Parents
Parents
ITEMS NEED BY PARENTS TO ENSURE QUALITY CARE
We want to assure your child is properly cared for a while in our center. Parents are responsible for providing the following items.
Diapers – weekl
Wipes – weekly
Clean Bottles & tops, nipples, dates and labeled daily.
*Breast milk or formula (up to 12 months); Bottles must be pre–made before your child arrives 2 complete changes of clothes (seasonal) – at all items 1 sippy cup (5 months) – taken home daily to be cleaned.
Diapers – weekly
Wipes – weekly
One change of clothes (seasonal) – at all times.
Diapers/Training Underwear (if child isn’t potty trained)
Change of clothes – at all the times
(Pacifiers are not allowed)
NOTE: When potty training begins, please dress in clothes in clothes that will help increase independence this new skill. Clothes to avoid: overalls, onesies undershirts, jumpers, & body shirts.
Change of clothes – at all times
Note: Please dress children in clothes to have fun in. Children should not have to worry about getting clothes soiled while they are learning.
Parent Handbook
Parent's Responsibilities
All applicants must complete a Changing The Hand Enrollment/Emergeney Application (One per child). Each child must have a copy of the following;
1. Immunization record (from doctor or Health Department)
2. USDA Child Care Food Application
3. A pre–enrollment visit with the classroom teacher is required for each child before they can attend the center.
For your child’s safety, we require that you, or other authorized adults, bring your child into the center each morning and get him or her settled. It is required that your child be signed in upon arrival.
If you are going to be away from your usual place of work for the day, be cure to leave an emergency phone number where you can be reached.
When picking up your child, be sure to sign out for the day, this is for your child’s protection. We will release children to authorized person only. If necessary, photo identification or other identification may be required by the program child is released. If someone other than the authorized person is to pick up the child, please notify the program in writing or personally call us.
Copies of legal document must be provided to the program before any of the staff members can actively prevent non–custodial parents from picking up their child.
from parents, and we are unable to reach an authorized person to pick up the child, we will call CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES. There is $1.00 per minute late fee charge. Please pay upon arrival. If for some reason you will have to be late (ex. Working overtime) please call at least one hour before pick up time
so that arrangements can be made. There is a $10.00 per hour per child charge for this service.
Each child’s tuition is an ongoing fee, which may be separated into weekly, biweekly, or monthly payments. ALL TUITION MUST BE PAID ON MONDAY OR TUESDAY OF THE WEEK IT IS DUE. Note: Tuition is payable in cash, cashier check or money order. Please make all monies payable to: Changing The Hands Childcare Center.
The center will provide nourishments three times each day. Breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack will be distributed. All meals and snacks are prepared based on the Recommended Dietary Allowances contained in the Food Pyramid. Menus are posted weekly. This center participates in the Child and Adult
Care Food Program of Tennessee Department of Health & Human Services, which meet all federal recommended daily nutritional standards. All parents/guardians are requested to fill out annually a Child Food Program Eligibility Application in order for the Center to maintain state compliance.
All children at the center will rest after lunch. To protect your child’s health, we provide a freshly sanitized cot and clean coverlet, which is washed daily. Although children will not be forced to go to sleep during the nap period, nor criticized for not going to sleep, they will be required to rest quietly so
that children who want to sleep may do so.
In order to prevent the spread of illnesses and germs, we must ensure that the children are healthy and well while in our care. If your child(ren) portrays signs of any type of illness, you will be contacted immediately to pick up your child(ren) from the center. The following are reasons that your child(ren) could be excluded from care:
• Runny nose (discoloration)
• Fever
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Any open or infected wounds
• Ringworms
• Pinkeye
• Contagious diseases
• Chronic cough (i.e. whooping cough)
Changing The Hands does not administer medicine to any child. However, parents are welcomed to come to the center and give their child medicine.
• Bottles and pacifiers are not allowed in the preschool area
• All parents are asked to bring an extra set of seasonal clothing for your child to be left in the cubby
• The extra clothes should include top clothes, socks and underclothes. (Note: When a child is being potty trained, several pairs of training pants should be brought to the center on a daily basis. Please be considerate of the type of bottoms your child wears during training. Clothes should be easy to remove by the child & the teacher. Please put your child’s name or initial in all items left at the center
The guidelines for discipline at Changing The Hands are to foster and teach children to be independent self–monitors of their behavior that walk in love. This will be achieved through behavior guidelines provided by teachers by the teachers and staff. Children attending: Changing The Hands Childcare Center be subjected to any form of corporal punishment, by the director or any other staff of the facility. The definition of “staff” includes: any regular or substitute caregivers, volunteers, cooks, secretaries, janitors, vehicle drivers or any other individual who might come into contact with the children while providing services for Changing The Hands Childcare Center.
Changing The Hands instructors and other staff will provide Verbal Guidance by:
• Speaking kindly to children
• Providing positive verbal praise when interacting with children
• Giving clear instructions
• Avoiding making comparisons between children
• Giving positive directions and suggestions
• Modeling values
“Time–out” is the removal of a child for a short period of time (3 to 5 minutes) from a situation in which the child is misbehaving and has not responded to other behavior management techniques. The “timeout” space, usually a chair, is located away from classroom activity but within the teacher’s sight or in the administrative office. During “time–out”, the child has a chance to think about the misbehavior which led to his/her removal from the group. After a brief interval of no more than 5 minutes, the teacher discusses the incident and appropriate behavior with the child. When the child returns to the group, the incident is over and the child is treated with the same affection
and respect shown the other children.
We understand the importance of family unit, however if a time arrives where upon any symptoms of suspected child abuse or neglect by a staff member or parent/guardian are brought to our attention, we are required by law to report it to the Tennessee Department of Social Services. This center will abide by this law.
By the Program
The child’s adjustment to the program, and the appropriateness of this particular care arrangement for an individual child, may cause concern for the child’s wee–being. If the program staff does not feel that it is meeting the child’s needs, we reserve the right to terminate the care arrangement on a time line that is in the child’s best interest. Other reasons which may result in termination of the care arrangement are as follows:
1. Non–payment of child care fees and or lack of adherence to the tuition payment policies.
2. Lack of cooperation from parent with the program’s efforts to resolve differences, and or to meet the child’s needs through parent staff meetings.
3. Abusive behaviors and or verbal threats by parents to each other, to their children, and toward any staff member of the program will result in IMMEDIATE TERMINATION!
4. A child exhibits special needs related to serious illness that are not possible to meet at the program. In this case, the program will make every effort to involve parents, and possibly other resource persons, in order to decide together on the best course of action for this child, prior to termination.
