Our curriculum naturally exposes our children to skills which supports their on-going social emotional, physical, language and cognitive development.

These skills when combined with a nurturing environment, intentional teaching practices and meaning relationships supports a child’s school readiness.

• Suitably qualified Childcare giver
  
• Involved in Childcare for at least eight years
  
• Diploma in Early Child Development and Child Psychology
  
• Certified Infant/Child CPR and first aid
  
• Excellent references
  

Communication is key to a successful child care arrangement. The parent and provider need to have a good working relationship so they can communicate and work together. Parents and providers need to exchange pertinent information in the child’s life such as changes in routine, special events, or activities, as well as changes such as death, divorce, separation, moving, visitors, etc. All this information can be important in understanding the child’s feelings, behavior, and well being.

We invite you to share in writing, by telephone, or schedule an appointment to talk about your concerns on any area that you feel we are neglecting, and we will do our best to improve in that area.

Learning extends beyond the basics of ABCs and 123s. It also encompasses the development of vital values like honesty, respect, self-reliance, and self-discipline. Additionally, it involves fostering kindness, friendliness, fairness, and sensitivity towards others. These values empower individuals to become dependable and compassionate members of society.

• Arrival and Greeting
  
• Breakfast and clean up
  
• Bathroom and/or diaper change and hand washing
  
• Infants usually nap in the morning as well as the afternoon
  
• Circle time (including calendar, songs, finger plays, story time etc.)
  
• Arts and crafts or other learning activity
  
• Bathroom and/or diaper change and hand washing
  
• Outdoor play (weather permitting) or other large muscle activity
  
• Hand washing
  
• Lunch and clean up
  
• Nap time
  
• Bathroom and/or diaper change and hand washing
  
• Snack and clean up
  
• Free play
  
• Calm down time – Children’s programs (approximately a half an hour before pick up time)
  
• Parents arrive to pick up children
  

(Your child is released to our care after you leave the premises in the morning, and he/she is released to your care as soon as you walk in the door at pick up time)

Note Bathroom and /or diaper change times vary to meet the child’s needs. This is a general schedule and is dictated mostly by the children’s needs and feelings each day. 

Totsland childcare center requires that an age-appropriate health appraisal be on file for each child enrolled with in 30 days following admission, however your child cannot be initially admitted to day care with out written documentation from your child’s physician or nurse practitioner that at least evidence of immunization which includes but is not limited to Polio, DPT or DT, TOPC or IPV, and the MMR vaccines, and HBCV vaccines, as required by the age of the child. Health appraisals shall be certified by your child’s physician or nurse practitioner and shall be updated yearly up to the age of 5 in accordance with the recommended schedule for routine health.          

Parents must also complete a medical emergency card entitled and update as necessary. 

Should your child have signs or symptoms requiring exclusion from the family center he/she will be isolated and the parent/assigned emergency contact or other authorized person by the parent will be notified immediately to pick up your child. There can be no exceptions since illness spreads quickly among children. 

Please make other arrangements if your child is sick and respect the centers decision if we feel your child is too sick to be in childcare. While we are sympathetic to the difficulties of taking time off, we cannot make exceptions, and discretion will be used. 

The symptoms of illness for possible exclusion shall include, but are not limited to any of the following.

1. The illness prevents your child from participating comfortably in the day care environment,
   
2. The illness results in a greater care need than the center can provide without compromising the health and safety of the other children in the center, Or
   
3. The child has any of the following conditions:
   

• Temperature:  Oral temperature 101 degrees or greater; axillary (armpit) temperature 100 degrees or greater; accompanied by behavior changes or other signs or symptoms of illness- until medical evaluation indicates inclusion in the facility.  Oral temperature shall not be taken on children younger than 4 years (or younger than 3 years if a digital thermometer is used).  Rectal temperature shall be taken only by persons with specific health training.
  

• Symptoms and signs of possible severe illness (such as unusual lethargy, uncontrolled coughing, irritability, persistent crying, difficult breathing, wheezing, or other unusual signs)- until medical evaluation allows inclusion;
  

• Uncontrolled diarrhea, that is, increased number of stools, increased stool water, and/or decreased form that is not contained by the diaper- until diarrhea stops;
  

• Vomiting illness (two or more episodes of vomiting in the previous 24 hours) until vomiting resolves or until a health care provider determines the illness to be non-communicable, and the child is not in danger of dehydration;
  

• Mouth sores with drooling, unless a health care provider or health official determines the condition is noninfectious;
  

• Rash with fever or behavior change, until a health care provider determines that these symptoms do not indicate a communicable disease;
  

• Purulent conjunctivitis (defined as pink or red conjunctiva with white or yellow eye discharge), until 24 hours after treatment has been initiated;
  

viii. Scabies, head lice, or other infestation, until 24 hours after treatment has been initiated;

• Tuberculosis, until a health care provider or health official states that the child can attend childcare;
  

• Impetigo, until 24 hours after treatment has been initiated;
  

• Strep throat or other streptococcal infection, until 24 hours after initial antibiotic treatment and cessation of fever;
  
• Chicken pox, until at least 6 days after onset of rash or until all sores have dried and crusted;
  

• Pertussis, until 5 days of appropriate antibiotic treatment (currently; erythromycin) to prevent an infection have been completed and a licensed physician states in writing the child may return;
  

• Mumps, until 9 days after onset of parotid gland swelling and a licensed physician states in writing the child may return;
  

• Hepatitis A virus, until 1 week after onset of illness or as directed by the health department when passive immunoprophylaxis (currently, immune serum globulin) has been administered to appropriate children and staff and a licensed physician states in writing the child may return;
  

• Measles, until 6 days after onset of rash and a licensed physician states in writing the child may return;
  

• Rubella, until 6 days after onset of rash and a licensed physician states in writing the child may return;
  

• Unspecified respiratory illness if it limits the child’s comfortable participation in activities or if it results in a need for greater care than can be provided without compromising the health and safety of other children.; or
  

• Herpetic gingivostomatitis (cold sores), if the child is too young to have control of oral secretions.
  

Any of the following communicable diseases must be also be reported to the division of public health

Always inform your doctor at every sick visit that your child is in daycare so that he/she can approve in writing your child’s return to daycare.

If your child had an immunization update, please remember to provide the center with a record of the immunization so that it can be attached to your child’s health appraisal.

gements if your child is sick and respect the centers decision if we feel your child is too sick to be in childcare. While we are sympathetic to the difficulties of taking time off, we cannot make exceptions, and discretion will be used. 

The symptoms of illness for possible exclusion shall include, but are not limited to any of the following…

Totsland School’s Early Years is available Monday through Friday, 7:30am – 3:00p.m. with the exception of closings as referred to in this handbook.

Please call the center if you will be dropping your child off late. It is very important to know our schedule (breakfast, etc.) and make your adjustments should you be coming in late keeping in mind that the center moves along from one activity to another.

We are sure you agree, time is precious; accordingly, it becomes extremely difficult and stress full to have an appointment or other plans scheduled if we cannot depend on the mutually agreed pick up time. The center closes at 5:00pm and arrangements should be made to pick up your child then. We do understand that there may be an occasion of major traffic congestion or bad weather conditions causing a delay in your travel – if you have a cellular phone, please call the center and perhaps we can work out a contingency plan. Consistent tardiness could be cause for termination. A late fee is charged for each late pick up with increment in fee for each additional 10 minutes past the pick-up time. This fee will be payable upon arrival.

It will be very rare, but there may be instances when your child may need to ride in an automobile or van. The center will ask for written permission unless it is an emergency.

It is important that we protect your child by ensuring that your child does not leave the center with a person you have not authorized on your “Child Information Card” to pick up your child. Also, please inform the center when someone else that you have authorized on your “Child Information Card” will be picking up your child. Even if it is an emergency, the center must have your permission to release your child to someone other than you. The center will need the person’s name and a description of what he or she looks like. The person picking up your child must show a picture ID before the center releases your child from our care.

We assume that both parents have the right to pick up your child, unless you give a copy of a court order stating otherwise. We will need to discuss how the center should handle the non-custodial parent who arrives to pick up your child. Without a copy of the court order, the center cannot refuse a parent. If the center has a court order and a noncustodial parent tries to pick up the child, a call will be immediately made to the custodial parent. If the non-custodial parent leaves with the child, the center will immediately call the police and report the situation. We will not place the other children at risk in a confrontation with a non-custodial parent.

It is very important that your child arrives home safely. Therefore, If the person who arrives to pick up your child appears intoxicated or otherwise incapable of bringing your child home safely, a call will be made to the parent or emergency contact person listed on the “Child Information Card” to request their assistance. If the situation occurs a second time, it will be grounds for terminating care of your child.

Childcare fees can be paid in full for the school year. Should you require to pay semiannually or quarterly, kindly contact the school administrator and have this indicated in your financial agreement. Monthly payment can also be arranged by the school.

Fees can be paid at the center via POS or bank transfer. Cash will not be accepted for payment but can be deposited at the bank. However, Non-payment or consistent late payments is cause for termination immediately without 2 weeks’ notice. 

Parent/Guardian will give a term written notice or a full payment to terminate your child’s enrollment in childcare regardless as to whether your child is present (with the exception of the trial period). If a terms notice is not given, you are still financially obligated for the school year fees.