Parent Handbook

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Angel’s is run by a certified ECE II, who has experience with all ages as well as with children with varying degrees of physical and mental challenges. Angel’s is here to provide early childhood education and nurturing care in a home environment. As such, there will be provision for all age groups, with evening and overnight care available as needed. Occasional and part time children are welcome. Fees are charged only for days that the child is present. Angel’s believes that keeping the numbers of children low, allows for a more natural family environment and provides the children with more attentive caregivers. Should the need warrant it, a dependable, committed substitute/assistant will be hired on part time basis. Children will have access to a variety of learning experiences, through art, nature, field trips, books, puzzles and free play activities.

PROGRAM PHILOSOPHY

Our philosophy is to encourage the growth of each child as an individual and as a member of a family, a peer group and a community. This growth is encouraged in an environment that is safe, nurturing and respectful of individual needs.

Children of all abilities are not only welcome, but valued, as children who have much to teach others in respect to individuality. All children will be essential members of our group. Where they have skills and talents, they will be utilized. Where they have weaknesses, they will be encouraged to grow. If the child needs particular care and attention, the other children will develop a caring and empathic nature as they are encouraged to help one another. Children learn much from peers and the adults around them. The adults at Angel’s will model respectful, caring behaviour at all times.

Children will be closely supervised at all times. School-age children may occasionally be allowed to do activities in another room, as the caregiver tends to younger children. Children in overnight care will not necessarily be in sight of the caregiver while sleeping, but will be in close proximity to them.

Fire Drills
Frequent fire drills will be implemented with the children to help them become aware of safety procedures. They will take place approximately monthly. Fire drills will take place more often in warm weather, less often in winter.

Accidents
Each incident is recorded by the staff and then brought to the parent’s attention. After your review and authorization the report is signed by the director and placed in your child’s file.

All staff members are required to maintain their Emergency First-Aid and Infant and Child CPR. In case of an injury that requires emergency care a staff will contact the parent or parent designate as indicated on the registration form.

Daily Routine
A sense of knowing what is going to happen each day will make the child feel comfortable and help them to actively participate in the experiences. Our program for the children is a combination of both planned and free play activities which revolve around a daily routine. As different children arrive and go at different times depending on who is registered, the program will be tailored to fit and adjusted as necessary. An approximation of snack and meal times, etc. will be posted.

Traveling to and from school:
Nursery or Kindergarten children will be escorted directly to their classroom. They will be picked up from their classroom and escorted back to the centre.

School-age children will be taken to the school and dropped off in the playground between 8:45 a.m.to 8:55 a.m., at which time the school will be responsible for them. School age children will be picked up at 3:30 at a pre-determined location within the school/grounds and escorted back. Early dismissal will be treated the same.

Outings and Field Trips:
Angel’s Childcare Home tries to expose children to experiences outside of the Centre as frequently as we are able to afford. We do our utmost to choose those that cost little or nothing to parents. On occasion, we may ask for donations to offset the cost. Field trips are optional and parents may keep their child at home. Permission slips for trips involving transportation must be signed the day before the trip. Transportation will likely be with the Director’s personal vehicle.

As well, we go on spontaneous walks or trips to nearby parks etc. A blanket permission slip for walks and outings not requiring transportation is included in the agreement form.

Please let us know when you are ready to consider toilet learning your child. If we notice signs that he/she may be ready, we may contact you first. Either way, we’ll work together so he/she can master this important skill.

We need to work together on this because your child will be learning to use the toilet both at your home and at child care. Children can’t succeed if the expectations and practices change from place to place and adult to adult.

Nap time/Quiet time

We believe that rest/sleep is important in the growth and development of young children. Therefore, all infants and preschool-age children are given the opportunity to rest when needed. Toddlers and pre-school children will be encouraged to have a nap after lunch

We realize that rest periods are as individual as the children themselves. Please discuss your child’s resting/napping habits with a staff member.

Items from Home

Parents are asked to discourage their child from bringing personal toys or any other items from home. Not only can these toys cause sad feelings if they are not shared adequately, pieces of and whole toys have been known to disappear.

Parents are asked to provide the following labeled items for their child’s participation in the program:

We will supply sunscreen and child-strength insect repellent. Please ask to see the product label if there are concerns about allergies, etc. A permission slip is required for us to apply sun screen and mosquito repellent.

We trust that the parent should be able to determine if the child is ill and needs to stay home. Below are some guidelines to follow:

Diarrhea
If you child has diarrhea, not related to teething, please do not bring him/her into the centre. If your child has two incidents of watery stools while at the centre, you will be contacted and asked to pick up your child. Exclusion is helpful in preventing the spread of this illness to others in the daycare.

Ear Infection
Ear infections are not usually contagious, but can cause the child a great amount of discomfort, fever and pain. For this reason we ask that the child not attend the child care centre until these symptoms have subsided.

Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis)
Children with the condition must be excluded from the centre for at least twenty-four hours after beginning prescribed treatment. Your family physician may recommend an even longer period of exclusion depending on the cause of the infection. Please follow his/her advice.

Skin Rash
Diagnosis by a physician is required. Proper treatment must be started and your physician’s advice regarding exclusion must be followed.

Vomiting
Please do not bring you child into the centre if he/she has vomited during the night or upon waking in the morning. If your child has a vomiting episode at the centre you will be contacted to pick him/her up.

Strep Throat
Children with this illness must be excluded from contact with other children in the centre until he/she has been on antibiotics for at least twenty-four hours, as this disease is very contagious and can lead to serious complications. Prompt medical attention is recommended if you suspect your child has strep throat.

In the case of a communicable disease we need to be notified so that we can make other parents aware of symptoms to watch for in their own children. If a child becomes ill during the day, or if their illness is such that they display lethargic or erratic behaviour, we may feel that it is in the child’s best interest for the parent to be contacted so that alternate arrangements can be made for the care of their child.

Please let us know if you have noticed any behaviour that may be a sign of impending sickness. If the child has diarrhea, vomiting, or a fever of more than 38.5°C (101°F) please keep them at home.

Administration of Medication/Medicine
Please ensure that any and all medicine/medication is handed directly to a staff member. This ensures that the containers are safely locked in the fridge or drawer.

Clothing

Please send children dressed so that they can concentrate on having fun and not worry about staying clean. Remember; paint, glue, sand, mud, grass, snow and rain are a part of each of our days in one way or another. Children should be dressed for the weather as they usually go outside for a portion of every day, weather permitting. It is important to encourage the children’s self-help skills and to develop their sense of independence; therefore, we suggest that clothing be comfortable and easily handled by little fingers.

Please call if your child will not attending on a regularly scheduled day. Please give as much notice as possible as to the hours and days of care needed. Should you be later than expected, please take a moment to notify us of the situation.

Withdrawal Policy

There is a suggested 2 week (10 working days) written notice for withdrawal. This is requested so that we may have appropriate time to fill your child’s spot without loss of income to the centre.

As part of the registration process all parents/guardians will be asked about any and all custody arrangements for their children that are being enrolled in our program.

For the safety of all involved please share any information regarding non-custodial parents/guardians with the director. For legal purposes non-custodial parents and non-custodial legal guardians cannot be denied access to their child(ren) if we do not have current copies of custody and/or restraining orders on file in the centre.

All information pertaining to your child(ren) will be kept confidential. Parents may have access to their child(ren)'s file upon request. Child information will only be disclosed once written consent from the child's parent/guardian has been received, except in the case of suspected abuse, whereby information will be released to the appropriate child welfare agencies and/or the police.

The Child and Family Services Act (1989) states that anyone who has information that leads that person reasonably to believe that a child is being or has been abused, or is in need of protection, must report this suspicion.

1. Keep accurate and detailed records of that child - noting any change in mood, behaviour and/or appearance.

The word "discipline" is derived from the word disciple. It describes the teaching/learning process by which children develop socially acceptable and appropriate behaviour as they grow to maturity.

Discipline is something that adults do with and for children, rather than something done to children to stop them from behaving in undesirable ways.

Its intention is to help children become self-disciplined, as they learn appropriate and acceptable behaviour patterns. Discipline involves a continuous process of guiding behaviour and is offered while acceptable behaviour is occurring, as well as before, during and after unacceptable behaviour may be displayed.

We use a number of positive guiding techniques with the children. The key to behaviour management is effective communication; between the child and his/her peers and between the child and his/her caregivers. We will be clear in our expectations of the children and we encourage children to attempt to express themselves verbally. We also encourage children to solve their own problems.

Violent &/or aggressive behaviour (physical or verbal) from children or adults is not allowed.

Physical punishment, such as striking or hitting, is never used. Children are never denied necessities, shamed or ridiculed.

These guidelines will be adapted for use with children in a variety of ages and stages.

Consequences for not respecting oneself and others will depend on the type and intensity of the disrespect shown. There is no tolerance for violent and aggressive behaviour here. Violence and/or aggression will be dealt with firmly using the following techniques:

The consequences for not respecting oneself or others in a non-violent or aggressive manner will be dealt with by talking to the child(ren) and if necessary using mediation techniques. Children will be guided in learning more positive forms of communication.

Taking care of equipment ensures that it is available for use by all of the children.

3. If necessary the privilege of using the item will be suspended for a specified period of time.

2. If necessary (i.e. something is broken or actions are repeated) the situation will be discussed with the parents.

1. Depending on the incident, a child may be allowed to experience the natural or logical consequence for this behaviour. The child’s safety will first be taken into consideration.

2. The child will be talked to about the incident and alternative solutions will be sought; mediation may be used.

3. A loss of some privileges for a specified period of time. During this time the child may be requested to do some childcare-related chores, i.e. sort toys and/or books, wash toys, organize papers, sort the recycle bin, etc. Parents will be notified if problems persist.

Children will stay with the group and their partner. Everyone will follow the rules set down by the owners/operators of the places that are visited.

Consequences for not being responsible for one's behaviour during a field trip will be:

1. The child may be required to miss the next field trip or outing. This may mean that alternate care arrangements will have to be made for the day of the missed field trip or outing. Parents will be notified.

2. In extreme cases the parent will be called to pick up the child from the field trip location.

We can teach children to do this by working along side them and not criticizing a job not done perfectly.

1. The child will not be allowed to take out and use that piece of equipment or the supplies for a specified period of time.

2. They may be expected to clean up after another child to show what it feels like to have to pick up after someone else.

4. Ask questions that will help you to understand the problem. (how long; how often; when; what do you mean; etc.)

Child Information Sheet

Name: ________________________________. Age _____. Birth date: ____________________

Address: ________________________________. Phone numbers: ________________________

Child lives with _______________________. Relationship to child: _________________________

Siblings living at home: ____________________________________________________________

Food likes: ____________________________________________________________________

Food dislikes: __________________________________________________________________

Allergies: ______________________________________________________________________

On any medication? Please list and note frequency: _______________________________________

Any other special care needs? _______________________________________________________

Anything else you want us to know about your child? ______________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Permission to apply sunscreen? _____ Permission to apply bug repellent? ______

Permission to take photos? _____ Permission to share photos? ______

Permission to be driven in personal vehicle? ______

Notes: _________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Photograph Permission Form

Photos are a wonderful way to share moments of the children’s day with their families. Looking back at photos brings back happy memories of the fun they have had. For this reason, Angel’s not only takes photos of individual children, but also of the children interacting with their play mates. Children enjoy sharing these pictures with their friends and family. For this reason, creating photo memory books for each child is a part of the program. For this I need parent or guardian permission.

I give permission for my child, _____________________________to be photographed at Angel’s and on field trips.

I give permission for copies of these photos to be shared with the other children.
Yes ___ No ___

Photos of the children will also be added to our website, with permission of parent/guardian. The photos could be close up with face showing, or distance, with face not showing.

I give permission for photos of my children to appear on Angel’s web site.
Yes ___ No ___ distance only ___

Signed: ____________________________ Date: _________________________

Transportation permission form

As there are many interesting places to visit, in and around the city, and field trips are an integral part of the program, Angel’s needs permission to transport children in Angel’s personal vehicle.

I give permission for my child, _____________________ to be transported in Angel’s personal vehicle:

Within the city limits: Yes___ No ___ Outside the city limits: Yes ___ No ___

Signed: __________________________ Date: _________________________

Parents will be made aware of any field trips that are not walking distance from Angel’s.

Should parents have reservations about transportation or field trips, we will attempt to come to a solution, whether it involves public transit, the parent’s vehicle or any other suitable solution. There may be times when public transportation is the preferred travel method for city trips.

Safe, fun, learning experiences are what we are all about!