On this page you will find information regarding our policies on:
(Click on each item above to see that topic.)
Parents/guardians are encouraged to visit the center at any time to observe classroom activities. We ask that you be considerate of each teacher’s lesson plans, classroom schedule and nap time when planning your visit.
For the safety of your child, we have developed a system for drop-off and pick-up. Upon arrival, children must be brought inside the center by a parent, who is responsible for signing in every morning. Please check your child in on the computer in the lobby with the 4 digit code you have been given. All persons authorized to drop off or pick up your child will have their own code. Please accompany your child all the way to his or her classroom and confirm that the teacher is aware of your child’s arrival. Each child also has a “cubby” in the classroom in which his/her things may be stored.
When you pick your child up, please sign him or her out with the 4 digit code on the computer before you enter your child’s classroom. We ask that you pick your child up directly from his or her classroom and check your child’s “cubby” each day for artwork, soiled clothing, and other take-home items. Please notify your child’s teacher before removing your child from the classroom, so she can give you your child’s daily report and briefly discuss the day with you. We ask that you pick up your child no later than 6:00 p.m. If you are running late or an emergency arises, please arrange for someone else to pick up your child. If you pick your child up after 6:00 p.m., you will be charged a $10 per child fee. There is a space on the registration form for you to indicate who is authorized to pick up your child, in the event that you are unable to do so. If there is anyone who is NOT allowed to pick up your child, please make note of that on the registration form as well. Your child’s safety is our priority, and we will not release your child to anyone unless you have authorized us to do so.
We designed our classrooms to encourage absorption in learning activities, the arts, independent decision-making, and initiating and maintaining social relationships. The infant room focuses on investigation and physical and intellectual stimulation. The toddler, preschool and school age classrooms have been arranged into eight different learning centers: Construction, Science/Discovery, Art, Music, Library, Manipulatives, Dramatic Play, and Quiet Area. Each center is available to individuals and small groups during center time, and the class as a whole will spend time discovering together in different centers throughout the week. Children can easily access the sinks, bathroom facilities, and toy shelves in every classroom and each class also has access to play equipment that encourages large motor development.
Each month, the Director and the Lead Teachers develop lesson plans for their classrooms. These are designed with specific goals and objectives for activities based on the children’s interests and developmental needs. Academy of Little Learners makes use of weekly and biweekly thematic units to explore varied topics and introduce the children to a wide range of experiences. Small and large group activities, one-on-one interaction, and individual activities are all integrated into the plans. In addition to basic concepts like numbers, colors, letters, and shapes, the curriculum incorporates life skills (including self-esteem, independence, social behavior, and self-discipline) and the arts (drama, creative movement, music and art). Bringing your child by 9:00am will ensure that they will be here for class time when most topics are covered in depth. Themes are also covered in the afternoon.
On your child’s first day at our center, please bring two complete changes of clothes to be kept in your child’s “cubby” (including socks and underwear). All clothing items left at the center should be labeled with the child’s name. Parents need to provide an adequate number of disposable diapers or pull-ups for children who are not potty-trained, as well as baby powder, ointments, wipes, etc. (which will be kept for their child’s use only).
We get involved in a number of potentially messy art and science activities (not to mention outdoor play and potty “accidents”). Soiled clothing will be sent home the same day for laundering. A replacement set of clothing must be brought in the next morning to keep in your child’s “cubby.” If your child has an accident and does not have an extra set of clothes in his/her “cubby,” you will be called at your daytime number to bring him/her new clothes.
Take care that your child’s clothing is comfortable, washable, appropriate for science and art activities (smocks will be provided), and allows for self-dressing. Dresses with ruffles and bows, pants with belts and difficult fastenings, and dressy shoes should be avoided at daycare. You may, if you wish, leave a sweater or light jacket in your child’s “cubby” for unpredictably cold days.
Academy of Little Learners participates in the Child and Adult Care Food Program, a federally fundedprogram thatprovides nutritious breakfasts, lunches, and snacks for children receiving day care. If a child is present during the scheduled meal or snack times, he or she will be served. Weekly menus that meet the meal requirements established by the USDA are prepared in advance and posted on all parent boards. Please do not send junk food (including cookies, candy/gum, potato chips, and soda) with your child, as it will create problems with our nutritional plans. Parents of children with special dietary needs must provide a medical release form filled out by the child’s doctor explaining the food allergy and the substitutions allowed. A copy of this form is included in this handbook. . An additional copy will be provided for your convenience. In the event that you encounter any problem with the food program, please see our information board in the lobby for further instruction or the grievance report included in this handbook.
Parents of children less than 1 year of age who are being breast fed are asked to bring in prepared bottles with caps and labeled with your child’s name, date and time of preparation. Mothers who wish to breast feed their child at the daycare are welcome. The director and child’s teacher will work with you to set up a schedule to meet your baby’s needs.
Parents of children less than 1 year of age who are fed formula have 2 options:
1) Academy of Little Learners provides milk based Parent’s Choice with Iron formula to meet the meal pattern requirement of the Federal Food Program. If you want your child to consume this, please indicate on the enrollment form that the “Center will furnish all iron fortified infant formula.” You will need to supply 6 bottles with caps.
2) Parents who do not wish to use the formula we provide (milk based Parent’s Choice with Iron) will need to provide formula in prepared bottles with caps that are labeled with your child’s name, date and time of preparation. Be sure to provide the name of the formula you are feeding so we can verify it is on the approved Food and Nutrition Service Formula list. Please be sure to provide ample bottles for your child’s day.
If a formula you provide is not on the approved list and your child’s doctor indicates that your baby should be fed a special formula, a written medical statement from the doctor is required. The statement from the doctor must include an explanation of the medical or dietary need, the formula to be omitted, and the formula that may be substituted. A copy of this form in included in this handbook. An additional copy will be provided for your convenience.
All prepared bottles (breast milk or formula) that are not labeled cannot be used so please verify that all
information is on the bottles. (Child’s name, date and time of preparation). All bottles must be used within 48 hours of preparation.
A questionnaire and monthly chart will be provided for parents to complete for all children less than
1 year of age. This will allow the daycare to maintain communication with the parents about the child’s developing eating habits. Example: introduction of cereal, juice, use of a cup, fruit, vegetable, meat, and table food to name a few.
Birthdays are special events in the life of a child. If you would like to provide a birthday treat for each child in your child’s class, you are welcome to do so. Please make arrangements ahead of time with your child’s teacher to discuss scheduling and restrictions (if one of the children has food allergies, for example).
Non-Discrimination Policy: All Nutrition and Health Services programs and activities are operated in accordance with U.S. Department of Agriculture policy which does not permit discrimination because of race, color, sex, age, disability or national origin. Any person who believes that he or she has been discriminated against in any USDA-related activity should write immediately to:
Secretary of Agriculture
Washington DC 20205
As a general rule, Academy of Little Learners would prefer that children did not bring their own toys into the center. The center’s staff cannot be responsible for lost or broken items. Although mats and blankets are provided by the center, your child is welcome to bring in a special blanket, small pillow (12” square or smaller), or SMALL stuffed toy for rest time. Because of health and safety concerns, we cannot permit ragged/torn or dirty blankets or pillows in the classroom. Any blankets or pillows brought for rest time will be sent home every Friday to be laundered and may return on Monday. CDs, cassettes, books, and other items brought from home that relate to the weekly theme may be shared with the class at the teacher’s discretion. We will also occasionally have a “show-and-tell.”
All children at the center have a scheduled rest time in the afternoon. Each child is provided with a mat and a blanket. Your child is welcome to bring in a special blanket, small pillow (12” square or smaller), or SMALL stuffed toy for rest time. Rest time is scheduled from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. throughout the entire center. Because uninterrupted rest is so important in the life of a growing child, we request that you avoid picking up, dropping off or visiting your child during this time.
According to state law, the center is not allowed to keep sick children in the classroom. If your child becomes ill during the day, an illness report will be filled out and you will be called at your daytime number and asked to pick up your child within one hour. If neither you nor the emergency contacts can be reached, the physician designated on that same page will be contacted. If your child becomes ill before arriving at the center, he/she may not be left in our care if he/she has: had a fever of over 101 degrees in the last 24 hours, vomited in the last 24 hours, had diarrhea in the last 24 hours, had lice/nits in the last 24 hours, or had a contagious illness. If you are in doubt as to whether or not your child will be permitted to attend daycare because of a disease or condition, please call the center before bringing your child in. A child that is absent due to a contagious disease or any condition that had to be diagnosed (including all those listed above) may not return to our care without a signed note from a physician indicating that the child is no longer contagious and is ready to return to the center.
State licensing requirements only permit childcare facilities to administer medication with the
written approval of a parent or guardian and a physician’s note (if it is a prescription or aspirin). Over the counter medications may be given with daily written permission in the medication log.
For children under the age of two most over the counter medications state “consult Physician” if this applies we would need a physician’s note. All medication must be in its original container, and clearly labeled with your child’s name, the specific dosage information (dosage may not be “as needed”), and the medication’s expiration date. Prescriptions may not be shared between siblings. All diaper creams, powders, and other over- the-counter skin care products are also considered medications. Such diapering products need only be registered on a completed Medical Release Form. An entire container may be left at the facility to use “until gone”. All other medications, whether prescription or over-the-counter, must be registered in the Medication Log daily, one day’s dosage at a time. Medication will be stored in a locked box and will be administered under the supervision of the director or her/his assistant, according to the dosage information on the container’s label. Diapering products however will be kept in a locked changing table and administered by the staff member doing the diaper changes.
Tuition may be paid weekly, monthly, or by semester. All tuition is due in advance, payable on Mondays. If your account is one week behind in payment, your child may be disenrolled. Tuition is based on the time your child is enrolled at Academy of Little Learners, not on the actual days of attendance. Payment is due if we hold a space in reserve for your child, whether or not your child actually attends all of that week. Therefore, we cannot give refunds for illnesses or holidays. Academy of Little Learners requires a two weeks’ written notice for withdrawal, regardless of the reason, and parents will be charged for those two weeks.
Two weeks are permitted for extended vacations per school year without losing your child’s reserved space at Academy of Little Learners. They may be taken consecutively or at two different times during the year. We require written notice of extended vacation plans at least two weeks in advance; an extended vacation is considered to be missing Monday through Friday of the same week. If you choose to take your child out for just a portion of the week, regular tuition applies. Payment obligation is based upon the time your child is enrolled at Academy of Little Learners, not on the actual days of attendance. Payment is due if we hold a space in reserve for your child, whether or not your child actually attends all of that week. However, parents need only pay a $50 per week reservation fee (per child) for extended vacation weeks in lieu of normal tuition. Parents not giving two weeks’ written notice will be charged normal tuition rate.
Academy of Little Learners will be closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day eve, and New Year’s Day. The center also closes in observance of Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and the Friday following Thanksgiving Day. Since our tuition is charged on a weekly basis, no refunds are given for weeks containing holidays, nor will additional days of care be provided to compensate for missed holidays. If an observed holiday falls on a weekend, we will notify you as to whether it will be observed on the Friday before or the Monday following the holiday.
Academy of Little Learners will be closed on:
| Christmas Eve | Independence Day |
| Christmas Day | Labor Day |
| New Year's Day Eve | Thanksgiving Day |
| New Year's Day | Friday after Thanksgiving |
| Memorial Day |
According to the Cabinet for Families and Children, “abuse is an act of commission, neglect is an act of omission,” and a “dependent child” refers to “any child, other than an abused or neglected child, who is under improper care, custody, control, or guardianship that is not due to an intentional act of the parent, guardian, or person exercising custodial control or supervision of the child.” For more detailed explanations of what constitutes abuse, neglect, or dependency, please ask to see the center’s copy of the Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse booklet or call one of the numbers below.
Department for Community Based Services (859) 885-9451 24-Hour Hotline (800) 752-6200
Of this section (above) shall have the following rights:
a. The right to have access to their children at all times the child is in care and
access to the provider caring for their children during normal hours of
provider operation and whenever the children are in the care of the
provider.
b. The right to be provided with information about childcare regulatory standards, if applicable: where to direct questions about regulatory standards; and how to file a complaint:
c. The right to file a complaint against a childcare provider without any retribution against the parent, custodian, guardian, or child: and
d. The right to review and discuss with the provider any state reports and deficiencies revealed by such reports.
pursuant to KRS 199.8982 shall post these rights in a prominent place and shall provide a copy of these rights at the time of a child’s enrollment in the program.
Copyright 2008