We Are Committed to the Children and Families We Serve
The Children’s Garden
70 Bradley Rd • Woodbridge, CT 06525 • (203) 387-7018
www.childrensgardeninc.com
This Parent Handbook is provided to you to aid in the smooth and happy admittance of your child into our program. The Director will be available to answer any questions about the information included in this handbook. You will be asked to sign a form stating that you have read and understand the contents of this handbook.
Core Values
Commitment
We are committed to the children and families we serve
Nurturing
All children are cared for in a loving, nurturing environment
Social Beings
Children are social beings and we will provide opportunities for them to work and play with each other along side of responsive adults.
Mission Statement
Our mission here at The Children’s Garden is to provide safe, affordable, high quality child care for all children enrolled in our center. In doing so, we support families in their efforts to reach their goals. The Children’s Garden provides a cognitively based program for children ages six weeks to five years. The Children’s Garden staff is committed to the families we serve as well as providing support and encouragement.
FORMS:
Every child enrolled into the Children’s Garden must have the following forms on record at the center.
1. Registration Form
2. Family and Child Information Form
3. Authorization Forms
4. Child Health Record
5. Signed Enrollment Agreement
6. Discipline and Parent Handbook Sign off
7. If applicable, Topical Medication Forms or Medication Administration Forms
All information must be kept up to date and accurate. Please report any changes or new information to the office immediately. Your child will not be permitted to attend unless all the required paperwork in complete.
HOURS:
Our hours of operation are 7:30AM to 5:30PM, Monday through Friday. It is essential that children be dropped off and picked up within this time frame. We do not allow any child to be dropped off prior to 7:30AM. Please be sure there are 2 staff members on premises before leaving you child at the center.
Part-time enrollments must be picked up within a 5 hour time frame to avoid additional charges. If you are enrolled part-time and need to extend your hours, please let management know in advance.
DROP OFF POLICY:
We ask that you be consistent in timing when dropping off your child. We encourage parents to drop their children off no later than 10:00am to minimize disruption to the classroom and for scheduling reasons. Please be sure to notify the center if your child will be arriving after 10:00am. Please advise the center director or a staff member of any problems your child may have had, physical or emotional in the past 24 hours. Please be sure to sign your child in and out in the lobby when dropping off and picking up. This is a State requirement and must be done daily.
HALF DAY PICK UP POLICY:
Please be prompt when picking up your child from the center. Half day children should be picked up within the 5 hour timeframe. There will be an additional $15.00 per hour charge for children left at the center past the 5 hour time frame. If someone other than the parent will be picking up your child please notify the center in writing at drop off time. Please include the individual’s full name and phone number in this written notice. This is for your child’s safety and protection. If you will be picking up your child later than the scheduled time please notify staff at drop off.
LATE PICK UP POLICY:
Again, Please be prompt when picking up your child up at the end of the day. Our center closes at 5:30pm and we are only licensed to care for your child until 5:30pm.You must arrive at the center no later than 5:30pm. Our staff does not receive compensation past 5:30pm so if you are late arriving to pick up your child you will incur an additional fee. This fee will go directly to staff here with your child after hours. The late pick up fee is $15.00 per every 15 minutes you are late past 5:30pm, for example; pick up between 5:31-5:45pm will incur a $15.00 charge, if picking up after 5:45pm than another $15:00 will be added to that fee and so on. Two staff members will remain on premises with your child at all times. Excessive late pickups will result in possible termination of your enrollment here at the center.
LEFT CHILD PROCEDURE:
On the advisement of State of Connecticut Officials, we are herewith stating our policy concerning children who are left at the center after closing time (5:30PM). Two staff will always remain on the licensed premises with the child or children. In the event of an emergency, when you cannot be at the center by closing time, you must notify the staff and make arrangements for an authorized individual to pick up your child. If you fail to make contact with the center staff by 5:45PM, we will contact authorized individuals on your pick up list. If we are unable to reach an alternate pick up we will then be required to contact the local authorities; which is advised by our state and local officials. The Woodbridge police department will be notified and asked to come and retrieve your child from the center and maintain custody of your child until a parent or guardian can be reached. Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES is the staff allowed to transport your child off the premises due to a late pick up.
TUITION PAYMENT POLICY:
Tuition is to be paid on the first day of services for each week that services are provided. If your tuition payment is not received by Wednesday of the current week a $15.00 late fee will be applied to your tuition payment. If tuition payment is not paid by Friday of the current week, including any late fees, then your child may not return to the center until your past due tuition along with the following week’s tuition is paid in full. NO EXCEPTION! IF YOU WISH TO PAY ON FRIDAY THEN YOU MUST BE A WEEK AHEAD ON TUITION PAYMENTS.
There will be a $25.00 fee charged for all returned checks. If your check is returned by your bank you will be responsible for making payment of the tuition fee along with the $25.00 returned check fee within 2 days of the notice of unpaid tuition. If your check is returned a second time you will no longer be allowed to pay your tuition by check and it must be paid in cash or money order.
You will be charged your full tuition rate regardless of holidays or days your child is out due to illness or personal reasons. Full tuition is also required regardless of center closings due to weather, loss of electricity, loss of heat or AC as well as any other unforeseen circumstances that will not allow us to operate on any given day.
If your child will be absent for an entire week due to a vacation or time off then you may utilize 1 week annually where half tuition may be paid. After the use of your one half week, any additional full week’s absence will require the payment of full tuition. Please note that if you are to utilize your half week, advance notice of this time off must be given to the Center Director. Payment for any week that your child will not be attending is due the week prior on the last day your child is in attendance. Failure to make this payment prior to your child’s absence will result in a $15.00 late payment fee. Your child must be out an entire week (Monday-Friday) to use the half week. The Children’s Garden reserves the right to terminate day care provisions, at any time, without notice, due to unpaid tuition.
Any unpaid tuition is subject to legal action should the family leave or have their enrollment terminated.
TUITION DISCOUNTS:
Our center offers discount for siblings, Yale Affiliates and those employed by Marrakech. The discount for siblings is 10% off the total combined tuition, the discount for Yale affiliates and Marrakech employees is 10% off full time enrollment and 5% off part time enrollment.
OPTIONS FOR TUITION PAYMENTS:
Our center accepts the following forms of payment: Cash, Check, Money Order, Online Payments and Credit Card Payments. Please note that credit card payments may be subject to an additional fee. If using our online system, payments must be set up through a checking or savings account to avoid additional fees. If you use a credit card for your online payments you will see an additional fee added to your tuition. Please remember that all tuition payments are due the first day of services, no later than Wednesday, to avoid the $15.00 late fee.
ANNUAL TUITION INCREASES:
At the Children’s Garden we increase tuition annually in September. A 30 day notice will be sent out to all families with notification of this increase and your new tuition payment. A reminder is sent out the week prior to the increase.
WITHDRAWAL PROCEDURE:
If you plan to withdrawal your child from the center you must submit, in writing, 2 weeks’ notice and include the final 2 weeks tuition payments with this notice. If you fail to leave the 2 weeks tuition payment with your notice then your enrollment will be terminated immediately.
If the center chooses to withdraw or terminate your child’s enrollment due to any reason the center will give 2 weeks written notice to the family as long as your child is not imposing a health or safety risk to the staff or children. If the termination of your child is due to a health or safety reason, the center reserves the right to terminate your child’s enrollment immediately without repercussion. Any paid tuition fees that were paid for the current week of termination will not be refunded. If tuition is paid in advance then any unused weeks may be refunded to the family.
CARE 4 KIDS PAYMENTS:
Our center accepts the Care 4 Kids program. A valid certificate from Care 4 Kids is required upon enrollment for us to accept payments made by them. Our policy regarding this program is in such, any family currently on the Care 4 Kids program will be responsible for paying the difference of the tuition after the Care 4 Kids amount is deducted. Any family awaiting Care 4 Kids approval will be responsible for the full tuition payment until a certificate is received by the center. Once a current certificate is received the payment amount will be adjusted and any credits will be applied to the families account. The family may choose to use this credit to pay their portion of the weekly tuition until it is used up.
Care 4 Kids requires all applications to be recertified every 9-11 months, this process is called redetermination. Redetermination applications will be sent to families approximately 2 months prior to the current certificates expiration date. We strongly suggest all families that are due for redetermination gather all required forms and paperwork and submit it to Care 4 Kids at least 30 days prior to the expiration date on the current certificate. This will ensure that a new certificate is issued prior to the current one expiring. If you delay submitting your redetermination and your current certificate expires prior to the center receiving a new one, you will be responsible for the full tuition until the new certificate arrives.
The breakdown for Care 4 Kids payments is as follows; on the reverse side of the certificate is the total amount each month that Care 4 Kids will pay. Taking that total amount and dividing it by 4.3 will give you the total weekly amount that Care 4 Kids is paying for your child. The reason we divide by 4.3 is due to some months having 5 weeks and not 4 weeks. We will then take the amount that Care 4 Kids is paying each week and deduct it from our regular weekly tuition rate. The difference between the two is the amount the family is responsible for paying. You will see an amount on the front of your certificate stated as your “family fee”, this amount is figured out by Care 4 Kids based on your income as what they feel you could pay weekly. Please note this is not the amount you will be responsible for paying as our policy is to charge the difference after the Care 4 Kids portion is deducted from our tuition rate.
WEATHER CLOSINGS, DELAYS AND EARLY DISMISSALS:
The Children’s Garden will post all closing and delays on NBC 30 and WTNH. Please visit the websites for these news stations and set up for text alerts for closings and delays. When setting up the alerts, please be sure to search for Children’s Garden, Woodbridge. Information regarding weather related closings, delays or early dismissals will also be posted to The Children’s Garden Facebook page.
If the center will be closing early due to weather conditions it will be posted to NBC 30 and WTNH as well as our Facebook page. Phone calls will also be made to all families notifying them of an early dismissal.
Holiday Closings:
Our center does close for the following major holidays:
New Years Day
Good Friday
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving
Christmas Day
A Holiday closing schedule is given to families every September with the dates the center will be closed in recognition of these holidays. Please be aware that Thanksgiving and Christmas may have a 2 day closing. It will depend on the day Christmas falls on to determine if the center will close one day or two. The center may also close early on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve. Please look out for the holiday schedule in September to be aware of the current school years closing schedule.
SUMMER PROGRAM AND FIELD TRIPS:
The Children’s Garden does offer a summer program in addition to our year round program. The summer program is an important component of our curriculum and the children will be involved in many fun and educational activities during the summer months. On occasion the children in our Pre-K program may travel off premises on field trips. There will be additional forms for transportation and activity participation for field trips. Only children age 3-5 will participate in off- premises trips and they are optional. Additional fees will be required and will vary depending on the trip planned.