What’s Inside… Welcome to School Age Care! General Information Helpful Information Registration & Enrollment Billing & Payments Contract & Changes Irregular School & NonSchool Days Drop-Off/ Absence/ Pick-Up Curriculum Medication & Illness Policies Behavior Management Hudson School Age Care Family Handbook General Information Welcome to School Age Care! School Age Care has been a part of the Hudson School District for over 20 years. We are continually changing, expanding, and adjusting to meet the needs of our clients, and pride ourselves on our customer service. Our staff members are highly qualified with over 100 collective years of School Age Care experience. Our Mission Statement: To provide childcare in a fun, safe, and caring environment that fosters self-esteem and learning while promoting the interests and social skills of the individual child. School Age care seeks to provide a quality program where:  The atmosphere is comfortable, relaxed, happy, and busy.  Individual differences are respected, valued, and encouraged.  There is a balanced offering of age-appropriate activities.  Kids have many opportunities to choose their own activities.  Transitions between activities are smooth and unregimented.  There are clear and consistently enforced ground rules for safety.  Staff are flexible and responsive to unusual circumstances.  The environment provides opportunities for privacy, sustained projects, quiet activities, active play, construction and art.  The environment and activities create a program that reflects the interests, talents, values and personalities of the kids and their families. SAC Phone Numbers SAC Office Fax 377-3720 377-3721 EP Rock 377-3846 Houlton 377-3856 Hudson Prairie 377-3866 North Hudson 377-3876 Willow River 377-3886 Helpful Information School Age Care is a program that provides care for school age children during the summer and school year. This program is available to all students attending elementary school in the Hudson School District, providing that we can meet the needs of that student. School Age Care is based on free choice. Children are offered options to participate in a variety of group and individual activities such as arts and crafts, games, sports, special events, field trips, etc. We are located in the following schools: EP Rock, Houlton, Hudson Prairie, North Hudson, and Willow River Elementary Schools. School Age Care Office: Hudson School Age Care 421 Oak Street Hudson, WI 54016 www.hudson.k12.wi.us Michelle Hagen Coordinator 715-377-3720 Fax: 715-377-3721 [email protected] Basic Pricing Options: Session Rate: $6.20 Drop-In Rate: $8.00 Early Release and Late Start are included in the basic daily rate. Hours of Operation School Age Care opens at 6:05 am daily until school begins and from the time school lets out until 6:00 pm. You may not sign in before 6:05 am and if you sign out after 6:00 pm, it will result in a late fee. Registration & Enrollment Non-Refundable Registration Fee Registration: All children must be registered in order to participate in School Age Care. Enrollment begins on your individual school registration day and you are eligible to register at any time during the school year. After your schools registration day, registrations are available at the School Age Care & Community Services Office. Please call 715-377-3720 for more information. There is a non-refundable registration fee of $20.00 used to cover the cost of processing and billing. Registration Requirements:  Complete Contract and Registration form  Non-refundable Registration Fee  Account paid in full and in good standing The School Age Care Program is available to all students attending elementary school in the Hudson School District, providing we can meet the needs of that student. Non-district, Non-resident Student Enrollment Families who are not enrolled in the Hudson School District, nor live within the school district boundaries may enroll in the School Age Care Program if space is available. Students of the district and area residents will be served first. School Age Care does not provide transportation therefore, families must make arrangements for their child to be dropped off and picked up from the program. School Age Care is available at Willow River Elementary for children attending St. Pat’s and Trinity. Billing & Payments Billing and Payment Information You will receive a statement on the first of the month, for the previous month. Example, you will receive a statement October 1st for the month of September. It is the parent’s responsibility to check their e-mail for the statement. Payment is due immediately. Financial Assistance: Financial Assistance is available through St. Croix County. Clients must provide a written verification from the financial agency prior to use of the program. Ultimately, the client is still responsible for all child care expenses incurred. Drop off check on site. Or mail payment to 421 Oak Street. Include your childs’s school in the memo please. Please use check or M.O. Late Payments Drop-in payment is due the day of the drop-in. If you have scheduled more than one drop-in for the week, you may pay once at the beginning of the week. Third + Child Discount: Does not apply to Drop-in. Must be biological (adopted) siblings Must have the same schedule Finder’s Fee School Age Care will charge a $5.00 “Finder’s Fee” for searching for your child after school. The only place you may tell us your child is not coming is in the parent communication book, or your school’s SAC answering machine. The first time this happens you will not be charged, but for every time after you will be assessed a $5.00 fee. Multiple instances may result in termination of your contract. How do I pay? Questions? For billing questions or inquiries please contact your school’s School Age Care Office, and speak to the lead caregiver. Billing Policy in Regards to Separate Accounts: School Age Care is a nonprofit, self supporting organization and needs your prompt payment to meet expenses. If your account is not paid in full by the end of the billing cycle, your child care contract may be terminated. Accounts in default are placed with a collection agency. Clients with defaulted accounts incur all costs related to collections, including legal fees. Checks returned unpaid will be charged a state allowed recovery fee. Both parents of an enrolled child(ren) are responsible for that child’s bill at School Age Care, unless a court ordered statement is provided stating otherwise, regardless of which parent actually signs the contract. Each child can only have one account. Parents will not be allowed to register a child if that child has an outstanding balance with School Age Care. There will be no exceptions to this policy unless court ordered. If a child is removed from the program due to non-payment, all children belonging to either parent will not be able to attend SAC until all bills are current. Contract & Changes Contract Options Parents need to fill out a registration form and a contract. There is a $20.00 nonrefundable registration fee per child. We are open some of the days school is not in session and closed on Holidays. Non-School days are not included in your contract. These are available by signing up separately. Sign-ups will be available 3 weeks in advance of the non-school day at your child’s school or you may call 3773720 to reserve a space for your child. All non-school days will be located at EP Rock, Prairie and Willow River. North Hudson and Houlton children will attend nonschool days at Willow River. Summer is contracted separately. Summer contracts are available March 1. Changes to the Contract If you need to make changes to your contract, please ask your lead caregiver for an Amended Contract. Please use the option to change your contract conservatively. More than four changes to the contract may be considered abusive. If this abuse occurs, your contract may be changed to drop-in. Withdrawal/changes from the contract requires a two-week notice during the school year. The parent that originally signs the contract is the only one that can make changes. When filling out the school year contract please follow these guidelines: 1. If you are choosing the “session” billing option, please choose the days of the week you want to reserve for your child. You are then charged for those days until you withdraw from the contract. 2. If you want to attend on a drop-in basis, you must choose drop-in as a billing option. DO NOT CHECK ANY DAYS OF THE WEEK. You must call 24 hours in advance to reserve a spot and we do not guarantee space. Once you reserve a spot, you are charged even if they do not attend. Early Release & Late Start Early release and late start days are considered a normal school day and if you are contracted for that day you are charged whether you attend or not. It will not be contracted separately. Withdrawal To withdraw your child inform the program, you must let the office know in writing, at least 2 weeks prior to the effective change date. All outstanding balances must be paid in full. If you withdraw from the program you will need to submit a new contract and non-refundable registration fee to re-enroll. To continue having access to our program, we recommend changing your contract (which requires a 2 week notice) and switching to drop-in care. Irregular School & Non-School Days Winter Weather School Age Care is closed on All-Day Snow Days, but will remain open during Late-Start Snow Days and Early-Release Snow Days. We do, however, request that on early-release snow days you make every attempt to pick your child up as soon as possible. This is for the safety of your child, as well as the safety of our staff during unfavorable weather conditions. Early-Release & Late-Start School Age care is open on regularly scheduled early-release and late-start days. If you are already scheduled to attend on these days, then it is included in the daily session price. If you are not scheduled to attend, you may call and request drop-in care for that morning or afternoon. In case of Severe Weather: Please tune to WCCO Twin Cities 830 AM / 102.9 FM and check the schools website at www.hudson.k12.wi.us for the latest on school closings and delays. Non-School Days that School Age Care is Open: October 17 18 November 21 January 20 27 Feb 21 March 17-21 (Spring Break)  Our non-school day hours are 6:05am – 6:00pm.  Non-School Day sign-ups will be at your school three weeks in advance. It is the parent’s responsibility to sign up.  One week before the scheduled date the sign-ups will be removed.  If your name is on the list, you will be charged.  If you do not attend School Age Care regularly you may call the office to sign up. (377-3720)  All Non-School days will be located at EP Rock, Prairie and Willow River Elementary School. North Hudson & Houlton students will attend non-school days at Willow River Elementary. It is important to remember that communication is not shared between your school and our School Age Care office. We have our own forms and our own phone number. You cannot rely on the school office’s ability to relay and share information with School Age Care. For this reason please do not leave phone messages with the school office. As a result of this we will be unable to access any medication you leave with the school nurse’s office. Drop-Off/Absence/Pick-Up Morning Drop-Off and Afternoon Pick-Up: In order for us to accept legal responsibility for your child, you or an authorized adult (18 years or older) MUST sign your child in and out of the program daily by using the computer on the sign-in/out cart. This policy is designed to protect your child. Passwords will be used to sign in/out and will be given to the parents on the first day they attend. Unauthorized people may not sign your child out. If someone else is picking up your child please let him or her know they must have a picture I.D. in order for us to release them, and inform School Age Care of this change in pick-up by either writing it in the parent communication book, or leaving a message at your child’s School Age Care Program. Unauthorized Pick-Up: If you have people who are unauthorized to pick your child up from the program you must speak with your site lead directly. This refers to people who have previously had legal custodial rights as a parent or guardian. You must provide School Age Care with original court documents that restrict this individual from picking up your child. Late Pick-Up: School Age Care closes at 6:00 PM- we go by our clock! If you cannot pick up your child before 6:00 please make plans for your emergency contact person to pick your child up and let School Age Care know immediately. If you sign-out after 6:00, a late fee will be charged to your account. The fees are determined below. Late Charge 6:01 is considered late! We follow our clock on the sign in & out desk. 6:01-6:15 6:16-6:30 6:31-6:45 1st-3rd Offense $10.00 $20.00 $30.00 4th Offense $25.00 $50.00 $75.00 Drop-In Policy If you would like your child to drop-in at our program, the parent must call the school age care office at your individual school. If we have not received confirmation that your child will be dropping in for the day, your child will be sent to the elementary school office. If you reserve a space for your child you will be charged whether you attend or not. Please pay for your Drop-In the day of your attendance. Absence: Parents are responsible for informing SAC if their child will not be attending the program in the afternoon. We are expecting your child after school; we are not staffed to search the school for them. If your child is not attending a scheduled day we expect the parent to let us know either by writing it in the communication book or leaving a message on the answering machine at your child’s site. Please remember that this policy is for the safety of your child! If we must spend time searching for your child after school because you have neglected to inform us of an absence, you will be charged a $5.00 “Finder’s Fee.” Behavior Management Discipline Policy We expect the students to be safe and to be kind. We use logical consequences and redirection, and we follow the school district’s policy of “above the line” and “below the line” behavior. Time-outs are used for children who need a quiet space to calm down. If your child exhibits severe behavior he/she will be placed on our severe behavior plan. Three instances of severe behavior may be grounds for dismissal from the program. If your child is removed from our program, this may affect enrollment during the summer. You will be informed of this decision at the time of removal. The following are considered severe behavior: School Age Care is not designed to provide long term 1:1 assistance for students. If a child receives student support in the classroom, has an identified special need, or has a behavior plan developed, it is the parents’ responsibility to identify their child’s needs on the appropriate forms. An individual conference may be necessary before enrollment is considered. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Striking a teacher Leaving the School Age Care area without permission Theft Hitting/biting/kicking other students Constant bullying Inappropriate touching of a person’s body or belongings 7. Excessive inappropriate language 8. Any other infraction which jeopardizes the health, safety, or welfare of the students or staff. Children whose limitations create a safety issue of unreasonable risk or harm to themselves, others, or property, may not be accommodated. The program is designed to offer an environment that provides a positive, safe, and pleasant atmosphere that meets the developmental level of the age group, provides space for socialization and independence, and maximizes the capacity of staff supervision. Curriculum Policy regarding food A menu will be posted on or near the sign-in/out cart that clearly states the breakfast and afternoon snack options for the week. Children are encouraged to eat but will be allowed to choose whether they do so or not. If your child has an allergy that prevents them from being able to eat from our menu, you are welcome to bring a comparable snack for your child, given you can provide written documentation from a physician. No other food from home will be allowed at School Age Care. Breakfast is served until 8:15 after that a cold breakfast may be served. Breakfast School Age Care provides breakfast every day. Breakfast is served from 7:00-8:15 a.m. (children must be here by 8:15 for the hot breakfast). Afternoon Snack Afternoon snack will be served every day and will be served directly after school. Homework Table At each school there will be a table set up that will be clearly marked for homework. If you want your child to do their homework, please tell them about the table, however, children will be allowed to choose whether they do their homework or not. Free Choice School Age Care is based on free choice and we like to offer choices to the children as much and as often as possible. Activities include: Free art Guided art activity Food activities Gym time Recess Quiet reading Computer Free play Science projects Policy regarding before and after school activities: If your child would like to participate in activities with school personnel (Kids News, Orchestra, Teacher Helpers, etc) which will not be supervised directly by School Age Care personnel, you must check “Yes” on your registration form. All community activities (Girl Scouts, DI, Cub Scouts, etc.) must have an adult sign them out. If they are returning, they should sign them in/out in the communication book. If they are not returning, they should be signed out on the computer. There must also be a waiver on file for your child to leave our care. Medication & Illness Policy Emergency Care Medication If your child needs to take medication during School Age Care time please fill out a yellow medication request form and give it to our office personnel. Medications must be in the original packaging. Children may not carry medication at anytime. All medication must be stored in the School Age Care office. The following information is required BEFORE medication is dispersed: 1. Child’s name 2. Name of medication 3. Purpose of medication 4. Possible side effects 5. Time to be administered 6. Dosage 7. Termination date for administering medication Emergency Contacts For safety reasons, it is imperative that you provide current information on your child’s forms. Should any changes occur throughout the school year please inform the School Age Care office immediately. In the event that your child requires emergency care, staff will take the following steps: 1. Administer first aid as needed. 2. Contact parent/guardian. If unavailable we will call an emergency contact. 3. If an emergency vehicle is needed, we will attempt to check with the parent/guardian or emergency contact for instruction for transportation. School Age Care reserves the right to call 911 without approval in severe cases. 4. If parent/guardian or emergency contact cannot be reached, and it is an extreme emergency situation, staff reserve the right, with assistance of paramedics, to determine if your child be transported by emergency vehicle to the closest hospital. Parents will be responsible for any expenses incurred due to injuries. 5. Staff members are not authorized to transport students in their vehicles. Illness Policy If your child is ill, he/she will be separated from activities to rest Illness Policy under supervision, while you’re notified. You are responsible for picking up your child within one hour of being contacted. If we cannot contact you, we will call an emergency contact to pick up your child. We will ask the parent to pick up their child if he/she has a temperature over 99.5, vomits, or has a communicable disease. Children who are sick may not attend our program. School Age Care follows the Hudson School Districts “no nit policy” regarding head lice. Accident Reports All accidents are reported in an accident/ incident report book and a staff member will speak to a parent about the incident. The district’s policy will be followed for recording and reporting accidents. One copy of the report will be sent to the program coordinator and one will be filed at the school office.