Objectives
Pre-Admission Conference
Tuition
Terms of Payment
Late Pick-up
Security System
Hazardous Weather and Emergency Situations
Days and Hours of Operation
Personal Belonging Requirements
Meals and Snacks
Program for Development
Plan for Continuing Contact
Health Policies
Methods of Discipline
Persistent Unacceptable Behavior
Children with Special Needs
Statement About Staff
Child Abuse and Neglect Statement
Non-Discrimination Statement
Publicity Statement
Insurance Statement
BabyCare will meet the following objectives:
1.To provide an environment that is safe and secure, meeting both their physical and emotional needs.
2. To provide activities that are geared specifically to each child's developmental level, based on developmental assessments, and to promote positive learning experiences.
3. To provide information to parents on a regular, on-going basis regarding ways to facilitate their child's development.
4.To provide quality care, with respect for the parents' individual lifestyle
Pre-Admission Conference
Prior to admission, BabyCare must obtain written information from parents.This information is collected to assist BabyCare in providing appropriate care for your child.This information is required by the State of Minnesota, Department of Human Services Licensing guidelines. This information is available only to the childıs parents or guardian, the program director, Barbara L. Richardson, the Public Health Department and the Minnesota Department of Human Services Licensing Agent. If you fail to provide the required information we may not be able to provide care for your child. You are not required to provide optional information. The information necessary for admission include:
1. Your child's name and birthdate.
2. Your name and address.
3. Telephone number or instructions as to how you can be reached when your child is at BabyCare.
4. Names of persons authorized to take your child from BabyCare. Also, names of persons specifically not authorized.
5. Name, address and telephone number of your child's health care source to be contacted in case of emergency.
6. Names, addresses and telephone numbers of persons who can assume responsibility for your child if you cannot be reached in an emergency.
7. Health statement and immunization data.
8. Signed authorization to the effect that you give permission to BabyCare to act in an emergency situation if you cannot be reached or are delayed in arriving.
9. Written permission for participation in publicity activities. 10.Specific diet and daily care requirements.
* We would also appreciate it at this time if you would advise us of your family lifestyle and preferred parenting techniques. BabyCare staff will not contradict your specific requests regarding behavior training, etc. We welcome your telephone calls and visits. Please feel free to contact us anytime your child is in our care.
Tuition
We will assess and implement tuition adjustments on a yearly basis. We will assess these adjustments each January. Please call us at 952-884-2323 for the most current tuition amount.
A $50.00 enrollment fee per family is required at the time of registration. A $50.00 readmission fee is required after one month absence. Enrollment fees and readmission fees are not refundable. Also, at the time of registration one week advance payment is due and will apply to the final week of service, providing a written two week notice has been submitted.
Terms of Payment
On the first day of attendance the first week payment is due. Subsequent payments are due each Friday for the following week of service. If payment is not received by Monday morning at 10:00 a.m., there will be a $5.00 late fee assessed, and $2.00 for each additional day the payment is late. Children will not be allowed to attend school if accounts become past due unless arrangements have been made with the director.
The fee schedule remains the same as per the enrollment agreement regardless of vacations and holidays and sick days.
Late Pick-up
A parent being late is very stressful for a child. Lateness is also unfair to staff, who have families of their own, have after work activities and simply have the right to go home when the center is closed. BabyCare closes at 6:00 p.m. and there will be a late pick-up charge of $10.00 for each 15 minutes after closing. After the third late pick-up, the fee will increase to $15.00 for each fifteen minutes. Following the sixth incident, the fee will increase to $20.00. We will also require that the family meet with the program directors to discuss the issue and decide whether we will be able to provide further care for the family.
We realize that there are occasional emergencies or hazardous weather that may prevent you from being on time. We have and will continue to make exceptions in these instances.
Security System
Our security system was installed to maintain the safety of the children we provide care for. The purpose of the system is to allow only those people into the building that have business here. We ask that each family ring the buzzer two times to access the BabyCare staff. We answered, please speak loudly and clearly your name and the name of your child. Staff have been instructed to only allow in the building people which they know, so if they did not understand you, they may ask you to repeat your name. Again, this is for the safety of the children in our care. Once allowed through the door please be aware that there is a 45 second delay before the door locks again, so be alert to anyone that may be coming in behind you. If you do not recognize or even wonder about, follows you into the building, please alert a staff member immediately so they can investigate to see what business they have in the building. Our agreement with the church prevents us from giving out the code to families, therefore you must ring the buzzer each time you come. If for some reason someone doesnıt answer the buzzer in a timely manner there is a doorbell located on the outside door, please ring that and we will answer.
Hazardous Weather and Emergency Situations
In the event of hazardous weather conditions. BabyCare closings will coincide with those of the Bloomington Public Schools, District #271. Full day closings are announced early in the morning on local radio stations and BabyCare will follow Bloomington School guidelines. Parents and staff are advised not to come to BabyCare in the event of Bloomington School closing.
Mid-day closings are also frequently announced on radio. BabyCare will remain open for two hours following a mid-day Bloomington School closing. Parents are responsible to pick up their child within that time period or to delegate the responsibility to their designated back-up care provider. After the two hour period, the late pick-up charge will go into effect as stipulated above.
The first priority of the BabyCare staff is the safety of the children. BabyCare reserves the right to close the center under conditions that are determined to threaten the safety of the children. An allowance has been made in the tuition rate for three emergency days per year.
Days and Hours of Operation
BabyCare is open Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. You may bring your child any time during these hours. Pick-up after 6:00 p.m. closing is strongly discouraged. As parents, you are responsible for transporting your child to and from BabyCare. We are not open the following holidays: New Years Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and the Friday after, Christmas Eve (all day), Christmas Day, and New Years Eve (close at 2:00 p.m.)
If a holiday falls on a weekend, BabyCare reserves the right to observe the holiday either Friday before of Monday following the holiday. Notice will be given in advance for these changes.
Personal Belonging Requirements
We make every effort to see that your child's belongings are well cared for. However, we urge you not to bring expensive items as we cannot be responsible for loss or damage.
PLEASE LABEL ALL ITEMS BROUGHT TO BABY CARE
We ask that you bring the following items - Appropriate for your child's age: 1. Diapers.
2. Vaseline, powder, etc. (if recommended for your child)
3. Bottles and Food. Please indicate daily requirements. A water bottle is also recommended.
4. A complete change of clothing, including appropriate outdoor wear. Extra changes of underwear and clothing for children being potty trained.
5. Pacifier if your child uses one. If so, please bring several of the same kind.
6. Any blanket, toy, pillow etc. that may provide comfort and security for your child.
7. Toothbrush and case. (Preschoolers & Pre-K)
Meals and Snacks
Infants: We ask that you provide the food that your infant will eat each day. You know his/her tastes and familiar satisfying meals will help make his/her day pleasant. We have a refrigerator for storage and a microwave oven for heating food and bottles. We will discard any bottles or food left overnight in the refrigerator, as required by the Bloomington Health Department. We provide juice and snacks on a daily basis if and when you feel that this is appropriate for you infant.
Toddlers, Preschoolers and Pre-K: Lunch and snacks are provided by BabyCare. Our lunches are catered by Premier Kitchens. The lunches are pre-portioned and adapted for our children. Milk is also provided with the lunches. BabyCare provides breakfast for an additional fee of $7.00 per week or you may bring breakfast for your child from home. Juice, Milk or water will be provided at meals and snack by BabyCare.
Program for Development
Each child is assessed according to their developmental needs. We may use the Denver Developmental Prescreening Questionnaire to ensure awareness of specific functioning levels. All activities are geared specifically to each child's individual needs. Our infant group works primarily with providing a loving, safe environment that encourages developmental growth. The toddler, preschool and pre-k groups work with developmental activities. The teacher in each room also integrates music activities, flannel board, art activities etc., to aid in teaching all areas of development. The preschool and pre-k curriculum focuses on more learning activities including math, science and language skills. Our goal is to help them adjust to the change and prepare for kindergarten. BabyCare tries to provide activities that meet each child's individual needs. We generally assess your child with a standardized device, the Denver Developmental Screening Test. This helps to assure the appropriateness of our activities for each individual child. Development is tracked and kept in the child's file and is explained individually to parents at our semi-annual parent -staff conferences.
BabyCare does not take off site field trips without written notice and consent of parents in each instance. We do take the children on supervised walks within the neighborhood and surrounding parks.
Plan for Continuing Contact
Information will be obtained from you at the time your child is brought and on a daily basis regarding special concerns, comments or recommendations you may have. Records will be kept and provided to you on a daily basis regarding your child's activities of the day.These record's will be concise and readily available to staff during BabyCare's operating hours.
Parent-Staff conferences will be conducted twice per year. Information will be provided to you at this time regarding activities to facilitate your child's development based on specific functioning levels. The Denver Development Test will be explained at these conferences. You will also be provided with information regarding types of activities and toys your child has responded to or enjoys while at BabyCare. At this time, we welcome any comments, suggestions, or concerns you may have regarding your child. You are welcome at anytime to request a conference with the staff at BabyCare.
We puts out a monthly newsletter and with important information pertinent to the families of BabyCare.This is the easiest way to communicate information to all families. The toddler, preschool and pre-K classes send out classroom newsletters also. Parents are responsible for the information listed in the newsletters and we ask that you carefully look over each newsletter for important information.
Anytime you have questions, concerns or problems, please bring these to the attention of the Program Director or Assistant Director as soon as possible so the situation can be attended to. Any grievance brought to the attention of the Directors will be handled or the progress reported back to parents within 48 hours.
Our role in your child's care is to facilitate your relationship with your child. Through an awareness of his/her development, your interactions may continue to be positive and effective. Success oriented activities and toys reinforce this positive interaction and contribute to the quality of your time together. Our professional training and experience in conjunction with our daily involvement with your child enable us to provide supplemental information to you as parents.
Health Policies
Health promotion in children requires regular observation and accurate record keeping as systematic follow-up. Our responsible is for the observation of health, handling of illness at the center, accident prevention, emergency procedures and keeping complete health records on a daily basis if necessary. Prior to admission, we require that a Health Care Summary be completed by your child's doctor. Incomplete Health Care Summary and /or immunization records would exclude your child from enrollment and/or attendance. Please help us to keep our records updated by informing us when your child has had an immunization. It is required by the state of Minnesota the Health Care Summary be updated by your doctor when your child advances to the next program.
We strongly encourage parents to keep an unhealthy child at home. Parents must call us (952-884-2323) to report a sick day, in order for us to inform others and guard against further spread of illness.
In the event of an emergency or illness we must have instructions of how you may be reached while your child is in our care. It is the responsibility of the parents to let us know if your home or work address or telephone number changes so our records remain current. We will also require the names and telephone numbers of authorized persons who can assume responsibility if you cannot be reached. The State of Minnesota requires that each child have a back-up care provider of file in case of emergency. You will be notified immediately should your child show signs of illness. We will provide care and supervision to your child in the event of illness until you arrive. An isolated area will be equipped with a crib or cot for this purpose. We ask that you not bring your child to the center if you note the following:
1. Auxiliary temperature over 100 degrees, oral 101 degrees.
2. If your child looks or acts differently; awake all night crying, unusually tired, pale, lack of appetite, irritable or restless.
3. Colds with a yellow/green nasal discharge and/or undiagnosed cough.
4. Vomiting (more than usual spitting up)
5. Diarrhea which is characterized by frequent watery or green colored bowel movements which are not related to medication or food reaction.
6. Any undiagnosed rash other than mild diaper rash or heat rash.
7. Breathing difficulties.
Remittance for the following communicable diseases shall be:
1. Fever until child is without fever for 24 hours.
2. Throat Infection - 48 hours after the start of medication.
3. Chickenpox - All lesions are dry and crusted.
4. Impetigo - 24 hours after the start of medication. If there is not improvement in 48 hours, the child should be reassessed by a doctor.
5. Conjunctivitis (Pink eye) - 24 hours after the start of medication.
6. Lice and Scabies - Following medical treatment.
7. Pinworms - No restrictions following medical examination.
8. Hepatitis - Physician statement required for readmission.
** When dealing with the first signs of illness, it is better to err on the side of caution than to ignore the symptom that could lead to something serious, expose others to the disease, or prolong the illness.
BabyCare will notify you of any infections or communicable diseases reported or diagnosed at the center. We are in continuing contact with the Bloomington Health Department and follow their recommended procedures for notification that include a letter to all parents and a posted notice.
BabyCare requires signed parental permission on all over- the-counter and prescription medications to be administered by BabyCare staff. They will be administered according to your instructions and logged. We must have permission for Syrup of Ipecac on file.
We ask your cooperation in dealing with illness, please notify us as soon as possible if your child is diagnosed with a communicable disease so that we can take the appropriate action. We make every effort possible to prevent illness within the program, please remember the importance on keeping your child home when they are sick. You would not want another child to come to the program sick and infect your child so please show the same consideration for others.
BabyCare will contact your child's health care source as recommended by you in the event of emergency medical care. We will follow any recommendations regarding hospitalization etc. Our staff is trained in First Aid and CPR. In addition, we will conduct health promotion conferences every month with the Bloomington Public Health Nursing Staff. In the event of an emergency requiring immediate medical attention, we will call 911 and the parents to determine the proper course of action.
Methods of Discipline
BabyCare is of the opinion that appropriate social behaviors can be maintained and increased by positive reinforcement. Staff will model appropriate play and behaviors and will reinforce these behaviors in the children with verbal and gestural cues.
Intervention techniques to eliminate inappropriate behaviors will consist of changing the environment, or helping the older child learn to solve the conflict. For example, if a child is throwing blocks, the blocks will be removed and replaced with another play activity. If a child becomes aggressive towards another, he/she will be guided to another play area, and we work to teach the child to use their words rather than aggression.
BabyCare staff will remain sensitive at all times to the needs of children. Negative reinforcement techniques (verbal or physical) will not be employed in any event. Separation technique will only be used if the attempts to stop the behaviors have failed of the health and safety of the other children are at risk. Children between the ages of 6 weeks and 16 months are not separated from the group as a means of behavior guidance. Children separated from the group remain in an unenclosed part of the room within continuous sight and hearing of a program staff person. The child's return to the group occurs when the behavior that precipitated the separation is stopped or brought under control. All separations from the group because of behavior guidance are noted on a daily log. The log documents that parents are notified if a child was separated from the group three or more times in one day.
Persistent Unacceptable Behavior
If the BabyCare staff observes a child with persistent unacceptable behavior, which is defined by a child that is separated five times or more in one week or eight times or more in two weeks, and/or behavior is jeopardizing the health and safety of the children in our care, we will speak with the parents to help determine the appropriate course of action. The behavior, time out, and parental consultation will be documented in the child's file.
Children with Special Needs:
In the event that a child with special needs should enroll in BabyCare, we have established the following guidelines:
1. Written permission will be obtained from our licensing agent prior to enrollment.
2. Written program modification based on the determination of the needs of the child will be developed.
3. Equipment and activities will be modified as necessary.
4. Necessary staff training will be arranged.
5. Information will be obtained from the parents, physicians, state or local agency dealing with the child's education.
BabyCare Statement About Staff:
BabyCareıs primary purpose is to provide the highest quality childcare for working families. BabyCare staff members are hired through a process which values community, parent and staff respect, and a dedication to quality care for young children. Baby Care works hard to educate, train, and support our program staff. Quality staff is what helps us maintain itıs high standards and we ask for your cooperation and respect.By signing the child care agreement, you agree to refrain from recruiting or hiring BabyCare staff for your own personal child care needs.
Child Abuse and Neglect Statement
BabyCare is required by the State of Minnesota to report any suspected sexual or physical child abuse or neglect as observed in our day to day dealings with children.
Non-Discrimination Statement
BabyCare will not discriminate in admissions or demissions on the basis of race, sex, religion, creed, color, national origin, or source of payment.
Publicity Statement
Permission is required for participation in research, publicity and photographs. This is optional and we would ask permission in each individual instance.
Insurance Statement
BabyCare provides the State required liability insurance and accident coverage for all children and staff.
BabyCare's program plan is available at the parents request for review.
BabyCare is licensed by the City of Bloomington and the State of Minnesota, Department of Human Services. 651-296-3971.
