Attendance
Arrival
The hours and days your child attends the center are arranged at your enrollment meeting and are indicated on your contract. You may not exceed 9.5 hours of scheduled time per day. Any changes in hours or days must be approved by management in advance. In order to stay within PA state ratios, care may not be available for your child at times other than your scheduled hours. If the center does have sufficient staff coverage, we will make every effort to accommodate your needs. If arriving late, please call the Center by 10 a.m. to have your child included in the lunch count.
Each child must be accompanied into the center’s child care area by an adult. The accompanying adult must sign in the child. Currently, we use an electronic daily health screening as a child’s sign-in.
Departure
When picking up your child, you must sign-out the child using Google Chat. A list of adults permitted to pick up your child will be kept on your emergency contact form. Your child will only be released to those persons you have designated. A photo ID is required when a designated adult other than the parent is picking up the child until the staff is familiar with such persons. Any alternate pick up persons are required to have an appropriate car seat.
The center must be notified if you will be delayed in picking up your child. If at all possible, arrangements should be made for another designated adult to pick up your child at or before the scheduled time, if you are going to be late. If someone other than a designated adult comes to pick up your child, your child WILL NOT BE released to such person. This is a precaution to help ensure the safety of your child. The staff does not have the authority to deviate from this policy. There will be no exceptions to this policy. Emergency consent forms must be kept up-to-date.
Holidays
The Cuddle Zone Learning Center will be closed on the following holidays (Tuition credit will not be given for these holidays):
- New Year’s Day
- President’s Day Monday (Teacher In-Service)
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- August In-Service Days (2 floating days)
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Day after Thanksgiving
- Christmas Eve and Day after Christmas (floating holidays)
- Christmas Day
- Additional Teacher In-Service Day (Good Friday), if needed it will be listed on the yearly school calendar
Holidays and In-Service Days may be subject to change. Please see yearly school calendar for exact dates. For any holiday that falls on a weekend, the Center will be closed on either the Friday before or Monday after the holiday.
Vacation/Personal Leave Policies
A Full time private pay child will earn five vacation days after being enrolled for a period of 12 months. A part-time private pay child will be prorated according to contracted days and times. Notify management when you are planning to use your days so that your tuition for that week can be adjusted. Vacation days may only be used if the child is absent from the Center on those days.
Withdrawal Policies
If you are planning to withdraw your child from The Cuddle Zone Learning Center you are required to provide at least a two week notice of the withdrawal, in writing. Failure to provide notice in writing will result in you forfeiting your security deposit.
Classroom Transition Policies
Children are transitioned to the next classroom based on the school year calendar. Each year, children who have mastered the skills necessary to move to the next classroom will start the new school year in that classroom. State ratios require the children to be a certain age in each classroom. For example, children must be three to move to Preschool. Children are grouped according to how they will start Kindergarten. Our Pre-K Counts program requires the child to be three or four years old prior to September 1st. All school districts have different Kindergarten enrollment dates. Please check with your school district and discuss with management especially for children born in September.
Transition activities begin in June. Teachers for the new school year will spend one week with your child in their classroom prior to visiting the new classroom. The following week children will be scheduled to visit their new classroom starting with an hour and increasing time for approximately three weeks. Back to School nights are scheduled in September for parents to meet teachers for the coming year and visit the classroom. You will receive a welcome packet and will also have an opportunity to schedule an individual transition meeting. Your child’s portfolio and any formal assessments are passed from one classroom teacher to the next.
Health Policies
Parents are required to keep an ill child home. If a child appears to be too ill upon arrival in the morning, parents will be requested to take the child home.
Parents are responsible for finding other child care if their child is ill. Parents will be notified and expected to pick up their child promptly for the following reasons:
- Fever - A child with an auxiliary temperature greater than 100.4 degrees. The child may return after 72 hours of a normal temperature without the use of aspirin or non-aspirin products. (48 hours w/ Dr. note)
- Vomiting/Diarrhea - A child experiencing episodes in a short period of time. The child may return after the vomiting/diarrhea has stopped for 72 hours without the use of medication. (48 hours w/ Dr. note)
- Eye Inflammations/Unexplained Rashes - A child with an unexplained rash or eye inflammation will be sent home until it has either resolved itself, or a physician determines the rash/inflammation is not contagious. A doctor’s note will be required when the child returns.
- Antibiotics - If antibiotics are given, a child should not return to care until 24 hours after the first dose is given. This is provided they have been fever free.
Small children in a group setting occasionally receive minor bumps, scratches, etc. Staff are trained in first aid, and will administer care as needed. Additionally, you will be notified in writing of any care given. In case of accidents requiring medical attention, the parent’s insurance is the primary source of coverage. Finally, in the case of an emergency, paramedics will be notified first, followed by the parents.
All children, parents and staff must wash their hands upon entering the classroom.
Medication
- All medicines must be in the original container.
- Physician’s written instructions including dosage are required.
- Containers must be clearly marked with the child’s name.
- All medicines must be given directly to a staff member upon arrival.
- Parents must record daily in the Medicine Log:
- Child’s name, date, name of medication, time to be administered, the dosage, and parent signature. Parent must sign each line for multiple medications.
- “As needed” is not acceptable in lieu of times. Parent must decide if child needs medicine and at what time (as per the designation on the bottle).
- Staff will record in the Medicine Log: the time given, dosage, and signature.
- Tylenol-type medicine may be kept at the center with the parent’s and physician’s written instructions. Please label all such medicines with child’s name. The expiration dates of all medicines will be checked by the staff. All expired medications will be sent home. The Center is not permitted to dispense medication that has expired.
- If your child requires medication on a long-term basis, a long term medicine form (located under the forms & resources tab) should be used and a physician’s update is required every three months.
Immunizations
- All children must be immunized as per the state regulations. Immunization records must be submitted prior to child's start date. All immunization records must be kept in the child’s file. Health appraisals will be requested at the following ages: 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, 2 years, 3 years, 4 years and 5 years. Once the child starts first grade, health assessments are required every two years.
- Health Appraisals and TB Assessment form are required within 30 days of enrollment.
- Forms are located in the office or under the Forms and Resources tab.
Supervision
Children in the center will be supervised at all times by a staff member upon being signed in and dropped into the classroom. Children are the parent’s responsibility before signing in and after signing out, or removing a child from their classroom. A staff member may not use any form of physical punishment. Redirection is the form of discipline used by The Cuddle Zone staff and in some instances “taking a break” may be used. We encourage students to make “smart choices”. A staff person, parent or any other visitor may not use harsh, demeaning, or abusive language in the presence of the children.
Outdoor Play Policy
All children are required to be outside a minimum of 15 minutes twice a day. The temperature guidelines are over 25 degrees with the wind chill factor and below 90 degrees with the heat index. Children must have closed toe, rubber soled shoes for use on the playground. Children should be dressed appropriately. Additionally, snow clothes and boots or extra shoes are needed to play in the snow.
Non-Discrimination Policy
The Cuddle Zone Learning Center will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, disability, age, or gender in the aspect of enrollment or care.
