|
Policies
Parent Participation
We encourage and welcome
parent involvement in the program. Parents may participate in the
program weekly or on as available basis. By participating
parents are able to see the program work, model positive discipline,
get project ideas, and observe their child during their
day at school. Parents committing to monthly P.P. will receive
a credit
on their tuition. If interested, please speak with the Director
to see if there is space available.
Each employee at D.T. is treated with
respect and fairness. Every parent is encouraged to refrain from
activities that divert staff from their
assigned responsibilities. It is inappropriate for parents to discuss
children or families enrolled in the center. Parents are encouraged
to keep their personal relationships with staff seperate from the center.
Registration
The following forms are required by state law and D.T.,
prior to your child's first day at DISCOVERY TREE:
- Enrollment and Tuition
Agreement
- Physicians Report
- Registration Form
- Emergency Form
- Parents Rights
- Personal Rights
- Healthcare Policies
- 2 - Consent for Medical Treatment (field trips)
- Needs and service
plan
- Receipt of Parent Handbook
Please update these forms as needed. It is
essential that our records be kept up to date. We ask that you inform the director
in writing of any changes
in address, phone #, emergency contacts, medical and dental information.
Each
year a child attends D.T., a re-enrollment form must be completed and
the annual re-enrollment fee must be paid by July 1st, in order to reserve
your child's
space for the next year.
Center Policies and Hours
The centers are open M-F, from 6:30 am to 6:00
pm. All children must leave the center by the closing time. There is
a late charge of $1
per minute
if your child
is left at the center after closing time, and is payable directly to
the staff member at the time you pick up your child. Both sites
are closed
for all state
and school holidays and 1 staff In-service day. Please see Holiday
Schedule (copies available in office). The business office is open from
9 am -
4 pm. We ask that
you call during these hours with any questions or to meet individually
regarding accounting matters.
If your child is going to be absent or arrive
later than their regular time, please call the center by 8 am and
notify staff. If your child
is going to
be picked up earlier than regular time, please let staff know when you
drop your
child off so that we can prepare your child. If your child needs to be
ready for an appointment or special event, please tell staff and they
will try
to accommodate your need.
Excessively Late Pick Up
If a child is not picked up from the center
by 7:00 pm and a parent or other persons listed on the "Authorization
for Pick-up" portion of the
Emergency Information Form is not available to pick the child up,
the following procedures
will apply:
- The Director will contact the Sacramento Police or
County Sheriff.
- The Peace Officer will take the child to Sacramento
Child Protective
Services (CPS).
- CPS will transfer the child to the Children's Receiving
Home until arrangements are made by the parent(s) for the
child's release.
This procedure will be exercised, reluctantly, as a last
resort after the Director or Executive Director has made every reasonable
effort,
starting
at 6 pm, to
contact the child's parent(s) or other authorized person(s).
Since D.T. is not licensed for 24 hour care, the above steps
must be
taken if no
communication with the parent or authorized person is achieved.
The
late charge of $1 per minute accrues from 6:00 pm until the child
is placed into the custody of the Peace Officer. The fee
is payable
directly to the staff
member who stayed with your child the next time the child is
signed into the center. If the child discontinues enrollment,
the late
charge will
be added
to any fees owed to D.T.
Days of Enrollment
D.T. has part-time and full-time days available in most programs.
Enrollment is based upon fixed days enrolled, extra days may
be purchased at the extra day rate as space allows, please check with the Director
for space availability (must be approved by Director in advance). After enrollment, the number
of days can be increased or decreased by a 30 day written notice
of an
'Enrollment Agreement
Addendum', and as space and waiting lists allow. *Increased days
might be immediately available. If your child is absent or your
schedule falls on
a holiday or other
scheduled day off, D.T. does not offer make up days.
Fees
Any changes in tuition or enrollment fees will be announced 30
days in advance. Tuition is due and payable in full with out regard
to the child's attendance. Sick days, vacation and holidays are counted as part of the child's
attendance. Tuition is due and payable in advance, D.T. accepts
monthly and semi-monthly tuition payments, late fees apply based upon the terms of your
signed 'Enrollment and Tuition Agreement'. Any other payment arrangements
must be approved by the Director. Absent extraordinary circumstances, and at the
discretion of the Director, if payment is not received by the last day of the month, the
child's enrollment will be discontinued. The costs of collections on unpaid tuition/fees will be borne by the parent.
A $20 fee will be charged for a returned check. In addition to
any late fees, after the second returned check, parents are required
to pay future
tuitions
and fees by other arrangements are made with the Director.
Admissions
Each center maintains waiting lists which are updated as needed.
The waiting list is on a first-come, first-serve basis, a family's
place on the list is determined solely by the date of filing an 'Admission Agreement'
and paying the non-refundable
registration fee. The center Director will ask you for a 'goal'
date of enrollment. Your goal date is not an assurance that your
child will start on that date, but a target date for enrollment. The center Director will stay
in contact with you as a space becomes available, if the parent does not choose to
enroll on that date, the Director will go to the next family on the list.
Security
Discovery Tree has an open door policy to all parents
and visitors. However, for security purposes, we maintain coded entry
systems
at all facilities.
Parents at Citrus Heights facility receive a combination
for entry, and downtown parents
must purchase a keycard from the Department of Justice
at $10 each. If your keycard is lost or stolen you must notify us immediately
to have
that card
removed from
the system. You will then need to purchase a new keycard
for
entry.
Parents have access to the center during our business hours.
The entry systems
are provided
to prohibit strangers from entering the centers.
Transitioning
A very important aspect of our program is insuring a
smooth transition of children from the infant to toddler, toddler
to preschool, and
preschool small group
changes, when a child is developmentally ready. Staff
will discuss
the signs of readiness
and specific procedures for transitioning with parents
prior to the change. If the transition affect you tuition,
the tuition for the month
will
be pro-rated.
Sign In and Sign Out
State law requires that each child be signed
in and out daily by a parent or guardian, there are two pages
in the sign
in books to be
filled out.
Additionally, the parent or guardian needs to
walk the child into the center and make contact
with a staff member during drop off and pick
up. This enables the staff to greet your child, do a brief health check
and find
out
any information
needed
for the
child's day (i.e., how the child slept, medications,
etc.), as well as convey information at the end of your
child's
day.
When it is time to say good-bye, please be clear with
the staff that you are ready to leave, if you need assistance
from them
with 'wavers'
they
will try
to help your child say good-bye. When you pick
up your child expect delays, as your child needs time
to finish
their projects,
clean
up and gather
their things.
No child is permitted to leave the center alone.
We will release your child to another adult only if the
person is authorized
by you on your
child's
Emergency Form, you have filled out a 'Pick-up
Authorization
Form', and the person has
a valid photo I.D.
Photographs
School photos are taken twice per year by a professional
photographer and are available for sale. Occasionally
the staff my photograph or video tape
the
children during daily activities or special
events. These photos and videos may be used
for promotional or advertizing purposes
for DISCOVERY TREE SCHOOLS.
Withdrawal
Parents may withdraw a child from the program with 30 days
written notice prior to withdrawal. A parent
who fails to give 30 days notice will be
charged through
the last day of attendance and
30 days beyond that date. Parents are responsible for unpaid tuition
and the
cost of collections.
Termination of Enrollment
D.T. is committed to providing individualized
attention and care to each child enrolled. As
a result, the center may not be able to properly
care
for children
with extreme behavioral or
other problems. If in the opinion of the Director and Executive
Director,
a child is
unable
to benefit
from
D.T.'s group
care environment, the child's
enrollment will be terminated.
D.T. reserves the right to terminate the parent
contract -'Enrollment and
Tuition Agreement', if deemed necessary
by the Director and
Executive Director.
D.T.
does not refund tuition.
Health
and Safety Procedures
DISCOVERY TREE is licensed for well child
care only. Cursory health checks are done every day
as each child enters the center. The check consists
of observing the child's
general appearance, observing the skin for flushing, paleness,
rashes
or other obvious signs
of illness, and possibly taking the child's temperature. After
this check, the
staff
may determine
not to
accept the child for
that day. If a child
seems extremely fatigued or ill during the day, the parent
will be
called to pick up the child.
If this is your child's first group experience, it
is quite possible that he or she will have more illness than before. D.T. is
firm on our sick child policy
and count on the cooperation of parents in keeping children home who are ill
or show signs of possible illness.
Picking up a Sick Child
When it is determined that a child is ill, staff will
attempt to contact the parent(s) immediately. If the parent(s) cannot be
reached, the staff will contact
people authorized to pick up the child from the center. Remember, it is the
parents responsibility to be available or have someone available to care
for their child
should he or she become ill at the center. In order to minimize exposure
of other children to illness, you must pick your child within 30-45 minutes.
(Please
note:
Sick children must be isolated from other children and D.T. is not staffed
to provide sick child care). If your child is not picked up within 45 minutes
after
you or your authorized representative have been notified, you will be charged
$1 per minute payable upon arrival. Staff will make every effort to make
your child comfortable until you arrive.
Return to the Center
Generally, a child who has been ill cannot return
to the center until 24-48 hours after initial treatment with medication,
if appropriate.
In addition, the child
must be fever-free and no longer showing symptoms of illness. The final
decision as to whether a child returns rests with the Director
or Executive Director.
Please refer to your signed 'Healthcare Policies'.
Medication
The center must follow state licensing regulations when administering
prescriptions and nonprescription drugs to children. The regulations
are as follows:
No medication
will be administered unless an approval and instruction sheet is filled out,
signed and dated by a parent. The dosages and times for each administration
of medication must be detailed in writing and must be in accordance with
the label directions as prescribed by the child's doctor. For nonprescription
drugs,
an approval note from the child's doctor is required. Any lotions or ointments,
and the instructions for their use (i.e. sunscreen or diaper rash ointment)
must be provided by the parent.
Each medication must have the child's
name on it and must be dated. Each medicine must be in the original
container and have an
unaltered label.
D.T. will keep a daily record of what medications were administered
to the child and will have that information available to parents on
a daily basis.
At each
site, medication must be stored centrally and must be kept in either a secure
lock box or in the lock box in the refrigerator. Always give any medications
to a staff person.
When a child no longer requires the medication, or the child leaves D.T. all
medications will be returned to the parent or disposed of if expired.
Children
may never carry their medicine in or out of D.T. Medicines may not be
left in diaper bags.
Reporting Requirements
Parents are asked to let the center know when
a child has contracted a contagious illness. When appropriate, the
Director will post
a notice to parents of
any communicable illnesses.
Accident and Injury Reports
If a child is injured at the center, a
report is written explaining how the injury occured and what
course of action was taken. The report
will be attached
to your
sign-in sheet at the end of the day. We retain a copy for your
child's file. Every attempt is made to write an accident report
or band-aid
report. If
you notice an injury when you are at home please check with
the staff next time
you are at the school.
Medical Emergencies
In the event of a medical condition or accident
requiring immediate treatment, a staff member will perform first
aid or CPR while another
staff person
calls 911, and then contacts the parents and the child's physician.
When appropriate,
staff will transport your child to the nearest emergency facility
or to physician, as described on your signed "Emergency
Form".
Custody Records
The parents must supply D.T. with custody papers upon
enrollment. In the event a parent informs us of a possible change
in custodial arrangements,
the parent
must furnish D.T. with the court date and time. The child
will not be permitted
to return to D.T. after said court date without the parent
providing D.T. copies of all pertinent documentation.
Immunization
Records
As part of the state licensing requirements,
we must have evidence that each child has received the standard
childhood immunizations.
This evidence is
required prior to admission to D.T. Failure to maintain
current immunization records
on all children is an infraction of state licensing
requirements. The Director is
required to keep the children's records current, and
will request information on immunization status. If parents do
not comply with the request for
information within 1 week of the request, the child
will not
be allowed to attend D.T.
until records are complete.
Nutrition
D.T. provides natural, healthy foods with little or no added
salt, sugar or preservatives. When parents provide lunch for
their children (at our
Citrus Heights location)
it must be consistent with this food policy. Parents
are invited to join their
child for lunch. Children at D.T. are offered a choice
of foods at meal and snack times. Offering variety of food,
encourages the child's
ability
to
naturally select foods that are healthy and fosters
a sense of control in the eating
process.
If a child dislikes a particular food or has special
dietary preferences, no "special" foods
wil be prepared, your child will be encouraged to try
other foods. If your child has a food allergy, please inform the
Director and
your child's
teacher, in this
instance we will make accommodations if possible. We
do not allow additional foods from home to come to school on a
daily basis.
Birthdays and Special Events
You may bring special snack to share with
the other children on a special occasion. Please inform the Director
or Head Teacher about any birthday
or special event
that you want to help celebrate at the school.
General Guidelines
Clothing and Toys
Your child's clothing should be weather
appropriate, washable and suitable for active play. Clothing may get
stained by
paint, clay, dirt, juice,
etc. All clothing
must be labeled, and there should be at least two sets of spare clothes
in your child's cubbie. D.T. is not responsible for lost or soiled
clothing.
It is quite natural for young
children to want to bring toys to school. A special comfort item
toy and/or blanket may be brought
from home for
set
time. Toys
from home though, are not available as they often end up lost,
broken or missing. Books and objects from nature may be brought
in at
any time to
share. Parents
must assist their child in selecting appropriate items to bring
to the center.
Naps and Resting
In the infant program, the children are on their own
schedules and may nap as frequently as they need. Preschoolers
and toddlers have
a scheduled
nap
time
after lunch. Preschool resting is offered but is not required,
the parent makes that determination. The program continues for the
children
who
do not require
a nap. Preschool and toddler parents need to provide a blanket
and king size pillow case for their child's resting items. Please
remember to take these
items home weekly for laundering.
Newsletters and Parent Meetings
D.T. has a monthly newsletter which
is filed with information about holidays, upcoming events, parent
education, current learning themes,
scheduled
field trips, and policy updates.
Parent meetings occur on a quarterly basis. The meetings have several
purposes: to allow staff to share information with parents about
new activities and
policies, to further explain our parent participation program, to
offer parents a chance
to mingle and make personal contacts that are vital to the community
atmosphere at Discovery Tree. The meetings are not intended to solve
individual concerns
that parents may have regarding the program, policies or their child.
The Director is available during regular hours for such concerns.
Parent Concerns
Parents who may have a concern or problem pertaining
to the program should first be brought to the attention of, and discussed
with that
particular
staff person.
Parents are encouraged to discuss matters with the teachers in a
cooperative and constructive manner. If after discussion with the teacher,
the
parent still has concerns, the problem should then be referred to
the Director.
Any questions
regarding policy or procedures at D.T. should be brought to the attention
of the Director.
Religious Holidays
DISCOVERY TREE has a neutral non-sectarian policy
on religious holidays. At D.T. we believe that holidays are very
special to everyone. However,
some holidays
have become too commercialized. We emphasize children making gifts,
cards, and
decorations and the meaning of the celebration rather than the material
outcomes. We believe each child has his or her own way of celebrating
and we feel each
families traditions are special. We invite parents to participate
in their child's classroom in order to share their families culture and
traditions.
Emphasis on
religious holidays celebrated only in some D.T. families and not
in
others may lead to confusion and perhaps, a sense of exclusion for
some of the
children. Please watch for further handouts during the holiday times.
Conclusion
Again, we are happy to welcome you and your family to DISCOVERY
TREE. We hope your families years with DISCOVERY TREE are productive
and full of joy. If you
have any question, concerns or comments, the staff, Director and Executive
Director are available to you and your family.
|
