with a fun and games concept. Games, stories, song and dance are utilized every day. The use of our local and Public Libraries, as-well-as our own collection of books, are used to promote early reading habits. We have a story time every day here if we are not out participating at a local site for a scheduled story hour and activity. We utilize a number of other community learning spaces throughout the year such as Adams Play Space, Heritage State Park, Haskin’s School Gym, the YMCA, as well as parks throughout the area, including North Adams, Cheshire, Lanesboro and Pittsfield. During the summer months we also include in our travels swimming areas such as Margret Lindley, North Pond and Pittsfield Lakes, all which provide life guards.

Educational videos, appropriate for children are shown occasionally. Television viewing is kept to a minimum, and when it is used, it is limited to selected Public Television programming and age appropriate programs.

I supply all necessary equipment for infants such as walker, swings, seats, car seats, high chair, changing table and cribs. Each infant will have his/her own crib, bedding and changing mat. I will supply, powder and wipes, however, I do not supply diapers. Older children will be supplied with their own sleeping mat, including mat cover and blanket.

My selection of toys consists of a selection of blocks, puzzles, games, many manipulatives, play sets for all age groups, infant toys, dolls, dress-up clothes, trucks, trains and cars, dinosaurs of all sizes, musical toys and computerized educational learning toys. The older children have access to a computer for limited computer time. Art supplies include, paint, stencils, glue, scissors, crayons, pencils, markers, paper, misc. craft material, recycled items and bric-a-brac. The specific interests of each child will not go unrecognized.

My outdoor play area is more than large enough for the children to run, play and use their imaginations. I have large Step Two and Little Tike climbers, a Little Tike toddler climber, 2 play houses, a large sand box, 2 tire swings, a balance beam, climbing tree, baby swing and a full size swing set. A large variety of outdoor toys such as trucks, sand toys, rakes, bubbles, chalk, buckets, jump ropes and hola hoops, wagons and other riding toys, etc., are also available. There is also a covered patio with an art center, block area, table and chair set with kitchen accessories and dolls. All the outdoor equipment is used with supervision and caution and is checked on a regular basis for splinters, loose hardware or anything else that might cause harm.

I believe you will find my Day Care Home is a happy, safe and nurturing place for children of all ages. Each child will receive love, individual attention and lots of encouragement and self assurance in an atmosphere that is above all respectful of their needs.

I have an "Open door" policy, which means I welcome visits to my Day Care Home at any time during my working hours, keeping in mind that nap time is from 1 pm until 3 pm each afternoon. Please feel free to ask about anything that may concern your child or your Child Care Services, and I will do my best to help you in any way that I can.

If you are considering my Home Day Care, and have any questions, please feel free to email me at [email protected] or call my at 413-743-1831 to set up an appointment to meet or visit my program, you can also visit my web site at www.geocities.com/julies_day_care.

Nondiscrimination

Julie's Home Day Care does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion or national origin.

My Day Care is open from 6:00 am until 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Additional hours of care are available, including travel time if you work until 4 pm and need extra time to get here, evening hours and weekends. I am approved to provide respite care for Foster Parents also upon notice and prior approval. Enrollment consists of a parent/provider interview & visit to the program, a signed contract stating hours, rates, holiday closures, etc., and all necessary forms & permissions, signed and dated for the child’s personal file. A one week deposit is due prior to start date, weekly fee is due on the Friday the week before care is given, and a two week notice is required prior to ending date unless waived by provider.

Paid Holidays

The following are paid holidays when they fall on a day regularly scheduled for care and one in which you have contracted for:

New Year's Day

Martin Luther King, jr. Day

President's Day Memorial Day

Independence Day

Labor Day

Columbus Day

Veteran's Day

Thanksgiving Day

Day After Thanksgiving

Christmas Eve

Christmas Day

I will also schedule up to two paid professional training day per year.

Substitute Care

I have qualified substitutes providers if I am sick and you need a back up provider. Please don’t hesitate to come to me so that I can assist you with this matter.

Paid Vacation

The provider may take up to 3 weeks vacation at 1/2 the contracted weekly fee. The provider will give the parents at least 2 weeks prior notice of all scheduled vacation time.

The parent may take vacation at 1/2 the contracted weekly fee with at least two weeks notice. Vacation weeks at this discounted price are not to exceed 3 weeks per year and must be Monday through Friday unless alternate days are approved by the provider.

There will be no charges related to the provider's illness or other emergency that prohibits care.

The following forms are required and need to be completed prior to the child's first day:

~Parent and Provider Contract ~Parent and Provider Policies

~Basic Enrollment Form ~Child Information Form

~Medical Report ~Child Release Form

~Medical Treatment Consent ~Permission Forms

Rates are currently as follows, these may change yearly due to cost of living. Parent will be notified prior to yearly review and updates.

Full Time (up to 9 hours per day) $26.00 per day $130.00 per week

Part Time (under 4 hours per day) $16.00 per day $80.00 per week

Hourly Before/After School - $4.00 per hour

The fee posted here are for work/school and travel times only, unless your child is enrolled for socialization only.

A one week deposit in the amount of your contracted weekly fee will be due prior to your start date, it will be adjusted if your weekly fee should change. The deposit will be refunded upon discontinuation of needed services, if a two week notice is given and if there are no outstanding payments due.

Payment is due on the Friday before your care week.

If payment is not received by Friday then a late fee of $5.00 per day will be charged beginning on Saturday.

If payment is not received by Monday morning, then the provider will give the parent a termination of services notice, unless accepted payment arrangements have been made.

Payments will be made in the form of cash, check, or money order.

The parent will be charged $30.00 fee for returned checks as well as any other charges due to the return of their check. If a check is returned a second time, all payments henceforth will be made in cash.

At the end of each year, I will provide you with a proper tax form showing the full amount of all charges for that calendar year.

If the parent arrives earlier or later than their contracted time without prior notice and approval from the provider, the following rate will be charged: $5.00 per every 15 minutes of care.

If the parent makes arrangement for additional overtime hours, an additional fee will be charged according to the rates listed above.

Should it become necessary to go to court over nonpayment of fees owed for services provided, court and attorney fees will be added on to your bill.

In event of severe weather such as snow storms, sever rain storms, etc., when the city/town declares a severe weather emergency, closes schools and businesses and when self employed parents close their businesses early, etc., I will expect to by notified by the parents of all children in my care of their situation and confirm drop-off and pickup times. If the parent is leaving work early, I will highly recommend pickup of their child. If a parent must continue to work the day, day care will remain open for their child.

If school has been closed, yet businesses are open and a parent must work, I will still be available for care, however if a parent chooses not to go to work, because of inclement weather, I would highly recommend them keeping their child home also, instead of putting the child at risk by trying to get them to and from day care.

In the event of school closure due to inclement weather, school age children will be able to attend full day upon availability of space. All necessary adjustment of daily fees will be due with the next weeks payment.

The daily fee will still be charged for these days, however, any early or late charges will be waived to allow for safe travel.

Upon signing the Enrollment Contract, it is noted that Parent/Child/Provider will be given a trial period of two weeks. During this time either parent or provider has the opportunity to give notice to discontinue care at any given time due to reasons such as nonpayment, inconsistent drop off/pickup times, child's inability to adapt to program, provider's inability to adapt to child, child's behavior toward other children, etc.

If I feel that the requirements of the contract are not being met or if there is a conflict in caring for a child I may choose to terminate the contract. I will give families a minimum of a Two Week Notice and assist in any way I can to help families find new childcare.

After the two week trial period, either parent or provider may terminate the contract by giving two weeks written notice in advance of the ending date. Payment by parent is due for the notice period whether or not the child is brought to the provider for care.

Provider my terminate contract without giving any notice if the parent does not make weekly payments when due.

By signing the contract, parents agree to abide by the written policies of the provider. The provider may amend the policies years and agrees to provide the parents a copy of the new or changed contract at least two weeks before the annual review date.

If the parent is in need of changing the contract, a request in writing to the provider will be needed prior to the change. The changes will not go into affect without written approval back to the parent from the provider and a new contract must be completed with changes and signed by both parties. This is especially important if hours of care or days of care changes are needed to the fact that the provider might not be able to accommodate these changes due to current enrollment.

Your child will only be released to those you have listed as pickup people, and will only be released to those people with written or verbal notification directly from you.

Julie's Home Day Care program is varied in order to promote the educational, social, cultural, emotional and recreational development appropriate to the ages and developmental levels of all the children enrolled.

The program will provide for experiences that are designed to influence a positive concept of self, recognizing that a child is a member of a family as well as a community.

Each child will be provided with a sufficient quantity and variety of materials and play equipment appropriate to the age of the child and developmental level and interests. Such materials and play equipment may include: books, paints, crayons, safety scissors, paper, blocks, puzzles, toys, games, balls, and riding toys.

Daily supervised outdoor play is required for all children in care, except during inclement weather or unless otherwise ordered by a physician.

Appropriate rest and quiet periods will be provided in accordance with individual and group needs, when a child can sit quietly or lie down and rest. For children unable to sleep, time and space will be provided for quiet time. Each child will be provided with his/her own crib or mat with bedding, depending on age.

To ensure optimal health and welfare of the child, the parents will be given the opportunity to discuss issues related to their children and care of their children with the provider. Such opportunities will occur at the time the child enters care, there after upon arrival, if needed in the evening hours after day care has ended, or at the time of the annual renewal of the contract.

Discipline provides an opportunity to enable a child to develop self-control. When a child is having a difficult time following directions or treating others or property with respect, developmentally appropriate guidance techniques will be used. These techniques are as follows:

~Providing an example for children by speaking and interacting with them in a positive manner.

~Rewarding acceptable behavior.

~Redirecting a child to an alternate activity.

~Brief separation from the group. (This technique will only be used when a child's behavior harms or is likely to result in harm to the child, others or property.)

In accordance with the Massachusetts State Social Services Laws, I am a mandated reporter, I must report any suspected incidents of child abuse or maltreatment concerning a child in my care to the Department of Social Services.

Julie's Home day Care will conduct monthly fire drills during the hours of operation and a written plan for the emergency evacuation of children from the premises will be posted on each level of the home.

Since food and nutrition are important components of a child's development, this program emphasizes fresh and natural foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, homemade soups, and who grain breads, etc.

The provider will provide a well-balanced breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner and evening snack if they attend after hour care. Weekly menus will be provided upon request.

If a child has a particular dietary need, substantiated by a medical evaluation, I must be informed and given a doctor's note. Children with food allergies will be accommodated with substitute foods and beverages.

Each child will be encouraged to try new foods and will enjoy the variety provided to them in each weeks menu. We have two raised garden beds so the children will have the opportunity to grow their own vegetables in the summer months. They will be given the choice to participate in food preparation during the different meal times and nutritional activities. Every meal is made to meet or exceed the Federal guidelines for the Massachusetts Child Care Food Programs.

The parents agree to notify the provider of a child's illness or suspected illness and to make alternate arrangements for care if the child shows any of the following symptoms: Fever over 100 degrees, diarrhea, vomiting, eye discharge or pinkeye, a draining rash, lice or nits, severe cough or soar throat, a contagious illness without medication for at lease 24 hours, or when the provider feels the child is too ill to be in care and is causing disruption to others in care.

The provider will notify the parent if the child shows any of the above symptoms while in care and the parent will pick up the child when requested by the provider or make alternate arrangements for the child to be picked up by an authorized person other than the parent..

In the event of a life-threatening medical emergency, the provider will call 911 and then the parents. If the parents cannot be reached, the provider will then call the person listed as the emergency pickup. Please be sure to inform and confirm anyone that you have listed that they will be able to meet this need.

Medication may be administered under the following conditions:

~Consent: Written consent is required to administer any medication.

~Prescription Medication may only be given upon written order of a physician stating that the provider may administer such medication and accompanied by written instructions from the parent. All prescription medication must be in its original container and properly labeled.

~Non-Prescription Medication may be given on an infrequent, non-routine basis under written instructions from the parent. If a child develops symptoms which indicate a need for nonprescription medication while in care at the provider's home, such medications may be given under oral instructions from the parent for that day only.

~Topical ointments may be applied as needed for protection again the sun or diaper rash under written parental instructions.

Parent's are required to supply the following items, which are necessary for the proper care of your child:

~Backpack/Diaper Bag with one or two sets of clothing.

~Appropriate outside wear (boots, gloves, hats, etc.)

~A blanket which will be given to the child during nap/quiet time.

~Diapers or Training Pants (provider will supply diaper wipes).

~Supstitute Food if costly.

~Necessary medication (when applicable).

*Please note.... We go outside every day – children need to be dressed accordingly. Also we often do messy activities and clothes can get dirty.

The purpose of these policies is to keep misunderstandings from happening. I hope it provides parents with a clear picture of the expectations I have for them and that they may have for me. If at any time a parent has a question concerning any policy or practice, I urge them to talk to me about it immediately. Communication between parents and providers I think is the key to each child getting the best care possible. The care your child deserves!

All children enrolled under my care are treated with love and respect and provided with the opportunity to engage in a wide variety of activities according to their ability and interests. My objective is to provide for your child a safe clean environment where he/she can learn and grow in a positive and loving atmosphere, a place in which each child will feel he/she is loved and valued for his/her individual uniqueness.