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Toddler Town Daycare is a state licensed day care center dedicated to providing a safe and happy environment where children can learn, play, and live together while their parents work. We balance a physical active program with the appropriate intellectual challenges. We believe that the children thrive by doing and experimenting, so you will find our program to be a very hands-on approach to learning. We invite you and your child to our center so you can visit and explore with us.
Children are inquisitive explorers and ready learners. The classrooms are organized by age groups and developmental capacities which provide the type of activities that will challenge and nourish the children’s interests. Areas in which we focus are sensory awareness, creative and expressive arts, dramatic play, block building, fine and gross motor manipulations, language and reading skills, outdoor play, computers, music and movement, science and discovery learning. Each age group has very different needs, and all of our teachers are experienced in handling these needs.
Orientation is a time when the parents can come in and see the center and discuss the type of care that we can offer their children. It is a time for the parents to be reassured so that they know what will be going on during the day while their child is in our center. This is also a time where parents can ask any questions about the center. All children that attend the center first enroll on a 2 to 3 week probation period. After your child enrolls, if you have any questions concerning our policies, please contact the child’s teacher or the director.
We are open Monday to Friday from 6am to 6pm. We are open all year round. We ask and require that all children are in school by 9am.
The center’s holidays are as follows New years day, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. birthday, Presidents day, Good Friday, Memorial day, Independence day, Labor day, Columbus day, Veterans day, Thanksgiving day and the day after, Christmas eve and the day after. If a holiday falls on Saturday the Friday before will be observed, if the holiday falls on a Sunday the following Monday will be observed. Toddler Town also reserves the right to close 3 additional days throughout the year for staff in-services. Notice for these in-service days will be posted a month in advance.
Each child must be signed in and out every day in our log sheets that are located at the front doors or in your child’s classroom. This lets us know who is dropping off and picking up your child along with the time of their arrival and departure.
Only those people who the parent/guardian authorizes through written consent will be allowed to pick up the child. The mother/father is always allowed to pick up their children from school regardless of being on the pick up list. [A court order is the only document that prevents a parent from picking up their child.] Pick up people must be on the pick up list, age 18 and over and must have a photo ID. Please make sure who you put on the list, is able to be a permanent pick up person. We do not allow for people to be added and then taken off and then re-added. If you have to add someone to the list, there are forms to add people to your list at the sign in tables and in each classroom. Just because someone dropped off the child does not mean that they can pick them up. Anyone can drop the child off; taking them out of the center needs to be done with written authorization on file by the parent or legal guardian. The above rules need to be followed for the safety of the child. It is the responsibility of the parent or the person picking up or dropping off that they must take the child to their classroom and take off their coats. All of the child’s items shall be put in their classroom so it does not get lost. The same policy goes for picking up; children are not allowed to be in the building by themselves. Once the parent or guardian arrives and greets the child, the child is now the responsibility of the parent/guardian. Please see postings around the building. Any parent or pick up person picking up late will be charged a late fee of $15 for every 10 minutes or portion thereof after 6pm. The rate changes to $3 a minute after 7pm. The child cannot return back to school until the late fee is paid. Parents are required to sign a separate agreement about late pick ups and procedures which is located in the enrollment application.
The current weekly tuition at Toddler Town Daycare is $135 weekly. Toddler Town only accepts children on a full-time basis. Toddler Town also reserves the right to close 3 additional days throughout the year for staff in-services. ** There are no refunds for holidays or in-services. There are no refunds for emergencies or events due to weather such as snow and power outages which are beyond our control. We cannot call parents to let them know that we will be closed. Parents are welcome to call the school to verify if we are open or not. There is always a person here to answer the phone or there will be a message on the answering system if we are closed. Tuition is due every Monday, parents have the choice of paying weekly or ½ on the 1st and the remaining ½ on the 15th. If tuition is not paid on time then the child will not be allowed to return back to school. Parents applying for or on Action for Children will be charged $25 in addition to their monthly co-payment. This is to cover the tuition shortfall between the school’s tuition and the reimbursement rate from Action for Children. Parents applying for Action for Children will be charged $100 per week until their application is approved. Once Toddler Town Daycare is reimbursed by Action for Children we will then credit your account. If your application is denied then the monies paid by you will be credited to your account towards past and future tuition bills. Your account will be charged the current weekly tuition rate for past and future months. All late payments will be charged a late fee of $15 per occurrence. Toddler Town accepts cash, money orders and cashier checks. If parents ask Toddler Town Daycare to hold a spot for their child, they are still obligated to pay the tuition. If you choose not to pay, then you risk losing your child’s spot. All parents upon enrolling their child are required to sign a tuition contract. All parents that leave the school with a financial obligation are subject to being sent to collections or having a civil lawsuit filed against them for non-payment of services rendered along with any court costs the center may incur. In the lawsuit we will ask for garnishment of wages.
Full tuition paying families are allowed a reduction of ½ of their weekly tuition due to a vacation with a maximum of 2 weeks in one calendar year. Vacation time should be pre-arranged with the center at least one week in advance. [If your child does not take a vacation, then there is no vacation credit offered.]
Scratches and scrapes which are inevitable when children play will be treated with water to clean the surface and with ice to reduce the swelling. Every effort will be made to inform the parent/guardian when picking up the child. This is done verbally and through the use of an accident report. The centers entire staff undergoes a yearly training class of CPR and First Aid. If a child is injured at the center, depending on the extent of the injury, we will first call 911 then the parent. We will accompany the child in the ambulance. The ambulance will take your child to Our Lady of Resurrection Hospital located at the corner of Central and Austin, their main number is (773) 282-7000. This is why it is very important for all parents to keep their phone numbers and the numbers of the pick up people updated at all times.
It is very important for parents and pick up people to notify us of changes to your phone numbers. Please let us know if you move, change numbers, change jobs, and change cell phones. There are many reasons on why we may call, for example your child has a fever, an accident, late pick up or an emergency at the school.
Before a child is admitted into the center, there must be a complete application filled out. We must have these forms in our office before the child can begin enrollment. [No exceptions] In accordance with Cook County Department of Health and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services regulations, each child must have a completed medical form filled out and signed by a physician and on file before the first day of attendance. The medical form must have the doctor’s signature and office stamp on it. The medical form must include the parent survey, child immunization history, TB test with result not older then 6 months, a lead test; residents of Skokie are not obligated to have a lead test. Your child’s medical form needs to be updated every 2 years.
Menus are posted in your child’s classroom and on the bulletin boards next to the sign in/out tables. Breakfast- We serve breakfast from 9:00am to 9:30am. Breakfast consists of cereal, milk, and fruit or apple sauce. There are many reasons why we are unable to offer a variety in our breakfasts; first many parents bring their children in throughout the morning. Second there is not a cook on site that can cook breakfasts to order. We have code issues to follow, since children come at different times we have no way of maintaining proper amounts of food and hot temperatures set forth by the health department. Lunch- Our lunch is prepared here at the center. Our groceries are purchased fresh weekly and our meals are prepared fresh daily and served hot. The meals are a variety that the children may or may not be used to. All meals meet the United States Department of Agriculture Nutrition Guidelines. We encourage the children to try all of the food that is placed on their plates. Lunch menus are posted every month in your child’s classroom. Snacks- We serve snacks twice a day. A snack of crackers and juice are served at 6:30am to 7am. An afternoon snack is served from 2:45pm to 3:15pm. There is a menu for the afternoon snack posted in your child’s classroom. Parties- On festive days, each class will have a party. All classes put up a notice or a letter in you child’s mailbox of an upcoming class party. The teacher usually asks parents to bring/send a treat for the entire class. Birthdays- If you wish to celebrate your child’s birthday at the center, you may bring a cake, cupcakes or cookies. Birthdays are celebrated in the afternoons after naptime.
Our state License requires there be a rest period mandatory daily up to 2 hours. Each child will be assigned a cot to sleep or rest on. If your child does not go to sleep he/she must be quiet as not to disturb the other children, if your child has a favorite blanket they may keep it at the center for naptime. The center provides cot sheets which are washed weekly. Parents provide the blanket and pillow. If you would like your child’s pillow and blanket to be washed, it is your responsibility to do so. You can ask your child’s teacher to put them aside every Friday afternoon. If you fail to bring them back on the Monday, please be aware that the center does not have extras. Naptime is monitored by the staff.
We go on field trips occasionally; field trips are an additional expense to the weekly tuition charge. Your fee includes the admission to the event and the transportation. Before going on a trip, the teachers discuss with the children what we do and do not do on a trip. When going on a trip we encourage as many parents as possible to come along and volunteer. Parents who do not want their child to go on the field trip will need to make alternative forms of childcare for the day. If you miss the field trip for any reason, we are unable to offer any refunds.
Children should come to the center dressed in clothing that is comfortable for play and easy to take off for toileting purposes. All children will be required to wear a smock when painting or playing in water, but that is no guarantee they will not get paint, glue or etc. on them. All children must have at least one entire set of spare clothing which is weather appropriate at all times at the center. Toddler Town Daycare is not responsible for any lost, damaged or stolen clothing. There are many reasons why a child may have to change clothing during the day such as wetting themselves, spilling juice or milk, or an over enthusiastic art project. Please make sure that your child has their name on their spare clothes. Extra clothing consists of undershirt, underwear, shirt, pants, and socks. It is also a good idea to put your child’s name on all jackets because many children may have similar items.
Your child will not be permitted to the center if they are obviously sick or running a fever. If a child becomes ill at the center, he/she will be isolated and the parent will be called to come and pick up the child. If your child has a fever of 100 degrees or higher we will give them Children’s Motrin [There is an authorization form in your child’s enrollment packet allowing or not allowing us to administer Children’s Motrin]. Parents will be called to come and pick their child. Parents must pick up their child within an hour of our phone call. We will call you to pick up your child if they have or do one of the following, ie throw up, are running a fever, have diarrhea, pink eye, ringworm, head lice and or complaints from the child that a part of their body hurts, such as a tooth, stomach or ear ach. Children cannot return back to school until they are free of their illness for 24 hours or if the illness is contagious we will need a letter from the doctor allowing the child to return to the center. If there is a child who has a contagious illness all parents will be notified through a letter from the center.
Only prescribed medicine by a doctor in exclusion of Children’s Motrin may be or will be administered to your child. A permission form must be completed by the parent prior to the administration of any medications. The form should state the name of the medicine, dosage and the time that it shall be given. This form is valid only for time limit set forth by the doctor’s order on the prescription. [You have completed this form at the time of enrollment]
Children should not bring toys to school; they tend to get broken or lost. Jewelry and watches should not be worn at school as well. Toddler Town Daycare is not responsible for any items that may be lost, broken or stolen.
We periodically take pictures of the children in the center to let parents see what goes on during the day. Children are at the center for long hours everyday and this is one way to let parents be a part of their child’s day. Class photographs are taken twice a year. These photos are done by outside companies. Photos can be purchased from the center’s office. Advance notice is given for picture day. If we would like to use your child’s picture for advertising the center, we will be speaking to you directly to receive your written permission to do so.
All caregivers will guide and teach children the importance of recognizing right from wrong; and teach them how to acknowledge inappropriate behavior and learn to correct it. A child who is having problems in one area of the classroom will be redirected by the teacher to another area. This is one of the most effective techniques allowing the child the opportunity to refocus their behavior without a “negative correction” from the teacher. The teacher will also speak with the child to see what may be bothering him/her so that the child can return to the group. After a child continues a behavior that they have been asked to change or has already been redirected, then a time out will be used. A time out will be given for every minute of the child’s age. If the child is continually being disruptive and the teacher constantly has to take attention away from the class to deal with a child, he/she will receive a discipline write up. The write up will explain the behavior of the child. It will then be shown to the parent who will then be asked to sign it. Parents are asked to sign the report to show acknowledgement of a negative behavior. The teacher and the parent will discuss what they may feel is causing the behavior and work out a plan for improvement. If your child receives 3 write ups, the parent will be required to have a conference with the director. The director, parent, and teacher will develop a plan of action. If the behavior persists and 2 additional write-ups are then given totaling 5 write ups, the child will be asked to leave the center. If a child is asked to leave the center, 2 weeks notice will be given by the center to allow parents the opportunity to seek alternate childcare arrangements.
All children that are asked to leave will receive an exit meeting along with a referral sheet of contact numbers.
The state of Illinois requires that all members of childcare institutions look for and report to the state any and all cases of child abuse and a neglect towards a child.
Fire drill and tornado drills are conducted once a month. The director will sound the alarm. Each teacher will give instructions as to what the children should do. Evacuation routes are posted in all classrooms and all exits are clearly posted. Children are taught “Stop-Look-Listen” Stop what you are doing, look at the teacher, and listen to what to do and where to go.
If your child is not going to be in school because they are sick or on vacation we ask that you please call and let us know. The telephone numbers are listed on the front page of this handbook. If you just leave with no written or verbal notice to the director, your spot will still be held and you personally will still be held accountable until the spot is cancelled. Spots will be cancelled automatically after one month of non-attendance, your account will be billed accordingly.
Upon enrollment all parents are asked to give the center a 4 digit ID code. This ID code is used for entrance into the building. We ask that if parents do not know or recognize someone not to hold the door open for them. If they belong to the school then they will be able to get into the building using their own code. If they are seeking information on the center or here to pick a up a child but have no code, please ask them to remain outside and let a staff member know.
Please be aware that the policies described in this handbook are subject to change at the sole discretion of Toddler Town Daycare at any time. Every organization requires a set of rules so that the group as a whole may operate smoothly and safely to accomplish its goals. Failure to adhere to the policies set forth in this handbook can result in discharge from the center. We ask and thank you for your cooperation in the observance of the policies set forth in this handbook. |
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