Daycare Parent Handbook

Registration Checklist

Children may be enrolled from one month through four years of age, regardless of race, creed, or religious

beliefs. The following forms are required by the state of California and need to be read, completed and/or

signed prior to enrollment:

1) Parent Handbook (read)

2) Parent & Provider Contract/Enrollment Application (complete/sign/date)

3) Deposit & Start Date (complete/sign/date)

4) Child’s Preadmission Health History-Parents Report (complete/sign/date)

5) Permission To Administer (complete/sign/date)

6) Consent For Emergency Medical Treatment (complete/sign/date)

7) Identification And Emergency Information (complete/sign/date)

8) Parent Directory List (complete/sign/date)

9) Notification of Parents Rights (sign/date)

10) Parent Notification Additional Children In Care (sign/date)

11) Daycare Hours, Communication, And Points Of Contact (sign/date)

12) Termination Policy and Advance Notice (sign/date)

13) Payment Policy and Attendance (sign/date)

14) Affidavit Regarding Liability Insurance (sign/date if applicable)

15) Family Child Care Consumer Awareness Information (read)

16) Caregiver Background Check Process (read)

17) Guidelines for Illnesses Requiring Exclusion (read)

18) Making a Smooth Transition Into a Family Home Daycare (read)

19) Building and Maintaining a Positive Relationship with Your Child’s Provider (read)

20) Supplies Needed At Daycare (read)

21) Immunization Record (complete/supply)

Definitions

Full time childcare: Monday through Friday anytime between the hours of 7:30am and 5:30pm

Part time childcare: Limited days of the week anytime between the hours of 7:30am and 5:30pm

Half day childcare: (7:30am – 12:30pm) or (12:30pm – 5:30pm)

Infant/Young Toddler: younger than 24 months

Older Toddler/Preschooler: 24 months and older

State Licensing Requirements

[INSERT YOUR BUSINESS NAME HERE] is licensed and complies with all applicable licensing

regulations and standards. These standards relate to our home, staff, health, safety procedures, nutrition, care

giver to child ratios, and record keeping. We believe that these standards are in the best interest of the

children. Our home is subject to inspection by state and city health, fire, and licensing officials.

Ages Accepted

At [INSERT YOUR BUSINESS NAME HERE] we specialize in childcare for children ages one month to

four years old (aka 1 month - 48 months). We use a preschool curriculum specifically geared towards children

ages 2 and 3. This allows us to focus on the younger age group of children we have in our care, and therefore

betters the childcare experience for all involved.

Termination Policy

The first 30 Days will be regarded as a trial period, in which case either party may terminate the contract

without notice. After the first 30 Days of enrollment, a 60 Day written notice from parent or provider is

required to terminate the contract, with the exception of gross misconduct on part of the provider, parent, or

child. This is grounds for immediate discontinuation of service. In cases of non-payment, legal action may be

taken, and the parents will pay all legal fees incurred.

Advance Notice

If you will no longer be needing our childcare services, 60 Days advance notice needs to be given to us.

Whenever possible even more notice is better. This helps us tremendously. Reason being, unlike childcare

centers we can only care for a limited amount of children. So when we are full we are forced to say NO to all

incoming requests for childcare. If we have advance notice of discontinuation of needed services then it is

possible for us make future arrangements with new family’s inquiring about daycare for their child. This helps

to keep our open spots fluctuation to a minimum, and helps us be able to focus more on being the best

childcare providers we can be, instead of worrying about “the bills”, and putting food on the table.

Daycare Hours

The daycare is open Monday through Friday 7:30am to 5:30pm with the following holiday exceptions:

Holidays

Martin Luther King Day Columbus Day

Lincoln Day Veteran’s Day

Washington Day Halloween (closed at 4:30pm)

Good Friday Thanksgiving Day

Memorial Day Day after Thanksgiving

4th of July Christmas Eve - New Year's Day (Christmas Break)

Labor Day

Note: If the holiday falls on a Saturday daycare will be closed the Friday before. If the holiday falls on a

Sunday daycare will be closed the Monday after.

Sick/Personal days

As strong as our immune system has become over the years, we unfortunately still get sick from time to time.

Because of this we allot ourselves 7 sick/personal days per year. We also use these days for our continuing

education classes (CPR, Pediatric First Aid, etc) in order to keep our childcare license in good standing. Of

course we will give you as much of an advance notice as possible.

Vacations

We allot ourselves 2 weeks of vacation a year. The dates of our vacation will be posted at least one month in

advance. Regular payment rates apply for our vacations, your vacations, weeks with holidays, and

provider’s sick/personal days.

Note: Parents are responsible for finding back-up care for their children during provider vacations, holidays,

and sick/personal days resulting in the daycare closing.

Deposit

A nonrefundable deposit equal to two weeks of childcare costs is due at time of enrollment. However, do

not give us the deposit until you have signed the Parent-Provider Contract/Enrollment application and

thoroughly read the parent handbook. Your child’s spot is not secured until we have received both the deposit

and the signed Parent-Provider Contract/Enrollment application. The deposit will be credited towards the last

two weeks of your child’s enrollment.

Note: Please make checks payable to [INSERT YOUR BUSINESS NAME HERE].

Payment Policy /Attendance

Option One: Payment is due on Monday of each week or on the first day of the week attending daycare. If

payment is received after Tuesday of each week, a $20 late fee will be charged.

Option Two: Payment is due on the first business day of each month or on the first day of the month

attending daycare. If received after the second business day of the month a $40 late fee will be charged. It

must be understood that to hold your child’s space, payment must be paid whether your child attends

or not. Payment is based on contract, not attendance.

Your weekly or monthly daycare payment will remain the same (AKA grandfathered in) through your

child’s first day of enrollment to their last except in the following scenarios. 1: When graduating from

Infant/Young Toddler class (0–2 yrs) to Older Toddler Preschool class (2 yrs +). 2: When changing contracted

days of attendance. In both scenarios your new payment will default to the current price of the newly enrolled

schedule and not to that of the price of the “newly enrolled schedule” was when your child first enrolled.

The following paragraph only concerns part-time schedules. Unfortunately, we cannot switch around your

child’s scheduled days of enrollment on an occasional or semi-occasional basis. In other words, your days

contracted are your days and cannot be altered on a weekly basis. If you feel you need and/or want a more

flexible schedule then you may want to consider adding days or going to full time. However, keep in mind

you can also pay for extra days on an as needed basis for the cost of your current average daily amount

(e.g. If you pay $130 per week each additional day would be $65 per).

Note: To figure out the monthly payment you do the following, (weekly amount × 52 weeks ÷ 12 months =

monthly amount). Provider vacations will be credited to you and applied towards your weekly or monthly

tuition cost.

Non Sufficient Checks

Due to the inconvenience of NSF checks, a $50 fee will be charged for NSF checks.

Late Pickup Policy

If your child is picked up after 5:30pm there will be a late charge assessed of $1.00 for every one minute

(unless prior arrangements have been made). Please be courteous and arrive on time. After hours is time

with our family.

Health Matters

For the health and safety of your child and all of the children in our daycare, please do not bring your child

to daycare sick. In which case we in turn may become sick making it difficult to care for the children at the

high standards that we have set for ourselves. We can only care for children with mild cold like symptoms that

are otherwise feeling and acting well. Mild cold like symptoms are clear runny nose, slight cough, and a slight

or no fever. If you are not sure if your child should be brought to daycare, then please call and check with us.

If a child becomes ill during daycare hours the parents will be contacted to pick up their child. Parents need to

pick up their children within one hour of being notified. If parents are not available, the emergency contact

person will be notified.

Note: Once the child is removed from daycare due to illness, they may not return to daycare until

symptoms requiring removal are no longer present. The child must also be void of any contagious disease,

unless accompanied by a doctor’s note stating the illness in question is not contagious, and the child is

otherwise feeling well enough to participate in our daily schedule.

Guidelines For Children Requiring Exclusion From Daycare

A child with any of the following illnesses must be completely free of any symptoms before returning to

daycare. If the child is taking antibiotics for an illness, the child may return to daycare after the initial 24 hours

of beginning antibiotics as long as he or she has a slight to no fever (under 100F under the arm), no longer

contagious, and is otherwise feeling well enough to participate in our daily schedule. Signs of illness include

the following; unusual lethargy, irritability, persistent crying for no reason, runny nose (more than clear),

cough (more than slight), difficulty breathing, diarrhea, vomiting, mouth sores, rashes (note from doctor

stating non-contagious is ok), pink eye, chicken pox, mumps, measles, roseola, hepatitis A, impetigo, lice,

ringworm, scabies, strep throat, scarlet fever, tuberculosis, shingles, and any other contagious disease or rash.

Any child with a fever of 100 degrees or above, orally (in the mouth), or axillary (under the arm), may

not attend daycare. State law requires that we notify parents of children who have been exposed to certain

contagious diseases. Please notify us if your child becomes infected, so a note can be posted.

Note: A fever in and of itself is not all bad (given that it is not too high). A fever is your bodies natural way of

trying to protect it self against whatever virus or bacteria is attacking it. Illnesses that cause fevers cannot live

in our bodies’ abnormally hot environment. However, a fever is an obvious indicator that the child is sick

and possibly contagious, therefore requiring exclusion from daycare.

Child’s Absences and/or Vacations

If your child will not be attending daycare due to illness or other, please let us know as soon as possible so

the day’s activities won’t be held up waiting for your child to arrive. Also, we need to know how many

children we need to prepare meals for. No discounts will be given for your child’s absences due to illness or

vacations. If your child will not be attending daycare for what ever reason, you are still required to pay.

Medication

At [INSERT YOUR BUSINESS NAME HERE] we do not give medications to the children. If your child

needs to be medicated in order to get through the day, and be able to comfortably participate in our classroom

activities, then it is quite possible he or she may be too sick to attend daycare. We will however give certain

doctor prescribed medications to the children, of course given that they are no longer contagious, and only if

the medication consent form has been signed. Examples of these would be; antibiotics for ear infections etc

and Tylenol for teething or pain associated with bumps or bruises (not to bring down a fever). If you’re not

sure if we will administer a certain medication or not, please feel free to ask.

Reporting Child Abuse

We are required by law to report any suspected incidents of possible child abuse or neglect. Your child can be

questioned by child protective services at any time without your consent.

Medical and Dental Emergency Procedures

Emergency information is kept on file at the daycare. In case of illness or injury this information will be used

to notify you or the person designated by you, of your child’s status. If your child is injured while at the

daycare, first aid will be administered. If treatment by a doctor is necessary, we will make every effort to

contact you or the doctor you have chosen to treat your child. In all cases, an injury report is completed, and a

copy is given to the parents as well as the Department of Social Services. Authorization for emergency

treatment must be signed at the time of enrollment to ensure that in the event of an emergency, we can make

sure your child receives the necessary emergency treatment he or she needs. It is very important that all

emergency contact information is kept up to date and correct. Please inform us immediately of any

changes to keep your information current. Parents are responsible for all costs involved in emergency

medical treatment, including emergency transportation if required.

Note: In case of a serious accident or sudden illness requiring immediate medical attention, the following

procedures will be followed.

1) A phone call to 911 is made.

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

3) Child is separated from the other children and appropriately cared for.

4) Parent, provider, or ambulance takes the child and health records to the doctor or hospital.

Evacuation Procedures

[INSERT YOUR BUSINESS NAME HERE] has written policies and procedures for dealing with

emergencies and natural disasters. Evacuation plans are posted in the daycare. In the unlikely event, the

children will be evacuated to an emergency location, and you will be notified as soon as possible. Our

emergency location of choice is the tennis court on High Ridge Street. A notice will be posted at the daycare

with all information on the alternative sight. Directions to the tennis court are as follows: From our house on

Telescope Avenue turn left out of our drive way. Make a right on High Ridge, and the tennis court is one

block down on your right hand side.

Diaper Policy

It is the parent’s responsibility to provide diapers, wipes, and diaper cream for your child. It is also the

parent’s responsibility to check periodically to see if or when your child needs more diapers, wipes, and

cream, (not the providers). Each child has his or her own clearly labeled diaper bin, either in the

infant/younger toddler room or older toddler/preschooler room, depending on the age of the child. Diapers are

checked frequently, and changed every three hours or more often if required. Diapers containing #2 are

changed immediately. The diaper changing tables are cleaned and disinfected between each diaper change,

and hand washing of childcare provider and child is performed after each diaper change.

Toilet Training

We are more than happy to encourage potty training as long as the child is ready (typically between 2 and 3

years old). The initial start needs to be done at home for at least two weeks with success before it can be

effectively started at daycare. Parents will be required to supply pull-ups and wipes. Children will be allowed

to come to daycare in cotton training pants/underwear after they have been accident free for at least

two weeks in pull-ups. Communication between parents and the daycare provider is imperative for a

successful transition from diapers to toilet.

TV Viewing

Television viewing is only done once or twice a week, no more than a half an hour at a time and is limited to

PBS, the Disney channel, and Baby Einstein for the younger ones. On occasion, usually only on Fridays, we

may pick an appropriate children’s video to watch i.e. (Little Einstein’s, Blue’s Clue’s, etc). Children are

never required to sit and watch TV, and TV is not offered in place of free play or learning activities.

Toys

We have well organized, separate, age appropriate toys for the toddler and infant class. Infants will not be

allowed to be around or play with small objects and toys. During the initial adjusting period we encourage

your child bring a piece of home with them; a special blanket, toy, or teddy can be very comforting. Photos of

family members, neighbors, and pets can be left with us to help remind your child of familiar people if he or

she feels lonely during the day. However, please do not bring your child’s toys to daycare except on

designated sharing/show and tell days. As much as we try to encourage sharing, this seldom works when it

is the child’s own personal toy. It only causes problems between them and the other children. Never send your

child to daycare with toy weapons.

Miscellaneous

§ Here at [INSERT YOUR BUSINESS NAME HERE] we do not transport any child by car or any

moving vehicle, unless a medical emergency requires us to do so.

§ Understand that your child may be included in pictures connected with our daycare program, unless

otherwise specified by you the parent.

Open Door Policy

Please feel free to come and go at anytime throughout the day to visit your child. However, please keep in

mind that in doing so it can prove to be disruptive to the other children in our care. During times like these the

other children have a hard time listening and following our directions. Furthermore, if you or any other part of

your family i.e. (grandparents, etc) would like to come and visit or play with the child for an extended period

of time, please take the child in question out of the daycare, to places such as your home, a park, or on a walk,

etc, after which, feel free to bring the child back to daycare.

Behavior Management & Discipline

We believe that the discipline of a child is achieved through patience, consistency, and positive reinforcement.

We also try and teach the children in our care manners, kindness and to be respectful to others. One of the

ways in which we do this is by the example we as providers set. We understand that our actions and reactions

speak much louder than our words. The children are explained the rules of the daycare frequently, so they

know what’s expected of them. Once a child is old enough to understand the rules and disobeys them by,

exhibiting inappropriate behavior (hitting, aggression, etc), hurts others, or property, the following

developmentally appropriate guidance techniques will be used. These techniques are as follows:

1) Positive Reinforcement: The child will be encouraged when he or she is demonstrating acceptable

behavior.

2) Redirection: The child is redirected to another activity and given an opportunity to try again at another

time.

3) Time-Out: The child is separated from the group for an age appropriate amount of time (one minute per

one year of age). This technique is only used when a child repeatedly will not follow our directions or listen to

our words, is exhibiting temper tantrum type behavior, or hurting ones self, others or equipment. When the

child shows that he or she is ready to demonstrate acceptable behavior, they are encouraged to join the rest of

the group to try again.

4) Last Resort: When a child’s behavior is continually upsetting or dangerous to others, a conference will be

called with the parents. If the problems cannot be resolved, arrangements will have to be made for the child to

go elsewhere for care.

Note: Sometimes if both a parent and a provider are both in the same area (examples would be during drop-off

and pick-up times) a child may forget the rules or test the boundaries. Please help show your child that you

respect us, the rules of our house, and our property by reminding them that the rules still apply when

you are around. We will also remind them of the rules and correct them if needed.

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