PARENT HANDBOOK
Purpose
Parker Landing Child Development Center is ready to meet the needs of working parents while providing their children with a variety of productive learning experiences in an exciting and unique group setting.
Philosophy
Parker Landing’s mission is to provide quality childcare in a safe, fun and loving environment. We offer a complete program to help each child develop academically, socially and creatively. Each child can advance at his/her own pace in a classroom that is structured to give them self-confidence and a positive self-image.
Hours of Operation
Parker Landing is open Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. We close for business on the following holidays:
New Year’s Day Labor Day
Memorial Day Thanksgiving Day
Independence Day Christmas Day
We will be closed on Presidents day for Staff CPR & First Aid Training.
Tuition in full is required for the weeks in which these holidays occur. If one of the above holidays falls on a Saturday, we will close on the preceding Friday. If the holiday falls on a Sunday, we will close on the following Monday.
Tuition
The tuition charge reserves your child’s space in our program. Tuition is due weekly on the first day services begin. Tuition is due even when the child is absent. There is a $25 late fee if we do not receive payment by each Wednesday at noon. We may terminate services if payments are two weeks overdue. We accept cash, and checks and money orders made payable to Parker Landing. Any returned check will have a $25 service fee charged to your account. Credit cards are not accepted.
Admission/Registration
Parker Landing enrolls any child regardless of race, color or religion. There is a $75 per child or $100 per family non-refundable registration fee assessed at the time of enrollment and annually assessed every September thereafter. Upon starting, please complete the enrollment packet in full, including a copy of the child’s immunizations and a recent physical exam.
Drop off/Pick up
Please sign your child in and out daily at the front desk. Also, please walk your child to his/her classroom. If someone other than those authorized in the child’s enrollment application is picking up your child, please arrange with staff at the front desk. The person picking up your child is required to provide photo identification. There is a $1 per minute fee charged to your account if you are unable to pick up your child by 6:30 p.m. After 6:30 p.m., if we are unable to contact the parents and persons listed on the emergency contact list, we will call the police to make decisions on the child’s welfare.
Late Arrival
If a child is arriving late to the center, specifically during naptime, we ask that you make amendments to your schedule so that you are not disturbing the other children during naptime. Depending on the specific class, naptime is anytime from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Termination of Care
When terminating services, Parker Landing requires a two-week notice. Failure to provide the necessary notice will result with a tuition charge equal to two weeks. In turn, if we are unable to care for your child and need to terminate services, we will give you a two-week notice so that you can make other arrangements.
Enrollment Disclaimer
Parker Landing is a privately owned and operated company reserving the right to disenroll any child or family whose behavior is threatening the safety or causing mental distress to other children or staff. This includes families who do not abide by the policies and procedures set forth. Disenrollment is at the sole and absolute discretion of the director and may occur without prior notification. Any parent or guardian who is abusive, rude or unreasonably uncooperative with the center’s staff will be subject to disenrollment. If we must immediately disenroll a family, there will be no refund.
Vacations/Absences
Each child is eligible for one week of vacation for every six months of attendance at a 50 percent tuition charge. We define “vacation” as taking your child away from the center for consecutive days while paying one-half of the total week’s tuition payment. A two-week written notice is required to be eligible for vacation time. In addition, as a courtesy we ask that you call in a child’s absence for the day.
Emergencies
Accidents/Injuries - If a child is injured, he/she will receive appropriate first aid practices. We attach an accident report, which documents the circumstances, on the child’s sign in sheet. Whenever there is an injury involving the head or face, regardless of the severity, we will issue a courtesy call to the parent. In the event of a true emergency, we will call 911 immediately.
Fire - In the case of a fire or suspected fire, all children will evacuate immediately to the parking lot, or to the neighborhood fire station if the damage is extensive.
Tornados - In the event of a tornado or tornado warning, children will remain in an enclosed area away from windows until the threat of the tornado has passed.
Blizzards - Under extreme snow conditions, you may need to arrange to pick up your child as soon as possible. If Parker Landing closes due to severe weather, major local news channels will post the announcement as well as the center phone will leave notification on the voicemail.
Contacting Parents
In the event of an emergency, it is critical that we are able to contact you or someone from your emergency contact list. Please provide your emergency contacts and telephone numbers in order of importance. If we are unable to reach the parents, we will attempt to contact the names from the emergency list in their order.
Illness Policy
In an effort to keep everyone healthy and free from contagious diseases, Parker Landing enforces guidelines set by the Colorado Department of Social Services and Tri County Health. Your enrollment packet contains a specific “Illness Policy” stating when to avoid bringing in a sick child to the daycare. It also informs you of our practices in the event your child gets sick at Parker Landing. Upon enrollment, you are required to sign the policy, which we document and keep on file with your child’s paperwork.
Medications
The Colorado Department of Health and Public Environment permits Parker Landing to administer medication with a signed consent from the child’s parents and physician. The permission form must indicate the type of medicine, dose amount, purpose, and start and end dates. All prescription and over-the-counter medication must be contained in its original packaging with the child’s name. Please check in all medications at the front desk. Medications are stored in a locked box out of reach.
Menu
Parker Landing does not permit any outside food into the center. We have several children with severe allergies and do not want to risk a child’s exposure. We also are a peanut-free center; therefore, we ask that you resist the urge to bring in food containing nuts of any kind. Please make us aware of any allergies your child has so that we can adjust your child’s menu. If your child has a milk allergy, you may provide a soy alternative.
Breakfast - Parker Landing provides breakfast for children from 7:00 a.m. to
8:00 a.m. for $1 per day. Breakfast consists of numerous cereal choices, toast and juice. We tally and bill breakfast at the end of the week.
Lunch and Snacks - We serve a nutritional lunch and a morning and afternoon snack daily, which is included in the cost of your tuition. We post weekly menus outside of the kitchen and in every classroom.
Birthdays/Special Events - We will permit families to bring in treats to celebrate a birthday or special event. Please coordinate this activity with your child’s teacher. We will celebrate special occasions during afternoon snack time.
Inclement Weather
If the weather is extremely cold or hot, we limit outdoor playtime or we move playtime to our 1,500 square-foot indoor gymnasium. The gym is loaded with activities, toys, an inflatable bounce house, basketball hoop and much more.
Court and Subpoenas
If Parker Landing has to become involved in legal matters, we will charge $50 per hour per staff/management person associated with the circumstance or situation. This charge includes any telephone conversations with legal council, driving, court time, etc.
Child Care Complaints
Parker Landing will make every effort to provide a safe and responsible environment for your child. If you have any problems, complaints, concerns or questions, please see the director so that we can immediately address the issue. If you feel the issue is serious and cannot be resolved, you may contact the Colorado Department of Human Services, Child Care Division at 1575 Sherman St., Denver, CO 80203 or call (303) 866-5958.
Child Abuse and Neglect
It is Colorado’s state law that Parker Landing report to authorities any suspected case of child abuse or neglect. If you are suspicious of child abuse or neglect, you have a criminal obligation to report to the Douglas County Department of Social Services at 101 Third St., Castle Rock, CO 80104 or call (303) 688-4825.
Infants
Parker Landing’s infant program is a model for love, attention and nurturance. We offer a 1 to 3 ratio, giving teachers optimum time and consideration with each baby. The infant rooms give babies the freedom they need to learn to sit, roll, crawl, pull themselves up, walk and explore. The infant classrooms introduce babies to simple signs of sign language, colors, textures and sounds. Each baby has his/her own crib and linens. Parents should provide diapers, wipes, bottles, breast milk or formula, and baby food. We provide finger snacks, crackers, teething biscuits and table food when the baby is ready to make that discovery.
Toddlers
Toddlers receive a more structured environment that promotes intellectual learning and emphasizes social development skills. Each day brings a new day of art, music, stories and activities. Teachers design their lesson plans to develop language and cognitive skills, utilize small and large muscle groups, and enhance social and emotional development. Teachers introduce color and shape recognition, the alphabet, and counting from one to 10.
Preschool
Each day brings a new set of fun educational challenges. Children dive into counting; simple science and math techniques; days of the week and months of the year; language and pre-writing skills; music and movement; and art projects and discovery learning. Children begin to make social and emotional connections, while engaging in new friendships and building self-confidence. For those children who are not potty trained, teachers will facilitate the process along encouraging children to get excited about this milestone.
Pre-K
Early education is an investment in the success of our children. The focus of these classrooms is to create a strong foundation and to equip each child with all the necessary skills for kindergarten. Children study basic science and math concepts; letter recognition, letter writing, sight words, vowels and consonant blends; basic Spanish; calendar work; cutting; and art and cooking projects.
Pre-K Enrichment
Parker Landing instructs a Pre-K enrichment program that presents high quality education and learning opportunities, which are integral in helping today’s children prepare for the future. The classroom focuses on advanced math and science lessons; reading and writing instruction; and studies home phone numbers and addresses.
School Age Program:
The School Age classroom is for children who are attending school in need of before and after school care and off-track care. This classroom contains educational play, art projects, cooking projects, and loads of games and activities. Children are strongly encouraged to complete their school homework so their evenings are free for family, friends and fun.
Special Needs Children
Parker Landing welcomes children from 6-weeks-old to 12-years-old. We gladly accept children with special needs as long as the staff feels they can adequately meet the needs of the child.
Curriculum
Zoo-phonics - Parker Landing’s curriculum comprises two distinct elements: Theme-based and Zoo-phonics, which is a program designed for children of all ages at the center. It is a sophisticated varied program designed to bridge the learning gap of each child’s individual learning style by hearing, seeing, speaking and doing. The program enhances phonetic awareness, reading and spelling by using literature, music and movements.
Theme-based - Parker Landing prepares a theme-based curriculum set for the year. Teachers write, develop and execute weekly curriculum based on the week’s theme, which ranges from seasonal studies, holidays, family, friends, community helpers, animals, etc. Teachers tailor the curriculum to meet the individual academic needs in each classroom.
Conferences
Teachers evaluate children academically, emotionally and socially twice a year. We provide a written report for parents to review. If a parent has any questions, concerns or issues after receiving the report, you may request a conference with the teacher(s) and/or the director. Classroom teachers and the director are available to work with parents year-round and as needed.
Discipline
Disciplinary techniques are used to teach children to internalize rules and become self directed in their behavior. Teachers will intervene in situations and try to redirect a child’s behavior by giving them new choices to focus on. Sometimes children need a cooling off period or time-out. If inappropriate behavior continues throughout the day, the child will spend some time at the front office for a change of scenery.
Diapers/Potty Training
Families of infants and toddlers are responsible for providing disposable diapers, pull-ups and diaper wipes. We do not allow cloth diapers. Also, please provide an extra set of clothing and underwear in the event of an accident. We do not begin potty training until a child is at least 18-months-old. With potty training practices, children are checked regularly and changed when wet or soiled. A child is considered “potty trained” when he/she is completely self-sufficient when using the bathroom, take their own initiative to go the bathroom, and have no accidents for two weeks.
Field Trips
When children in the Pre K Enrichment and School Age classroom are off-track, they will go on scheduled field trips to the museum, swimming pools, parks, bounce houses, movie theatres, arcades, etc. Parents must provide a signed permission in order for the child to attend the field trip. Children are required to wear a pink Parker Landing T-shirt, which is available for $10. Also, in some cases, parents may have to provide a sack lunch and drink depending on the excursion. The costs for the field trip will vary accordingly to the scheduled activity. Parker Landing staff transport children in the van or bus, and actively supervise children at all times. Please do not send your child with extra spending money. If your child is supposed to be on a field trip and you drop him/her off at the center, the child will join another classroom that is age appropriate. If a parent wants to drop their child off at the designated field trip location, you must notify the center in advance.
Transportation
Parker Landing owns a van and bus to transport children to and from designated elementary schools and for field trips. Parental permission is required before a child can ride on the van or bus. All children are required to wear individual seat belts when being transported in the van. Parents must provide booster seats for children who weigh less than 40 pounds. The van and bus is equipped with emergency contact information for each child and a cell phone.
Lost Children and Other Emergencies
When children are away from the center, we take every precaution to ensure their safety and welfare. We always maintain and enforce staff ratios. In the event a child becomes lost or has an accident, we will take emergency action and notify parents immediately.
U.S. Martial Arts
U.S. Martial Arts conducts karate on Wednesdays at 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. in the gymnasium. Children receive the fundamental techniques of self-discipline and self-confidence, focus and attention, balance and coordination, physical conditioning, and much more. The cost is $45 per month payable to U.S. Martial Arts.
Visits/Visitors
We look forward to your visits with us at anytime. We request that you keep your visits brief in an effort to keep consistency in the classroom and maintain the high levels of academic standards set. Any visitor who enters the center must sign in and present photo identification.
Staff and Family Interaction
We understand and respect how close some families feel to their child’s teacher(s). We encourage warm and loving relationships; however, we discourage relationships outside of the center, which may include babysitting, house sitting, social gatherings, etc.
Television/Video Viewing
Television and video viewing is limited to Fridays and during periods of transition in the classrooms. We show educational cartoons and G-rated movies to the children in the Toddlers, Rascals, Pee Wees, Munchkins and Pre-K classrooms. We show PG-rated movies at the director’s discretion to children in the Pre-K Enrichment and School Age classroom .
Personal Belongings/Clothing
We discourage children from bringing in toys or other personal belongings to the center. If you bring in extra clothing or a blanket, please put the child’s name on it. Parker Landing is not responsible for lost or stolen items.
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