Parent Information

Drop off and Pickup

An adult must accompany your child into and out of the center. Parents of toddlers are asked to let their teacher know how their child’s morning before school was. Please sign the arrival and departure times on the attendance sheets located in each classroom. Please communicate with your child’s teacher, if someone other than you is picking up your child. For your child’s safety, we cannot release him or her to anyone without your written consent. After signing in, please help your child place his or her lunchbox on the shelf, and wash their hands. Be sure to check your child’s mailbox for special notices. Toddler and Preschool lunch boxes are kept in their classroom, so please provide an ice pack. All container and food products must be labeled and dated with your child’s name.

Every attempt will be made to contact the parent if a child is in attendance past closing time. After 30 minutes, individuals who have been listed in the child’s file as emergency contacts will be called and asked to come get the child. By state regulation, if no one is available after 60 minutes, the state police will be contacted. There is a $15.00 per 10 minute increment per child fee after the child’s contracted pick up time.

Behavior Management Policy

The goal of discipline is to help the child develop inner controls so that he/she may move toward appropriate social behavior. Methods for resolving conflicts are:

• Positive guidance
• Setting clear limits
• Redirection

 When disputes arise among children or between a child and teacher, the teacher will encourage a talking out process among those involved. The goal of this talking out process will be to acknowledge feelings and find solutions using children’s ideas whenever possible. A child who may be overly aggressive or is repeatedly destructive of other children’s work may be asked to make an activity choice in another area if talking things through has not resulted in better self-control. Staff will continuously supervise children during disciplinary actions. Staff may never use physical punishment, (Ex- hitting or slapping) psychological abuse (Ex-name calling or threatening) or coercion (Ex-withholding food or using force) when disciplining a child.  No child will be physically restrained unless it is necessary to protect the safety or health of the child or others, using least restrictive methods, as appropriate.

The goal of this policy is to limit or eliminate the use of suspension, expulsion and other exclusionary measures.

When a child engages in aggressive or unsafe behavior, the center will:

• Remove the child from a situation where there is difficulty, explain to him/her why the behavior is inappropriate and to suggest another activity.
• Notify the Director.
• Meet with the child’s family to collaborate and implement action plans designed to improve the behavior and reduce the safety risks;
• Encourage the family toward the professional supports needed for the child’s success if we do not achieve positive change through redirection and positive guidance in a reasonable time;
• Collaborate with professional supports/resources to implement and to support our efforts and encourage positive change; (A list of support/resources is in the Parent Handbook).
• Consider suspension or expulsion of enrollment if an unsafe situation is not resolved within a reasonable period of time. HCCC will give a list of alternative placements for the child. HCCC complies with federal and state civil rights laws.

• The center reserves the right to request a parent to withdraw his/her child from our program if we feel the child’s behavior is detrimental to the well-being and/or functioning of the whole group. Examples of this behavior might be continued biting, aggressive behavior that cannot be resolved after parent/teacher conferences or adjustment problems for the child. Any conflict will be discussed at length with the parent before making a decision to withdraw the child. Biting another child hard enough to break the skin or leave a mark may constitute an immediate need for a “leave of absence” for the child for a short time.

Medical

No child should attend the child center if he or she has a communicable disease, a fever of 100.5 degrees of more, a rash of undetermined origin, diarrhea, green discharge from the nose, open sores, persistent cough, or vomits. If your child develops any of these symptoms, he or she should not return to the center for at least 24 hours, symptom free. The Director may require a doctor’s note before a child will be readmitted to the center after an illness.

If your child becomes ill at the center, he or she will be isolated and you or an authorized adult will be notified. In the event of a medical emergency, you will be contacted and the ambulance will be called. Your child’s doctor will also be called as stated on the medical form and the consent-for-treatment form you signed at the time of enrollment (may also be found online).

The teachers are authorized to give certain medications to the children when the State guidelines are followed. If your child has a medical condition for which an emergency medication would be necessary, please see the Director so that your child’s physician can fill out the necessary permission forms. All medications will be kept in a lock box.

Allergies

When a child enrolls at the Housatonic Child Care Center and has known allergies, the parents will fill out the required health statements including an authorization for medications and an emergency health care plan from the physician. The Director will supply both of these forms. The parent will be required to have both forms signed by the child’s doctor before the child may attend the center. In addition, the parent will keep the staff well informed of the severity of the child’s allergy by answering the following questions:

• What is the specific allergy?
• What foods or other substances should be avoided?
• How might an allergic reaction be triggered?
• What symptoms does your child display?
• What steps has the child’s doctor told you to follow in the event that symptoms of a reaction occur?
• Will the child need to be isolated from other children during snack and lunch time?
• Has your child ever had to use Benedryl or an Epi-Pen because of an allergy attack? How well did he/she respond? Was it necessary for your child to go to the hospital?

For our complete Illness Policy, please click here. Be sure to review all policies before enrolling your child.