Attendance
          Children are encouraged to attend school on a regular basis.  If a child will not be attending, parents are asked to notify the school office.  If possible, the missed day may be made up in another session upon the discretion of the director.  No tuition credits are available for absences.

Arrival
          On arrival, please sign your child in (First and last name) using a full legal signature and arrival time.  Leave a phone number where you can be reached in case of an emergency.  If someone else will be picking up your child, please leave their name and a phone number where they can be reached. Make sure person picking up your child is on the list of people who have your permission to pick up your child. Help your child remove their coat and place on their hook.  In order to establish good health habits, please accompany your child to one of the sinks where he/she can wash their hands.  The school will be open at least fifteen minutes before the scheduled program begins.  Parents/guardians are encouraged to arrive early to spend time with their child in the centers to ease transition from home to school.  Feel free to explore the village with your child to familiarize yourself with the activities.   Children love to share “their school” with their families.  It is a wonderful opportunity to show your child that you are interested in what they are doing. 

Dismissal
          Likewise, the school will be open at least fifteen minutes after the scheduled program ends.  Children need to be signed out, using full legal signature and time, when they leave.  Parents/guardians are also welcome visitors before dismissal.  Please be prompt when picking up your child.  Pickups after 15 minutes are subject to additional charges of $5.00 for every five minutes the parent/guardian is late.  No child will be allowed to leave with an unauthorized person.  

School Calendar
          ECLCN will follow a traditional school calendar.  No credits will be given for vacation time that does not fall within the calendar. A copy of this calendar can be found in the back of this handbook. If your family is planning an extended vacation, ½ tuition is required in order to reserve your child’s spot on return.

Withdraw or Termination from Care
          Two week’s notice must be given if you plan to withdraw your child from ECLCN before the end of the school year.  Paid tuition will be reimbursed on a prorated scale if given proper notice or if another child is able to fill the opening.  Refer to Admission Agreement.

Payment of Tuition
Payment is due by the 7th of each month.  Check, money order, or credit cards will be accepted. Credit card payments can be made on line at our website with a 3% courtesy fee charge. Make out checks to Early Childhood Learning Center of Natomas (ECLCN). Late payment or returned check fee of $25.00 will be charged at the discretion of the director.  See Admissions Agreement for more information.

Emergency Procedures
          All teachers at ECLCN are trained in Child CPR and Pediatric First Aid.  First aid kits are readily available.  If your child becomes ill or injured, every attempt will be made to contact the people listed on the Emergency Information Form. If the injury is life threatening, children will be transported by ambulance to UC Davis Medical Center for treatment.  A signed Consent for Emergency Medical treatment form is required for registration.   If the injury is non life threatening, your child will be made as comfortable as possible until someone can come and pick him/her up.  It is imperative that the Emergency Forms are kept up to date.  Please be sure to leave a contact number every day when signing in your child.

Ill children
          Please keep your child home if they are ill.  If your child is experiencing fever which is 100 degrees or higher, vomiting, diarrhea, undiagnosed rash, and/or lethargy, the best place for them is at home.  Any child who has been diagnosed with or suspected of having a contagious disease such pink eye, ringworm, impetigo, chicken pox, head lice, or strep throat should be seen by a doctor before returning to school.  Children may return to school when they are fever free for 24 hours and not under the effect of any fever reducing medicine.

Emergency situation/Earthquake information
          In the event of a center facility emergency or a local or national disaster where the children need to be evacuated, arrangements have been made with Cook Speech and Language, 1972 Del Paso Road, Suite 156 as a central meeting point.  Every parent/guardian will be contacted as quickly as possible with up to date information regarding their child.  Your child’s safety is and always be the highest priority at ECLCN. 

Snacks
          Children will often have the opportunity to help prepare a nutritious snack offered every day. All snacks will be prepared on site.  Water will always be available but snack will only be offered during restricted times.   Each child will have the option to eat it.  If your child has a food allergy, please make sure that it is listed on both the Physician’s Report as well as the Additional Information about your Child form.   A menu will be available for your review by the sign in sheet.   Portion sizes are available on the bulletin board in the kitchen. If you would prefer to send in a nutritious snack for your child, please make arrangements through the Director.   

Bringing things from home
        Please do not allow your child to bring toys from home into the center.

Holidays
          In keeping with our “village concept”, holidays will be celebrated at ECLCN.   Enjoying the traditions of other cultures is a very good way to help children learn about the uniqueness of societies different from their own.  By doing so, we hope that children will value the things that make us different from each other; not be frightened by them.  We would like to invite anyone to come in to share a custom or holiday activity with our children.  Please speak to the Director to arrange a day/time.

Birthdays
        Birthdays are special days at ECLCN.  We will make preparations for the Birthday boy/girl in honor of the occasion.  Due to food allergies of other children, parents are requested not to bring in treats for snack. A copy of our birthday policy is located in this handbook.

Clothing
        Children should be dressed in comfortable, “OK to get dirty”, “easy to move in” clothing.  No open toed shoes are allowed.  Hats may only be worn outside. Things can get pretty messy here at ECLCN.  Smocks and large t-shirts will be used for these activities, but accidents can still happen.  Please bring a spare set of clothing to be kept at the center to be used if needed.  Include socks, underwear, t-shirt, pants, and a sweatshirt or sweater. 

Registration restrictions
          Only children between the ages of 2 years, 9months  and 5 who are completely toilet trained are accepted for enrollment.  No pull up pants are allowed.  Children are expected to be able to handle their toileting on an independent basis.  Certain times are set aside in our program for bathroom needs but a child may use the bathroom whenever he/she chooses. 

Confidentiality
          ECLCN respects each family’s right to privacy and confidentiality.  All information received from the parents/guardians (except an emergency phone number) or evaluations of the child will be locked and unavailable for public viewing.  

Field Trips
          ECLCN does not take field trips
 
Suspected incidents of Child Abuse
The parent is hereby advised that under the terms of the California Penal Code 11166, the Center and its employees have a statutory duty to report the known or reasonably suspected instance of child abuse to a child protective agency if the center or its employees, in its or their professional capacity or within the scope of its or their employment, know or reasonably suspect that a child has been the victim of child abuse.  In addition, the center and any employee who has knowledge of or who reasonably suspects that mental suffering has been inflicted upon the child or that his or her emotional well-being is endangered in any other way, must report the known or reasonably suspected instance of child abuse to a child protective agency.

Prohibition of Discrimination
          ECLCN does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived ancestry, color, ethnic group identification, national origin, race, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, or physical and/or mental disability. 

Medication  Policy
          Only medication, including “over the counter medication” that is prescribed or ordered by a physician can be administered at preschool. A written authorization form must be filled out by parents before any medicine can be dispensed.  All medications must be in the original container labeled with the child’s name and include dispensing directions.  The medications will be kept in the office.

Discipline Policy
          Children are expected to behave appropriately in a way that does not cause physical or emotional injury to another child, a staff member, or themselves.  We expect children to be respectful of other’s needs and rights.  We also expect that equipment, supplies, and the facility will be treated with care.  If an incident should occur, the child(ren) will be given the opportunity to explain their behavior.  Redirection is a technique often used by the staff in this kind of situation.  All efforts will be made to resolve the conflict in a way that helps the child(ren) learn from the incident.  Parents will be notified orally about the incident.  Further incidents will be reported to parents in written form and kept in the child’s file.
        If a child is using inappropriate behavior on a regular basis, a “behavior modification plan” will be devised by the staff and shared with the parent during a conference.  All efforts will be made to help child control his/her behavior but if the teaching staff determines that the child is creating a disturbance that interferes with the learning environment or endangers the safety of others, the parents will be asked to withdraw the child from the center. 
Any intentional physical injury that occurs as a result of inappropriate behavior will result in parents being notified to pick up child with a written report given to parent and kept on file. If the incident occurs again, the parents will be asked to withdraw the child from the center. At no time does ECLCN tolerate corporal punishment as a means of discipline. 

Revised 2/4, 2011