Our Philosophy  

We believe that ALL children are important, special, and precious.  We put the children first and foremost.  Our policies and values reflect this by providing quality programs, qualified teachers and high standards that promote a healthy, safe and clean environment. 

Our Mission

Our goal is for our teachers to create a supportive and safe environment that provides children with an opportunity to explore and investigate other children, nature and the toys that surround them.  By structuring the day with free play in our organized learning centers and carefully planned programs, we provide the opportunity for children to grow and develop.  Emphasis will be placed on concern for others and the environment.  Our ultimate goal is to act as an extension of the home environment where children are loved, respected and cared for.  We hope to achieve this through daily contact with every parent, quarterly parent meetings, parent committees and newsletters. 

Parent Agreement

We urge you to read this manual carefully.  It is extremely important that you understand the policies that serve as guidelines in the operation of this centre.  After you have read over the Manual, please sign the attached parent agreement and return it to your child’s teacher to be placed in your child’s file. 

Parent Communication

• Bulletin Board:  We encourage you to review bulletin board contents on a daily basis for new information.  The main bulletin board on the main level contains information about licensing, menus, behavior management policies, illnesses, etc.  Each group also has a smaller bulletin board with information about daily program plans, special outings, etc.
• Every class has a means of communicating daily information concerning your child: length of nap,  how well they ate, generally how their day went, etc.  The toddler rooms record this information in a duo tang which is available for you to review at the end of the day.  This information is kept on file for 6 months.  The preschool classrooms record the daily information on white boards which is erased at the end of each day.
• Newsletter:  Because the preschool is such a busy, constantly changing environment, we will be sending home a newsletter every second (month with information about each of the four groups). 
• A Calendar of Events outlining specific upcoming events in your child’s group will be distributed at the beginning of each month.
• Parent Meetings:  A minimum of four meetings per year will be held with parents to discuss concerns, express ideas, and exchange information.  There will occasionally be guest speakers as well.  Parents are encouraged to attend these meetings and to review the minutes, which will be posted on the main bulletin board

Probationary Period

All children entering the center are subject to a 3-month probationary period.  This allows for evaluation time to determine the suitability of the Centre for the child’s needs.  At the end of the three months The Children’s Garden has the right to propose alternate arrangements suitable to the child’s needs.

Arrival and Departure

Each child must be here by 9:00 in the morning. The teachers put a lot of thought and work into your child’s programming; to make it the best it can be. The benefits to your child are enormous.

Parents are to enter and exit by the side door which has an access control panel that allows parents to come and go between the hours of 7:30 and 5:30.  All parents are required to purchase a pass key.  They are $10.00 each. The $10.00 is refundable when your child leaves the daycare.   If ever you don’t have your pass key you can ring the doorbell at the side entrance and someone will let you in.  If you arrive at the daycare without your key pass between the hours of 12 and 2:30 p.m. please go to the front door and knock loudly as the children are napping.

We ask that you call the daycare by 8:30 a.m. if your child we not be attending.  This will help us determine quantities of food needed for snacks and lunch.  There are times teachers may decide to take the children for a walk so please take into consideration the teachers when it comes to planning their day and call if your child will not be coming in.  If we have not heard from you by 9:30 a.m. your child will be signed out for the day and will not be able to attend that day.

Each child will be assigned a cubby in which to keep his/her personal belongings.  Parents are asked to undress their child upon arrival, dress their child upon departure and to ensure that all their child’s belongings are in their proper place at the start of the day. 

Please inform the preschool if anyone else will be picking up your child.  We will not release your child to anyone without proper authorization.  Persons other than yourself will be asked to show I.D. before your child will be released into their care. 

Items to be kept at the Daycare

You are asked to keep your child’s cubby stocked with the following:

• 2 changes of clothing (shirts, pants, shoes, socks, underwear)
• Appropriate outdoor clothing (splash pants year round and snow pants during the winter months)
• Diapers, wipes, and creams
• Plush sleep toy and/or blanket (if desired)
• Indoor shoes with treads (children are asked to change into their indoor shoes upon arrival to cut down on the dirt brought in from outside.  This will help keep the environment clean and safe)

Please check lists posted on class bulletin boards for seasonal requirements as well (e.g. sunscreen and water-play clothes in summer) 

Parents must also label their child’s belongings.  We will make every effort to ensure that all items are returned to you.  However, when items are not properly labeled, it is difficult to do so. 

Also, please ensure that your child wears only those clothes that you won’t mind getting dirty.

Children’s Garden assumes no responsibility for clothing getting stained within the normal confines of the daily activities. 

The daycare is not responsible for the loss or damage of any personal items brought to the daycare.

Hours of Operation

The Children’s Garden is open from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm Monday through Friday.

Children will not be admitted into the daycare earlier than 7:30 a.m.  Our staff is required to be at work 10 minutes prior to the beginning of their shift to prepare for the day.  Therefore, even though there is staff inside we ask that you please not ring the bell until 7:30 a.m. The last shift of the day ends at 5:30.  Please arrive before 5:30 p.m. to pick up your child so you will be leaving by 5:30 and that you are not infringing on the personal time of the staff.   Should any child be picked up after 5:30, parents will be charged a late fee (see late fee policy below). 

The Children’s Garden is open year round with the following exceptions:

• Labour Day ◊  Good Friday                   
• Thanksgiving Day  ◊  Easter Monday
• Remembrance Day  ◊  Victoria Day
• Christmas Day  ◊  Canada Day
• Boxing Day  ◊  Natal Day
• New Year’s Day

On Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve the daycare will close at 3:00pm. 

In the event of inclement weather, the daycare may close depending on the severity of the weather.  If you are uncertain, you can call the daycare and there will be a message on the phone.  We may also have to close mid-day due to the weather.  In this event, you will be contacted immediately and expected to come and get your child/children as soon as possible.

Late Pick-up Fee Policy

Regular Late Fees

5:30pm – 5:40pm……$10.00
5:40pm – 5:50pm……$20.00
5:50pm – 6:00pm……$30.00
6:00pm – 6:10pm……$40.00
6:10pm – 6:20pm……$50.00
6:20pm – 6:30pm……$60.00, $60 per hour thereafter.

Storm Late Fees

5:30pm – 5:45pm……$10.00
5:45pm – 6:00pm……$15.00
6:00pm – 6:15pm……$20.00
6:15pm – 6:30pm……$25.00
6:30pm – 6:45pm……$35.00
6:45pm – 7:00pm……$45.00
7:00pm – 7:15pm……$55.00
7:15pm – 7:30pm……$65.00
7:30pm – 7:45pm……$75.00
$40 per hour thereafter.

If we have not been able to make contact with parents by 6:00 p.m., we will contact the emergency contact person listed on your child’s application form.

Arriving Late in the Morning

Please have your child (ren) at the daycare no later than 9:00 a.m.. Our teachers put a tremendous amount of time and energy into your child’s programming and for your child to fully benefit, they need to be here on time. If you know that you will be arriving late due to a doctor’s appointment, etc., you are asked to call the daycare before 8:30 a.m..  If you must arrive late, you are asked to undress your child and escort them to their group. Unless we hear from you, we will assume your child is absent if not present by 9:00 a.m.   

Vacations

If your child is not present at daycare due to a vacation, you will not be reimbursed for the number of days he/she is away.  In June of every year an email will be sent requesting your child’s vacation time during the summer months.  Most parents are able to respond as they had already booked the time off at work.  Letting us know your child’s vacation dates will allow us to schedule staff vacations. 

A mandatory one week’s vacation during the summer is required. This week can be any time during the month of July or August. Of course, your child’s vacation may exceed one week.  This is a new policy to ensure that all children receive a summer vacation away from the daycare. A child’s work is play and each child deserves a yearly break from the structured routine of daycare.  If you aren’t planning on taking any vacation during the summer months hopefully you  have a parent or relative who would be willing to take your child to do some very deserved summer activities like going on picnics, to the beach, playground, park, etc.. Some children didn’t get a summer break in previous years and this policy is acting in their best interest.  It is sad and hard on the kids who don’t go on vacation to see friends trickle in and out with vacation stories.  This policy also helps us ensure that staff is able to receive their well deserved vacation.  Some daycares close for a week or two during the summer months so all of the teachers get their vacation at the same time but we have chosen to stay open the entire year for added flexibility for the parents.  We must have your child’s vacation dates by June 15th.

Storm Days

If your child cannot make it to daycare due to a storm, or if the daycare must close due to stormy weather, you will not be reimbursed for the number of days closed.  

Conditions that will cause the center to be closed for the day during a storm are as follows: the police are urging people to stay off the roads, schools and numerous businesses are closed, Metro Transit buses are not running, low visibility and / or the electricity is out. 

If a storm starts throughout the day conditions that will result in the center closing early are as follows: Schools and other businesses are closing, low to zero visibilities, Metro Transit buses stop running and power outage at the daycare. In a case where the center is going to have to close we want to be able to contact the parents in the most efficient way. Therefore, we ask that you let us know whether it is better to contact you by email or by phone. For those who are able to check their work email regularly you will be emailed.  Those who do not have access to email will be called.  If you are uncertain as to whether we will be closing early and you are not accessible via email please contact us. 

Sick Days

Parents are asked to keep their child at home if they are sick.  If a child is brought to the daycare and they are sick, the parents/guardian will be contacted to come and pick up their child immediately.  You will not be reimbursed for the number of days the child is away sick, and due to ratios you will not be able to “make up” sick time by bringing your child on unscheduled days.  For some conditions a medical certificate may be required for re-entrance to the daycare.  If a child is sick in the morning they cannot attend in the afternoon. 

Please contact the daycare with the nature of your child’s sickness so we will be able to communicate to the other parents and be aware of symptoms should they appear in other children.  For specifics on sick days please see the attached Childhood Illness Policy. 

Medication

When a child who has been sick returns to the daycare and requires a staff member to administer medication, the following must be adhered to. Parents must fill out and sign a medication consent form prior to staff administrating medication. All medication must

1. be in its original bottle from the pharmacy and, 2) have the child’s name, the doctor’s name, dosage and frequency to be administrated on the label. Outdated medicine, containers with another’s child’s name on it, or transferred medication from one bottle to another will not be accepted. Medications (both children and staff) will be kept in a locked box in the fridge. If a staff member gives medication to a child it will be recorded on the Medication Chart and signed by the staff who administered it.
2. Non-prescription medication such as Tylenol may be administrated; however it must be authorized by a parent’s signature on Medication Chart as well.

Nutrition

GOAL: To encourage and develop good nutrition practices in conjunction with parents in order to promote in each individual child, health and strong bodies.

BACKGROUND: Good nutrition is an essential ingredient of quality childcare. It is essential for normal physical and emotional growth and has implications for future healthy adulthood. A child develops life long eating habits as a result of early eating experiences. We are committed to each child to ensure that they are eating healthy nutritious food while in our care. The most important factor is to ensure that children are exposed to a variety of foods and that a balance of all food types is provided.

SPECIFIC AIMS:
1. To meet the nutritional needs of children whilst in our care.
2. To accommodate children on different diets, ex. religious, medical, vegetarian, etc.
3. To maintain good hygiene standards
4. To provide attractive and well presented meals
5. To ensure that mealtimes are relaxed, pleasant and timed to meet the needs of the children
6. To encourage children to eat only until their bellies are satisfied, not stuffed, and not over eat.     
7. To incorporate nutrition education into the program appropriate to the age of the children.
8. To prohibit the use of food as a reward, bribe or punishment.
9. To encourage independence and social skills at mealtimes.
10. To communicate with parents about their child’s food intake
11. To encourage parental involvement in the nutrition program
12. To regularly evaluate the nutrition program
13. To motivate staff to maintain good personal nutrition.
14. To serve food with a high nutritional value.
15. To promote socially acceptable behavior and table manners.
16. To encourage children to use eating utensils effectively, appropriate to their age.
17. To respect the cultural and religious wishes of parents.

IMPLEMENTATION: General Issues
☻ Homogenized milk will be served at lunch to ensure the children are receiving an adequate amount of fat in their diet.  Fat is needed for brain growth and development.
☻ Children will wash their hands before handling food, eating meals and snacks and
participating in cooking activities
☻Open snack whereby children decide if they want to have snack will be offered in the preschool rooms for the morning snack.  Afternoon snack for these rooms will be a group event.  Children are not forced to eat it they don’t want to but are expected to sit at the table for the duration of snack time.
☻ Foods that may be a choking hazard will not be served to the children and should not
be brought in ex. popcorn and yoghurt sultanas
☻ Nuts and products such as peanut butter, Nutella, nut food bars and any other products
that have nuts or peanuts listed in the ingredients will not be allowed within the Centre
to prevent allergies arising and to protect any children or staff that may suffer from
these allergies
☻Parents will be discouraged from providing so called `Junk foods’ for their child as a snack on their way home.  A list of  “Junk Foods”  is below.
☻Our cook will bake a nutritious apple cake or another nutritious type of cake for the birthday boy or girl on their birthday.  If there is more than one birthday being celebrated in a classroom during a week then we will celebrate all of the birthdays on Wednesday of that week.  Please do not send in any type of treat for the children.  We will not be able to accept them.
☻ Nutrition awareness activities will be included in the teaching curriculum
☻ The foods being eaten by the children will be discussed with them.
Meal Issues
☻Food will never be used as a form of punishment
☻No child will be forced to eat. Staff will consider reasons for their behaviour ex.
medication, emotional trauma, tiredness etc. and communicate with parents to develop
strategies to deal with this situation.
☻ All children will sit when eating and drinking at meal times. No child will be allowed to walk around during mealtimes.
☻ At least one staff will sit with children during meal times

Serving Food
☻ All children will be encouraged to pour their own drinks, wherever possible
☻ No food will be served directly onto tables. Food will be served on an
appropriate surface, ex. plates, serviettes, placemat or directly onto child’s hand.
☻Some foods are not appropriate to eat everyday, as they do not contain vitamins
and nutrients useful for overall health. Children need nutritious meals and snacks
as they have small stomachs and may eat as much at a snack-time as a meal. If
children eat these foods on a daily basis they often do not eat enough of the basic
foods needed, for example, fruit & vegetables and breads & cereals

Napping / Quiet Time Policy

Daily naps for children are essential for good days and good nights. Many parents believe their child will sleep better at night without a nap during the day. However, if your child is overly tired, they may become stressed and irritable, and their behavior may actually worsen. Often they become overactive, making it difficult to fall asleep at bedtime. Only after age 5 will eliminating afternoon naps help a child go to bed earlier in the evening.

Napping daily can be beneficial for your children, working wonders for both their mood. Children who nap have longer attention spans and are less irritable than those who are not napping. Naps are valuable and when they are given up – usually sometime after 3 years of age – they should be replaced with a structured quiet time. Children need this time to re-group. This quiet time should be used for looking at books, working on puzzles and play that is less active. All children need to learn to entertain themselves and quietly play alone. It means that your child is forced to entertain himself for an hour or two, all by himself. This is a skill that children need to be learning, how to be able to keep themselves busy without an adult providing stimulus, without anything but their toys and their thoughts.

Daily naps for children are essential for good days and good nights. Many parents believe their child will sleep better at night without a nap during the day. However, if your child is overly tired, they may become stressed and irritable, and their behavior may actually worsen. Often they become overactive, making it difficult to fall asleep at bedtime. Only after age 5 will eliminating afternoon naps help a child go to bed earlier in the evening. Napping daily can be beneficial for your children, working wonders for both their mood. Children who nap have longer attention spans and are less irritable than those who are not napping. Naps are valuable and when they are given up – usually sometime after 3 years of age – they should be replaced with a structured quiet time. Children need this time to re-group. This quiet time should be used for looking at books, working on puzzles and play that is less active. All children need to learn to entertain themselves and quietly play alone. It means that your child is forced to entertain himself for an hour or two, all by himself. This is a skill that children need to be learning, how to be able to keep themselves busy without an adult providing stimulus, without anything but their toys and their thoughts.

Napping is vital to a toddler’s health and well-being. In fact, experts recommend that 2-to 3-year-olds get 10 to 12 hours of sleep during the night, with an additional 1 to 2 hours of shut-eye during the day.

Total sleep isn't the only factor affecting naps, though. Younger children tend to have a stronger "sleep drive." This means they have a stronger urge to break up their waking hours with some sleep — in other words, they can't stay awake for long stretches as easily as older children and adults.

Naps are important for your child's healthy mental and physical growth. More blood supply reaches parts of the body than when you're awake. Restoration is important; when you sleep your body restores itself. Especially with somebody who's young and developing.A daily nap refreshes a child so that she can maintain her energy, focus, and ability to learn for the rest of the day. Studies show that children who nap are more flexible and adaptable, have longer attention spans, and are less fussy than those who don't nap.

"Toddlers are going through a marathon of development," says Jodi Mindell, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychology at St. Joseph's University, in Philadelphia. "So much is happening intellectually and physically. Sleep is the only way they can restore themselves and keep up the pace." In fact, according to sleep expert Marc Weissbluth, M.D., author of Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Children (Ballantine, 1999), naps facilitate your toddler's cognitive development. Research has found that cortisol, a hormone that increases with stress, falls dramatically during a nap. "As a result, your toddler awakens happier, more alert, and better prepared to learn about and explore his world."

"Naps are actually a learning opportunity," says Dr. Prazar. "When he takes a nap, your toddler gets some time alone to learn how to soothe or even entertain himself."

Research on napping suggests that an afternoon nap as short as ten minutes can enhance alertness, mood, and mental performance, especially after a night of poor sleep.

Preschoolers

Children three years of age and older generally shall not nap for more than two hours or rest on their mat without sleeping for more than 30 minutes. Children in this age group who do not sleep may be permitted to get up after the 30 minute mandatory rest period and shall be helped to have a quiet time with equipment or activities which will not disturb the napping children. Children in the age range from 3 to 5 vary in their sleep requirements. Some children may not require a nap at all and others may need a two hour nap or more. The individual child’s sleep needs may also depend on the child’s participation in activities at various times. Each child’s needs may vary from day to day. Keeping in mind that a child’s attention span is generally one minute per each year of age, 30 minutes on a cot without falling to sleep seems to be a very adequate opportunity to nap. Requiring children to be confined to a cot longer than the 30 minutes would challenge a young child’s ability to maintain quiet, nondisruptive behavior. Also, allowing the resting children off the cot and providing a space for them to play quietly meets the requirement of giving the sleeping children the opportunity to nap

MYTH: Children outgrow a nap by 3 years of age.
FACT: At age 4, more than 50 percent of children are still taking naps.

MYTH: All preschool children are required to sleep after lunch.
FACT: Regulation requires that a rest period be provided, however, children are never required to sleep. Many children do not need to sleep during the day if they have plenty of sleep at night. Flexibility, observation, and knowing the children are the keys.  Communication between parent and staff will help in this area (ie. if a child who never naps had a bad sleep, he may be encouraged to nap)

MYTH: Preschool children are required to nap for two hours after lunch.
FACT: In most cases this would be totally inappropriate. Children who nap usually do not need to sleep more than one hour. Providers should be flexible so that the needs of children are met and they can take naps of varying lengths of time dependent on the individual child's requirements.

MYTH: Children must be quiet and stay on their cots for the entire rest period.
FACT: Requiring a wide awake child to stay on a mat for two hours with nothing to do could be considered cruel or harsh treatment and should never be permitted. Children may be asked to rest on their mat with little or nothing to do for a maximum of thirty minutes. After 30 minutes, most children who need to sleep - will. Children who don't nap should then be allowed to play or read books.

MYTH: The room must be kept dark or children will not sleep.
FACT: Children who need to sleep - will sleep. Caregivers must have sufficient light to see and provide direct supervision of all sleeping children. Children who don't nap need adequate light to read books and play with appropriate materials.

MYTH: Shoes must be kept on or off. Providers are not sure about this but they usually go all one way or the other.
FACT: Shoes should usually be kept on during rest time due to the possibility of an emergency occurring but this is not required. Most children don't take their shoes off if caregivers don't make it an issue. If children can sleep on those cots, they certainly are not bothered by wearing shoes.

MYTH: It is not appropriate to permit children to nap with a teddy, doll, or special reminder of home.
FACT: Children are permitted to sleep with a stuffed animal, special “buddy”, or blankie. It is to be left in the child’s cubby basket until nap time and once nap time is over, it will go back in the cubby basket. If children play vs. snuggle with their nap toy then they will be warned that it will be taken away as it can be a distraction to others trying to fall asleep around them.

The Benefits of Naps

Increased Coginitive Functioning

In a recent study, researchers at NASA showed that a thirty to forty-minute power nap increased cognitive faculties by approximately 40 IQ test.

Better Health

Napping in general benefits heart functioning, hormonal maintenance, and cell repair, says Dr. Sara Mednick who is at the forefront of napping research. Research has shown that a nap can promote physical well-being, improve mood and memory, sharpen senses and revitalize a person. The neurons in brain functioning get to rest and recuperate from the day's stress. Intellectual performance improves from the boost a midday nap provides and accuracy in performance increases too. MRI's of nappers show that brain activity stays high throughout the day with a nap. Without one, it declines as the day wears on.

Science and psychology say we should embrace the siesta. Napping is not just for the young and the old. It can be a good thing for us all.

Behavior / Safety Management

If the director(s) finds that a child’s behavior and/or actions are endangering the safety of the other children and staff, a conference will be arranged with the parents, the child’s teacher, and the director.   
It is the right of all children and staff to learn, teach, work and interact in a safe and secure environment free from any form of violence, threat, sexual connotations or gestures, abuse, mistreatment, harassment, derogatory or degrading conditions.  It is expected that parents, guardians, children and staff share the responsibility for creating an environment that is safe and secure for learning and teaching.

Should a child exhibit any of the forms of violence listed above toward another child or staff, the parent or guardian will be called to come pick up the child immediately.  A letter of warning will be issued stating that if the same form or any other form of violence is exhibited at any time during the course of the child’s care at the daycare he/she will be permanently expelled.  Monies will not be reimbursed.

Withdrawal from the Program

If you decide you no longer need the services of the daycare, you are to inform the Director and provide one month’s written notice.  An email will suffice. If we are not given proper notification you will be charged fees for the month. 

Description of our Programs

Music: The Children’s Garden offers children an opportunity to learn about music by experiencing it. This program runs from September through to June. Our energetic and dynamic music teacher finds a way to grab the children’s attention.  Movement and sound is part of the music program.  While some basic music concepts are covered during the lessons, the teacher adapts the delivery of the content to the group they are teaching.  Music is offered twice weekly to the toddlers and once weekly to the preschool groups.

French: The Children’s Garden offers children an opportunity to experience the French language in a fun way with our enthusiastic teacher.   The overall goal of the French program is to allow children to grasp the common phrases they can use in everyday life.  The teacher evaluates possible ways to make the French lessons as meaningful and as enjoyable as possible.   Reading, discussions, games, songs and movement are all part of the program.  It is expected that children will be able to recognize that the French language is another way to communicate.  French is offered one day a week and that day will be posted at the beginning of every September for the parents.

Progress Reports

Your child’s teacher will perform a semi-annual progress report on your child’s development in different areas such as fine-motor, gross motor, socialization skills, daily living skills, etc.  These are performed in November and June each year. These reports are to stay at the daycare and be placed in your child’s file.

Financial Information

• Automatic withdrawal from your chequing account will take place on the 1st business day of the month.  You will be notified 10 days in advance of the amount that will be withdrawn.
• There will be a $25 charge for non-sufficient funds.
• We will issue receipts at the end of February for fees paid for childcare services between January and December of the previous year.
• If your child regularly attends on a day that lands on a statutory holiday you will still be required to pay for that day as the staff must be paid.
• If your child regularly attends on a day that lands on a storm day in which the Centre has to close, you will be required to pay for that day as staff must be paid.
• No discount is offered for the 2nd child if both children attend on a full-time basis. 
• If you stop sending your child to The Children’s Garden without notifying the daycare, we will continue to bill you the latter of:

1. 30 days from the time you notify us in writing

2. 30 days from the time we notify you that your child will no longer be registered in the program.

If you register your child one or more months prior to his or her start date and later change your mind, we require that you inform us in writing one month prior to your child’s start date or your full first month’s payment will not be refunded. 

Change of Information

It is important that we always have up-to-date information regarding your child.  For any change of information, (addresses, phone numbers, pick-up authorization, etc.)  please email or write the Director a note outlining the changes.  

A word about the staff

The Children’s Garden provides quality childcare by employing qualified staff that fulfills our expectations regarding program delivery.  We hire only those teachers who possess appropriate training and /or experience.  All staff will undergo a search conducted by the Department of Community Services in conjunction with The National Registry of Child Abusers to ensure that they do not appear on this list.    

Staff is required to continue their education by attending 2 workshops per year.  The Centre itself is viewed as an important educator, and we do fulfill requests to host student teachers. 

While we strive to hire staff that is committed to their position, as with any workplace we do experience some staff turnover.  We attempt to inform parents as quickly as possible of any changes in staff and ask that parents understand that this is to be expected and that at no time is your child’s care compromised in any way. 

All staff at the daycare is required to sign an agreement that they have read and understood our Behavior Management policy posted on both levels of the preschool.  This Behavior Management Policy outlines the expectations of the Children’s Garden’s staff particularly how they relate to children.  The Staff Manual contains a more detailed procedure that will be followed if the Behavior Management Policy is not adhered to.

Behavior Management Policy- Staff

An important goal of a quality child care environment is helping children learn self-discipline and self-control. By guiding children’s behavior rather than punishing their inappropriate actions, we can facilitate the development of essential conflict resolution skills. The following are strategies used during our program to influence the behavior of a child who is misbehaving: 

• Positive reinforcement, especially praise.
• A reward system is used in such a way that will allow the child to discover the intrinsic value of “being good” (not as an end in itself).
• Children are told when they did something unacceptable, why it is unacceptable and what they can do instead.
• Children are prompted with gentle verbal reprimands when misbehavior occurs.
• The focus is on the misbehavior, not the child.
• A child is approached privately when being spoken to.
• The least intrusive strategies are used to gain student compliance (i.e. singing a song, clapping a pattern, turning off the lights, etc.)
• Natural consequences are used whenever possible to match misbehavior to consequence.
• 1-2-3 Magic (a form of time out).
• Individual Behavioral Plan.
• Physical contact will be used as a last resort with the intent to guide positive behavior or remove the child(ren) from immediate danger. 

The following is our Behavior Guidance Manual so you can understand our approach and incorporate it into your routine at home.  When you are reading it remember to read it as though you are the teacher. 

Behavior Guidance

Teachers choose their own strategies around behavior guidance. You will find what works best for you but it is important to have consistency and work as a team so that as children move through the daycare they are not learning new guidelines for each new group. It is essential to follow the already existing schedule, not change it to fit your own needs.  Consistency is the key.

It is important to remember that you are the teacher and have small children to make decisions for. If you ask a child to stop doing something and he or she does not, it is not safe to let them continue, physical guidance and re-direction are the key to keeping your children safe.

Some of the behavior management strategies that have been addressed over time are as follows:

• Yelling or speaking very loudly to the children is not permitted. We do not want children to fear their teacher. Yelling at a child to stop yelling is redundant; we need to lead by example. A firm voice (teacher voice) is needed. Children need to know you are serious, and what they are doing is “not safe” or “not okay”. We need to have a “happy medium between strict and too easy going”.
• Praising good behavior is a must, not just correcting unwanted behavior.
• In any instance where a child is hurting themselves or someone else, remove them from that area, talk to them about their behavior, and re-direct them to another area if you feel it is safe for them to return.  If not, try sitting with them, take them to an area with no distractions and speak quietly until they have calmed down.
• Make sure your explanation to the child is clear and understandable, but brief. Make sure you explain why they are not allowed to do something.
• Time out is not permitted. If you feel your child needs some “down time” find a quiet activity they can do and re-direct them to another area.
• During free play make sure you can see all children in the room. Make sure that if you are playing with one child your back isn’t turned on the other children you are responsible for. 
• Remember that free play does not mean free time to work or socialize with co-workers. Keep conversations short with both parents and other staff members; let them know that you need to be with the children.
• When in doubt always ask another co- worker before making your own assumptions. Remember that teamwork is essential.

Remember that children will need to be reminded daily about safety rules indoors and out. We need to try to avoid using negative terms such as “No”, “Don’t”, “Can’t”.  Here are some examples of positive behavior guidance:

• Please use your listening ears
• Use your indoor voice
• Use your walking feet, running is only for outdoors, slow your feet down
• Please play gently with your friends, take your hands off your friend’s body, they do not like it when….
• It is not okay for you to…
• Our hands are for helping
• Find your patience please, use your manners
• Remember our please and thank-yous

Remember, safety always comes 1st before programming, cleaning etc.

Always use your own judgment regardless of what you see others doing.  Do not conform if you do not think it is okay.  

Some examples of terms not to use! 

• The word “bad” should never be used to describe a child’s behavior and remember the opposite of “good girl” is “bad girl” so try to avoid it as well.
• Give choices to the children to correct their own behavior for example “We need to go inside, you can use your feet to walk or I will carry you, what would you like to do?” If they do not make the decision then carry them.
• Follow through. “ You need to slow down your feet or you will need to come sit with me” If they do not stop running follow through and help them to sit down.
• When there is no choice, do not give them one. “ We need to sit at the table” instead of “ Sit at the table, okay?” or “Do you want to sit at the table?”
• Making fun, or humiliating a child is a form of abuse. Speak to the child privately; do not announce their misbehavior to the rest of the group.
• Remember that children hear and repeat everything.  Be responsible for what you say.

Confidentiality

It is our policy to respect the confidential data of the children and families enrolled at our center.  Your child’s development, medical and personal information will not be discussed with other parents. As well, we will not divulge your phone numbers to other parents without your consent. 

Childhood Illness Policy

Parents must call in if their child is out sick to communicate the symptoms that their child is experiencing. We are required by the Department of Health to keep this information on file.  Because children are more susceptible to communicable diseases and illnesses it is important that staff and parents follow strict control practices.  As a result we have created the following policy using both Community Services and Public Health Services Guidelines.  Please read over the following information carefully as it will be strictly enforced. 

Based on Guidelines for Communicable Disease Control in Daycares  (prepared by Public Health Services-Central Regional Health Board)  we divide communicable illness into four categories: 

1. Respiratory – these illnesses are caused by germs found in saliva and nasal secretions and are spread via the respiratory tract when infected persons sneeze or cough.  Coughs and colds are among the respiratory illnesses.  Children with only mild symptoms who can take part in all activities of the program will be allowed to enter the preschool, but children with fever, earache, listlessness or excessive sleepiness, skin rash, excessive fussiness or crankiness, difficulty breathing, or persistent cough, will be sent home.
   
2. Gastrointestinal – these illnesses are spread via the fecal-oral route.  Diarrhea is the most common symptom of these illnesses. Diarrhea is defined as any change from the child’s normal stool (i.e, solid or semi-solid to a liquid, or semi-liquid state).  Severe cases of diarrhea can lead to serious dehydration problems, especially in infants.  While some children may only have a mild case, the children they infect could end up becoming seriously ill and therefore, children with more than one instance of diarrhea WILL BE SENT HOME IMMEDIATELY and must stay home until 24 HOURS after the diarrhea HAS STOPPED.  If your child has had diarrhea at home do not bring them to the centre until the 24 hours has passed. 

Vomiting is another symptom of gastrointestinal illness. Severe cases of vomiting can lead to serious dehydration problems, especially in infants.  While some children may only have a mild case, the children they infect could end up becoming seriously ill and therefore, children who are vomiting WILL BE SENT HOME IMMEDIATELY and must stay home until 24 HOURS after the vomiting HAS STOPPED.  If your child has been vomiting at home do not bring them to the centre until the 24 hours has passed. 

Gastrointestinal illnesses may also include symptoms of abdominal cramps, fever, and nausea.  Children with these symptoms may also be sent home, depending on the severity of the symptoms. 

3. Rashes – A rash can be a symptom of many communicable illnesses and one rash may be difficult to distinguish from another.  Rashes are spread through physical contact, through the air, and through contact with fecal matter.  Some rashes are not infectious, such as eczema and heat rash.  For these your child will not be sent home.  But for any other rashes you will be required to come and pick up your child immediately.  Your child will not be able to return to the preschool until the rash is completely gone or you have written notice from a physician stating that the rash is not contagious.

4. Other Illnesses – When a child is unable to participate in the program due to any of the following symptoms they will be sent home and you will need to keep them home until they are able to participate fully in the program.  These symptoms include:  fever, listlessness, excessive sleepiness, and excessive fussiness or crankiness or otherwise unusual behavior. 

Please refer to the following Communicable Disease Chart for illnesses, symptoms, infectious periods, and exclusion information.

Common Childhood Illness / Diseases