Parents Information:

Introduction

We are pleased to welcome you and your child to Kid’s Korner Learning Center (KKLC). Your child’s happiness, security, social and cognitive development are our main objectives.

KKLC’s full day, year-round program is available to children aged 6 weeks to entering the 6^th grade. We are licensed by the Pennsylvania Dept. of Public Welfare and the PA Dept of Education.

KKLC encourages positive childhood development by providing opportunities for

your child to meet new friends, try out new activities and learn through play. Our devoted, qualified staff provide individual, caring attention for each child. Everyday the children enjoy play time, pre-reading, pre-math and pre-science activities, music, rest periods, outdoor fun, exercise, computer time and healthy, snacks. Through carefully planned games and activities your child will

be exposed to situations that will stimulate their natural curiosity and love of learning, develop

initiative and independence, while building their self-esteem and decision making abilities.

Interaction with, and respect for others are skills that are re-enforced daily.

Peace of Mind for Parents…PLUS

• A warm, safe, licensed environment

• A bright, clean and well-appointed room

• Circle times each day

• Daily music and creative movement activities

• Science, Arts and Crafts

• Computer time

• Calendar and weather activities

• Activities and games designed to promote learning through play

• Outdoor play for gross motor development

• Scheduled rest time (Your child will need a blanket and small sleep toy for their rest period.)

• Child/Teacher ratios meet or exceed the PA Dept of Welfare’s guidelines

• Experienced E.C.E teachers

•On-going staff trainings

Days & Hours of Operation Monday to Friday 6:00AM – 6:00PM

Staff Qualifications

Our Head Teacher holds a diploma in Early Childhood Education and is trained to teach through

play. Free and guided play exposes the children to situations that will stimulate curiosity, initiative,

independence, self-esteem, gross/fine motor skills, communication and positive peer interactions.

Admission

We welcome all interested parents and their children to visit us to establish the suitability of our

program for your family. You will be invited to visit the Day Care to familiarize yourselves with

the surroundings, say hello to the teacher, and have your questions answered. You may also complete admission forms at this time.

When openings permit, we accept children at any time to the Day Care. Children will be admitted

into the program that best meets each child’s individual needs at the time of registration.

The weekly fee includes the closure of the Day Care for all holidays and statutory holidays, as

detailed in the section Closures and Holidays. Day Care Fees are adjusted effective July 1st of

each year, and parents are notified of any changes ahead of time.

Fees

Day Care fees are paid on the 1st day the child attends that week by check or cash.

PLEASE NOTE: No discounts or credits will be given for days missed, includes sickness or other reasons. YOU MUST PAY FOR THE NUMBER OF DAYS YOU CONTRACTED FOR!

KKLC does not provide drop in care, please call in advance to see if there is a spot for your child if you need care on an unscheduled day. We reserve the right to deny care if the center is full on an unscheduled day.

Vacation

For full time students only! Your child’s spot will be held for two full weeks a year without payment. We must receive payment for any time off in addition to this. Please notify KKLC at least two weeks in advance of your vacation plans, if possible. Children on a nine month schedule or part time do not qualify for vacation.

Additional Charges

Additional charges for field trips or specials events are above and beyond the monthly fee

and are charged directly to the parents. Parents should submit their payment to the child’s

teacher. Sufficient notice will always be given in these situations.

Late Pick-up Charges

Please remember to be on time when collecting your child at the end of the day. There is a one

dollar ($1.00) per minute charge for pick up after the designated time of 6:00 PM. There are

no warnings or grace periods.

Please note that frequent lates could result in the loss of your day care spot.

Services Charges

Day Care fees are due on the first day of your child’s week and all other invoices are due upon receipt.

A service charge of $20.00 will be charged for any returned checks. Interest on overdue accounts

will be charged at the rate of 1% per month. Overdue accounts may result in the immediate

withdrawal of the child from the program.

Withdrawal

Two weeks written notice is required for permanent withdrawal from the

program.

KKLC strives to provide appropriate programming for as many children as

possible, however, each child’s needs are different. Should it prove that KKLC is not suitable for your child, and at the sole discretion of the Director, we reserve the right to ask for his or her

withdrawal. Remaining fees will be returned.

Income Tax Receipts

In January of each year we will issue child care tax receipts for the previous year. If your child

leaves the day care before this time, please ensure that we have your forwarding address and the

receipt will be mailed to you.

Closures and Statutory Holidays

The annual operating schedule of the Day Care, including any closure periods, will vary from year to year. Please see the Day Care Fee Schedule for the current year’s exact closures dates.

KKLC is closed the following:

New Year’s Eve – December 31- Noon Closing

New Year’s Day- January 1- Closed

Good Friday- Noon Closing

Memorial Day- Closed

Independence Day- Closed

Labor Day- Closed

Thanksgiving Day- Closed

Friday After Thanksgiving- Closed

Christmas Eve- Noon closing

Christmas Day- Closed

Please keep in mind that if the holiday falls on a Saturday, we will be closed the Friday before. If the holiday falls on a Sunday, we will be closed the Monday after.

Weekly Payments will remain the same these weeks.

KKLC does not close for snow.

Drop Off and Pick Up

Our policy is that all children need to be in the Day Care by no later than 9:30 am (unless

otherwise pre-arranged). If you are running late or your child will be absent, please inform

the office by 9:00 am. We recommend that you establish regular fixed hours for dropping

off and picking up your child as children’s sense of security depends on a regular routine.

For the protection of your child, we must be notified if anyone other than the parent will be

picking up your child. Only those people authorized on the Child Release Authorization Form

will be permitted to leave the Day Care with your child. The teacher will ask to see a photo

identification.

WE WILL NOT RELEASE YOUR CHILD TO ANYONE WITHOUT YOUR PRIOR CONSENT.

We do record daily attendance, and expect that parents will notify us if their child will be

absent.

Communicating with Parents

KKLC provides ample opportunity for you to keep in touch with what happens

during your child’s day. Parents and teachers see each other every morning and afternoon, or you may arrange an individual interview with the teacher if you wish. You are welcome to visit or call at any time during the day.

Toilet Training for The Pre-School Room

KKLC’s Pre-School Age program is licensed for children aged 3 to 5 yrs.

KKLCs policy for this age group is that all children must be toilet trained before

entering the Pre-School program. Diapers are not permitted at any time.

The children are given many, regular opportunities to go to the bathroom. Occasional “accidents”

are normal in this age group. The teachers will encourage independence with your child by assisting them while they change.

A child in the Pre-School program who proves to be un-reliably toilet trained may be

asked, when space is available, to move into the Toddler Room until such time as the child is

properly trained. There is no guarantee that their space will remain secure in the pre-school. If

there is no space available in the Toddler program, a child in Pre-School who is not toilet trained

may be asked to leave the program.

Clothing and Possessions

Children may wear clothing of your choice. Two full sets of extra clothing

should be left at the Day Care. Please ensure that all clothing is labeled.

We suggest that you wear sneakers or closure shoes on your child. We highly recommend NOT allowing your child to wear flip flops or sandles. The PA Dept of Welfare requires that all children in attendance be provided with outdoor play. Consequently, we play outside in all weather conditions. To dress your child for outdoor play, we recommend:

Summer: sunhat, t-shirts, shorts, closed toe or sport style sandals

sunscreen, insect repellent (optional)

Winter: full snowsuit, preferable with a hood

Hat, mittens

Warm waterproof winter boots

Spring / Fall: waterproof rain jacket, rubber boots

Light mittens, light jacket or sweater

Your child will need a blanket and small sleep toy for their rest period.

Sun Protection

KKLC recommends parents provide a sun-hat and labeled sunscreen for their child.

Children should have their sunscreen applied at home before their arrival to Day

Care. The teachers will keep your child’s personal bottle of sunscreen handy and will re-apply when warranted.

Field Trips and Outings

Throughout the year trips will be planned to special places of interest according to the season and potential learning opportunities. These trips may include local areas such as walks to the park or around the neighborhood, or they may involve bus transportation to nearby attractions. We will notify you in advance if the children will be going on a trip that involves a school bus. In such cases, you must sign the permission form provided in order for your child to participate. The cost of the outing is not covered in the weekly fee and you are expected to send payment prior to the outing.

Parent volunteers will be welcomed for most trips.

Nutrition

Parents will be asked to provide a snack for the entire center (usually 60 kids) approximately one time per month. This should include a snack AND juice or milk. You will notified in advance of your snack day for the month.

Lunch will be provided by the parents. We have a refrigerator and a microwave to keep the food cool or warm it up.

Health

The Health Department requires that all children/parents provide proof of up-to-date inoculations

prior to starting the program.

In the best interest of your child and others, the Health Department requires that children with

the following symptoms remain at home.

• Temperatures over 100.5

• Rashes that you cannot identify, or that have not been diagnosed by a doctor

• Diarrhea

• Discharge from the ears

• Discharge or redness in the eyes

• Swollen neck glands

• Vomiting

• Severe cold symptoms - sneezing, runny nose, fever, cough, lack of energy

• A contagious condition as diagnosed by a doctor

• Unusual paleness, irritability, tiredness or listlessness

Children need to be symptom free for at least 24 hours before they can return to the Day Care. If

a parent arrives with their child to the Day Care and the teacher feels that your child is too ill too

attend, the teacher has the right to refuse entry.

NOTE: Regulations require a minimum of one hour per day of outdoor play for each child in

attendance. Therefore, children too ill to play outside are expected to remain at home.

Should your child become ill while at school, we will call you to pick up your child. If we are unable to reach you, we will call the back-up emergency person you identified on the Admission Form. Please keep your emergency and work contact information up-to-date.

If your child is of School age and they are sent home from the School District, they MAY NOT come to KKLC.

Administration of Medication

KKLC will administer both prescription and non-prescription drugs to children. Parents are expected to provide the following:

• Written, signed authorization including the dosage and times a drug is to be administered

• Medication in the original container, clearly labeled with the child’s name, name of the drug,

the dosage, the date of purchase and instructions for storage and administration.

All medications must be registered on the medicataion log on the refrigerator in the kitchen. DO NOT place any medications in the child’s lunch box or backpack.

Files

The following are required to have in your child’s file:

Health appraisals
Parental consent form
Applications
Emergency cards
Agreement forms
Immunization records

Child Custody

According to the PA Licensing for day care: KKLC will not deny a parent pick up of their child UNLESS a copy of the COURT ORDER is in their file.

Behavior Management

KKLC uses progressive and positive approaches to discipline. Support is given in a

gentle and loving way to those who need a little reminder. The best discipline is based on mutual

respect and consideration for others. We feel it is important to be consistent and clear in the behavioral expectations we set for the children. The majority of time, for most children, a clear understanding of these expectations is all that is required for good behavior. When problems arise, our staff uses small, incremental steps to eliminate inappropriate behavior.

1. Clear behavioral expectations are given.

2. A reminder is given.

3. The child is removed from their current setting/activity to a more appropriate or calming

setting/activity.

4. A time-out is given. A time-out involves asking the child to sit on a chair for an appropriate

length of quiet time to allow him/her to calm down. Before rejoining the group, the child is

asked if he or she feels calm and ready to join the group and play in an appropriate manner.

This disciplinary action is well documented as a positive approach to discipline and provides

time for the teacher to engage in value clarification with the child if necessary. If our staff

notices that a particular child is continuing to have difficulties with behavior, the Head

Teacher will notify parents of the situation so that mutual problem solving may take place.

5. Should behavior become an on-going difficulty, or of a severe nature, the child may be

asked to withdraw from the program.

Please feel free to contact KKLC with any questions or comments concerning your child’s progress at KKLC or about KKLC’s procedures and policies. Kid’s Korner Learning Center prides itself in being the highest quality Learning Center available and is constantly looking for ways to improve. Your input is welcome at all times.

Sincerely,

Megan M. Straub

Owner/President/Director

Kid’s Korner Learning Center, Inc.

CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT PROCEDURES:

Children who attend our program are cared for, nurtured, and kept safe at all times. Because child abuse is a very serious allegation, policies are intended to protect both the children in our care as well as colleagues at the Center.

It is the Center’s goal to employ child care professionals who are committed to the highest standards of ethical behavior. To ensure the health and safety of young children in care, a policy of “Zero Tolerance for Child Abuse” is strictly enforced. Children at the Center should expect to be treated with kindness, concern, and respect at all times. Any employee who exhibits unprofessional behavior that could be construed as abusive may be dismissed from work without any accrued benefits or assistance in legal representation. Any evidence of physical or sexual abuse or misconduct will be grounds for immediate dismissal. Staff are advised that corporal punishment or physical discipline are considered abuse.

Any person who has information about behavior that may reasonably be characterized as known or suspected child abuse or neglect shall make a report to the Director and to appropriate authorities, as required by law. Allegations of abuse shall be reported to parents and investigated.

Any employee accused of abuse or neglect shall have an opportunity to respond to the allegations. Until the issue is resolved, an employee suspected of abuse or neglect may be reassigned, suspended or placed on administrative leave, either with or without pay, at the discretion of the Director.

Children at the Center should expect to be treated with kindness, concern, and respect at all times. Any employee who exhibits unprofessional behavior that could be construed as abusive may be dismissed from work without any accrued benefits or assistance in legal representation. Any evidence of physical or sexual abuse or misconduct will be grounds for immediate dismissal. Staff are advised that corporal punishment or physical discipline are considered abuse.