All children spend one hour minimum outdoors each day, except in extreme conditions. Please dress your child accordingly. Outdoor play is healthy on many levels – it provides open space to decrease the spread of infections, a variety of opportunities for gross motor development, and balance in the children’s play and routine.
Children are provided with their own cot and sheet during daily naptime. Those who don’t sleep are asked to rest until the others are asleep and then offered quiet activities. Licensing requires one hour of rest time.
Children are offered breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack. Staff eat with the children in a family style setting. Well-balanced meals satisfy the requirements of the Child and Adult Care Food Program. Menus avoid sugar and high amounts of fat and salt. New foods are introduced regularly and children are encouraged to taste.
Germs are spread through group setting most often by hand. Therefore, hand washing is a very important part of the daily routine. Children are taught proper hand washing techniques. Your reinforcement of hand washing at home will help your child develop a habit that will prevent frequent illnesses.
Children who are new to groups do get sick more frequently especially at first. They come in contact with germs that their bodies do not have strong defenses against. As children spend more time in group settings, they usually become more resistant to illnesses. Be sure to have a back up plan for when your child is ill.
Children brush their teeth after lunch. This is an important part of self-care.
All staff are trained in First-Aid and CPR.
Do not send your child if he/she has
- fever
- enlarged glands
- vomiting
- lice or their nits
- undiagnosed skin rash
- sore or swollen joints
- diarrhea
- chills
- inflamed eyes
The following guidelines are to be used in determining when a child may return to the center after an illness
- 24 hours AFTER a fever has disappeared; without medication take to reduce fever.
- 24 hours AFTER the stool or urine has returned to normal color or consistency;
- 24 hours AFTER vomiting has ceased;
- proof of a negative throat culture or 24 hours after treatment has begun if the culture is positive;
- 24 hours AFTER beginning a prescription medication of any kind;
- Presentation of a doctor’s statement that the child is free of parasitic infestation.
Before children become ill, be sure to plan for alternative arrangements for childcare on these days. Plan ahead for those occasions when your child becomes ill at school so that he/she can be taken to a quieter more comfortable setting as quickly as possible. A busy, noisy classroom is not pleasant for a child who feels ill.
Be sure to keep us abreast of all your current telephone numbers including work, home and cellular numbers. When your child is not feeling well it is important we be able to contact you or your designated person.
It is the center’s expectation that parent(s) will carry insurance to include medical coverage for expenses incurred as a result of an accident or injury. These expenses are the responsibility of the parent(s).
