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Kinder Beginnings
Frequently Asked Questions
You are encouraged to read our current Policies Handbook
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Why so many rules? Our children are our most valuable treasures - leaving your child in someone else's care can be scary. Policies and procedures are in place in order to reassure all parents that I am focused on the best care for your children. I encourage any parents who have issues with any of my policies to discuss them with me. What is the total number of children that you care for? The State of Ohio allows me up to 6 children (including my own) as a Type B Home. Because I offer part-time care, there will not always be 6 children here at one time. What is the caregiver to child ratio? The ratio will never be more than 1:6, meaning that there will always be at least one caregiver for up to six children. Do you have aides/helpers? I do not currently have any full-time aides or helpers. One or two backup caregivers will be trained to attempt to cover any short-term (less than 4 hour) emergencies, so you will not be inconvenienced. What are your hours? I will accept children between the hours of 7:00am and 6:00pm Monday through Friday. Actual hours of care may be different for each child; the agreed upon hours of care provided for your child will be listed in your contract. Non-traditional hours are provided on occasion. Do you care for children on a part-time basis? Yes, part-time care is available as long as a current opening allows for this schedule without placing more than six children in my care; however, an attempt will be made to fill the empty hours/days/weeks. What are your fees? Current fees can be found here. Weekly rates are based on your arranged hours of care; if more hours are needed the fee will be adjusted. Your individual weekly fee is outlined in your signed contract. All rates may be reviewed and increased on January 1st of each year; 30-day notice is given before rate increases take effect. Payment is due on the Friday before each week of care. If payment is not presented by the scheduled Monday drop-off, care will not be provided until payment is made. For hourly care, payment is due on the date of service. Payment is accepted in the form of cash, personal check or money order. For convenience, secure automatic bank account payments may be set up through childcarepay.com. Credit card payments are accepted through PayPal (if you are interested in this option, see me for details). Why do I have to pre-pay? I require everyone to pre-pay for scheduled care. It is necessary for me to shop for groceries and supplies prior to providing care (I usually do this preparation on the weekend). Why is childcare so expensive? These early years create important foundations for life; I provide personal care and opportunities to explore and learn in a safe, educational and fun environment. There are costs I incur by planning educational programs and activities. If you just want a babysitter - someone to just "watch" the kids - I recommend you try to find a teenager, college student or homemaker who may be looking to make some extra cash. I encourage you to compare my weekly rates with local daycare centers, and keep in mind the individual attention your little one will receive in family care. Why does casual care cost more? Children who are not here on a regular basis can need quite a bit more guidance than a child who is used to the rules and schedule. Do you currently have availability? Current availability can be found here. Can I hold or reserve space? The only way to ensure an ongoing spot is to pay fees on time. For new spaces: If we are not near capacity, I will reserve a spot for your child for up to one month, with a holding fee equal to the rate for two weeks of care for your child. If we are near capacity, you will be required to pay for your child's spot to hold it open. What is a typical day like? You can find our daily rhythm here; the schedule is flexible and may vary depending on the needs of the children. Do you have pets? We have an outdoor cat, Zoe; she does often interact with us while we are outside. We also have a guinea pig, Xander; he is friendly and gentle. Contact with animals is always supervised. Do you smoke? No member of my household smokes, and smoking is not permitted on the premises. What is your vacation policy? The facilities will be closed 2 weeks per year for my vacation, and up to 3 paid professional training days per year. My vacation weeks are unpaid; you will not be charged childcare fees for those two weeks. Notification of at least two weeks will be given prior to any closed days, with the exception of emergencies or sudden severe illness. Parent/Guardian(s) are responsible for finding back-up care during provider absences. Parent/Guardian(s) are allowed up to two weeks of personal vacation per year at half of the regular weekly fee (to hold the opening for their child). Notification is required in writing at least two weeks in advance. What holidays are you closed? Daycare will be closed for the following holidays with pay (unless noted): New Year's Day - Memorial Day - Independence Day - Labor Day - Thanksgiving What is your policy on accepting sick children? I can only care for children with mild cold-like symptoms (clear runny nose, slight cough, and no fever). Children will not be allowed to attend if they exhibit symptoms such as: *Unexplained Rash (other than diaper rash or allergies) *Fever (100F or higher) within the past 24 hours *Extreme cold and/or cough *Vomiting *Diarrhea *Parasites, Lice or nits *Discharge from eyes or ears *Unusual drowsiness / lethargy *Communicable diseases (chicken pox, roseola, conjunctivitis, mumps, measles, influenza) If a child becomes ill during daycare hours, parents will be contacted immediately and should attempt remove their child within 1 hour of being notified. If parents are not available, the emergency contact person will then be notified. Once the child is removed from daycare due to illness, they may not return for a full 24-hour period, unless they are accompanied by a doctor's note. *Note: This sickness policy applies to my family or myself as well. If I am unavailable due to illness, you will be notified as soon as possible. Payment is not required for days that I am closed due to illness. How much notice is required for a child to leave your care? After the two-week trial period, care can be terminated by either party with two weeks written notice. Payment for those two weeks will be accepted in lieu of notice. Do you provide meals? Breakfast (for children arriving before 8:00), lunch and nutritious snacks are provided. View more information about our meals here. Parent/Guardian of an infant must provide their formula/breast milk, cereal and baby food until age one when table food is started. If a child has special dietary needs substantiated by medical evaluation, I must be informed and given a doctor's note. Substitute food is then permitted to be brought from home. How are children fed? The children are offered the food, not forced to eat. Children who choose not to eat will not be served additional meals until the next scheduled meal or snack. Infants are held while being fed bottles since they still need that close, secure feeling. Bottles are never propped in place. Infants who can sit up on their own are fed in a high chair. Toddlers and preschoolers sit together at the child-size picnic tables. They use appropriately-sized plates, forks and spoons. Starting at around 18 months they use real cups at mealtimes. How do children sleep? Beds are not shared amongst children. Children who are 6 weeks to 18 months sleep in their own pack-n-play. Children over 18 months of age sleep on their own individual cot. Infants sleep according to their individual needs. Toddlers and preschoolers are required to rest for 30 minutes. If a child has rested and is still awake after 30 minutes, they will be allowed to engage in quiet activities while the other children rest/nap. Children will be allowed to sleep until they wake up on their own unless the parents prefer they are gently woken up after 2 hours. Why do you send home so many papers? We do a lot of projects. Most of them do not look like much of anything. It is not WHAT we do, but rather HOW we do it that matters. What we are practicing is fine motor control, expression, following directions, decision making, colors, textures... these are all crucial skills needed for writing, creative/critical thinking and language. We paint with brushes, sponges, our fingers, our feet, stamps, foam, glitter, etc. We learn colors, textures, and emotions through our hands on projects. As a parent I encourage you proudly display their work, and then toss it as new ones are brought home, keeping only the ones you really like. Each child goes home with a Daily Report sheet and parents are given a monthly newsletter including a calendar for the next month... I provide these to keep you informed of your child's day, their individual progress and our upcoming plans. Children crave interaction with their parents, but are sometimes unable to remember or explain parts of their day - these can be good conversation starters! |
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