Children's Garden Day Care

The Children's Garden Inc. has been in operation since September of 2000, and in our current location on Dutch Village Road since September of 2002. When The Children's Garden moved to Dutch Village Road, the (previous) owner renovated the entire building top to bottom as a testament of her dedication to quality childcare. After 12 years of ownership, the daycare was sold in December of 2014 to it's current owner, Sarah Haggett, who had worked here for 6 years prior and was Director for a year before the sale.

Our vision is to provide the community of Halifax with the best childcare we are capable of providing, and incorporating this vision through an inclusive, family-centered approach where children will be stimulated, challenged and nurtured.

Our mission is to provide the best childcare we are capable of providing by: always questioning our practices and beliefs to further our understanding of children and their families; always furthering our knowledge of children, families, and the complex issues they face by prioritizing and attending workshops, conferences and other learning opportunities; going above and beyond the requirements of our license in every aspect of the program to be the best we can be, including menu, teachers, program and beyond.

We believe the early years of a child's life are some of the most formidable. We take our responsibility of caring for and educating your child very seriously. We see it as an opportunity to enrich a life and make a difference, no matter how small. The early years and the care your child receives in this time help lay the foundation for all types of development and, consequently, your child's future.

At The Children's Garden Inc., we have an immense amount of passion for our families and the children. This passion drives us to provide the highest quality of childcare possible.

At The Children's Garden Inc., we strive for excellence in all areas to be the leader of childcare in our community. We provide leadership in the industry by taking on students from local high schools, colleges and universities.

At The Children's Garden Inc., we believe that positive relationships are at the heart of quality childcare. This is a top-down belief; meaning that starting from the Owner/Director, who strives for positive relationships with Educators and parents alike, that this positivity will then trickle down to the children, professionals outside of the daycare, and even further in the community.

Please read this manual carefully. It outlines your responsibilities and what we expect from you when providing care to your child. You are legally bound by this Manual once you have signed that you have read and agree to it. The Children's Garden does not hold any responsibility in ensuring you are aware of the policies laid out herein.

First and foremost, we expect you to be a partner in your child's care. This means: providing everything your child needs on a day to day basis that the daycare does not provide (diapers/wipes/creams, spare clothes, appropriate outdoor clothing etc.); picking up your child at the request of the daycare due to illness or injury; and keeping your information on file up-to-date. Please inform us if your phone numbers or address change, along with any other pertinent information that may affect the care of your child at The Children's Garden Inc. Thank you for choosing The Children's Garden Inc.!

Our Program

At The Children's Garden Inc. we base our entire program and day around the idea of Emergent Curriculum. Simply put, this means that the environment is set-up with the intention of teaching children about the things that they are interested in. Instead of the teachers choosing what the children are learning, we observe them in play and react accordingly by creating activities and a program which they will find compelling and, through their play in this purposeful environment, the children will learn about the world around them.

At The Children's Garden Inc. we pride ourselves in providing an Inclusive Childcare Program. This means that children of all abilities and stages of development will not only be accepted to the program, but the programming will be created in such a way that all children can participate at their own comfort level.

We accept all children and families and are proud to say we have an Inclusion Coordinator who spearheads this operation. She is a trained and educated individual who has a particular passion in helping children with Special Needs. The Inclusion Coordinator works 40 hours per week and spends almost all of that time working on supporting both the children and teachers to successfully integrate all into the program. She will observe children if necessary, provide tools and techniques to help parents and teachers, set-up meetings with specialists such as Speech Pathologist, Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapist, EIBI etc.

On any given day you may find unfamiliar professional faces in the centre. These would be our Partners in the Community; professionals that are here to assist in the Inclusion of children with Special Needs (some examples mentioned above). Feel free to ask anytime when you see an unfamiliar face. Due to confidentiality, however, we would not disclose whom they are here for.

We take the role of parents very seriously and view them as a Partner in the process of involving their child in the Inclusion program. Further, parents will be openly given all information pertaining to their child and invited to any meetings or information sessions that may benefit their child.

At The Children's Garden we value outdoor play and the importance of physical activity and fresh air! There are days that the children are out as long as an hour and a half in the morning and/or afternoon. We even have tables in a small, fenced-in area where the children will eat snack from time to time outdoors!

Our playground boasts two sheds full of toys (one of which double as a play area for the children), a large sandbox with a canopy for shade, lots of trees and plants to make for a more natural play space, a very popular 'mud kitchen', and a spongy surface made of recycled tires which is much safer for the children than other popular playground surface choices. In the summertime we provide sunscreen and each child has their own water bottle which is brought outside during play to avoid dehydration. In the wintertime we maintain the playground with a snow blower so that the children can still go out regardless of the amount of snow that falls!

We love to take the children on neighborhood walks when the weather permits to see their community and teach them about the things around them. Often the older children will walk to nearby playgrounds simply to expose them to something different; we are fortunate to have lots of them nearby.

By regulation, we are required to take the children out twice a day for at least 30 minutes (weather permitting). In the winter months we are required to honor this regulation in temperatures and/or wind chills as low as -27 degrees Celsius (this temperature cut-off has been determined by the Canadian Pediatric Association). This means your child absolutely needs to be equipped with proper outdoor gear (see Parent Agreement under Welcome to The Children's Garden!). In the summer months, if the Humidex is 30 or higher, we will delay taking them outside.

Please don't forget that no matter the time of year, your child is absolutely required to have a hat every single day which is weather-appropriate. This is also a regulation.

By regulation, we are required to provide a rest period to all children, even if they have outgrown a nap or do not sleep. For this reason, there is a Quiet Time in all four classrooms. Quiet Time starts at 12 noon and ends at 2:30pm. In the Sr. Preschool room they do not start nap until about 12:30pm, and are typically up earlier than 2:30.

Any children who do not fall asleep within the first 30-45 minutes of naptime will be given quiet toys and/or books to keep them occupied. They are required to stay on their mats for the duration of this period (unless, of course, they need to use the washroom!) and will be asked/reminded to do so if necessary.

This rest period is of the utmost importance for the children, regardless of age. The lights are turned off, the curtains are closed, and soft music is put on. A child's work is their play, and all children not only require, but deserve to have a break part-way through the day (much like an adult having a lunch break at work). After all, a daycare classroom can be a noisy place at times, and providing a reserved period of quiet, individual play will help the children de-stress and relax. Due to the importance of quiet time, we ask that, unless absolutely necessary, children are NOT dropped off or picked up within this window of time. Thank you!

By regulation, we are required to follow strict nutritional guidelines and criteria to ensure the children are getting adequate nourishment. We have worked hard on the current, 4-week menu and treat it as a living document - meaning it is always changing based on the children's likes/dislikes and what is in season. We are always trying new foods with the children like Quinoa and Tofu. The Children's Garden Inc. is committed to providing the children with a nutritious, tasty menu that is not static; it is ever-changing!

At The Children's Garden we like to create an atmosphere during meal and snack times which is inviting, warm and loving. We strive to make the daycare feel as much like home as possible. This type of environment will allow the children to listen and react to their own hunger and fullness cues. We encourage independence in eating by allowing them to serve themselves (within reason) and most times you will find the teachers eating with the children, just as families would at home.

We take advantage of all teaching opportunities, and meal/snack times are no exception. We will talk to the children about where a fruit comes from, does it grow on a tree, we talk about farms and different animals, apple-picking and much more! Every minute is a learning opportunity for the children.

If your child has any kind of allergy, sensitivity, or even an eating restriction (due to religious reasons, personal preference etc) it is your responsibility to inform the daycare of this in writing. Once you have informed the daycare of this in writing, the allergy/ sensitivity/eating restriction will be communicated to all staff and followed diligently. Keep in mind that depending on the number of allergies/sensitivities, as well as their severity, it may require that the family provide the child's food, and it must be labelled.

On occasion, food my be donated to or purchased for The Children's Garden Inc. The Children's Garden does not typically encourage this type of donation or contribution because there are so many regulations and nutritional guidelines that we are required to follow when serving food. Further, there are many allergies in the centre and we take these very seriously. However, if food is accepted as a donation or contribution, all regulations surrounding the donation of food will be followed diligently.

At The Children's Garden, we have a comfortable, quiet space available if ever a mother chooses to breastfeed while in the building. If breast milk is brought to the daycare it is to be labeled with the contents, date and child name.

Communication

This is located at the side entrance and is a means of communication for parents and the community. By regulation we are required to post a few important documents in a conspicuous location, and you will find them all on the Parent Information Board. These documents include: Nova Scotia Daycare Act & Regulations, the Parent Policy Manual, our Operating License, our most recent Licensing Inspection Report, our Behavior Management Policy, our Menu, our Parent Committee, our most recent Parent Meeting Minutes, and funding provided by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.

Every classroom has an Information Board in their cubby area. On this board you'll find teacher observations, photographs of activities, important notices for parents and what the children have engaged in throughout the day.

Every classroom has a phone and an email address. Please see below for important contact information:

The Purple Room (18 mos. to 3 years): can be reached at (902) 457-3313 Ext. 1

The Blue Room (18 mos. to 3+ years): can be reached at (902) 457-3313 Ext. 2

Attendance

The Children's Garden is open from 7:30am - 5:30pm Monday to Friday. We are open all year for the convenience of our families, but closed on the following holidays (please note we are closed on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve which are NOT Statutory Holidays):

Date/Day:	Holiday:
January 1	New Year's Day
Third Monday in February	Family Day
Friday before Easter Sunday	Good Friday
Monday after Easter Sunday	Easter Monday
Monday preceding May 25	Victoria Day
July 1	Canada Day
First Monday in August	Civic Holiday
First Monday in September	Labour Day
Second Monday in October	Thanksgiving Day
November 11	Remembrance Day
December 24	Christmas Eve
December 25	Christmas Day
December 26	Boxing Day
December 31	New Year's Eve

Regarding issues of Custody, and a certain parent being allowed or not allowed to pick-up on certain days, The Children's Garden Inc. will try our best to reinforce this. A legal court document is required to prove that this type of arrangement exists, and a copy will be kept in your child's file. The Children's Garden Inc. will not be held legally responsible if the wrong parent picks up on the wrong day. Ultimately, knowing who the parents are, we can release to either parent knowing they are an approved pick-up. It is up to the parents of the child to follow the Court Orders of Custody and pick-up on the appropriate days.

In the mornings it is our preference that your child is here by 11:30am when lunch is served. This way we can readily transition into quiet time. We understand that situations will arise where you are unable to make it by 11:30am. We simply ask that if you are going to be later you call or email us and let us know that you are still coming.

When you fill out an Application Form for your child, you will be given the opportunity to put names other than the child's parents/guardians who are authorized to pick-up your child from the centre. Outside of the names provided on the form during registration, if there is ever a situation where someone who does not normally pick-up or is not authorized to pick-up needs to come, that's no problem. Please call or email to provide their name and ensure they bring ID to prove that they are that person. Please be advised that people who are on the Pick-Up List should still bring ID in case the Educator that's going to release the child has never met this person.

We have a Late Policy in place. If you pick-up your child after closing at 5:30, or if you are still in the building past 5:30pm you will be charged. This policy is in place to compensate the teacher who stays after hours to care for your child until you arrive. The late fees are as follows:

If you arrive between 5:30 and 5:40........................$20.00
Every minute thereafter...............................$1.00
For example, if you arrive at 5:44pm, your late charge will be $24.00

Please note that, unless this fee is paid in cash, it will automatically be added to the following month's bill and will be withdrawn from your account on the 1st along with your daycare fees (please see Financial Information section for more information on withdrawals).

If your child is going to be absent from daycare (for example, you have decided to have a 'stay home' day) that is just fine with us. Simply contact the centre via email or phone (see Communication section for Contact Information) to let us know they will not be coming. Please notify us by 9am. Please note that whether your child is here or not, you will still be charged for the day as the childcare space has been held for you.

At The Children's Garden we consider ourselves an integral community service, and for this reason pride ourselves in being open during most storms. If the busses are taken off of the roads we will close. Outside of that we stay open for your convenience. If a decision is made for the daycare to close all day, a recording will be left on the voicemail machine by 6am so that you can call and find out. There is a chance we may decide to close part-way through a day (if we stay open). Again, this decision would be made according to whether or not busses were on the roads. If that is the case, we will start to contact parents immediately and ask them to come pick up ASAP. Please respond accordingly for your own safety and that of our teachers. Please note that you will be charged for storm days regardless of closure. The cost of running the business (mortgage, staff wages etc) remains the same whether we are open or closed.

As a daycare, we are required to keep all communicable and infectious diseases under control and avoid them from spreading. For that reason, we have an Illness Policy in place which we follow diligently. For different illnesses the contagious period varies, and for this reason, the Illness Policy outlines the amount of time your child must be absent from the centre in order for the contagious period to pass; this will reduce the risk of other children getting the same illness.

Something like Conjuctivitis, for example (commonly known as Pinkeye)is contagious until a child has had treatment (drops in eyes) for a 24 hour period. So if you pick up on a Wednesday and we mention that we think your child has Pinkeye, one of two things will happen. One - you will return the following day with a Doctor's note saying your child is not contagious, or two - your child will not be able to return until Friday after you receive the prescription for drops and administer it on Wednesday evening.

There are certain instances where, based on symptoms, we may call you and ask you to come pick up your child part-way through a day. Examples include, but are not limited to, a fever of 102, vomiting, or even a child with no specific symptoms, but is clearly unwell because they are not participating in the program. We ask that you arrive promptly as your child is not well and needs medical attention.

If you feel your child is not well enough to come to daycare on any occasion, please contact us via email or phone (see Communication section for Contact Information) to let us know they will not be coming. Please mention the symptoms your child is experiencing when you contact us, as we are required to keep track. Further, please ensure that you call by 9am to let us know that your child will not be attending. Please note that any time your child is not at the centre due to illness you will still be charged. The spot has been reserved for you.

If ever your child is prescribed a medication and is well enough to come to daycare (assuming you are also honoring the Illness Policy below) we will gladly contribute to your child's health by administering medication. There are a few regulations surrounding medication being given by daycare staff. First and foremost, the medication must be in it's original container, which would include your child's name (we will not give a medication to your child that has not been prescribed to your child), the name of the medication, and the proper dose. Secondly, a Medication Consent Form must be filled out by you in order for us to administer the medication.

If you would like us to administer a medication that is not prescribed (such as Tylenol) we will gladly do so under a few conditions. First and foremost, the medication should not be used as a measure to eliminate symptoms which would otherwise stop your child from attending daycare (such as Tylenol being used to control a fever of 102, or a general lack of wellness). Secondly, you will still need to fill out a Medication Consent Form authorizing us to give out the medication.

Please anticipate that, depending on the medication and our professional opinion, we are completely within our rights to refuse the administering of an unprescribed medication. For example, if you tell us as the parent to give your child a stool softener every day, and the bottle clearly states, "do not give to children under 5" or "if symptoms persist for more than 7 days see a doctor" we will refuse to administer this medication without a doctor's note.

Common Childhood Illnesses/Diseases

Please note that there may be other illnesses which we ask you keep your child home for, but these are the most common childhood illnesses.

As a parent, you are of course entitled to take your child out of the centre for multiple days at a time for a vacation anytime. If your child will be absent due to a vacation, we ask that you let us know in advance about this absence. Please note that despite this absence, you will still be charged for your childcare space. Please note that regardless of any vacation taken throughout the year, you are still required to have your child out for one week over the summer (see policy below).

The daycare industry has a specific challenge in providing vacation for teachers and staff due to the fact that, based on the number of children attending, a certain number of teachers are required to cover 'ratio'. The Children's Garden is open year-round for your convenience; we do not have an elongated closure in the summer or at Christmas time. We have opted, instead, to put a policy in place where all children are required to be out for one week (that is, 5 daycare days) during the months of July and August. These mandatory vacations will allow teachers and staff to take their much-deserved vacations over the summer! Further, your child's work is their play and they need a break, too! The Director will send an email sometime in late May outlining the deadline for these dates to be submitted (typically early June) to the office. Dates of your child's scheduled one-week absence/vacation must be submitted by this time. Please note that you will still be charged for your childcare space during this week.

Financial Information and Policies

The most current and up-to-date information regarding childcare fees at The Children's Garden Inc. can be found on our website: thechildrensgarden.ca If your child is coming 5 days a week (full-time) the charge is a flat monthly rate (regardless of amount of days in the month, holidays etc). If your child is coming part-time, you are charged a daily rate, which is multiplied by the amount of days in the month your child is scheduled to come. In your child's first month of attendance you will be charged a one-time registration fee as well as a refundable deposit for a swipe key. This enables entrance to the building and is required. This deposit will be refunded upon return of the key. Please note that you can request multiple keys and pay the respective deposit for each key.

Payment is always due on the 1st of the month. You will be provided a series of forms to fill out once you have agreed to bring your child here, one of which is a Preauthorized Funds Transfer form. Filling out this form and providing a void cheque authorizes The Children's Garden to withdrawal the fees from your account on the 1st of every month. If the 1st is a holiday or a weekend, the funds will be withdrawn on the first business day thereafter. You will be sent an email notification two weeks prior to the date of withdrawal which will outline the amount to be withdrawn.

The fees are subject to change at any time based on the needs of the business and the economy. If the fees are going to be changed at anytime, you will receive ample notice and will be able to prepare accordingly.

If at any time you decide you no longer would like your child to attend The Children's Garden, you are required to provide 30 days' notice. If you do not provide notice you will be charged for that 30 days regardless of attendance.

If you have been approved for a daily subsidy rate from the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, The Children's Garden must receive notification or confirmation from the Department prior to providing you a monthly rate which takes subsidy into account. In other words, if you are in the process of applying or have yet to apply, you will be charged the full daily or monthly rate. If your subsidy rate is backdated, a credit will gladly be issued to compensate for your full payment.

Please note if you have been approved for subsidy you only have a certain amount of vacation days per year. Subsidy is given to families based on the assumption that childcare is needed. If your child is consistently absent this will put your subsidy approval at risk.

Income Tax Receipts will be issued in a timely manner following the conclusion of the tax year (December 31st). Please allow some time before inquiring as they will be provided at the Owner's earliest convenience, but they do take time to prepare.

Behavior Guidance

The Behaviour Guidance Policy of The Children’s Garden Inc. aims to help our teachers understand the scope of their work when it comes to guiding children in what is right and what is wrong. This Policy will outline the expectations, what to do, and what not to do. The philosophy behind the Behaviour Guidance Policy is simple: teachers control the environment and therefore create opportunities for children to succeed or be unsuccessful. Ultimately, in most cases, the teachers control how the day is going to go.

Below you will find the main points of our Behaviour Guidance Policy to give you a brief outline. For more information please see our Behaviour Guidance Policy.

Every now and then The Children's Garden Inc. will encounter a child whose behavior puts other children at risk. Please note that we will do everything we can to help and work with the child to successfully incorporate them into our program and to create positive peer interactions. If we encounter this type of situation while your child is in our care, you will certainly be notified of our concerns. Due to the fact that we are responsible for the safety and well-being of all of the children in our care, we will expect that the parents of the child take our concerns and suggestions seriously. We will expect the parents to work with us as collaborative partners. We may suggest that the child is observed by another professional so that we can receive a secondary opinion, and expect the parents to cooperate with this. Any lack of collaboration or cooperation on the parent's part in this type of situation may result in The Children's Garden Inc. providing you with your child's 30 day notice. Please be aware that we reserve the right at any time to refuse service but, seeing ourselves as an important Community Service, we will do our utmost to help you and your child.

Additional Forms & Information

Your child may sustain an injury at The Children's Garden. If this happens, we will fill out a form explaining what took place and ask you to sign it at the end of the day, simply to say you are aware that this happened and how. Please note that due to confidentiality, we cannot discuss if another child was involved and who it was.

By regulation we are required to fill-out Progress Reports twice a year on each child in attendance at The Children's Garden. These Reports are a simple review of developmentally appropriate milestones and help us, and you, see where your child is succeeding and where his or her opportunities are. We will review it with you in depth at the time of completion and ask you to sign that you have seen it.

This is of the utmost importance at The Children's Garden. Any information you share with us regarding you, your child or your family will be kept in confidence at The Children's Garden. All files are kept in a locked cabinet which only the Owner/Director has a key to. All files are kept for two years and then shredded so that no personal information is at risk of being found. Any copies made are shredded as soon as your child finishes at The Children's Garden.

Please note that as professionals in childcare we are REQUIRED to report any suspicions of abuse or neglect to Child Protective Services (CPS). This is one time where we may share some of your information in an attempt to protect your child.

Please understand that this is nothing against you and we are not suggesting it is the parents; it could be anyone in your child's life. We have been trained to spot signs and symptoms of abuse and take it very seriously. We are at risk of obtaining large fines if we suspect abuse or neglect and do not report it.

Please be aware that if we suspect something we will NOT contact you. We will call CPS immediately. It is not our responsibility to investigate the circumstances and we do not have the proper training to do so. We have been advised not to contact the parents when abuse or neglect is suspected.