1. family and parenting
2. children

Dandridge Christian Learning Center
Parent Handbook
951 South Hwy. 92, P.O. Box 1093
Dandridge, TN. 37725
Phone: 865-397-1111
Fax: 865-397-2330
dandridgechristianlearningctr.org
“Train up a child in the way he should go,
even when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
Mission Statement
The purpose of the Dandridge Christian Learning Center is to
promote the spiritual, mental, social, emotional and physical
development of children. We do this by offering a choice of
learning activities, praise, encouragement and love.
We offer facilities where parents can be assured that their
children are receiving the best quality care from qualified
teachers in a Christian atmosphere.
Dandridge Christian Learning Center is a licensed child care
facility through the Tennessee Department of Human Services.
Table of Contents
Admission Statement
Forms Required by DHS
Hours of Operation
Center Closings
Annual Registration Fee
DHS Rules/Arrival/Departure
Breakfast / Naptime
What to Bring to Daycare
Fees/Fee Policy
Vacation Week Policy
Health Policies
Medication Policy
Sick Week Policy
Discipline Policy/Biting Policy
Emergency Information
School Age Activities
In Service Days
Snow Policy
Bus Rules
Splash Pad Needs
1
1&2
2
2
2
3
3
4
5
5
6
6
6
7
8
9
9
9
10
10
Admission Statement
The DCLC admits children ages six weeks through 12 years. Parents
may visit the center to obtain an application or you may print one off from
our website. You may visit the center between 7:00 am and 5:00 pm
Monday thru Friday. An application, including health form and a copy of
an up-to-date shot record, must be completed and returned to the DCLC
Office with $70 ($100 family) annual registration fee to reserve a position.
At that time, we will set a date when the child may begin. If your child
does not begin when we call you, your name will be moved back to our
waiting list and we cannot guarantee a starting spot. If a parent
withdraws a child from our program, the registration fee is in effect for the
calendar year. If the child returns the following year, you will have to pay
another registration fee.
The following information is required by the State
1.
Enrollment Form: The DCLC enrollment form must be completely filled out
and signed by the parent/guardian. Your enrollment fee must be paid
when you turn in the enrollment form. Our calendar runs January to
December. You will be charged an annual enrollment fee each
October/November. Please see the fee schedule for further information.
2.
Orientation Date: You must come to the DCLC for orientation. You will
meet with the Director / Assistant to the Director and your child’s teachers.
We will talk with you about our policies and procedures, and tour our
facility.
3.
Complete record of immunizations: Your child must be current on their
immunizations or have their doctor give us an excuse in writing explaining
why they are behind and when they will be current. You will also need a
Health Form filled out on any child who is six weeks thru 30 months of age.
This checkup has to be signed by a physician prior to/and within 30 days
of your child’s starting date. If you are not familiar with this form, we have
copies in our office. All pediatricians’/doctor’s offices should have them
as well as the state mandated shot record form.
4.
Parents must have a signed contact list on file. You will need to provide
3-4 contacts in rank order (1,2,3,etc). This person (grandparent, other
family member or friend) will be called if we cannot reach the parents in
the event of illness or an emergency. In the past, children have been hurt
and none of their parent’s emergency phone numbers were correct. It is
vitally important that the information we have be current and correct.
(1)
5.
Emergency form: All children must have a signed consent form that gives
DCLC permission to have a child treated in a medical emergency and/or
in the event they need any medicine. We will call parents in the event of
an emergency and proceed with their verbal instructions. If we can’t
reach a parent, we will proceed with the information on our emergency
forms.
6.
School Age Field Trips: Parents must sign a separate permission form for
every trip that is taken. These forms are signed the day of the field trip.
There are other DHS required forms that must be signed and kept on file.
These forms will be signed at the parent meeting or when you enroll your
child in our summer program.
Hours of Operation
Arrival: The center is open from 6:30 am to 6:00 pm Monday – Friday. Children
will not be admitted before 6:30 am. No child should be brought in after 9:00
am. Any child not picked up by 6:00 pm should be picked up at the main office.
Late Arrival/Pick-Up Fee: A late fee of $10.00 will be added to your bill if you
drop off after 9:00 am or pick up after 6:00 pm. If you have more than one child
in our center the charge will be added for each child. A doctor’s/dentist’s
excuse is required to avoid the late arrival fee. DCLC reserves the right to dismiss
a child from the program if the parent / guardian is late bringing them in or
picking them up on a regular basis.
Center Closings for 2014
Good Friday – April 18
Memorial Day – May 26
Independence Day - July 4
Labor Day – September 1
Thanksgiving Break – November 27 & 28
Christmas Break - December 22 through January 2 – Reopen January 5th
Annual Registration Fee: DCLC collects an annual registration fee of
$70.00 for one child or $100 for a family. You will be billed for this annual
fee in late October and it must be paid by mid-November.
(2)
DHS RULES FOR CHILDREN
All children must be signed in and signed out each day. You will use your key fob to sign
your child in and out. Anyone picking your child/children up will have to have access to
a key fob to be able to sign your child in or out. Your child’s attendance, arrival and
departure time can be and has been used in custody situations. Therefore they are legal
documents and we can be subpoenaed to court to testify with these documents. DHS
requires that you must sign in your full name or your first initial and last name: ex. J. Doe
or Jane Doe. Our scan system meets the state requirement. If you do not sign your
child/children out you could be automatically charged a late pick-up fee.
Arrival times: 6:30 am-9:00 am
1. Arrival Time: Children will be accepted into the classrooms from 6:30 am 9:00 am. Children must be here by 9:00 am unless they have a medical
and/or dental appointment. If you bring your child in after 9:00 am, a $10
late arrival fee will be added to your bill. If you continue to bring your
child in after 9:00 am without appropriate reasons, we may dismiss your
child from our program. In order to provide a safe environment for all
children, an adult must come to the classroom door to deliver and/or pick
up a child. Please do not send older siblings under the age of 16 to pick
up your child. We will be unable to release the child into their care. If you
have someone picking up your child that we do not know ask them to
bring in a photo ID otherwise we will not release your child to them.
2. Departure: Our center hours are 6:30 am - 6:00 pm. A late fee of $10.00
will be added to your bill if your child is picked up after 6:00 pm. If you
have more than one child in our center it will be added for each child. If
you do not clock your child out, the computer will automatically bill late
fees to each child so please be sure to check your child out.
3. Breakfast: Provided by the parent and served from 6:30 am-8:00 am
Morning snack: Between 8:30- 9:00 am (supplied by parent)
Lunch time: Will vary so, please check with your child’s class schedule
Afternoon snack: Between 3:00-3:30 pm (supplied by parent)
If your child has food allergies, or any medical needs we have to have
written instructions from your doctor.
4. Nap time needs: A mat will be provided for your child. You will need to
provide a crib sheet with your child’s name on it, a blanket and a pillow.
Each Friday, you will need to take them home, wash them and return
them the following Monday.
(3)
WHAT TO BRING TO DAYCARE
Clothing: Your child will need at least one change of seasonal clothes. This
includes underwear and socks. Put these in a plastic shoe box with his/her name
on it. These clothes are to be kept at the center at all times. If your child has an
accident and does not have a change of clothes you will be called to bring
some. If your child is potty training, you will need to bring extra clothes and
please include extra socks.
We do not allow toys from home unless you have a note from a teacher stating
something specific may be brought for a special occasion. In that event we will
take every precaution to take care of your child’s toy, but we cannot be
responsible if they are broken or misplaced.
Food in the Center: You will need to send a packed lunch each day along with
one or two snacks. DHS checks what our children bring in their lunches and we
are rated by stars as to the nutritional value, so please don’t send junk food. Try
to send nutritious snacks and lunches. We have refrigerators and microwaves in
each classroom. Make sure your child’s lunch box will fit into his/her cubby along
with his/her pillow. You may wish to provide suitable drinks for your child but the
DCLC has drinks available for snacks and lunch.
(4)
FEES
Annual Registration Fee
$70.00-one child -- $100.00 per family
Fulltime Fees
Fulltime Fees
6 weeks – 24 mths (Nursery/Toddlers)
24 mths – 36 mths until fully potty trained(Trainers)
$150.00
$140.00
CHILDREN MUST BE FULLY POTTY TRAINED TO MOVE UP AND PAY THE LOWER FEE
Fulltime Pre-School
Pre-Kindergarten
Part Time
Part Time
3 years – 4 years
4-years- until Kindergarten
All Ages 3 Days (M,W,F)
All Ages 2 Days (T,Th)
$135.00
$135.00
$95.00
$75.00
School Age
School Age
School Age
School Age
School Age
Morning & Afternoon
Afternoons only
Spring Break
Summer / Fulltime
T-Shirts
$65.00
$60.00
$125.00
$125.00
$7.00
School Age
School Age
DROP IN FEES (School age only)
Space Available
In-service, vacation, weather days
$ 30.00
$ 30.00
Fee policy: All fees are due on Monday/Tuesday of each week for the current
week. If you prefer paying bi-weekly or monthly, you must pay in advance and
not be a month or 2 weeks behind. If payment is not received by 6 pm on
Tuesday of the week it is due, you will be charged a late fee of $25 per child. If
the account is not paid in full by noon Friday of that week, your child may not
attend the center until the account is paid in full. Please see our bookkeeper to
be sure your account is billed correctly. A returned check fee will be $30.00.
There is no reduction in fees for partial weeks attended, partial days, holidays,
snow, etc. Also, there is no reduction in fees for part-time students who miss due
to illness or vacation.
1-Vacation week is available after six months of FULLTIME care. Your child has to
be absent from the center Monday thru Friday to qualify for vacation week.
Vacation weeks renew in January and can be used through December of each
year. If your child is school age and they only attend for the summer, they will
not receive any vacation or sick time. You are responsible for payment for every
week of summer. Only children that attend year round will qualify for vacation
and/or sick weeks.
(5)
DHS REQUIREMENTS CONCERNING HEALTH
SYMPTOMS REQUIRING REMOVAL OF CHILD FROM DAYCARE
(NO EXCEPTIONS)
Health Policies
Law does not permit children with communicable diseases in childcare facilities. Some
of those illnesses are but not limited to: Infectious conjunctivitis (pink eye) impetigo,
HCPA, scabies, ringworm, infectious diarrhea, chickenpox, scarlet fever, lice, and strep
throat. If your child is thought to have a communicable disease, you will be notified and
asked to pick him/her up. Your child will be accepted back into care when they are no
longer contagious or cleared by a doctor.
1. Any child who develops symptoms of illness while at the center including high fever (100
or higher), diarrhea, vomiting, earache, skin rash, eruptions, etc. which affect the child’s
performance in a group setting will be sent home.
2. If your child is sent home with a high fever he/she must be fever free without medication
for 24 hours before returning to Dandridge Christian Learning Center.
Health
requirements mandate that we do not accept any child who has contracted
conjunctivitis (pink eye). The child must be out of the center for 24 hours after starting the
prescribed medicated drops.
3. Medication: It is vital to safeguard the health of all children enrolled in the center.
When any medication is required, a medication form must be completed with the time,
date, dosage of the medication and the parent’s signature before you leave your child
for the day. The medication forms are in your child’s classroom. The medicine we are to
give to your child must be in the original bottle. It should be placed in a zip lock baggie
with your child’s name on the bag and bottle. You will also need to include a medicine
spoon or dropper from home. You must give the medicine to a staff member before you
leave the center. No medicine can be left in your child’s cubby. We must lock up all
medication. At the end of the day, you must sign the medicine form acknowledging
that we have given the prescribed medication. These are DHS requirements so please
be sure to sign the medicine form at drop-off and pick-up. All medicine that is out of
date and has not been picked up will be discarded. If your child has allergies or any
medical needs, we must have written instructions from your doctor.
4.
Sick week: You must be enrolled FULLTIME for six months before you qualify for the sick
week. A sick week may be taken at a reduced rate of ½ the regular fee, when a child is
sick and absent an entire week, Monday through Friday. One (1) sick week per year is
allowed. Some parents use the sick week when they take vacations. This is acceptable
but please let us know in advance so that we can adjust your fees accordingly. You will
be billed a late fee automatically when our system updates for the current week if you
do not notify us.
(6)
Discipline Policy
Teachers in our program offer encouragement and praise for good behavior,
rather than drawing attention to unacceptable behavior. However, limits
must be set to teach respect for the rights and property of others and to
ensure the children’s safety. When a child’s behavior is not within those limits,
discipline will be consistent, reasonable, and appropriate to the child’s
understanding and need. Repeated misbehavior may result in dismissal from
the program.
The following is the sequence of our discipline procedures
1. Explain to the child why his/her behavior is not acceptable and reinforce
good behavior.
2. Time out: Sitting in “time out” so that the child may reflect on his/her behavior
and regain self-control. At the end of the “time out”, the teacher will talk with
the child again and then allow them to rejoin the group. Time out is oneminute times the child’s age. EXAMPLE: If the child is four the maximum time
spent in time out will be four minutes.
3. Parents advice: The DCLC will request advice from the parent if the problem
continues with no sign of improvement. The teacher will notify the Director of
the situation and of the parent’s advice. The Director or Assistant to the
Director may also meet with the parents.
4. Dismissal: If joint efforts of parents and DCLC staff do not help the child
resolve the behavior problem, then the child will be dismissed from our
program.
The DCLC reserves the right to dismiss any child who is unable to participate
in group activities because of inappropriate behavior. The center also
reserves the right to move students from one classroom to another if it is
deemed in the best interest of the students involved.
Biting Policy
Please be aware that biting may occur in the child care setting.
The DCLC teachers and staff will work closely with all parties involved. We will look
at the following; earlier incidences, environment, when the biting occurs, what
children are present, does your child have issues with people/children who invade
their space, etc. If the biting persists and cannot be remedied, your child may be
subject to dismissal from the DCLC. A biting form must be signed when your child
bites or when they are bitten.
(7)
Emergency Information
To help us provide emergency care, current phone numbers for parents and persons
authorized to act in an emergency must be in each child’s file. The staff must be able to
reach parents and other adults responsible for your children. Parents often forget to give
us new work or cell numbers, change of work address, etc. It is critical that we have
those numbers. Please help us to serve your children better by keeping your contact
information up-to-date. Information on these forms must be updated annually.
Medical Emergencies: The parent or other authorized person will be called if an
injury or illness occurs here at the DCLC. You must have a hospital choice listed on your
form. If you are new to the area and you don’t know who to put on the list, please ask
for advice from someone. It is a DHS requirement that you include a doctor’s number
and a hospital choice.
Food Allergies: DCLC has children with allergies and asthma problems. As a provider
we need to know what to do in case one of these children has a reaction or attack. DHS
requires us to have a plan of action in case of an emergency. Request from your doctor
a written plan of action (what we need to do) for the center to keep in your child’s file.
DCLC must have a signed copy of this form on each child who has allergies and/or
health issues. This form should be in your enrollment package. If this form is not in your
packet please bring it to our attention. This is a legal document and must be in your
child’s paperwork/file
Weather Emergency (snow): DCLC will make every attempt to open but the safety of
our employees is also very important. The DCLC website has a weather closings/alerts
tab where you can access this information. You can also listen to WIVK or watch WBIR
channel 10 for information of center closings. If conditions worsen during the day, we will
close our center at 4:00 p.m. or earlier if needed. If you have questions about the center
closing early, please call our office. Remember, we have to get our staff to work and
home safely also.
Evacuation: The first priority will always be the safety of the children. In emergency
situations, the staff will contact parents as soon as conditions permit. DCLC will practice
fire drills, severe weather drills and evacuation procedures periodically.
(8)
School Age Activities
Summer
Each summer session includes weeks full of fun and enjoyable activities
including splash pads, skating, bowling, visiting area parks, and much
more. Children must wear their DCLC t-shirts on all trips for safety.
In Service Days
On scheduled in-service days, we may be going on field trips. You
will need to check each time to determine if your child needs to bring a
lunch. Children must wear DCLC t-shirts for safety. If they do not bring a
DCLC t-shirt they will be given a t-shirt to wear and we will bill your
account for the shirt. You can not return these shirts at the end of the day.
SNOW
If school is canceled or dismissed early, we will keep the school age
children at the daycare if we are open. If they will be here for the whole
day you will need to send a packed lunch and you will be charged $10.00
to pay for additional staffing. If school is going to open late, we do not
charge extra but it would be wise to send a packed lunch in the event
school is canceled after the children arrive at the daycare.
(9)
Bus Rules
Parents, please be patient when your children return from
fieldtrips if you are waiting in the parking lot or in the daycare. We follow strict
procedures required by DHS who give us a specific order for children to enter and exit a
bus. The driver will count the children on the bus as a school age staff checks children
out of the daycare and then onto the bus. We then have at least two other staff that
check the attendance count after children are on the bus. The bus driver and three
other school age staff then check the counts and make sure everyone’s attendance
totals agree. Each time we enter and exit the bus, the attendance counts will be
reconciled with each other. After all the school age staff have rechecked and signed
that the bus is empty, then a management employee who did not go on the trip will
then re-walk the bus and sign off that no child was left on the bus. After the bus driver
parks the bus, it is again rechecked to make sure no child is left on the bus. Children
should enter the bus in an orderly fashion, go directly to a seat, and remain seated until
the destination is reached.
1. Children must keep their hands, arms, legs, and head inside the bus at all
times.
2. There will be no shouting, horseplay, or throwing things off the bus.
3. All articles such as coolers, beach bags, etc. must be secured.
4. The emergency door must be used for emergency use only. Children may not
touch the safety equipment on the bus.
5. All directions given by the bus driver or teachers will be followed.
Splash Pad Needs
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Small Cooler with ice pack
Sunscreen
Water shoes (optional)
Beach towel
Dry clothes/Children do not have to wear their DCLC T-shirts back to the center
Water Proof Backpack or Beach Bag
Lunches: Your child will have to bring their lunch on splash pad days. You may want to send
extra snack food and send at least two drinks. As you know, water play makes you very
hungry and children are allowed to eat a snack that is left from lunch if they wish to. They will
exit the splash pad area and go to their towel and sit for a while. Be sure to send swim suits
and towels even if it is raining. We will have an alternate plan in case of rain. On warm days
send your child dressed with the swimsuit on under their shorts and DCLC shirt. If your child
does not have their shirt, we will give them a new one and bill your account for the new one.
You can not return these t-shirts. If your child is sick they will not be allowed to stay in the
center. You will need to make other arrangements for their care. We will not take a child on
a field trip that is sick. If your child is sick before we leave the center, you will be asked to
come pick them up. We will not have staff to take care of them here.
(10)