HAPPY TIME CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER HANDBOOK

The center’s programs are planned to help children develop physically, mentally, and emotionally. Age appropriate learning activities are planned for different areas so that even during free playtime children are gaining knowledge, learning to get along with each other, and developing a positive self image.

1. To assist a child in building self-confidence.

2. To help a child build language skills that will help him/her in problem solving situations.

3. To develop gross and fine motor skills.

4. To develop skills necessary to get along with peers and adults.

5. To develop rhythmic skill and feeling for music.

6. To recognize parts of his/her body and its functions.

7. To help him/her understand simple rules of the classroom.

8. To help him/her understand why and how things happen in the world around them.

9. To increase his/her attention span, memory, and concentration.

10. To understand the concept of same and different with classifying, sorting, and matching activities.

11. To provide a safe, loving and learning environment from which a child can grow.

The center will be open from 6:00 AM until 6:00 PM, Monday through Friday.

Admission is on a first come, first serve basis for children ages 6 weeks to 12 years.

The following documents must be on file for each child to be admitted into our center.

a. Information sheet – information about your child that will assist the staff in caring for your child properly.
b. Physical examination – completed by a physician, updated yearly. For school-age children, form can be signed by parent.
c. Completed immunization card – signed by physician and parent.
d. Travel and activity authorization.
e. Picture release form.
f. Parent emergency medical consent form.
g. CACFP income form

Parents must provide authorization for administering medication. Parental authorization shall be on file for each medication. A physician or pharmacist’s directions shall accompany each prescription drug.

Please accompany your child into the building. Each child shall have direct contact with a teacher or the director upon arrival to assure that an adult is in contact with the child continuously. This also provides for the early detection of apparent illness or other conditions that may adversely affect your child or other children.

Parents will sign in their child/children upon entering the center and sign them out when leaving the center.

Children are only allowed to leave the center with individuals that are listed on the Emergency Pickup List - and they MUST have a photo ID available.  Please call ahead when anyone besides the parent/guardian will be picking up your child/ren

A quiet area under supervision will be provided for a child who appears to be ill or injured. The parent(s) will be notified if a child has a temperature of 100 degrees. It will be up to the discretion of the director and/or supervisor if the child shall be sent home if due to a suspected illness. A child with a temperature of 101 degrees will be sent home and the parent(s) will receive written notification of the illness including the time the parent was notified. The child will not be allowed to return to the center until the 24-hour fever-free period has passed (unaided by medication). Fever due to teething and immunizations may be given special consideration. In addition, three episodes of diarrhea, one episode of vomiting, or any other symptoms of contagious illness, in all fairness to the other children, the child will be sent home. Other factors such as appearance and the ability to take part in planned programming will also be considered.

Please notify the center if your child will not be attending that day, even if your child is not sick.

Escape procedures are developed and practiced monthly for disasters such as fires or tornadoes.

Please park on the right hand side of the Happy Time Drive to facilitate safe traffic flow.

A no-nit policy for children returning after having head lice will be enforced.
 

MEDICATION POLICY

Parents may bring in prescription and non-prescription medications for the teachers to administer to the children as long as the these guidelines are followed: 

• All medications must be in the original container with the original directions intact and labeled with the child’s name. Medications cannot be more than 1 year old and Teachers will not administer more than what the original container recommends for the child’s age and weight. 

• Parent/Guardian must complete and sign a written Medication Authorization Form. 

• Teachers must record each date, time, dosage amount and initial for each time the medication is to be given on the Medication Authorization Form. If the child for some reason is not given the medication the teacher still must record the date, time, reason for missed dose and initial the Medication Authorization Form. 

• All medications must be stored so that they are inaccessible to the children. If refrigeration is required the medication will be stored in the kitchen refrigerator in a separate covered container.

Happy Time has an annual registration fee of $20.00 for the first child; $10.00 for each additional child. This helps cover insurance for the center.

Preschool fees are included in full-time daycare. Preschool fees are a flat rate per month, regardless of attendance.

An additional $5.00 late penalty fee will be assessed if payment is not received by Wednesday of the week due.

A $15.00 fee will be added to your child’s account if the child is picked up after 6:00 PM.  After 6:15 PM, an additional fee of $1.00/minute will be charged to your account.

When your child is scheduled, but does not attend due to illness, payment is still required.

All vacations/days off will require a two-week written notice prior to time off. Payment is required if we do not have a written notice. Children will receive two weeks vacation per school year at 50% tuition, and all other time off will be paid at full price. (For part-time children a week is to be the normal time in which the child attends the center.)

Parents are required to pay for the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. If certain holidays fall on the weekend the center reserves the right to close the center depending the weekend day in which the holiday falls on. These days will also be paid holidays by the parent(s). The center will also close at 3:30 PM on Christmas Eve Day.

Each enrollee is entitled to one extended leave of absence per year. This leave of absence shall not be less than four consecutive weeks or greater than 12 consecutive weeks. A written notice must be given two weeks in advance in order to hold the spot open along with a two-week deposit. One week will be applied to upcoming fees once the child returns to Happy Time and one week is a nonrefundable holding fee. If the enrollee chooses not to return, the entire deposit will be forfeited. In the event that a change of status from full-time to part-time is desired for a specified length of time, a one-week deposit must be paid to hold the full-time spot open.

Fees of the Center are issued as a separate handout.

Benton County Transportation provides a ride to and from West Elementary and Tilford Middle Schools for every school age child. The fee for this service will be added to each child’s weekly fee. At the beginning of each school year, parents will receive a current price that will be added to their weekly fee for that school year.

Discounts are offered for multiple children:  15% off standard rate for second child; 5% off standard rate for a third child.  Discount applies to full-time students only.

Scholarship funding is available for qualified families. 

A two-week written notice shall be given from the parents when Happy Time services are no longer required. Parents will be charged a two-week fee if a notice is not given.

All daycare fees need to be paid for at the start of each week. However, if you currently have a payment schedule that allows for bi-weekly payments, then the two-week payment needs to be made on Monday morning in advance of the two weeks of care. Please contact the Director to set up a payment plan.

If a family has not paid their day care bill for three weeks, the children of that family will not be allowed to attend Happy Time until the fees are paid up to date. Once a family does not pay for two weeks, a notice will be given to the family informing them that they have one week before Happy Time’s services will be denied to that family.

A NSF charge of $35.00 will added to your account for all returned checks. After 2 NSF checks parents will be required to pay their account with cash or a money order.
 

Baby bottles must be provided by the parents. Happy Time does provide Parent's Choice with Iron and baby food. Written feeding schedule for your child (under 2 years) is required if other than normal breakfast and lunch times.

The center provides breakfast for the school aged children at 7:00 AM and all other children at 8:00 AM.  Preschool only snack will be provided at 10:00 AM and lunches will be served at 11:00 AM for our younger children and 12:00 PM for our older children.  Then center will also provide afternoon snack at 2:00 PM or 3:00 PM.  Monthly menus are posted on the bulletin board in the entryway.  If your child has an allergy or cannot eat a particular food, please inform the teacher. Happy Time will need to receive written instructions from the child’s physician.

Food Brought From Home: 
Children attending Happy Time not enrolled in school may bring snacks from home for special occasions such as birthdays or holidays. Children are encouraged to bring healthy snacks such as cookies, fruits and vegetables. We ask that parents do not send candy, gum or soft drinks. All treats will be served along with the regular snack or meal. 

Children in the school-aged classroom may decline the food that is offered and parents can provide the meal/snack if they so choose. Again, we do encourage parents to provide healthy snacks or meals. Children’s food brought from home will be stored in the refrigerator until mealtime to keep the food from spoiling. If a parent chooses to bring in food for their child we ask that you label it with their name and the date.
 

Please dress your child in play-clothes that are washable and comfortable for jumping and playing.

We will go outside everyday, weather permitting. Your child needs to bring the appropriate outside clothing for outside play (winter-hat, mittens, boots, snow pants marked with your child’s name in each item of clothing and boots).

If you wish to have your child stay inside please leave a note with his/her teacher.

All children need to come to the center with shirt and shoes.

Schedules are posted for your child’s activities in their classroom. Breakfast is served at 7:00 AM for the school aged children and 8:00 AM for all other children (please feed your child breakfast if they arrive at the center after 8:15 AM). Lunch is served at either 11:00 AM or 12:00 PM, depending on the age of your child.  Preschool only snack will be served at 10:00 AM and afternoon snack at 2:00 PM or 3:00 PM, depending on the age of your child.

Happy Time preschool will follow the Vinton/Shellsburg School calendar for holidays/snow days. Snow days will not be made up. Daycare will be open on Vinton/Shellsburg snow days. We will have preschool on Vinton/Shellsburg conference days and in-service days. Calendars will be sent home the first day of preschool.

Yellow A Room:
Please bring diapers, wipes, diaper cream, formula (Happy Time provides Parent's Choice with iron), baby food (Gerber/Heinz provided), 2 sets of extra clothes (for accidents) and 1 box of Kleenex.  In the summer months please provide sunscreen, a towel, swimwear and Lil' Swimmers.

Yellow B and Red Rooms:
Please bring diapers, pull-ups (when potty training), wipes, diaper cream, toothbrush, toothpaste, 1 box of Kleenex, and old shirt for painting (not to be returned) and an extra set of clothes.  In the summer months, please provide sunscreen, a towel, swimwear and Lil' Swimmers.  Children may also bring a favorite blanket or stuffed animal for nap time.

Purple Room: 
Please bring diapers or pull-ups, wipes, toothbrush, 1 box of Kleenex, and old shirt for painting (not to be returned) and an extra set of clothes.  In the summer months, please provide sunscreen, a towel, swimwear and Lil' Swimmers (if applicable).  Children may also bring a favorite blanket or stuffed animal for nap time.

Green A and Green B Rooms:  
Please bring a toothbrush, 2 boxes of Kleenex, and old shirt for painting (not to be returned) and an extra set of clothes.  In the summer months, please provide bug repellent, sunscreen, a towel, and swimwear.

Blue Room:
Please bring 2 boxes of Kleenex and in the summer months please provide bug repellent, sunscreen, a towel and swimwear.

We plan several different field trips throughout the year. Parents will be notified in advance of each field trip. Volunteer help is always welcome and greatly appreciated.

Some field trips will require an additional fee.

TRANSPORTATION POLICY

Transportation for field trips is provided by the Benton County Transportation system or on foot. Safety is our primary concern therefore all children riding on the Benton County Bus will be required to wear seat belts, and there will be at least one extra staff person (over required ratio) on all field trips. Also, when traveling on foot, the children will not cross busy streets and all adults present will teach and follow all traffic signs and rules. 

Only children 3 and older will participate in field trips. All children must have a signed permission slip from the parent/guardian on file before participating in field trips. If a parent wishes that their child not go on field trips then alternate childcare will be provided at Happy Time (possibly in a different classroom when appropriate).  

School-age children will be transported to and from school also by Benton County Transportation. All children are required to wear seat belts and follow bus rules at all times. A copy of bus rules will be given to all children and parents for reference. Children who are not following the bus rules will have a pink slip sent home to parents explaining the situation. If three slips are sent home in one months time; the parents, Director and transportation staff will have a conference. The child will not be allowed on the bus for 30 days. If the child continues to break the rules a second conference will be called and the child may not be allowed on the bus again.
 

GUIDANCE & DISCIPLINE POLICY

Guidance & Discipline at Happy Time are used as learning tools. Incidents will arise when children of all ages will test their limits with the teachers. The teachers at Happy Time will use these moments as opportunities to help the children learn what the boundaries of appropriate behaviors are.  

In the younger age classroom the first response to children pushing their limits will be to distract their attentions to something else. If this doesn’t work, or it is an older child is not making good choices; the teachers will explain to the child why the behavior was not appropriate. The teacher will also offers alternatives to the child’s behavior to help them learn what to do if a similar situation arises again. If the child continues to push the limits, the teacher will ask the child to sit in time out. Time out can be used as an opportunity to teach anger management or to just help the child calm down so they can understand the situation.  

Teachers at Happy Time will also work to be proactive with behavior concerns. They will provide an appropriate environment that stimulates the children’s learning process and encourages good behavior. Teachers will also model good behavior for the children. This is very important when guiding good behaviors.

AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR POLICY

Aggressive behavior is defined as any behaviors that does or could cause injury to another child or destruction of property. The teacher, for any incident of aggressive behavior, will fill out an incident report. The teachers will keep open lines of communication with the parents to try to teach the child that the behavior is inappropriate. After 3 incident reports a conference will be called between the teacher, parents and director. During this conference a plan will be put into writing to help manage the situation so that no one’s safety is being compromised.  

If the aggressive behavior continues (if another incident report is filed) then a second conference will be called and the director will make the decision whether or not the child will be allowed to continue to attend Happy Time. The safety of all of the children in the class will be taken into consideration when this decision is made.

Weapons of any kind are not allowed at Happy Time. This includes; but is not limited to, guns, knives, explosive devices or any other objects that are being used as a weapon. Weapons and other dangerous objects shall be taken from students, parents or anyone else who brings them on Happy Time property and the authorities will be called.

Parents of children found to possess a weapon or dangerous object on childcare property shall be notified of the incident. Confiscation of weapons or dangerous objects may be reported to the law enforcement officials and the child subject to disciplinary action including suspension or expulsion.

The director of Happy Time shall have the authority to recommend expulsion for a child on a case-by-case basis for children or parents who are in violation of this policy.

Weapons under the control of law enforcement officials shall be exempt from this policy and may be displayed for educational purposes with the authorization of the director of the childcare center.

Our center, as a licensed facility, is required by law to report child abuse. The law states: When in the course of working with a child, the employee must report if there is reason to believe that the child has suffered abuse or neglect. Our staff has been trained in mandatory child abuse/ neglect reporting.

If a parent/guardian has a concern, appeal, or grievance concerning an action, which took place at the center, the parent should orally contact the teacher/staff person with the concern and request corrective action.

The staff person will consider the information and respond to it in writing, including any corrective action taken within five working days.

If the parent/guardian does not agree with the action taken, the parent may put the concern in writing and request a meeting with the Director, within 14 days. The concerns may be presented directly to the Director in this meeting.

The Director will respond in writing to the parent/ guardian concerning any action taken within five working days.

If the parent should present the concern in writing to the Board of Directors within 30 days.

The Board of Directors will inform the parent/guardian as to when the matter will be reviewed (the next board meeting after the receipt of the complaint). The Board will hear information at that time and render a written decision concerning the center’s actions within 14 days. That decision is final.

Harassment of employees, students and parents will not be tolerated at Happy Time. Harassment includes, but is not limited to, racial, religious, national origin, age, disablility, and sexual harassment. Harassment by board members, administrators, employees, parents, vendors, and others doing business with Happy Time is prohibited. Individuals whose behavior is alleged to be in violation of this policy will be subject to discipline, up to and including, discharge or other appropriate action. Employees, students and parents who believe they have suffered harassment shall report such matters to the Director or the Board of Directors.

The Director and the Board of Directors have the discretion to discharge a child for any violations of the rules contained herein by either the child or the parent.

The Director and the Board of Directors have the option to discharge a child for nonpayment of fees 14 days after the due date.

If you withdraw your child from Happy Time Child Development Center for any reason, and leave a balance unpaid, and have made no arrangements to pay your bill, your balance will be forwarded to H&R ACCOUNTS in Cedar Rapids, IA. They will make further attempts to collect on your account, and your credit may be affected.

All information concerning an individual child and his/her activities at the center are confidential. Information of specific nature is not to be shared with anyone other than staff or parent(s)/guardian(s).

Written records for individual children are kept in the Director’s office and can be only obtained by the Director or Supervisor for staff or parent(s) use.

Written records will be destroyed seven years after service to a child no longer attending the center.

We welcome parents to visit at any time. Other visitors are also welcome, but please remember early afternoon is naptime.  We hope you will come and talk with us if you have any comments, compliments, or complaints about our program.

Happy Time Child Development Center is managed by a full time Director.

Happy Time’s Board of Directors meets the third Tuesday of every month at 6:00 P.M. at the center. The Board of Directors is made up of a combination of Happy Time Parents and Vinton Community Members.  The number on the Board of Directors is 9.

A list of the Happy Time Board of Directors is located in the office.