Children should arrive clean and fed, unless it's near meal time. I try to send your child home with a clean diaper, and would appreciate the same consideration at drop off. I prefer no pick ups or drop offs during nap time, but if necessary, please keep it quiet and brief. Any child arriving during nap time should remain quiet until it’s over to avoid disturbing others. It’s normal for some children to cry at drop off; please keep it brief. A quick goodbye with a smile and reassuring words is all that’s needed. Children often start playing soon after parents leave. Pick ups should also be brief, as this can be a time when children test authority. I expect parents to follow the rules during arrival and departure, and if not, I will address it with the child. Children are released only to parents or authorized individuals. If someone else is picking up, please notify me ahead of time. A verbal notice is fine if they’re on the authorized list, but written permission is required if they are not. For safety, I will ask for identification if I don’t know the person and the child is too young to recognize them. I apologize for any inconvenience—this is for the child’s protection.

I ask all parents to make sure that your child is signed in/out for pick ups and drop offs each day. A sign in/out sheet will be located at the front desk. This gives me a written record of the child's attendance, hours, and the person who brought/picked up the child each day. This will be kept in my file for at least 9 months. ABSENCES There will be no refunds or adjustments made for days missed by illness, holidays, or days off. A place has been reserved for each child that cannot be filled on a short term basis.

There are no refunds or adjustments for days missed due to illness, holidays, or personal days off. A spot is reserved for each child, which cannot be filled temporarily. The reservation is made based on the child's enrollment, and the space cannot be reassigned to another child during short-term absences. Missed days will not impact the child’s enrollment, but parents should understand that the cost of maintaining the child's space remains unchanged. When your child is absent, it doesn’t affect the ongoing care for other children or the operation of the program. We maintain the same quality of care regardless of absences, and all policies regarding attendance will remain in effect as usual.

I prefer children do not bring toys from home unless it is something that can be shared with the entire group (i.e, books, videos, etc.) Little ones have a difficult time sharing with others, and it is even harder with their own special toys. If toys are brought, please note that they may be put away, if they are the cause of disagreements among children. Exceptions to this policy are toys brought for show and tell activities. I am not responsible for any loss or breakage of personal items. All personal items must be clearly marked with the child's name.

Children should arrive dressed for play. We like to have fun! Having fun involves outdoor play and lots of messy activities, so make sure your child is dressed appropriately. For our l's and some of our younger 2's you will be expected to supply bibs to keep food stains to a minimum. Please don't dress your child in nice clothing and expect them to be spotless when you arrive to pick them up. Clothing should be comfortable and seasonally appropriate for outdoor play. Shoes need to be fastened to their feet such as: sneakers. No Croc's or Flip flops! This is for your child's safety.

Parents must supply the following items: INFANTS: Diapers, powders/ointments, pain reliever, pacifier (preferably on a pacifier string) bottles, formula, baby food, bibs, saline drops/gel and nasal syringe, and a complete change of clothes (replace when soiled). You must have a signed permission form in your child's file to administer any form of medication. TODDLERS: Diapers, pull-ups, pacifiers, powders/ointments, pain reliever, bibs, and a complete change of clothes (replace when soiled). You must have a signed permission form in your child's file to administer any form of medication. It is necessary to bring your own eating utensils, training cups or dishes, as they will not be supplied. If any of these items are brought, they must be marked with the child's name, to avoid mix-ups with other children.

I will supply a morning snack, and afternoon snack with juice and or water. Parents will need to provide their child's lunch with drink. Please make sure all items have your child's name on them. If not, the staff will label them with a marker (i.e. training cups, lunch boxes, thermos, etc.). Children who arrive after lunch time should be fed before they arrive. Snack menus will be posted on the bulletin board just inside of each door. Parents of infants will need to supply all formula, breast milk and baby food. It is my belief that infants should be fed on demand. If parents have another feeding schedule in mind, we will need to discuss it, so that the infant's needs can be adequately met. If your child has allergies, and requires a modified diet, I must be notified of this in writing. An appropriate substitution will be made, if possible, but if a child has so many allergies that he or she cannot eat our snack, I may require the parents to provide his or her own snacks. We will never force a child to finish what is in his or her lunch, but we do encourage each child to try one or two bites of everything. Sometimes they are surprised by what they like! Occasionally, we have problems with children who consistently want to eat only one item, like fruit, etc. When this occurs on a regular basis, we may give the child just the main food and vegetable to start, adding the "favored" item when a few bites of the main food and vegetable have been tried. If a child refuses to eat their lunch, there will be no food served until the next designated snack time. All eating patterns will be communicated to the parents.