What to bring for your child:

Depending on the age of your child, you may be responsible for bringing your child specific items from home. Below is a list by age group/program to assist you in preparing.

Infants

• Diapers and wipes

• Bottles (no glass bottles)

 • Breast Milk/Formula and or baby food

• Extra set of clothes

• Any necessary medications (such rash ointment, teething tablets and fever/pain reliever)

Toddlers and up

• Diapers/Pull-ups and wipes if needed

• Extra set of clothing

• Any necessary medications (such rash ointment and fever/pain reliever)

Personal Property:

Blankets are to be used during nap time only. They are not to be given to the children to carry around throughout the day.

Personal Toys are not permitted at the center, so please do not allow your child to bring any. We will not be held accountable for any damage to any personal property.

Illnesses:

To help prevent contagious illnesses from spreading throughout the center, any child displaying symptoms of a contagious illness will not be allowed in the school without a physician’s note. For the well-being of the children and Precious Hands Academy staff please refrain from bringing your child to school if he or she has a fever of 100 degrees or higher, Vomiting, Contagious in any way, having more than two diarrhea per hour, has a suspicious rash.

We do understand that it is sometimes difficult to miss work but if your child is exhibiting any of the previous stated illnesses, please do not bring your child to daycare.

If your child becomes ill while at our center, parents will be contacted immediately and asked to remove the child from the center. The child will be isolated from the other children and made comfortable in a quiet place until they are picked up. Children need to be symptom free for 24 hours prior to returning.

Immunizations:

The state of Idaho requires that we keep current immunization records on file for all children attending our center. A copy of your child’s immunization record must be attached to this application or brought in to the office so a copy can be made. And must be kept up to date each year.

Field Trips:

Permission slips will be filled out for field trips and taken with the teacher on any trip outside the facility. They will include medical information and medical authorization, cost, mode of transportation, parent permission and contact information.

Field trips are an added bonus and are not required. If your child continually misbehaves and does not listen while we are on our field trips, we reserve the right for him to stay at the center and not allow him to participate in our outings.

Meetings:

Please schedule a time for a one on one with your teacher or Precious Hands Management to discuss and issues you may have. When you drop off and or pick up, there is normally other parents and children in attendance and this is not the right time to have a discussion. All discussions must remain professional and Parents are never to communicate with other children or their parents, it will be with our management and staff only.

Mandated Reporting:

All staff and volunteers are mandated by law to report any suspicion of child abuse or neglect. Abuse may be physical, emotional, or sexual. Neglect is the failure, refusal, or inability, for reasons other than poverty, to provide necessary care, food, clothing, shelter or medical care. Staff and volunteers who report in good faith are immune from civil or criminal liability. Staff or volunteers who intentionally fail to report suspicion are subject to fines or imprisonment under the law. This facility is committed to supporting families and helping to prevent child abuse and neglect. Some of the strategies we use to do this are as follows:

* Require a background check for all staff.

* Train staff to avoid one-staff-one-child situations if at all possible. If scheduling requires one adult be alone with one child, the parent is always informed at pick-up or drop off.

* Design our classrooms to avoid hidden and secluded areas.

* Make sure interactions between children and staff can be observed and interrupted.

* Use proper names for body parts.

* Never force children to give affection.

* Tell children that if they have questions about someone’s behavior, the best thing they can do

is ask about it.

* Explain that secrets can be harmful

* Develop positive, non-judgmental relationships with parents.

* Being alert to signs of stress in parents and struggles in the parent-child interaction.

* Communicate regularly with parents concerning a child’s progress.

* Provide opportunities for parents to become involved in their child’s care.

* Provide an atmosphere for parents to share their experiences and develop support systems.

A report of child abuse is not an accusation. It is a request for more information by a reporter who has reasonable suspicion that abuse or neglect may be occurring. A report does not mean that our employees must determine that abuse and/or neglect has occurred. In Idaho, Child Protective Services is responsible for that determination.

Discipline Policy:

At no time will a Precious Hands Academy’s team member ever use means of corporal punishment when disciplining a child. Our goal when disciplining children is to give them the tools and support that they will need to hopefully make more appropriate choices in the future. In the event that our behavior guidance methods are proving to be unsuccessful, a quiet or thinking period may be necessary to assist the child to get back on track. These periods will not be used on children younger than twenty four months in age and will not exceed any more than one minute per age (not to exceed four minutes). Furthermore, these periods will be supervised by a staff member and an appropriate alternative activity will be given.

Should our methods of discipline prove to be ineffective, a behavior plan may be requested. Behavior plans are designed individually based on the behaviors of the child at hand and must be approved by the parents and Precious Hands Academy’s management.

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to ask our Management Team.