Parent Handbook

Mission Statement

I believe that the parent is the first and most important teacher in the child’s life. We are a team working together with the best interest of the child to help the child develop at a pace that is appropriate for them.

As the caregiver responsible for the child while the parents cannot be, my mission is to love, respect, nurture, care for them in a "home away from home" atmosphere. I provide a safe and developmentally appropriate learning atmosphere for the child that will foster your child’s natural desire to discover, create, explore and gain independence.

Philosophy

My philosophy is that all children deserve a safe environment that encourages the development of what I call, "The Four C's"-- curiosity, creativity, confidence and compassion.

I believe that children learn best through play. And we will be learning through play everyday! I also believe that every child is unique and that all children develop at different rates. It is a major role of mine to meet the children where they are at and follow their schemas as I assist and encourage them to meet age appropriate developmental milestones (physical, social, emotional, language and cognitive). I provide the children with involvement in dramatic play, art, science, music, gross-motor skills, fine-motor skills, sensory, cognitive development, language, pre-reading and writing, and so much more.

I encourage the verbal skills of the child by talking with the children, leading group discussions over circle time, playing with puppets, singing songs, playing games and by encouraging the children to speak with one another.

I truly believe that as the caregiver it is my responsibility to love and speak to all the children with respect at all times. It models and sets the tone for how we should treat others. I also believe that this method will nurture the self-esteem of each and every child I serve.

Hours of Operation and Tuition

Monday - Friday: 8:30am - 3:00pm $275/Week

You may drop-off or pick-up your little one anytime within my open hours, but please avoid drop offs during nap time (12:30-2:30pm).

* Meals and snacks are included. If your little one will be eating breakfast with us, please arrive at 8:30 so we can stick to our morning routine. Breakfast is served at 8:30am. Lunch is around 11:45am.

We follow school district Academy D20's schedule and will be CLOSED during all of their holiday breaks/days off. A calendar will be given to you upon enrollment.

Fees will not be due during closures/holidays. I may be available for care over some holiday breaks. Please don't hesitate to ask! We will remain open on SNOW DAYS.

Payment

Forms of payment include Zelle or cash.

All fees must be paid each Friday for that week's services.

*Full fees are due regardless of a child’s absence, illness or vacation days, unless it is a day the daycare is closed. Your child's fees keep Honey Bee Home Care open and running smoothly. The weekly fees pay for craft and art supplies, nutritious meals and snacks, cleaning supplies, cots and sheets, and allow me to offer care to the small ratio of 1:4.

*A receipt for fees paid throughout the year will be provided at the end of each year for TAX purposes, including my EIN.

Our Daily Routine

This schedule is VERY flexible and is adjusted according to the children’s needs and interests on a daily basis. We will go with the flow with learning and fun as our main goal! Typically, naps and meals/snacks will remain on a consistent schedule. All parents are added to a private app where I post daily pictures, videos and share about our days activities

8:30 am Honey Bee Home Care Opens - Breakfast Time
8:55 am Clean-up / Bathroom / Handwashing
9:00 am Circle Time / Music Time
9:15 am Craft or Educational Activity, examples include --Art, Science, Literacy Activities that relate to the current theme and/or Story Time.
9:45 am Gross Motor (weather permitting) – activities include visiting local park, going on walks, or remaining at the daycare outdoor play area. If the weather keeps us indoors, we can do yoga, play on our indoor sensory swing, build a fort or a "mountain" to climb, have a dance party, make an obstacle course, etc. We will always move our bodies!
10:15 am Handwashing / Snack Time (If we are visiting a park, we'll use baby wipes/hand sanitizer and enjoy our snacks picnic-style at the park.
10:30 am Handwashing / Free Play Time
11:30 am Bathroom / Hand washing
11:45 am Lunch
12:15 pm Clean-up from lunch/ Bathroom/ Hand washing / Story Time and Free Play
12:30 pm Naptime
2:30 pm Quiet time is over for napping children/ Bathroom/ Hand washing
3:00 pm Pick-up Time

Entering the Daycare

Upon arriving at the daycare, I ask that you remove your child's shoes in the entryway. Parents are required to remove their shoes if they are going to walk passed the entryway. This helps us prevent the spread of outdoor germs in our daycare.

Clothing Code

Children should come dressed in clean, comfortable, season appropriate clothing that can get dirty, since some activities we do on a daily basis are messy. Shorts are to be worn under dresses/skirts. Also arriving in a clean diaper/pull up is appreciated. If they happen to need a diaper change on arrival, please let me know. I don't mind changing them.

A spare change of clothes is required for all children in the case of soiling clothes. Children under the age of 3, and those who are potty-training require at least 2 changes of clothing (including socks). This will help me keep your children happy and comfortable.

Sneakers and socks are required every day. Please, no sandals or open toed shoes in winter months; boots are acceptable.

Please also remember whenever weather permits the children are taken outside for 1-2 hours per day. Please ensure that you have proper outerwear provided for your child so that they are comfortable and won’t miss out on outdoor play. If a child does not have proper outdoor apparel the entire group will have to stay inside. This could happen all too often in the winter time because of a lack of snow pants, hats and mitts. Please leave an extra pair of these items with us if you can, or be sure to bring them each day. There is so much fun to be had outdoors!

"Play” clothes only, please. Although we are careful while doing art, cooking and playing outside; there are instances where clothes could become dirty and stained. I appreciate your understanding.

Items Needed From Home:

A labeled bag for your child’s spare clothing, diapers/wipes, and any over the counter topical ointments, sunscreens and repellants needed. This bag will be left hanging in our foyer on your child’s hook. You are expected and responsible to look through this weekly/daily and restock any items from home that your child may need.

Diapers and Wipes (if needed)

Spare Clothing – including underwear and socks. And at least 2 complete sets for those potty training age and under.

Sunscreen/Sunblock and a wide-brimmed hat in the spring and summer.
Weather appropriate clothing – jacket/snow pants/hats/mitts/boots, etc. –lack of weather appropriate clothing could prevent the group from enjoying our outdoor play time. Please ensure you dress your child for outdoor play everyday.

Attendance and Pickup Policy

If your child is not going to attend care, as per usual, please inform me by 8am. This will help me plan meals/activities for the day. When your child does not attend daycare, please call or text to let me know if they are out sick – if it is a communicable illness I will record this in case of other cases breaking out. I will also let the other parents know what symptoms to watch for if their child may have been exposed.

If someone else will be picking up your child please let me know upon arrival and have a note stating who the person leaving with your child will be. Photo ID will be required by the person picking up your child. Please let any individuals, other than parents, who may pick up the children know that they will be asked for a picture ID in order to ensure the safety of all children. *Children are not permitted to leave with any person who does not have a note/photo ID.

Absence due to illness

If a child is too sick to attend daycare, please keep him/her home. To prevent the spread of illness/sickness, there is no “sick room” at the daycare. The best place for a child to be recuperating from an illness is at home. It is extremely important that I keep my center as “germ-free” as possible to prevent the spread of sickness in other children. It is also important that I remain healthy enough to care for children without having to inconvenience parents/guardians by taking sick time off. There are also many symptoms that a child may have that may prevent them from being able to partake in everyday activities.

If your child experiences any of the following (for the safety of our center) please keep them home until the symptoms are gone, or are well enough to participate in normal everyday activities:

Excessive drainage (clear or discolored) from the mouth, nose, eyes, or ears.
Skin rashes as they are difficult to diagnose unless seen by a physician.
Severe abdominal pain, vomiting or diarrhea.
A deep, hacking cough
Difficulty breathing or untreated wheezing
Yellow discharge from the eyes
An unusual yellow coloring of the skin or eyes
Cuts or openings on the skin that are infected
Lice or nits
Difficulty in breathing – wheezing or persistent cough
Fever (100.0* F/ 38.3*C or higher) – child must be free from fever (without being medicated) for 24 hours before returning to care at the facility
Sore Throat or trouble swallowing
Infected skin or eyes (mucus/pus draining) or an undiagnosed rash
Children with a known or suspected communicable disease/illness
Vomiting – 2 or more times in 24 hours – may return to care after 24 hours without vomiting
Diarrhea (as defined by an increase in frequency and loosening of stool) – 2 or more times in 24 hours – may return to care after 24 hours without loose stools/diarrhea

If your child(ren) are sent to daycare with any of the above listed symptoms, or develop these symptoms during the day, they will need to go home. Children should NEVER be medicated and then sent to daycare (i.e. given Tylenol to break fever). You should arrange for back-up care when your child is sick, and unfortunately there are no refunds or discounts for days that your child does not attend daycare. There are still costs associated with each childcare spot each day that unfortunately cannot be avoided if your child is not in attendance.

If your child will not be attending daycare due to illness or any other reason, please let me know as soon as possible, as well as the reason they will not be attending. This will prevent activities from being delayed and help me plan for the day.

**For the safety of our center, please do not bring children back to the daycare until your child is well enough to continue participating in the program and is no longer contagious. We all want our children to stay as healthy as possible, and I need to stay healthy so I can remain open and care for your wonderful children!

**Full fees are due regardless of a child’s illness.

**Should I be too ill to care for the children, parents will not be charged as they may need to find alternate means of care.

Developing Illness Policy

In the event a child becomes ill during the course of the day, to the point where they are not capable of participating in regular activities, the parents/guardians will be contacted immediately and be required to come pick the child up. If the parents/guardians can’t be reached the alternate emergency contact person will be called to come pick up the child. Please make sure that members of your emergency list will be aware of this. Allergy related and common cold symptoms as well as non-communicable diseases/illnesses do not require that the child be excluded from care.

If any of the following conditions are present, it is required that children be excluded from care: Children may return to care when they are free of symptoms.

Pain – any unexplained or undiagnosed pain
Difficulty in breathing – wheezing or persistent cough
Fever (100.0* F/ 38.3*C or higher) – children must be free from fever (without being medicated) for 24 hours before returning to care at the facility
Sore Throat or trouble swallowing
Infected skin or eyes (mucus/pus draining) or an undiagnosed rash
Children with a known or suspected communicable disease/illness
Vomiting – 2 or more times in 24 hours – may return to care after 24 hours without vomiting
Diarrhea (as defined by an increase in frequency and loosening of stool) – 2 or more times in 24 hours – may return to care after 24 hours without loose stools/diarrhea
Cuts or openings on the skin that are infected
Lice or nits
Excessive drainage (clear or discolored) from the mouth, nose, eyes, or ears.
A deep, hacking cough

***Parents are required to inform myself of any serious illness or communicable /contagious disease (with their child or within their family) within 24 hours to allow other families within the child care center to be alerted.

Medications

At this time, I cannot administer medications to children.

With any prescription of antibiotics children may not return to care until they’ve had a full 24 hours of dosage, are no longer contagious and ready to participate in the full child care day, to ensure they are well on the road to recovery.

If your child is given a medication to be taken by a doctor to heal from an illness, please note that I am unable to administer these medications. You/ parent/guardian would need to come give your child the medication.

Allergies

If your child has any dietary restrictions or allergies, please let me know in writing. If your child has an epipen or inhaler, please provide it to me with a label and expiration date. It is required that you give me training on how to use these.

Child Abuse/Neglect

If there is any abuse or neglect suspected of any children in my care, by law I am required to report it. Please be aware that children will NOT be released under any circumstances to impaired individuals. If I have reason to believe that any person picking up a child is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, an emergency contact will be called to pick up the child. The incident will also have to be documented and reported.

Potty Training

I strive to support you as you potty train your child. We will work as a team! There are some key signs to look for before I am able to train your child at the center. The key signs of readiness for potty training include:

The child is able to pull down and up their pants and underwear/pull-ups on their own with little or no assistance
The child is able to communicate to you when they need to go to the bathroom
The child’s diaper is dry after nap times and for long periods during the day
The child is able to hold their bowels and bladder until they get to the potty once they realize that they need to go

If these signs are not present, your child is not ready to potty train at my daycare, as I cannot have a potty in each room for them to use – it is against public health sanitation policies.

When your child does potty training, I ask that you provide extra clothing (2 extra sets, including socks).

Behavior Management Policy

Here at Honey Bee Home Care, discipline and guidance centers around kindness, respect and responsibility. Each child is expected to be respectful, responsible members of our group. This ranges from children learning to clean up after themselves to using manners when speaking with others.

I will use natural consequences when needed. For example, if a child continually uses a toy hammer to hit others, they will need to take a break from using the hammer until they are ready to use it appropriately. I find this method very effective. I do not use time-outs in the traditional manner. If a child needs time to calm down, we will do a time-in. The child stays in the room, but in a place where they can have personal space to calm down until they are ready to talk through the situation. Children will not be "in trouble" for having big feelings. I will guide them to appropriate responses and ways to cope with these big feelings. We will also spend time learning about our rules, good manners, feelings, and what we can do about unpleasant feelings during circle time and throughout the day.

My Plan for Behavior Management

1. Redirect - In a conflict, give an alternate toy or activity to one of the children competing for the toy. And have multiples

of popular toys.

2. Focus on “Do” rather than “Don’t.” For example, “We walk inside” instead of “Stop running inside.”

3. Offer choices “You can either sit on the rug or at the table for story time.”

4. Encourage children to use friendly words rather than physical acts. For example, suggest using the phrase, "May I use that toy next, please," instead of snatching.

5. Praise positive behavior: “Thank you for using your words.”

6. Model desired behaviors in order for the children to learn by example.

7. Listen to the children and respond to their needs proactively to achieve their goals.

Nervous about your child starting childcare?

Childcare is a big deal for little ones. Whether they are just a few months old, have attended childcare or not, they will have a transition period. All children transition differently, just as all children develop differently; regardless of their age. Here are the 3 phases of how I will transition your child into my program.

Phase 1 – Trust & comfort

The first thing we will focus on is building trust between your child and myself. I work on getting your child acclimated into the group and our routine. For some children they may transition in a week and others in 3 weeks. During this transition stage, my main focus is making sure your child is comfortable. I do this by encouraging your child to participate in circle time, join in during classroom play and projects, and have conservation with their friends during meal times. I pay close attention to the child’s behavior when they are shy and start to notice when they begin to open up. Once your child is excited about being a part of the group, they are socializing with their friends, and giving off body language signs of comfort, we can move on to the next phase.

Phase 2- Respect

The next phase we focus on is respect. As a provider I believe I am the children’s role model in their childcare experience. It is my duty to respect your children as if they were my own. How you speak to a child can compromise how they begin to think of themselves. All children need to be showered with patience, love, and encouragement. I truly believe it is that type of environment that children will flourish into the beings that they are meant to become. I teach all children the importance of having respect for themselves, the people around them, and their classroom. Some simple ways I teach respect throughout our day are as follows:

During free play. If children are fighting over a toy, instead of telling them to “use their words”, I will teach them the words to use. I get down to their eye level and put my hands on both of their back and have them face each other. “Bobby tell Johnny you would like a turn with the truck” He will repeat. Johnny may respond with “you can play with it.” I will then praise Johnny for being so kind to his friend. And end it with Bobby saying “Thank you for sharing with me." But Johnny may respond with “I don’t want Johnny to have the truck because I am still using it.” That is okay, too. I will then tell Johnny to look at Bobby and tell Bobby “I am still playing with the toy right now but you can have a turn in 5 minutes when I am all done.” I then explain to both Johnny and Bobby that in 5 minutes it will be Bobby’s turn. Usually at the end of this, Johnny and Bobby will both have forgotten all about the truck and are moved onto playing with something else. But if they haven’t I follow through with the 5 minutes, then have Johnny give Bobby a turn with the truck. I then praise both boys for sharing so nicely.
By playing with the toys appropriately. Children are given a chance to engage in free play, guided play, projects/activities and outdoor play. Unless I am speaking to a parent/ helping parents settle in and out or preparing to transition the children from one activity to another, you will find me on the floor engaging in all activities with your child. This is my time to redirect children, teach them how to use all toys safely (ex: “blocks are used to build tunnels and buildings, let’s make sure we don’t throw them because we don’t want to hurt any of our friends” or “I love the way Jessica is so focused on sorting her shapes." Children will also be learning to pick up after themselves, and be a helping hand during clean up time.
Being respectful to your child! Children have wants and needs, emotions and feelings just like adults. It is okay for them to cry when they are sad. Allowing children opportunities to experience their emotions will help grow their social/emotional and cognitive development. Sometimes just offering a child a hug is all a child needs to get back on the right track. That love and respect given by their provider (me!) will teach them how to deal with their emotions.

Phase 3- Educational Learning

Once your child is comfortable, happy, has built a trust with their daycare, friends and provider and is being a respectful member of our classroom, they are able to learn all that our daycare has to offer! This is personally my favorite stage for the child. Because true learners never stop learning. There is so much to explore and so much knowledge to be gained from the world that we live in. Some of our themes will focus on colors, shapes, animals, foods, the alphabet, numbers, feelings, body parts, hygiene (handwashing, brushing teeth, germs), and people. We will also dig deeper into any creative ideas or thoughts of the child. We learn all day! While we eat we speak about the texture of our food, the colors, the shapes, I engage the children in conversation. It's amazing how the group eventually leads their own interesting conversations during meal times! During morning sessions, we'll talk or sing about the ABCs, weather, seasons, and have discussions about how we are feeling. Are we sleepy today? Are we happy because you are visiting our favorite cousin this weekend? Are we scared that there is thunder outside? During outdoor play, children get the opportunity to challenge their gross motor skills by running, jumping, hopping, skipping, kicking/throwing a ball and interacting in fun games such as red light green light. Children also get the opportunity to explore the world in which they live. We will use the yard and neighborhood to do nature walks and collect pine cones, rocks, leaves, and sticks, etc and talk about these things. During centers children get the opportunity to challenge their fine motor skills by building, writing, doing puzzles, beading, art projects, sensory activities (playdough, slime, shaving cream, etc). They also get the chance to engage in music making, story time, make believe, dress-up, and so much more.

Photographs/Video Cameras

I like to take lots of pictures and videos of the fun we are having to share our day with the parents. For the safety of my personal home and the children, we do not have a facebook page. Please feel free to save the pictures of your child, however, keep in mind you cannot share any pictures of children in a public forum unless you have the consent of that child’s parents. So if you do save pictures or wish to share them with friends on social media or any other public forum, please ensure there are no other children’s faces showing in the pictures or the location of my home/daycare.

Use of the property

Smoking on the premises is prohibited.
When dropping off/picking up, you may park in the drive way or on our side of the street. Please reinforce to the children to never run in the road, and to stay close to their parent/guardian at all times (this is one of our learning lessons as we take walks).
I ask that when doing drop offs/pickups with your other children who are not enrolled in the program, that you keep a close eye on them. Please remember our no shoe policy.

Telephone Communication

If you need to contact me for any reason, please feel free to call or text message me at 617-955-0944. If you get my voicemail please do leave a message, as I am often busy with the children and unable to get to the phone at that moment. I do check messages regularly and return phone calls as soon as I get the chance. Thank you for your understanding. If you call outside of daycare hours please leave a detailed message.

Enrollment

I require that the parent/guardian and child visit my center prior to enrollment. This process allows your child(ren) to become more familiar with the daycare and myself. There is a $100 deposit to reserve your child's spot. This is non-refundable and will go towards items I will supply for your child, including their own bedding for naptime and anything else they may need while at daycare.

Withdrawal Of Services Policy

A MINIMUM OF 2 WEEKS WRITTEN NOTICE is required for termination of childcare services. Even if your child does not attend during that two week period, payment is still required.

________________________________________________________________________

Parent/Family Handbook and Fee Agreement – Family Copy

Child(ren)’s Name(s): ___________________________________________________________________________________

Your Weekly Child Care Fees: ________________

This includes curriculum, craft supplies, nutritional meals/snacks, and cots/sheets for sleeping. Parents are responsible for all diapers/wipes, a change of clothing, a blanket for nap time, sunscreens and proper outdoor apparel.

I/We (the undersigned) have read the parent handbook for Honey Bee Home Care and understand all the information, policies and procedures outlined in the handbook. We (the undersigned) have also received a copy of these policies and procedures for our own records and reference.

By signing this agreement we consent to all the handbook policies and procedures and agree to them, including payment policies. By signing this agreement we acknowledge that the information supplied in the registration form regarding our child(ren) and the information supplied below is true and accurate to the best of our knowledge.

____________________________________ _________________________ Parent/Guardian Signature Date

____________________________________ __________________________ Parent/Guardian Signature Date

____________________________________ __________________________ Owner/Caregiver's Signature Date