Wee Care - Educational Services Inc.

Wee Care Educational Services is committed to providing trustworthy childcare to meet the needs of families with young children. Our qualified and experienced staff will provide your children with a safe, healthy and clean learning environment. Through daily planned and implemented age appropriate activities, our staff will motivate, support and educate your children individually and in small group settings. Your child will be encouraged to participate in a variety of developmental indoor and outdoor activities, which will foster their social, emotional, intellectual and physical skills. A trusting and professional relationship between our staff, families and volunteers is very important. Working together, we will provide the children with high quality Early Childhood Education.

Programs are re-evaluated regularly to reflect changes to the Days Nurseries Act. Weekly themes are created to stimulate the children. A monthly newsletter will be sent out explaining upcoming events, themes and special days. You are invited to contribute to these newsletters. Your child will receive an evaluation twice a year, in the spring and in the winter. If you would like to discuss your child’s performance at any time, please book an appointment to meet with the class teacher/supervisor.

Our staff will be encouraged to participate in a variety of workshops throughout the year. They will have annual evaluations on their performance.

Monthly staff meetings are scheduled to discuss new ideas and to review many areas of our program.

AGES OF CHILDREN

Group Ages #Children #Staff

Infants 3 – 18 months 6 2

Toddlers 1.5 – 2.5 years 15 3

DAYS AND HOURS OF OPERATION

Wee Care will operate 52 weeks each year, excluding statutory and civic holidays.
These include: New Year’s Day - Family Day - Good Friday - Victoria Day - Canada Day - Civic Day (Aug) - Labour Day Thanksgiving - Christmas Day - Boxing Day
Our centre is open from 7am – 6pm, Monday through Friday.
Full Time and Part Time care is offered any day(s) of the week if space allows.
Half days are available for all ages excluding Infants.

ADMISSION AND DISCHARGE POLICY

All families are welcome to view our facility. An interview will be arranged to familiarize you and your child(ren) with our centre, to answer any questions you might have and to complete admission forms prior to enrollment. A non-refundable registration fee of $45 is required prior to enrollment. This fee guarantees your child(ren) with a full-time or part time space at Wee Care. If there is not a space open for your child(ren), they will be put on a waiting list until a space opens up. If this is the first time your child has been in a group setting away from home, we encourage you to stay for a short while in the morning of the first week of classes. This will help to reassure your child and minimize any fears they may have.

Written notice of permanent withdrawal must be given two weeks prior to leaving our centre. Any post dated cheques or cash in Wee Care’s possession over and above this two week notice period will be returned. If no written noticed is received, full program fees will be charged. A permanent space cannot be guaranteed if you wish to temporarily withdraw your child. Wee Care may terminate services if our policies are not followed or fees are not paid.

FEE POLICY

Wee Care accepts payments made by cheque or cash. Cheques should be payable to, Wee Care and dated for each Monday. Receipts for income tax purposes will be issued by the end of February for the prior year.

Monthly fees are required in the office no later then the last Friday of the previous month. NSF cheques are subject to a $20 charge. If your child develops a lengthy illness or must leave the centre for a short period of time, you may wish to take some vacation time (up to two weeks for full time students). Part time students must only pay for the days they sign up for. If your child misses a day for any reason, you must pay for the days you sign up for. These days may not be switched without the supervisor/director’s approval. Part time students do not pay for statutory holidays, and are not entitled to vacation time. Part time and full time rates are as followed:

Age Group Full Time Fee Part Time Fee Half Day

LATE FEE

If you are going to be late (after 6pm), we would appreciate a phone call. The first time you are late from picking up your child(ren) you will get a verbal warning. If late a second time, you are to pay cash directly to the staff member who was detained that day. A late form will be made out by the staff and must be signed by that parent. You will be charged $5 for the first five minutes and $2 for every five minutes after that until someone arrives. Please note that if you have not arrived by 6pm, every effort will be made to contact you and your emergency contacts.

ARRIVAL AND PICK UP

Young children depend on regular routines for their own sense of security. We ask that you try to establish fixed hours to pick up and drop off your child. Please drop off and pick up your child(ren) at the front of the building. You must accompany your child to and from the centre. You must sign your child in and out in your child’s daily log book. We ask that you inform a staff member of your arrival or departure before leaving. No child will be sent home with anyone other then specified on his or her emergency or admission forms. If you cannot pick up your child and are having someone else come, please fill out “Notes to Staff” section in your child’s daily log. If our staff is unfamiliar with anyone picking up a child, our staff is required to ask for identification.

VACATION TIME

Full time students are entitled to a two weeks vacation/sick leave per year, where no payments are required, because you will pay for statutory and civic holidays. You may take a total of two weeks vacation in a year after the first six months of enrollment.

Part time students are not required to pay for statutory and civic holidays and are not entitled to vacation time. If you choose to go on a vacation, you are still required to pay for your child(ren) on the agreed days of care.

EVACUATION PROCEDURE

The staff and children practice a fire drill monthly to familiarize themselves with the procedure. In the event of a real emergency (fire or life threatening), we will walk across the street to our designated place of shelter. Park Avenue Manor is located on 924 Park Avenue West. You will be notified of the evacuation immediately after the proper emergency authorities have been contacted.

BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT

Children are disciplined in a positive manner. They need to have the security of knowing what they can and cannot do. Room teachers are there to mediate and help to problem solve conflicts when needed. “NO’s” are kept to a minimum. Our disciplinary methods encourage self-control, self-discipline, self-esteem and cooperation.

- deliberate harsh or degrading measures used on a child that would humiliate or undermine a child’s self-respect,

- deprivation of a child’s basic needs including food, shelter, clothing or bedding

All staff and volunteers are required to read and sign our centre’s Behaviour Management Policy yearly. If a serious Behaviour problem occurs with your child, the teacher/supervisor will inform you as soon as possible of the circumstances and consult with you in attempt to solve the problem.

ILLNESS

Our centre’s policies on illness are firm. When your child has an infectious illness, we ask that you keep your child at home until they are no longer infectious. If your child is too ill for school, please inform the centre with a phone call for attendance purposes. All children must be able to participate in regular daily indoor and outdoor activities. If your child becomes ill during the day he/she will be separated from their group until their parent/caregiver can pick them up. A call will be made at first signs of symptoms. Wee Care follows strict guidelines set by the Health Department. Please read the Periods of Exclusion chart on the parent information board or contact the centre for more information.

SANITARY PRACTICES

At Wee Care, cleanliness and personal hygiene are very important to us. Keeping the staff and children’s hands clean will minimize the potential spread of germs. The children’s toys and tables are disinfected weekly using a water/bleach solution. Cot linens are washed weekly by the centre. We do ask that you take your child’s blanket or stuffed animal home to be washed weekly. If your child wears diapers, please only bring disposal diapers to our centre. Each family must supply all diapers and creams. Wee Care will supply baby wipes. Reminders will be sent home when the supplies get low. Staff will change children with diapers on a change table, disinfecting after each child’s use. Our staff will wear surgical gloves for their protection against communicable disease. All waste is discarded in sealed plastic bags. We will assist with toilet training with parent’s request. Please be sure to send many pairs of spare cloths. Toilet seats are disinfected after each child’s use. The children will wash their hands after using the washroom. If the staff need to use a wash cloth on a child, when finished the cloth will go into a sealed container labelled “dirty.” If your child has an accident, you will be informed upon pick up, and the soiled clothes will be tied up in a bag to go home. We are not responsible for cleaning the soiled clothes at the centre.

CLOTHING AND POSSESSIONS

Your child should be dressed in clothing that is appropriate for physical activity, the weather and the season. A second set of clothing is required in your child’s cubby in case of any accident. All children’s clothing and toys should be labelled on an inside tag. On show and tell days, please limit your child to one toy.

On October 1^st, 1999 the Ministry of Community and Family Services introduced a new Playground Safety Policy. Among recommendations, they included a specific foot wear policy which states:

FIELD TRIPS/SPECIAL EVENTS

Field trips and special outings are planned throughout the year. A notice will be sent out in advance of the excursion informing you of the destination, time and date. It will also include a permission slip to be signed and returned before the trip. The staff will supervise all outings. Parents are always welcome to accompany us. For security reasons, all children and staff are encouraged to wear school WEE CARE t-shirts. Walking trips to Hidden Valley Park or LaSalle Park will be held periodically, weather permitting.

The Days Nurseries Act stipulates that prior to admission; each child must be immunized as recommended by the local medical officer of health. When bringing medicine to the centre, a medication form must be filled out by the parent/caregiver to ensure that staff members administer proper doses to that child. Medication must be given directly to a staff member and must not be left anywhere else. Medicine must be in its original container and must be dated and labelled with your child’s name and instructions. One locked medicine box will be stored in the fridge for medicine that requires refrigeration. Another will be stored on top of the fridge for non- perishable medication. Each room is equipped with an emergency kit.

SMOKING

NUTRITION

Meals and snacks are prepared daily by our staff. We follow a 4 week rotating seasonal menu. We ensure good food handling practices, and correct food preparation according to public health regulations. Meals will be modified to meet the needs of children with allergies or dietary/religious restrictions. Wee Care is a peanut free environment. Please do not bring in any outside food or wrappers into our centre. When bringing desserts for the children’s celebrations into the centre, we require a full ingredient list. Weekly menu plans will be posted for the current and following week to assist you in meal planning at home.

REST TIME

Children will be given a two-hour resting period, between 12pm-2pm. Children will be given their own, labeled cot or mat to rest on. Please bring a blanket or small pillow if your child uses one at home. If your child requires the use of a pacifier, please label it and be advised that this is only to be used at rest time. With parental permission your child may not require a rest after the age of 4. These children will participate in quiet supervised activities during 12pm-2pm.

PARENTAL/VOLUNTEER INVOLVEMENT

Wee Care encourages parental and community volunteers. Co-op students from local high schools will be placed at our centre to learn about Early Childhood Education. All volunteers and students require a criminal reference check. We encourage all families to participate in celebrations at Wee Care. We are open to suggestions and are grateful for everyone’s support. Working together, we will provide our children with high quality Early Childhood Education.