PARENT HANDBOOK
I take my profession as a child care provider, not as a "babysitter", very seriously. I will obtain as much continuing education as
possible in order to constantly improve my knowledge and skills. I have also received certification in special needs, infant, child and
adult CPR and first aid.
Although family child care is a form of self-employment, unlike other businesses, there is no room for physical growth or expansion
due to licensing regulations. I am not guaranteed any benefits that most employees take for granted such as: health insurance, paid
sick days, paid vacation days, personal days, workmen's compensation, unemployment insurance, retirement/pension plan or
bonuses. My contractual policies reflect this.
Admission and Enrollment
Merri's Home Daycare serves children ages 6 weeks through 12 years. No child will be denied admission on the basis of his/her
race or religion. We are an equal opportunity daycare. I do retain the right to deny admission if all my slots for a particular child's
age group are filled. Children with special needs will not be denied admission. I am willing to undergo specialized training if
necessary to care for a special needs child and the parents and I will evaluate whether or not this arrangement is working as we go
along.
Enrollment Procedures
In order to enroll your child at Merri's Home Daycare there are some items that will need to be taken care of prior to the
beginning of care. I will not assume care of your child(ren) if I do not have the required paperwork, fees, and supplies. I will
supply you with all the necessary paperwork and will help you with any questions you may have. I will also provide you with a
summary of the family child care licensing rules, if requested. All information will be kept confidential and is for my records only.
Paperwork:
* application/record of child information
* certificate of health examination
* consents to daycare provider
* transportation/walking to and from school consent form
* IL child care bureau child registration form
* signed parent/provider contract
* late pick-up agreement
* receipt for summary of licensing
* copy of birth certificate
Fees:
* first week's fee
Supplies:
* complete change of clothes including socks and underwear
* diapers (if applicable)
* diaper rash ointment (if applicable)
* swimsuit, towel, sunscreen (summer only)
* Boots, hats, gloves (winter only)
Hours of Operation
Merri's Home Daycare is open Monday thru Friday 6:00am till midnight. I am occasionally available for overtime or weekend care.
Any non-contracted care is by special arrangement only and will be at a rate of $10.00 an hour per child, I reserve the right to
refuse any additional hours.
Open Door Policy
Merri's Home Daycare maintains an open door policy. Parents are welcome to visit our daycare at any time during business hours.
As I am busy with children I am not always available to answer the door immediately. Therefore, upon arrival, please knock once
and then enter. You are welcome to observe our program for as long as you wish. Please understand that I will not be able to give
you my undivided attention. I will continue with our normal schedule while you are present.
Enrollment Fees
If the required 2 weeks written notice is not given, all fees will be collected through the courts.
Attendance
Payment obligation is based on the hours you agree to use child care, not on actual hours of attendance. Both full time and part time
fees will be charged based on contracted hours, including missed days due to illness, holidays, vacations, or snow days. This also
applies to early and late drop offs or pick ups. Late drop off does not constitute late pick up. In a sense you are paying for your
child's "slot" as well as for my services.
Overtime and Weekend Rates:
After contracted hours a fee of $5/hour per child will be charged. Please keep this policy in mind when contracting hours. Include
travel time in your contract to help alleviate early drop offs or late pick ups. Payment for unscheduled overtime will be added to the
following weeks fees and will be due with regular payment on the first day of care for the week. Prearranged overtime will be
charged the same. This policy will be strictly enforced as it may infringe on my family's personal time or may take up another
child's spot..
Weekly Rates
Full-Time care: you sign a contract to pay the weekly
rate every Monday or the 1st day of care for the week.
Infants $200/wk
1yr olds $190/wk
2yr olds $175/wk
3yr olds $160/wk
4yr olds $160/wk
5yr olds + $160/wk
After school care $80/wk
Daily Rates
Part-Time care: you sign a contract to pay the daily rate,
due on Friday or the last day of care for the week.
Infants $55/day
1yr olds $50/day
2yr olds $45/day
3yr olds $45/day
4yr olds $40/day
5yr olds + $40/day
Payment Schedule
I have a "no pay, no play" policy. Payments will be made in advance for child care and are due no later than drop off time on the
first day of the week the child is contracted for care. If child is in care earlier than normal contracted time, payment is due at
actual drop off time. If you do not have payment in hand at drop off do not bring your child to me for care. I will kindly ask you to
return with payment. There will be a $10.00 per day late fee for payment not received as described above. Please do not put me in
the position of having to tell your child he/she can not come inside to play.
I will accept payment in the form of cash, personal check, or money order. In the event of a returned check parents will be
responsible for a $35.00 returned check fee as well as any fees incurred due to the returned check. All future payments must be
made in cash or money order.
All parents that have a third party payment arrangement (such as county or state assistant or employer vouchers) are responsible
for payment of the difference of what the third party pays and the actual fees. In addition, you are responsible for payment of all
days that I have listed in my holidays, vacation and personal days sections of this handbook that are not paid by the third party.
All parents using a third party payment arrangements are also responsible for payment of the final 2 weeks fees.
Receipts
A Receipt will be furnished weekly and a year end payment summary will be provided for tax purposes.
Trial Period
The first 14 calendar days from a child's start date are a trial period for the child, parents and provider. During this period,
either the parent or provider may terminate care without notice. Any and/or all final two weeks fee deposit will be refunded.
Termination of Service
After the trial period parents may withdraw their child from care by giving a minimum of two weeks written notice. I also will give
the parent at least two weeks written notice, except for reasons such as, but not limited to, destructive, uncontrollable or violent
behaviors, habitual lateness in pick up of child, lateness of payment or nonpayment. These situations will be grounds for immediate
termination. If it becomes necessary for me to resort to legal action to collect fees, the parents will be responsible for any legal
fees incurred by Merri's Home Daycare.
Holidays
Merri's Home Daycare will be closed for the following 8 nationally observed holidays: New Years Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of
July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and the following day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. These holidays are paid holidays.
There will be no discount in fees for the weeks in which these holidays occur.
Provider Vacation
Each calender year Merri's Home Daycare will be closed 2 weeks for provider's vacations. In most instances the two weeks will be
taken separately, however I reserve the right to take vacations consecutively. Parents will be given as much advance notice as
possible, with a minimum of 3 weeks notice when I plan my vacations. No payment is required for provider's vacations.
Personal Days
Occasionally I may find it necessary to take a personal day off for training, workshops or family reasons. No more than 5 personal
days will be taken per calender year. Payment is not required for provider's personal days. A minimum of two weeks notice will be
given for provider's personal days.
Illness /Emergency
In the case of my illness I will call at least one hour before your scheduled drop off time. In the event of a family emergency I will
give as much notice as possible.
Parent's vacations
Each calender year each family may take up to 2 weeks vacation while the center is still open at no charge as long as it is in the
same week. A two week written notice of vacation is required. If no notice, or less than two weeks notice is given the full weekly
fee will be charged.
Substitute Care
Should I need to be away from the daycare for a short time due to unforeseen circumstances or in the event of an emergency,
substitute care will be provided by my assistant. This would be someone I would leave my own child with and licensed through the
state. In the event of an emergency and a substitute caregiver can not be located parents will be called to pick up their children.
Please note: parents are responsible for providing their own back up care for illness, holidays, provider's vacations, provider's
illnesses, emergency and personal days. I will not be responsible for providing back up caregivers.
Parent Involvement
Parents are encouraged to participate in their child's experiences at Merri's Home Daycare. As you are leaving your child with me
while you are working I understand that direct involvement is not always possible. There are other ways you can contribute to our
program such as: sharing interests and skill, Perhaps associated with cultural traditions, careers or hobbies, taking responsibility
for repairing toys and equipment, assisting in field trips, donating craft supplies, etc. Any other ways you can think of to be
involved I would be happy to discuss with you.
Birthdays and Celebrations
At Merri's Home Daycare we will observe special days with activities, treats and possibly outings. You are welcome to bring treats,
decorations, games, etc to help celebrate as long as there is enough for everyone. Please discuss this with me in advance so we can
plan accordingly.
Proper Dress
Clothing worn to child care should be appropriate for the day's weather and play. Please do not send your child to care wearing
anything special or new. I teach the children creativity, problem solving, and pride in there skills. Sometimes these values get a
little messy. Please dress your child for real success! Onsies or shirts that snap at the crotch, too tight shoes the child cannot slip
on themselves (i have no problem with tying) and tight jeans with belts, buttons and snaps that the children can't handle alone are
not appropriate in the daycare situation. It has proven to be a source of frustration to all involved. Children take pride in being
able to care for themselves. If there is a special occasion that calls for special clothing (a visit or party right after child care or a
trip to the photographer), Please send the special clothing with your child and I will help them clean up and get dressed prior to
your arrival.
Supplies
The following items are not furnished by Merri's Home Daycare and must be provided by the parents:
* one complete change of clothing, including underwear and socks, appropriate for the weather, to be kept at the daycare. Soiled
clothing will be sent home and a clean change of clothes needs to be brought back the next day of care.
* proper outerwear for outside play. Kids need fresh air on a regular basis and unless the weather is really inclement we will spend
some time outside daily. Please be sure your child has all necessary items each day: hat, mittens, snowpants, boots and coats, for
example.
* summer months: swimsuit, towel and sunscreen to be left at the daycare.
* disposable diapers (when applicable). You may choose to buy a large pack of diapers to leave at the daycare and I will let you
know when you are running low, or you may choose to send 5 diapers to be kept at daycare as backup and send additional amount
each day for regular use.
* diaper rash ointment (if used).
* car seat or booster that meets current safety standards when requested.
* for infants: extra bottle for water to be offered throughout the day.
as i see many duplicate items, please clearly mark all of your child's belongings with his/her name. I reserve the right to mark any
unmarked items as needed.
Arrival and Departure Times
Drop off and pick up times can be stressful for some children. Parents are required to bring their child to the door each morning,
sign in, and help their children get settled. Please knock once and then enter. In the morning they may not want say good-bye to you
and at pick up time they may not want to go home because they are involved with a fun activity. this is a natural occurance. To ease
this situation I'd like to encourage the parent to take a minute to help the child feel more comfortable and to adjust by offering
positive statements. A parent who shows reluctance to depart only makes the transition harder for their child. The parent should
never leave without saying good bye. A brief good bye works best. crying will usually stop a few minutes after the parents depart.
It is important that you establish a consistent routine and stick with it.
If your child misbehaves during these times, please correct their behavior. My house rules apply from the time they walk in to the
time they walk out. This is a time of testing when two different authority figures are present (parent and provider), and this
situation will be tested at one time or another to see if the rules still apply. I will remind your child if inappropriate behaviors are
being displayed. Please be prepared to back me up. If your rules or desires are being tested, I am ready to back you up.
Release
Children may be released only to persons indicated on the release form. No child will be released without written parental consent.
when arrangements are made for someone not identified on the release form to pick up your child, Parents are responsible for
notifying me in advance in writing. Please inform your emergency contacts that if I do not know them and the child is too young to
recognize them (hi grandma), that I will ask for identification. Explain to them that I do not mean to offend them. This is simply a
measure taken for the child's protection.
Medical and Other Emergencies
Minor cuts and abrasions suffered while at the daycare will receive proper care, Specifically, they will be washed with soap and
warm water and properly bandaged. Injury and treatment will be logged and I will tell you how and when the injury occured. I am
also required to log any injuries I observe on your child which have occured outside my care.
If a medical emergency arises I will try to contact a parent first, unless doing so endangers the child's life. In that case I will take
necessary steps, putting the child first (calling 911, doctor, poison control, etc.). If need be, your child will be transported to Saint
Anthony Hospital and I will contact you from there. Parents are responsible for all costs involved in emergency medical treatment.
In the event of a fire, we would evacuate the house immediately (3 exits available) and gather at the neighbor's tree. This will be
practiced monthly so the children are familiar with the procedure.
If severe weather arises and a tornado warning is issued, we will proceed to the basement where the children will crouch and cover
their heads. This will also be practiced at least monthly.
Daily Schedule
Below is a basic outline of our day. The times may vary (with the exception of meal times).
6:30am-7:00am arrival begins, quiet freeplay
7:00am-7:30am breakfast/diaper
7:30am-8:30am freeplay
8:30am-9:30am story time/circle time
9:30am-9:45am morning snack/diaper
9:45am-10:30am creative art/abcmouse.com/arts and crafts
10:30am-11:30am outdoor play
11:30am-12:00pm prepare lunch
12:00pm-12:30pm lunch/diaper
12:30pm-2:30pm rest/quiet time
2:30pm-2:45pm afternoon snack/diaper
2:45pm-3:15pm freeplay, self selected activities
3:15pm-4:30pm art/outdoor play
4:30pm-5:00pm clean up/prepare dinner
5:00pm-5:30pm diaper/dinner
Meals and Snacks
Merri's Home Daycare will be participating in the Illinois Child Care Bureau child and adult food program, which means that I will be
reimbursed a certain rate for each meal or snack offered to a child, In return for serving wholesome foods that follow set nutrition
guidelines. 2 meals and one snack or 2 snacks and one meal will be included in the cost of care.
The meal schedule I follow is listed below. If the children are here during those times, they will be served. Children who choose not
to eat will not be served again until the next scheduled meal or snack. If the child will be arriving after mealtime, please feed them
before they arrive. This helps the day run more smoothly and eliminates problems caused by children arriving with happy meals in
hand.
breakfast 7:00am-7:30am
morning snack 9:30am-9:45am
lunch 12:00pm-12:30pm
afternoon snack 2:30pm-2:45pm
dinner 5:00pm-5:30pm
evening snack 7:30pm-7:45pm
Infant Feedings:
Infants will always be fed according to their own schedule. They will always be held during their meal times and bottles will never be
propped.
Parents may be asked to provide the infant's formula, juice and baby food. There are a few reasons why this decision might be made:
* the child is not immediately enrolled in the food program.
* the child's pediatrician has a different time schedule for introducing different types of food than the food program outlines.
* the parent prefers to provide all food for the infant in order to know exactly what brands the infant has consumed and how it was
prepared.
* the infant is having a hard time with allergies, etc and has to switch formula and/or foods often.
All formula will be mixed according to manufacturer's directions, labeled with the child's name, dated and refridgerated as needed.
Any leftover formula, milk, juice, or baby food will be discarded. For this reason, you may wish to provide me with a full can of
formula so that I may prepare bottles as needed, or bring extra bottles of prepared formula.
When a child reaches 12 months of age or when it becomes developmentaly appropriate, a sippy cup will be introduced and bottles
should be left at home after the child has successfully learned to use the cup.
Meal and Snack Guidelines
Breakfast:
milk (in a cup)
fruit or veggie
bread or cereal
Lunch and Dinner:
milk (in a cup)
meat
veggie and/or fruit (2 total)
bread
Snacks: (consists of 2 items from 2 different groups)
milk (in a cup)
fruit or veggie
meat
bread
Meals are served family style, which means that I will include the children in parts of the preparation, table setting, serving
themselves and clearing.
I never force a child to finish what is on his/her plate, but I do encourage each child to try one or two bites of everything.
If your child requires a modified diet I will need a physician's written instructions.
Preschool Program
We use ABCmouse.com program for kids ages 2 and up. I also will be incorporating a preschool curriculum into our daily activities for
fun and to prepare the older children for school. This is done at no additional cost to you. This is a theme based curriculum set up on
a weekly basis, but if a theme is of particular interest to the children we will spend extra time on it. Activities include arts and crafts,
stories, music, games, etc. These activities will allow your children to be successful and feel good about themselves, use and develop
language skills, use large and small muscles, learn new ideas and skills and expose the child to a variety of cultures. The program will
also encourage creativity and imagination through the use of various materials and mediums.
Rest/Quiet Time
All children under the age of five are required to have rest time. Our rest time is 1:00pm-3:00pm. I will provide a safe, warm quiet
place for your child to rest.
Children who do not fall asleep or who awaken early will be guided to quiet activities that will not disturb other sleeping children.
If at any time your child is not sleeping through the night, or he/she doesn't seem ready to go to bed and you feel it is because
he/she sleeps too long here, don't hesitate to mention it to me and I can try waking him/her up a little earlier each day.
Infants will be allowed to follow their own patterns of sleeping and waking.
Toys From Home
Merri's Home Daycare furnishes a wide variety of appropriate playthings. I ask that no toys be brought to daycare from home.
Anything brought will be put up safely until the child is picked up. This policy is for the concern of all children in my care. One of the
behaviors I encourage is respect for others. This includes sharing. Often times children have a hard time sharing toys they bring
with them from home. Also, since children share toys anything from home would have the potential to be damaged or misplaced. The
only exceptions to this policy are:
* a special blanket or stuffed animal to be used at rest time. This will be put up and only used at the appropriate time.
* show and tell. At times we will have a show and tell period. I will inform you ahead of time when this will occur.
Behavior Goals
At Merri's Home Daycare I try to stress two main patterns of behavior: respect for other people and respect for property. As a
result I do not allow hitting, pushing, biting, kicking or pinching other children. Obscene language is not allowed. I also stress that
they treat material possessions (both mine and theirs) with respect
To reinforce these behaviors I use the following procedures. Rules are first explained, then followed up with plenty of reminders
and lots of positive reinforcement. For children 3 and under, redirection and time outs are the only methods of discipline used when
it is necessary. In a time out situation the child will be separated from the group. The child will sit in an appropriate place for one
minute per year of age, not to exceed five minutes. When time out is up, I will talk to the child and try to explain why that behavior
was inappropriate. The child is encouraged to give the offended party an apology and assist in fixing whatever went wrong, to the
best of their ability.
Children under the age of 3 years will not be given time out but will be corrected wit redirection.
If something of a more serious nature or a persistent behavior should occur that is of concern to me, I will need to discuss it with
you so that we can jointly decide on a course of action that is followed at home and in my care. If the problem can not be resolved
arrangements must be made for the child to receive care elsewhere.
Children are never punished for lapses in toilet training or for accidents (spilled milk for example). In either situation I will have the
child help me clean up if possible,not for punishment, but to help teach responsibility.
Potty Training
Upon the arrival of potty training time I will assist in helping with this, provided the child is at least 18 months of age, is showing
signs of readiness (able to indicate the need to use the bathroom, is interested in staying dry, is dry for long periods of the day
,etc), and the parents initiate the process at home first, either over a weekend or during a vacation. Please keep in mind that the
activity level here can distract your child from responding to an urge to use the potty, more so than at home. Therefore, once potty
training has begun the child needs to be in training pants until your child can and will announce that he/she needs to use the bathroom
and can control his/her bladder and bowels for a few minutes beyond that announcement.
During potty training the child needs to be dressed in user friendly clothing as much as possible. The best items are shorts and pants
with elastic waists. Try to avoid really tight clothing, pants with snaps and zippers and overalls as often as you can. Your child will
want to help pull pants,etc. Up and down, plus clothing with too many gadgets makes it harder to get the child on the potty in time.
During potty training you are asked to supply me with 3 extra full changes of clothing, including socks and training pants.
Illness
Please do not bring your child to care if he/she is ill. Masking your child's symptoms with over the counter medication (i.e. tylonol)
before care will be grounds for termination of contract. The health department discourages the admittance of any child into a family
daycare home or center who exhibits any of the following symptoms. therefore it is the policy of Merri's Home Daycare to not
except for care any child who exhibits the following:
* unusual rash
* fever over 100 degrees- child needs to be fever free for 24 hours before returning to care
* runny nose with colored discharge
* excessive coughing
* diarrhea within last 24 hours
* discharge from eyes or ears
* vomiting- do not bring your child if he/she has vomited within past 24 hours
* lice- cases of lice must be treated and child must be lice and nit free before returning to care.
* communicable diseases- all cases require notification of parents of all children in my care as well as notification of the health
department.
Children with a mild cold can attend care if they can participate in normal activities (If the child is too sick to go outside, He/She is
too sick to be at the daycare). They will be monitored and if the cold reaches the point that the child will not play, has a continuous
cough or the nose secretions are not clear, then the parent will be required to pick the child up and keep the child home until they
have been symptom free for 24 hours.
If your child becomes ill while in my home they will be isolated from the other children, still within sight or sound of myself, and
given special attention and comfort. You will be notified immediately and will be required to pick your child up within one hour. If the
parents can not be contacted, emergency contacts will be notified and they will be required to pick up your child. If reasonable
efforts are not made to pick up a sick child, The child care contract is subject to immediate termination. This policy is for the health
and safety of all concerned.
Before returning to care your child must be free of all symptoms for 24 hours, or be accompanied by a doctor's note. If your child
has been absent from care due to illness for 3 or more days, you must bring a doctor's note indicating the child is well enough to
return to care.
These policies benefit your child as well as other children. Your compliance is appreciated and will be compensated with the
assurance that all ill children will be kept at home.
Medication
Prescription medications can not and will not be administered unless all the following conditions are met:
* prescription is current
* medication must be in original container
* container must be labeled with child's name, doctor's name and when to be administered
* a signed medication consent form is on file for each medication to be administered
Non-prescription medications must be in original container and labeled with child's name, name of medication and dosage. A signed
consent form must also be on file for each non-prescription medication.
Please give all medications directly to me upon arrival. Do not leave them in the diaper bag or school bag.
A written log of all medication administered will be kept by myself.
Drop-in Care
I do occasionally accept children for drop in care if i have space available on any given day. Therefore if you tell me that you will not
be bringing your child, There is a chance I will fill your spot for that day and you could potentially lose your day if U do so. Because
of this I do require that you give me a minimum of 24 hour notice if you change your mind or want or need to bring your child to care
after all on your day. You are still responsible for paying for all fees for your contracted days whether your child comes to daycare
or not. I do not accept drop ins solely for the purpose of earning a little extra income, rather i do it as a service to all my parents,
which may include you if you would ever need or want daycare on unscheduled time. Your 24 hour notice is not only put into place
because I may schedule a drop in on your day, but will give me the time to adjust my menus and activities accordingly.
Leave of Absence
Unemployment, lay offs, summer vacation or any leave of longer than 2 weeks will be charged the minimum weekly fee for no longer
than 10 weeks. Your child may of course attend care for paid hours. This fee is due each Monday morning. After 10 weeks fees will
adjust to the regular rate and will continue to be due on Monday mornings. Late payment policies will apply to fees not received as
described above.
Child Abuse and Neglect
As a child care provider, I am obligated by the state of Illinois to report all known or suspected cases of child abuse and/or neglect.
As your child's well being is my first and foremost concern, I can assure you that I will not turn my head the other way if I see, hear
of or suspect your child is being abused or neglected.
General
* Please notify me by 8:00am if your child will not be attending for the day. Please also notify me by 8:00am if your child will arrive
later than normal contracted time.
* If you will not be reachable at your normal telephone number listed on your enrollment form please let me know and give me an
alternate phone number if possible so that you may be contacted promptly in the event of an emergency.
* Parents are required to keep me informed of any change in address, telephone numbers and other pertinent information.
* The daycare home will have fire and tornado drills at least once per month.
* Parents are encouraged to call me at any time during the day or evening. Lots of time I will not be available to answer the phone as I
am quite busy with the children. Please leave a message and I'll return your call as soon as possible.
* I will give a minimum of 2 weeks written notice of any increase in fees or significant changes to this agreement.
* I maintain liability insurance on both my operation and premises, including vehicles used in transportation.
*I retain the right to enforce these policies at will. Lack of enforcement of a certain policy at any time does not indicate that the
particular policy is no longer in effect.
In Closing
Please remember that although I chose this profession because of my love for children, it is also my job. My family depends on my
income as I am sure yours does. Prompt fee payment, adherence to pick up/drop off times, consideration for your sick child, and
consideration for my personal time is very much appreciated. I take my job very seriously and am committed to the very best for
your child(ren). I consider it a privilege to have been entrusted with the care of your child(ren) and I will always treat your child(ren)
with love and respect. If at any time you have suggestions, comments or questions, please feel free to bring them to my attention.
*********Thank you very much!!
