Blue Skies Butterflies Edu-Care
Parent Handbook
Providers
Pamela Vest
Contact Information
17 victory Heights
Christiansburg, VA 24073
540-818-4465
blueskiesbutterflies@msn.com
www.blueskiesbutterflies.com
Welcome
Welcome to Blue Skies Butterflies Edu-Care! As a parent, I understand that it is a
difficult challenge to find the balance of work and family. But, finding high quality
and safe child care is the biggest and most difficult task you will be ever be faced
with. We are pleased that you have chosen Blue Skies Butterflies Edu-Care for
your child care needs.
Blue Skies Butterflies Edu-Care provides a high quality child care in our home. You
will find that the daycare is set up for learning and fun play. We believe that
parent involvement is essential to any quality child care program and do encourage
your participation.
Our belief is that children need a chance to be just what they are…children.
Children learn through play and interacting with others through all types of
situations both negative and positive. We provide many opportunities for them to
discover things in the world that they live in. Our goal is to provide an environment
that nurtures their self-esteem, and encourage their imagination and exploration.
Parents can drop their children off with a relaxed and worry free mind that their
children are receiving a safe, secure, healthy, and educational environment. Our
activities help children grow physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally. Each
child that is enrolled in the daycare brings in their own unique personality and we
do not stifle that personality, but we nurture it and help them with socialization
skills and guide them where they need guidance and enhance what needs enhancing.
We keep home and daycare separated due to the fact that we are not babysitters,
but professional child care providers. Our day care is a business and is run in a
professional and serious manner. Family Child Care is a specialized business, not
babysitting, slowly providers are receiving the recognition that we deserve.
Besides being child care specialists, providers are also expected to be reliable
small business owners who offer information and support to parents are well.
To keep the day care operating, it is very important that parents respect our
policies and payments are promptly paid. REMEMBER: CHILDCARE ISN'T
EXPENSIVE… IT’S PRICELESS!
Like other self-employed workers, Family Child Care Providers do not receive the
benefits that many employees take for granted. These include health and dental
insurance, life insurance, extended health insurance, retirement plans, paid
personal days, worker’s compensation, paid vacations, flexible time off, or
unemployment insurance. These benefits often amount to as much as 35% of an
employee’s wages. Unlike other forms of self-employment, Family Providers are
very restrictive. There is no room for growth. The province dictates the size of
my business. I cannot take off for appointments or obligations without careful
planning and covering or my responsibilities. To protect my rights and income, you
will find that a guaranteed wage is part of my contract. Most people have a 40
hour work week and anything over 40 hours is overtime. With providers, including
myself, we have 50+ work week without overtime pay. These hours include
operating hours, cleaning, shopping, planning, bookkeeping, paperwork, daily
preparation, and professional development training. For this reason, a flat rate is
required when enrolled in our daycare.
We believe that children are the future of tomorrow and we do our part with
molding the world's future leaders into loving and strong individuals. With open
communication with the provider and parent we can be successful with molding
these children into healthy and happy individuals. We believe open and honest
communication is a key ingredient in creating a successful partnership with parents.
We operate our child care as a business in a professional manner. The following
pages contain mutually beneficial requirements that are necessary to ensure that
there are no misunderstandings, so please read them carefully, and feel free to ask
questions about any material that may be unclear to you.
Thank you again for your consideration in Blue Skies Butterflies Edu-Care and
allowing us the pleasure to be a part of watching your child grow.
Meet The Provider
The daycare is owned and operated by Pamela Vest. Pamela Vest has 20+ years of
experience working with children. This experience includes a previous licensed
family daycare which was successful, but had to be closed due to a divorce. This
previous daycare also named Blue Skies Butterflies Edu-Care was licensed through
the Department of Social Services and NEVER received any violations from DSS or
USDA. It was considered to be one of the top quality daycares in this area.
Pamela Vest has many hours of training, a degree in Family Day Care Management
and a degree in Early Childhood Education. She worked as a lead teacher in a
child care center and as an aid in Head Start. Pamela Vest was recently employed
in the Montgomery County School system as an Instructional Aid in the (Austic)
special education department. You will find that her CPR, First Aid, and TB testing
is current and that she currently holds her CNA license. She has many hours in
training in all areas of child care and child development.
Goals for Activities
The children will be experiencing and learning many things as they play. Children
learn at their own pace and are not on the same level. Due to this fact, the
program is set to meet the goals of the individual children. Not everyone will be
working on the same goal as another. While working with the parent, goals can be
established. The following are goals we have adapted into our program for children
in our care:
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
-To recognize objects, people, and self
-To imitate actions of others
-To develop decision-making capabilities
-To develop problem-solving skills
-To develop language skills
-To develop planning skills
-To develop math skills such as matching, pairing, and classification
-To enhance creativity
-To begin to understand scientific and physical concepts and math concepts such as
gravity, cause and effect, and balance, size shape, and color.
EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
-To be able to express feelings
-To develop a concept of self
-To develop self-control
-To develop self-understanding
-To develop a positive self-image
-To develop the ability to stick with a task to completion
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
-To acquire social skills
-To cooperate with others
-To respect the materials
-To respect other people
-To appreciate and value differences
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
-To refine sensory abilities
-To develop large muscle abilities
-To develop small muscle abilities
-To develop eye-hand coordination
-To refine visual discrimination
-To refine listening skills
-To establish reading readiness skills
Admissions & Enrollment
We accept children ranging from Newborn to 12 years of age. We reserve the
right to make age exceptions to this policy if slots are available. With the
handbook you have received an Enrollment Packet and Policy Packet. These
packets, back page of the parent handbook, and first week pay must be presented
to the daycare no later than the first day of attending the day care. Please use
your Enrollment Check List to insure that you are prepared for your first day.
Parents have 30 days to obtain a physical to the provider for their child. It is
advised you get this physical and immunization record as soon as you can and not
wait till the last minute.
Arrival & Departure
Children must be brought in and out by an adult each day. Parents / guardian must
come into the entry way during drop off and pick up.
Children will be given their individual cubby to store any items. Children are not
required to leave their shoes on all day if they chose to take their shoes off while
in the daycare they may store them in their cubby. Shoes for outdoor play is
required. Children should bring an extra outfit to be left at the daycare in their
cubby. Sometimes it is difficult for a child to be left the first week in a daycare.
It is advised that the child brings a family photo, doll, teddy, blanket or etc for
comfort and emotional adjustment when attending for the first time.
It is helpful if the parent / provider has open and honest communication with the
well being of the child. The providers will be sending home an “All About Your Day”
form each day explaining meals, naps, bathroom, behavior, etc. It is important that
the parent provides the provider with any information about the child such as
medication, sleeping that night, eating, mood, and behavior etc.
If you are going to be absent or late, please call / text / email the daycare as soon
as you can. This prevents me from worrying that something happened on the way
here and prevent wasted time preparing for the child.
It is normal for some children to have difficulty separating from parents or cry
when being dropped off. Please be very brief during drop-off times; the more you
prolong the departure the harder it gets. A smile, a cheerful good-bye kiss, and a
reassuring word that you will be back are all that is needed. In my experience,
children are nearly always quick to get involved in play or activities as soon as
parents are gone.
Please be very brief at departure times also. This is a time of testing when two
different authority figures are present and all the children will test to see if the
rules still apply.
No child will ever be allowed to leave the child care with any person not authorized
in writing by the parent. A driver license is required prior to any child being
allowed to leave the daycare with anyone this we are unfamiliar with.
Any person picking up in an impaired condition will be encouraged to allow us to find
alternate transportation.
Attendance
Payment obligation is based on the time slot you agree to use for child care, not on
actual hours of attendance. Fees will be charged based on contracted days,
including missed days due to illness, holidays, parent vacations, or snow days. No
refunds or deductions will be made for days your child is absent. You are paying us
for your child’s space as well as for our services.
Leave of Absence / Vacations
We cannot hold a child’s space while you, on maternity leave, for parent or child
illness, vacations, etc. unless you continue to pay for child care services.
Termination / Trail Period
We have a two-week trial period in which either party can end the contract with a
24 hour notice. Any money paid is non-refundable. After the two week trial period,
a two-week notice is required to withdraw your.
In the event we should ever find it necessary to end our agreement, we will also
give the parent at least two weeks written notice. Except for reasons such as, but
not limited to:
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Lateness of payment or nonpayment
Lack of payment or nonpayment
Lack of parental cooperation
These situations will be grounds for immediate termination and any monies paid will
NOT be refunded. Any payments owed to the daycare will be turned over for
collections.
Policy & Handbook Change
Any time a change is necessary in the Parent Handbook, parents will receive two
weeks notice of the change and a new Agreement Page will be required.
Immunization Form Update
Please provide the provider with any updated information concerning immunizations
as soon as your child receives them.
Paper Work
The following paperwork (including; but not limited to) must be filled out and
returned to us by the first day of care.
Enrollment Packet, Policy Packet, Parent Hanbook Signature Page, Birth Certificate
Viewing, and Immunization Record / Physical
NOTE: Parents are required to supply a physical and immunization record for
all children attending the daycare within 30 days. Please be prompt when
supplying these items. You may supply the daycare with a copy if your
previous daycare has a current one on file.
Required Supplies
The following supplies, according to the child’s age, should be marked with the
child’s name and left at the facility: complete change of clothes, wipes, diapers,
pacifier, bottles, burp rags, blanket, nap mat,
Notice will be sent home when more supplies are needed. If it becomes necessary
for us to purchase supplies for your child, you will be billed. Blankets will be washed
by the daycare as needed or every Friday. Parents are free to take home the
blankets and wash them if they prefer.
NOTICE: Due to the start up cost, we are asking parents to provide their
children with a yoga mat or preschool nap map for nap time. In time, the
daycare will provide children with cots. If you are having problems finding one
or financial issue in being able to purchase any please let us know.
Hours
Blue Skies Butterflies Edu-Care remains open all year round. We do plan to offer
services to parents working 2nd shift. 2nd shift will receive a handbook designed
specifically due to the rules and regulations being different from 1st shift.
1st shift hours - 5:30am to 6:00pm
If additional hours are needed so that you will not miss work, please advise the
daycare of your specific needs.
Tuition
Though we do not always increase tuition costs on an annual basis, we reserve the
right to change our rates as we deem necessary. You will be given a 30 day notice
when this occurs.
Infant - $115.00 a week
16months – 23 months – $100.00 a week
24 months -5 years - $90.00 a week
Before and After School - $50.00 a week (this rate covers before and after
school, closed school days, closed weather days, and teacher work day.
School age Children on vacation - $75.00 a week (ANY spring, summer, or winter
breaks)
Full Time / Part Time
Full Time – 5 days a week regardless of hours (excluding children in school)
Part Time – 4 days a week or less (excluding children in school)
School Age – Any child enrolled in any school including head start
Late Payment Fees
All past due tuition will be assessed a $10.00 late payment fee each day at
midnight that it is late (including weekends!). Late fee is applied Monday morning
at drop off if payment is not in hand. Enrollment will be terminated if an account
becomes one week past due and the collection process will begin. Parents will pay all
costs associated with the collections of any unpaid debt.
Payment Policy
We have a “NO pay, NO play” policy. Payments will be made in advance for child
care and is due no later than Monday morning at drop off each week. If your
child is absent your payment still must be received by Monday to ensure your
child’s spot. Do not bring your child on Monday without payment for services can
be denied until payments are made.
Payment is preferred in cash; however, money orders and personal checks will be
accepted when drawn on a local bank. We are looking into accepting debit / credit
cards, but nothing has been set up at this time.
In the unlikely event of a
returned check, we will require a $30.00 service charge in addition to the
repayment of any extra bank charges we may incur as a result of the
inconvenience. Subsequent payments will need to be made in cash or money order.
Make Checks payable to: Pamela Vest
If you prefer, you may pay once a month, or bi-weekly. If it becomes necessary for
your payment schedule to be changed, then we require a notice of your plans to
change.
Receipts / End of Year Tax Statement
Receipts will be given when payment is received upon request. We will also keep
track of your payments throughout the year for tax purposes. You will receive a
year end tax statement by the first week of January with the total amount paid
for child care services from the previous year.
Please note: we do not mail out Year End Tax Statements to current clients.
It is the responsibility of the parent to contact us for a Year End Tax
Statement, should your child no longer attend to make arrangements for us to
mail / or pick up / or email these statements.
Holidays
We will be closed on the following paid holidays: New Years Day, Memorial Day,
Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, day after Thanksgiving, and Christmas and
the day after Christmas. If the holiday fall on a weekend we reserve the right to
be closed the previous Friday or following Monday. Payments will not be adjusted
for closed Holidays. Payments due are every Monday morning at drop off, if a
Holiday happens to fall on that Monday, payments are due the last operating
opening day. (the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas are still in question)
Provider Vacation
If the provider choices to take a vacation, parents are NOT required to pay for
the week the daycare is closed. At this time, no vacations are planned.
Parents Vacations / Absents
Childcare payments are not adjusted for absents or vacations regardless of the
reason. You are paying for the spot not attendance. If you are going on vacation,
please advise the provider by obtaining a vacation notice form (can be provided or
downloaded off the website) and submit it with that weeks payment BEFORE going
on vacation. Unfortunately, if the payment is not received you are in danger of
losing your spot.
Personal Days
Occasionally we may find it necessary to take personal days off for things such as
sick days, funeral leave, or to attend professional training. You will receive as much
notice as possible and payment is NOT required for these days. Parents may wish
to secure their back-up provider for all of these situations. Although very
rewarding, child care is also a very high stress occupation. In order for us to be
the best providers that we can be, we will need time to relax with our family,
accomplish
household
or
child
care
projects,
or
attend
training
seminars/conferences. You will find that these days are limited if they do occur at
all. At this time, we have NO personal days planned.
Back Up Caare
Parents are responsible for providing their own back up care for illness, holidays,
provider’s vacations, provider’s illnesses, provider’s personal days, and of course in
the event of a natural disaster. We will do our best to give enough advance notice
when possible if we are unable to prevent you having to be burdened with this
situation. You will find that we are very reliable, but please keep in mind unplanned
events do occur, but we will do everything in our power to prevent these situations.
It is always an excellent idea to have other child care arrangements available when
placing your child into any child care program. This ensures you have care available
should your regular provider become unavailable.
Open Door Policy
We maintain an open door policy. Parents are welcome to visit anytime during
business hours. Visitors tend to make the children behave in an excited manner
that does not usually occur when we are alone with them. Also, your child may
become upset when your visit is over and you leave without them. Please keep these
things in mind when planning your visit. When dropping off or picking up, use the
front door and just walk on in. There is no need to knock or ring the door
bell.
Signing In and Out
We are required to keep a log of the children and times we keep them in care. It is
very important that you be sure and sign your child in and out every day. The sign
in & out sheet is located in the entry way.
Infants
For the health and safety of our infant, we ask that nursing mothers, please bring
their breast milk already prepared and in the bottle that we will be feeding the
infant with. This will help lower the risk of cross-contamination by reducing the
number of times the breast milk is transferred from container to container. We
use a bottle warmer to heat them at feeding time. A mother who is breastfeeding
and wishes to visit during the day to do so is more than welcomed. She will be
given a private place to breast feed the baby.
For infants who are formula fed, please bring a can of formula to be left at the
daycare with the child’s name and date. We will notify you when we are running low
so that you may restock your child’s supply.
Diapers / Wipes
We do require you to leave a package of diapers/pull-ups with our child’s name on it
at the daycare. We will notify you when your child’s supply is running low.
Parent Information Board / Web Site
We will post information regarding upcoming events, reminders and other “newsy”
information pertaining to the daycare and your children on our parent bulletin
board. Please check it daily for any new information and ask any questions you may
have.
We have added a web-site for those who do not have a chance to look at the
bulletin board. I ask that you check it at least once a week for any updates,
closings, etc…
With both of these options available to you, you should always know what is going
on.
Photograph Policy
Blue Skies Butterflies Edu-Care feels that the parent is missing out on some things
their children are doing during the day. So, we feel that taking pictures and
emailing these pictures to the parent gives them a feel of being involved in the
daycare. If you do NOT wish your child to be photographed, please sign the NO
part in the policy form.
Some of the pictures, I may want to post on the website. I do know the dangers of
doing such an act. Please mark full permission, no permission, or blur out my child’s
face permission on the photograph policy form.
Meals, Drinks, & Snacks
Blue Skies Butterflies Edu-Care supplies breakfast, snack, lunch, snack for the
children. In the event that parents are picking up 2 hours after the last snack,
another snack will be offered. When a child expresses a desire for food or drink,
it will be provided. No child will be forced to “wait” for lunch time. Keep in mind,
we will serve foods and drink that are approved by USDA due to the fact we are
going to attend the program after being licensed. In the event the child does not
like an item we are having, an alternative item will be given. Infants are considered
on demand.
Until we are licensed, it is up to the parent to supply any baby formula and food
with the child’s name and date clearly wrote on the items. The daycare does supply
whole milk and 2% milk depending on the age of the child and parent request.
Water and 100% juice are offered throughout the day and upon request. Each
child will have a labeled cup and must remain seated due to regulations when
drinking and eating.
Food From Home
We discourage food be brought to the daycare due to it hurting others feelings.
If it is avoidable please refrain from this. If a child arrives after breakfast has
been served and they have not eaten at home, we will supply the breakfast as
normal. If you do happen to brink drink or food, please write your child’s name and
date on the food / drink as required by DSS. Some parents do wish to bring their
children's meals from home. I do understand that, so please talk me about
additional items or meals you need your child to have from home.
Celebrations / Birthdays
Unless parents objects, we will celebrate different holidays in the daycare with
crafts, short educational videos, and food. Such as Martin Luther King Day,
Christmas, Marti Gras and ETC…
Each child will be given a mini-birthday party. Parents are invited to attend.
Other children in the daycare will be encouraged to bring a small wrapped gift
(don’t feel obligated to purchase expensive gifts or any gift at all). The daycare
will give each child a gift, supply cupcakes, balloons, and a birthday certificate! If
a child’s birthday falls on a weekend or the child is absent we will celebrate the
next day in attendance.
Dress For Play
All children must arrive dressed and ready for the day. When dressing your child,
please keep in mind that we do many “messy” activities such as painting, playing
outdoors, etc…
Weather permitting, we play outside at least twice a day. In warmer weather we
frequent the outdoors more often. Please dress your child in appropriate clothing.
Religion
Blue Skies Butterflies Edu-Care is not a religious based program. Due to different
beliefs and religions, we do not teach the children any type of religious programs.
All religions are accepted into our daycare and must be respected. No child will
ever be told their religion is wrong. I feel it is up to the parent to decide what
religion they would like to teach their child and that should not be overstepped in
daycare. We are more focused on education and quality care.
Quiet Time
Our rest time is from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. To avoid disturbing the children who
are napping, please try not to schedule pick-ups at this time. If you must pick-up
our child during quiet time, please notify us in advance so that we may have your
child ready when you arrive.
We believe children who rest during the day are better equipped to face the day
emotionally and physically. If your child is under 5 years of age, please do not ask
me to keep your child up at naptime. If you do not wish to have your child taking
naps, or having quiet time, my program may not fit your family’s needs.
We will provide a quiet place for your child to rest. Infants less than 1 year of age
will be placed in a safety regulated crib for naps. If your child has a special
stuffed animal or blanket to sleep with, they will be allowed to use them at this
time. Children who do not fall asleep or who wake early will be directed to quiet
activities that will not disturb other sleeping children.
Naps are attempted to be kept on a schedule, but if a child wants to sleep they are
permitted to do so. No basic needs will ever be withheld from a child.
Potty Training
Toilet training is a big step in a child’s development! Many parents feel pressured
to potty train at an early age, but we prefer to wait until the child has shown an
interest and has reached several developmental milestones.
Readiness signs:
1. Your child announces when a wet or soiled diaper has occurred, and/or
requests to have it changed. This shows awareness of bodily function, and
also that the child dislikes the feel of a wet or soiled diaper.
2. Your child can express and understand one-word statements, including such
words as “wet,” “dry,” “potty,” and “go.”
3. Your child shows an interest in the toilet or potty seat by asking to use the
potty or wanting to watch Mommy or Daddy use it.
4. Your child has a tendency to wet or soil their diapers at about the same time
period each day, and often remains dry for longer periods (2 hours or more)
during some parts of the day.
5. Your child shows facial expressions when wetting or soiling their diaper and
may even hide in a corner or behind the couch or squat when soiling a diaper.
This again shows awareness of bodily functions.
6. Your child is able to undress without assistance to some degree. This shows
the child has some of the physical coordination needed to do the work of
toileting.
7. Your child is cooperative and shows an interest in pleasing parents and
caregivers.
Once several of these readiness signs have been consistently observed, then it is
reasonable to consider potty-training. However, even if the child acts curious about
toileting and expresses a dislike for soiled or wet diapers, that alone is not enough
of an indication that the child will respond well to toilet training. If the child is not
interested in cooperating and following directions, then all the curiosity in the
world will not prepare him or her for successful potty-training.
Potty training is a sign that they are growing up and should be a GOOD
EXPERIENCE!
Please keep in mind that the burden of training your child to successfully go potty
will need to reside with you. We will do our best to assist you in our training
efforts and will consult with you to be sure we coordinate our efforts in order to
present consistent expectations at home and at daycare. But ultimately the
responsibility to potty-train your child must rest with you.
Feel free to discuss your concerns with us regarding your plans to potty train your
child. We will attempt to help you to the best of our ability.
Toys From Home
In the past, it has been more of a struggle to prevent toys from being brought into
the daycare than preventing problems with that toy. So, we have decided that
children may bring an item if they wish. These items are considered personal
property just as the child’s shoes, coats, blanket, etc... They are NOT made to
share these items. If the item does prevent a problem, the child will be
encouraged to put their item in their cubby for “safe keeping”. Blue Skies
Butterflies Edu-Care will not be held responsible for lost, stolen, nor broken items
brought into the daycare. Children are taught that the toys and items belonging to
the daycare are meant for sharing with all our friends, but toys from home are
personal property and not a requirement that they be shared.
Show –N- Tell
Friday during circle time is show –n- tell. Children may bring ANY safe, age
appropriate item to the daycare to show and tell about if they wish. These items
are not shared unless the child wishes it to be shared.
Preschool Program
We will be offering an educational Preschool Program. Preschool will be conducted
throughout our day. It will consist of circle time, story reading, art activities,
learning sheets, counting bears, weather, calendar, songs, dance, and through free
play. Each child is encouraged to participate in our daily preschool activities;
however, it is never forced upon any child.
Our program will be appropriate for children ages 2 to 5 years of age. The
curriculum will offer theme-based activities with a focus on letters, numbers,
colors, shapes and more. Children ages 3 and up also practice name writing and
recognition, as well as learning their home phone number and home address. This
program is optional to the parents as well. If you wish your child not to
participate, they can be given another activity.
Toddler and infant programs are age appropriate. When we are working with the
preschool program toddlers will be given an opportunity to be involved in some level
that is age appropriate. Example: Of course a 12 month old is not able to cut and
glue, but they will given crayons / markers to scribble. These will all be supervised
to prevent the child from eating the crayons. Children learn by playing and
watching older children, so our goal is to involve everyone in the program. Infants
and toddlers are given the opportunity to enjoy circle time as well. No child is ever
excluded from any activity, but they do have to be altered to fit the developmental
needs of that child.
Parents Night Out
Monthly, on a Saturday evening we will have a Parents Night Out! It is from 6:00
p.m. to 11:00p.m. with dinner, snack, games and movies will be offered for children.
The fee for this service is $20.00 per child. ($5 discount for siblings) The PNO
fee is due when you sign your child up and is non-refundable should you cancel.
Parents arriving after 11:00pm will be charged an additional fee of $10.00 up to
the first hour and $5.00 per hour after that. If you are going to be late, please
give us a courteous and call. This is an optional service and you are not required to
attend.
Please be courteous and notify us should your plans change and your child will not
be attending.
Guidance & Redirection
Most providers and parents use discipline, but at Blue skies Butterflies Edu-care
we use Guidance and Redirection. Spanking, yelling, or any other form of physical,
mental, or verbal punishment is prohibited in the daycare by a parent nor provider
and will not be used even if requested by parents. Children will not be subjected to
guidance and redirection that is severe, humiliating or frightening. The goal of
guidance and redirection is to help children see the sense in acting a certain way.
This is a time consuming task and it is important we remain realistic in the
expectation of the behavior of each child. The child’s developmental age and stage
must be taken into consideration.
We have house rules to ensure safety, comfort and happiness for all. We like using
positive reinforcement and guidance based on individual needs and development.
We like giving choices and giving praise for being good as well as trying to do
better. We do not use “time-outs” with any daycare child. We will be very direct in
letting you know of problems as they arise. If there are any problems that concern
you as a parent or us as providers, please discuss them with us openly and honestly.
Comments and suggestions are always welcome.
We understand that biting in young children is typical in normal early childhood
development. However, we do believe it is in the best interest of the children
placed in care to set limits for aggressive behaviors such as biting, which has the
potential to harm others. Biting can occur for many different reasons such as.

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Anger
Frustration
Over Stimulation
Fear
Teething
Lack of Language
Attention
Reaction
Curiosity
It is our goal to recognize triggers that cause biting and redirect a child before
the incident occurs. In the event we are unable to intervene the following steps will
take place.
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We will attend to the bitten child by comforting and then cleansing the
bitten area with soap and water and ice will be applied.
The child who did the biting will be removed from the setting and in an age
appropriate manner we will explain that the behavior is unacceptable. “Biting
hurts” or “We bite food, not people”. (Child removed from the setting is
referring to correcting that behavior without the other children hearing.
Our goal is to correct the behavior without embarrassing the child.
Words do hurt and we are very careful in the way we speak to the
children.)
The incident will be documented on an Accident form that will need to be
signed by the parent of the biter and the provider. The parent will receive a
copy of the signed form and the original will be placed in the child’s file.
Neither parent will be given the name of the children involved due to
confidential information rules by regulations.
Parents will be asked to work with their child in discouraging this behavior.
Facility Rules
At rules are in place for the health and safety of the children. We also believe
rules help in developing a child’s own sense of self-control. We teach respect for
other people and respect for property. We achieve this through compassion and
consistency. Please take the time and review the following with your child (ren).
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Walking feet used indoors at all times
No gum chewing
Keep our hands and feet to ourselves
Use inside voices
Furniture is not for climbing or standing on
Always clean up your mess
No mistreatment of toys
No roughhousing or wrestling
Children must sit at the table when eating or drinking (NO walking around
with cups, bottles, or food)
Always tell the truth
Follow directions
Respect for others property brought from home
All daycare items are to be shared
I do realize that these rules are unrealistic when dealing with certain ages. It
takes time for a child to comprehend that we have rules and they must be followed.
Within time, children do grasp that concept and are willing to follow the facility
rules. Please do not get discouraged if it is reported to you that a rule was broken
or that there was an incident. Children are not perfect and situations will and do
happen. What is important is the provider / parent reaction and handling the
situation. Children learn from their mistakes, just as adults do. No child will ever
be punished for a rule violation. They will be reminded of the rules until they are
able to grasp the concept of right and wrong.
Health & Illness Policy
State law requires every child in care to have up to date shot records. This is
required at least 30 from enrollment. We will inform you when our records
suggest that immunization is due. Please be prompt at giving us up to date
immunization records. This is a violation with DSS and our goal to be violation
free.
We operate a “well” child facility and reserve the right to temporarily deny any
child admittance, or to require early departure should symptoms become apparent
during the course of the day. Please do not bring your child ill. Your child will not
be allowed to stay if demonstrating any of the following symptoms.
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Fever of 100.4 deg. Or above
Contagious disease
Vomiting
Runny nose (other than clear) accompanied by a cough you must provide
medication to control the symptoms
Diarrhea (2 or more loose stools)
Tired, lethargic, or cannot participate in a play or group activities
Rashes that are weeping
Pink Eye or other eye infections
Symptoms and signs of possible severe illness
Head Lice
Hand Foot Mouth Disease
Please notify us at once in the event you find out your child has a contagious illness
so that we may notify other parents and appropriate steps are taken to ensure the
well being of others.
Fever-Child must be 24 hours free of a fever without the help of medication
before returning to daycare.
Antibotics – Children may return to daycare after being on antibiotics for a
contagious illness after 24 hours. Unless you can obtain a DR note that they are ok
to return to daycare.
Medication Administration Policy
We cannot administer medication to any child when we become licensed without
taking the MAT training as required by DSS. At this moment, I am unsure of the
rules for medication and being unlicensed. When this information is discovered we
will inform you. Until then, we feel it is too much of a risk for the future of the
daycare and ourselves to administer medication. If your child needs regular
medication, it is advised that you or someone of your choice arrive at the daycare
to administer it. I do realize it is not convenient, but we will be sure to move along
get licensed and MAT certified with much speed as possible.
Child Abuse Policy
Unfortunately, this is a topic that must be addressed in today’s society. It should
go without saying that we will not knowingly allow any form of sexual, mental,
verbal, physical or emotional abuse of any child in our care at any time. This
includes the time that the child is in their own home. On the surface, this may
seem like an invasion of privacy, but we cannot ethically turn a blind eye toward
such abuse. Any facility offering services to children are required by law to report
any abuse, regardless if it were to happen at home or a daycare.
We will do everything in our power to prevent any instances from occurring. If we
notice any sign of abuse at any time, we will alert the child’s parent(s) immediately
both verbally and in writing, along with a full description of the symptoms,
(bruising, sores, sudden extreme behavioral changes, etc…) we will document this
same information for ourselves and if necessary, alert the proper authorities.
You may get notes about your child having bruises or scrapes without needing to
fear that we suspect you of abusing your child. Be assured, if we think your child
has been abused, we will let you know! The notes we send home are just to inform
you in general of any instances that may come up and also to protect us and you
from mistaken accusations of abuse.
We would prefer not to have to deal with this issue, but we think it is best that we
handle it openly and honestly to avoid any possible misunderstandings. We both
want what is best for our children. Please feel free to discuss this or any other
issues with us at any time.
Disaster Plan Policy
As with any disaster we cannot predict exactly what areas will be affected. We
have done our best to try to put together a plan to inform you of our intentions to
insure the safety and security of your children. The drills and policies are set
forth by the Department of Social Services and must be practiced to fulfill our
requirements to be licensed.
Fire / Fire Drill
Take immediate precautions as practiced in our fire drill. During our fire drill the
alarms are activated and the children are directed with how to respond. We
practice our fire drills four times a month, even though once is a month is the
minimum requirement by DSS. The children as taken to the end of the drive and a
head count is taken. I feel by repeated practice, we are preparing the children
with the information they need in the event a fire should take place. I would like
them to be well prepared in a situation that a fire does break out or if I am unable
to lead in the even a fire were to take place.
Tornado
Take immediate precautions as practiced in our monthly tornado drill. A head count
will be done as soon as possible. If phone contact or travel is not possible, we will
count on emergency services to remove us to a safe location and contact parents as
soon as possible.
Terrorism
We will stay put until we are evacuated. We will contact parents with our location.
Flooding
We will stay put until evacuated by emergency services and removed to a safe
location. Each provider will gather their assigned children. A final head count will
be done before evacuation. Parents will be notified of our location.
Handbook Signature
This form is required to be signed by both parents and handed with enrollment
forms. By signing you agree to follow all the rules and policies at Blue Skies
Butterflies Edu-Care. Any questions, comments, or concerns should be addressed
before signing.
Thank you for considering Blue Skies Butterflies Edu-Care. We are looking
forward to getting to know your child and watching them grow and learn in a safe,
happy, fun, and high quality daycare!