OUR POLICIES

For the safety of your children, any adult designated by the parent will walk the child to his/her classroom and sign them in on the sign in/sign out sheet located in each classroom. The adult responsible for the child is required to notify the teacher(s) of their child’s arrival. No child may be left at the center without completing the sign in/sign out process.

When you pick up your child at the end of the day, check your child’s storage space for notes, artwork, and soiled clothing. Remember to sign the child out on the sign in/sign out sheet located in the classroom. No child will be released to any person that cannot or will not upon request, present a valid driver’s license or proof of identity. No child will be released to anyone that the parent(s) have not specifically authorized and whose name is not on the enrollment form and information card associated with that child. If custody is an issue, we must have a notarized court order on file outlining the custody arrangement. Please do not leave your child unattended or unsupervised for any reason. No person under the age of 18, including family members, may pick up a child from the center. The only expectation of this policy is emancipated minors who are parents. They may pick up their own child from the center. By policy, our staff is not allowed to take your child home with them if you cannot pick-up your child on time.

For any reason the center deems appropriate for the preservation of the safety, security, health, or general well-being of the center, Beautiful Beginnings Child Care may temporarily or permanently exclude any person from the center. This may include a parent, who poses or is likely to pose a risk to the center or who fails or refuses to conduct themselves in a manner befitting a child care environment. Prohibitions include but are not limited to: profanity, yelling, threatening, aggressive or violent behavior, intoxication, or failure to follow Beautiful Beginnings Child Care policy and procedures. These prohibitions apply to any and all persons present at the center.

Beautiful Beginnings Child Care first shift ends at 5:30 PM. If a child is picked up after 5:30 PM, we run into staffing issues. Due to this issue arising, a late-pick up fee will be charged of $2.00 dollars per minute per child that the parent is late. If you are more than one half an hour late and the staff has been unable to contact any unauthorized adult to pick up your child, the law requires that we contact social services who will pick up your child for safekeeping. Please know that we only release children to authorized personnel listed on the child’s enrollment forms unless written consent has been given to the center by the parent or guardian in advance.

We at Beautiful Beginnings Child Care strive for no unnecessary closings; however, the weather is out of our control. We must consider the safety for our parents and children and our staff and their families. If the center is closing due to inclement weather, it will be announced on the center’s answering machine prior to opening that day. Please call in the case of inclement weather.

If for any reason inclement weather should occur during the hours of operation, the Director or your child’s teacher will notify you by phone to inform you of the time the center will be closing. The parents are then required to pick up their child before the closing hour. If you fail to pick up your child on time, the late fees will be enforced.

It is your responsibility as a parent to pay for any and all inclement weather closings up to five days per year.

Please note: If the weather does not permit outside play, indoor activities will be provided.

Once your child has been enrolled in our program for one year, your family will be offered a one week vacation in which you do not have to pay tuition; however, your child cannot attend the center during this time. Please note: This week does not offer a cash value. We do suggest that you take these days consecutively; however, you are allowed to take them one at a time if you please. These days are documented and will be kept in our records until your child no longer attends our center. In order to use these days, you must contact the Director in advance. When these days are used, there is a standard vacation form that must be filled out and signed an order for you to be able to take them. If your child goes from full-time status to part-time status, the vacation week will no longer be offered as the policy states full-time families only. If your child will not attend Beautiful Beginnings Child Care for any reason (sick, vacation, or holiday) and you do not have any flex days available, we require that the entire week’s tuition be paid in full prior to the absence; this will guarantee your child space upon return.

We are concerned about the children entrusted to our care. Please call and let us know if your child is going to be absent. The tuition rate remains the same. Operations cost and payroll continue whether your child is or is not in attendance. After two weeks of uninformed absences, your child will be withdrawn and the space may be filled. You will be billed for those two weeks. In order for your child to return you must reapply for admission if there is space available. Termination may not be necessary if contact has been made with the center and the absences are deemed necessary or excused.

If you find it necessary to withdraw your child from the center, a two week written notice is required. If the written notice is not given or if the director chooses to deny the written notice, you are responsible for the tuition for those weeks. Furthermore, allotted vacation weeks are not allowed to be used for any portion of the two week notice.

Should one of the following situation arise, Beautiful Beginnings Child Care may be required to terminate the child care being provided to you:

• Failure to pay tuition in full and on time – We require that payment be received in advance for the upcoming week and coincides with the child schedule given to the center Director. Allowance is not made for occasional absences. A fee may be charged if your child is absent for a full calendar week due to illness or vacation. Each week, a late payment fee will be charged to accounts not paid in full on your child’s first scheduled day. Delinquent accounts may be turned over to our Collections Department and could incur additional fees. It is at the directors discretion to discontinue services until the account is current.
• Verbal or physical abuse by your child to other children or two staff – One of the main goals at Beautiful Beginnings Child Care is to ensure the safety of every child and every staff member in our center at any and all times. A child’s language and behavior, which can be harmful to other children and staff, such as profanity, sexual language, humiliation, throwing rocks, toys, furniture, etc., is inappropriate and unacceptable behavior. If your child should display such behavior, an incident report will be completed by your child’s teacher. The center Director will review it with you to identify possible solutions. If the behavior continues to be a problem, you will be asked to withdraw your child.
• Non-compliance with updating immunization records – When enrolling your child, a copy of his/her immunization records is required. However, the center must keep an updated copy of their immunization records on file at all times. Each time your child receives any immunizations from the physician, please provide the center with a copy of these records. If a parent fails to provide the center with updated immunization records, the child will be temporarily or permanently terminated. This decision is at the Director’s discretion.

Beautiful Beginnings Child Care has an open door policy for parents. We welcome and encourage your visit at any and all times. You have unlimited access to the center during business hours for the purpose of contacting your child and assessing the care provided. Please notify the center Director, or designee of your presence upon arrival. Stop by and eat lunch, take your child in for a nap, or observe the activities whenever you like. Our goal is to provide positive learning experiences for your child.

Outdoor play is essential to a child’s growth, development, and overall health. The state requires all licensed facilities to take all children outside to play for a minimum of one hour per day, weather permitting. North Carolina state licensing laws state that only in the case of severely inclement weather will the children be kept inside. This refers to thunderstorms, hail, ice, extreme cold, and extreme heat. Only in these cases will the children be kept inside all day. On the days that they are kept inside, each classroom has a daily gross motor activity. We will plan vigorous gross activities daily. This is done to make sure that they are getting at least one hour of exercise per day, even if they cannot be taken outside. Our center has a wonderful outdoor space with equipment that the children can play with at their disposal. This equipment is cleaned weekly and all state safety standards are checked on a monthly basis. This is the child’s chance to explore, run, scream, and simply experience the outdoors as they deem fit. Please ensure that your child is both dressed and equipped for the weather each day. Please ensure that you put on sunscreen on your child if needed before coming to the center. Please provide a coat, hat and gloves for cold days. If you wish, you can also send in rain boots that your child can and will be changed into before heading outside to play in the rain or on a muddy day.

Your child’s day at Beautiful Beginnings Child Care is filled with all kinds of hands-on learning experiences. Children should wear simple, washable clothing and comfortable shoes. Since our classroom extends to the outdoors, please dress your child appropriately for the weather. Remember that your child will be running, jumping, climbing, and should wear appropriate shoes for all of these activities. Beaded necklaces and bracelets are not allowed to be worn by children under 3 years old due to choking hazards. We may ask that you remove the drawstring or sew a seam through the drawstring at the middle of the hood or next so that neither end can be pulled out and become caught on an object. Drawstrings can be considered a choking hazard, especially for younger children. Days at the center can be messy as well, so please bring a change of clothes for your child to keep in the cubby at all times. Please include a top, bottom, shoes, socks, and underwear. Make sure clothing is labeled, including jackets and coats.

The center is required to offer a nap and rest time during the day. During this time, children are encouraged to nap or rest on their mats or in their cribs to ensure that they have the energy to tackle the afternoon activities. Children are only required to rest for 15 minutes on his/her mat. If the child has not fallen asleep in the allotted time and wishes to get up, he/she will be allowed to get up and play quietly, read books, color, etc. This is to ensure that the children who would like to nap are given the opportunity to get the rest that their bodies and minds require. The nap and rest time at Beautiful Beginnings Child Care is approximately between 12:00 PM and 2:30 PM. The center provides mats and sheets for the children which are washed weekly (for children over 12 months of age) or whenever soiled. Sheets for children under 12 months of age are changed and washed daily. Many children need a security item from home to feel comfortable during nap time so we encourage you to bring the special item for your child, this item could be a special blanket or small stuffed animal. Keep in mind that the items need to fit in your child’s cubby for storage throughout the day. Please label all items as well.

A $100.00 supply fee will be charged annually per child for classroom and center supplies. No family will pay more than $200 annually in supplies fees. The supply fee is due by January 31st. It is at the directors discretion to raise tuition rates, registration fees, and/or supply fees based upon the center’s rating and the needs of the center.

All meals and snacks are required to meet the nutritional guidelines set forth by the state of North Carolina; However, if you wish to provide cake, cupcakes, cookies, etc. for a special occasion, please feel free to do so. Health codes prohibit home baked goods from being served to the children, so please remember to bring in store or bakery purchased goods. Special occasions consist of birthdays, holidays, class parties, etc. Also, feel free to come by and enjoy the treat with your child and his/her classroom. Please remember that children do not tend to display the self control that adults can and they do not understand why one child can have a cookie but they cannot, so please be mindful of these things and bring enough for all of the children in the classroom. This privilege is reserved for special occasions to ensure that the children are getting the proper nutrition on a daily basis. If you wish to provide a snack and wish to come and join the classroom, please contact the Director and the teacher to ensure that everyone is aware of the plan and the teacher will make sure to have a special time for you to attend that does not interfere with any other daily activities.

Beautiful Beginnings Child Care is an equal opportunity provider of child care services. Applications for enrollment are accepted without regard to race, religion, gender, or national origin. Our center is not staffed or equipped to serve the needs of children with severe physical, mental, or developmental impairments; however, children with limited special needs will be considered individually based upon reasonable accommodation. Prior to acceptance, Beautiful Beginnings Child Care will make individual assessments of each child to determine whether our program can meet the child particular needs and will confer with the child’s physicians, teachers, and parents in this regard for any reason that Beautiful Beginnings Child Care deems appropriate for the preservation of the safety, security, health, or general well-being of the center, Beautiful Beginnings Child Care in its sole discretion, reserves the right to refuse the enrollment of any child, or at any time during the enrollment ask parents to make temporary or permanent alternate arrangements for the care of a child in rolled in Beautiful Beginnings Child Care program. The acceptance of an application for enrollment or a pre-registration fee does not guarantee enrollment.

Beautiful Beginnings Child Care provides nutritionally balanced snacks and meals. Breakfast, A.M. snack, lunch, and an afternoon snack will be served to the children daily. Menus are posted in the center and copies will be made for parents if requested. Unless your child’s diet is to be modified due to religious or medical reasons, or you choose to OPT out of the center’s food program altogether, your child will be served according to the menu. We are not licensed to provide meals, milk, or snacks to children under the age of 12 months. The center does keep a small amount of baby food in stock for emergencies; however, it is the parents responsibility to provide all food and beverages for any child less than 12 months of age. Children 12 months of age or older or serve food and beverages that meet all USDA and North Carolina State nutritionally and portion requirements.

Beautiful Beginnings Child Care is not licensed to provide care for children who are ill. Listed below are symptoms of illness in which your child must be excluded from attending the center. In parenthesis are the required qualifications which must be met in order for a child to return to the center. Please note: Beautiful Beginnings Child Care chooses to take all children’s temperature axillary, or under the arm, instead of orally or anally.

• Fever over 101°F with behavior changes that do not allow the child to participate in routine activities (Child must be fever free for 24 hours without the assistance of a pain reliever/fever reducer.)
• Two or more bowel movements in which the store contains more water than the child’s average bowel movement resulting in diarrhea. (Your child can return the following day; however, if they have two or more bowel movements congruent with the standard set above they will be sent home again)
• Two or more episodes of vomiting within a 12-hour period. (Your child can return the following day however, if the child has one episode of vomiting, they will be sent home again.)
• Pink eye – a red eye with white or yellow discharge is continued to be at risk of a pink eye. If the staff notices the above symptom, you will immediately be notified and asked to retrieve your child in a timely manner. (Child can return to the center 24 hours after starting treatment or with a physician’s note stating that the child is not contagious.)
• Evidence of lice or scabies. (I’ll evidence and/or symptoms must be completely gone before the child can return to the center)
• Chickenpox or a rash that is suggestive of chickenpox. (A child can return to the center seven days after the onset, when the best schools have dried, or with a note from the physician approving the child’s return to the center.)
• Tuberculosis (A child can return to the center when I Health professional send a note stating that the child is no longer infectious)
• Strep throat (A child can return to the center 24 hours after treatment has been started)
• Pertussis (A child can return to the center five days after treatment has started)
• Hepatitis A virus (A child can return to the center one week after the onset of the illness or jaundice)
• Impetigo (A child can return to the center 24 hours after the treatment has started)

If your child or children were exposed to a communicable childhood disease, you would wish to know immediately. Please extend our center the same courtesy and inform us if your child has been exposed to or diagnosed with a communicable disease so that we can alert the other parents. If your child becomes ill while in attendance, we will contact you to pick up your child immediately.

We reserve the right to continue to exclude a child despite a physician’s statement if that statement contradicts the center’s policies. We will do this to ensure the health of the other children in the center.

According to NC state licensing regulations, no prescription or over-the-counter medication, lotion, or topical ointment will be administered to a child without a written consent which has been signed by the parent. The center has a standard form that must be filled out; a note from the parent will not suffice. A new form is required for any medication, lotion, or topical ointment. These forms are required to be very specific; therefore, there will be a different form for each different medication, lotion, and topical ointment. No expired medications will be administered to a child under any circumstance. The caregiver will offer to return the item to the parent, if the parent does not take the medication or ointment, it will then be disposed of, This policy includes but is not limited to:

• Prescription medication
• Over-the-counter medication
• Medication for chronic illnesses
• Allergy medication
• Diaper cream
• Baby powder
• Insect repellent
• Sunscreen

Beautiful beginnings childcare reserves the right to decline to administer any type of medication, lotion, or topical ointment that they see fit. If this happens, it will be the parents responsibility to ensure that they are at the center to administer the medication to the child themselves. Furthermore, several over-the-counter medications have a minimum age requirement. This can be found on the back of the box, bottle, tube, etc. The center will not administer any medication to a child that is younger than the suggested age limit, even if the parent has signed a medication form.

We take extreme precautions to prevent childhood accidents; however, as children begin to test their limitations, accidents can occur. Safety is our number one priority. Although several safeguards are in place, accidents can still happen. If your child has an accident or suffers a minor injury while at the center, we will administer basic first aid and you will be notified. If your child needs non-emergent medical care, we will call you promptly so that you can arrange for him/her to be seen by a doctor. We will call 911 in the event of an emergency. If your child requires medical attention due to injury, we will be asked to sign a form acknowledging that the matter was reported to you in a timely manner. Our teachers are required to keep current in First aid and CPR training so that in case of an emergency they will know how to respond. Each incident or accident is documented on our incident/accident log report.

• Fire drills – Monthly emergency fire drills are held at varying times and are documented. Staff members remain calm and reassure the children. Each classroom has a primary exit plan, as well as a secondary exit plan. Each of these plans are practiced during the fire drills; however, only one exit plan is practiced during each fire drill. All members of the staff are trained in fire safety every 12 months.

• Closures – In the event of a power or water failure, parents will be notified if the power/water does not immediately come back on. Parents must pick up their children within an hour of the outage as the center is not allowed to operate more than one hour after the outage. If you have not notified the center that you are running late, and the outage has yet to resolve itself, the center is required to consider the child abandoned and notify the appropriate law-enforcement agencies.

• Evacuations – In the event that an evacuation is required, the center has made arrangements with two businesses nearby for the center to transport the children to. The center will use any company or staff personal vehicles to transfer the children in order to get as many children evacuated as quickly as possible. No adult under 18 years of age or without a license will be transporting any children. The staff will remain in ratio while transporting the children and waiting for the parents to arrive. The center will then use the staff cellular phones to connect the parents of the children and will ask that you immediately come to retrieve your child. The center has an emergency plan that includes water, snacks, formula and bottles, diapers, wipes, as well as child and staff emergency and contact information.

Here at Beautiful Beginnings Child Care, we seek to build a child’s self-esteem by helping them develop self-control and responsibility for their actions. We will never use physical punishment or belittle a child anyway. Often unwanted behaviors are caused because of a child’s lack of communication skills. They may be angry or tired and they do not have the vocabulary to tell us so. Therefore, we use praise, positive reinforcement, and redirection to go to children in the right direction. Occasionally it may be necessary to separate a child from the group for aggressive behavior; this will consist of a time-out period according to the child’s age. For instance, a 3 year old child will sit in time-out for no more than 3 minutes and a five-year-old child will sit in time out for no more than 5 minutes. No child shall be handled roughly in any way. We do not use denial of food, rest, toileting, etc. as a source of punishment. Each parent is required to read and sign the discipline and behavior policy by the first day of the child’s enrollment in the center.

Communication between parents and staff is the foundation of a good relationship. Please take the time with your child’s teacher daily. If you have questions, ideas, concerns, or problems, please talk to your child’s teacher or the Director as soon as possible. Good communication will prevent small problems from becoming big problems. Parents are welcome to set up times when they can meet with their child’s teacher to discuss the progress of the child. These conferences are set up so that they do not interfere with the daily class routine. Parents may also call and check out their child if they desire. It is our desire to keep open lines of communication so that parents can obtain information and discuss interests and concerns. Please read all notes that are sent home or posted in the center as these policies apply to all families.

State law requires that any caregiver suspecting that a child is suffering from abuse or neglect must report suspicious activity to the department of social services. If a staff member suspects abuse, D.S.S. will be notified. Each child will be checked each morning for any illness or any suspicious symptoms. Any wrongful mark on a child will be documented and reported to the Director. Any allegation of abuse or neglect received by the center will be referred to the County Department of Social Services within 24 hours of receipt of the complaint or on the next working day.

Teachers have a daily and weekly checklist of chores that need to be done throughout the center before the end of the day. This is to help prevent the spread of germs. We use diluted Clorox water to wash down the furniture and toys often. Children’s blankets should be sent home weekly to be washed and the mat sheets which are washed weekly by the center.

Beautiful Beginnings Child Care carries peace of mind for parents utilizing our child care services. In the event that a child is accidentally hurt, there is a primary accident medical expense coverage in place which covers applicable accidents. Beautiful Beginnings Child Care encourages parents to provide medical/health coverage for their child/children.

We respect the right of each family to privacy and confidentiality regarding all health, behavioral, and developmental records and information concerning their child. Various federal and state statutes, local ordinances, and regulatory rules protect the right to privacy and confidentiality. If your child is involved in an altercation, or a biting incident with another child, we do not reveal the “biter’s” identity to the parents of the other child without written consent from the biter’s parents, except as required by law. Federal law prohibits Beautiful Beginnings Child Care from testing children who bite for HIV and Hepatitis B.

All parents should ensure that their child is immunized according to the schedule recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics to protect against Polio, Measles, Mumps, Rubella (German Measles), Whooping Cough (Pertussis), Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Haemophilus (HIB) infections. Without these required immunizations, these childhood illnesses can cause several handicaps or in severe cases can be fatal. If your child immunizations are not complete, following the recommended schedule, Beautiful Beginnings Child Care may exclude your child for the protection of the other children until such immunizations are current. Parents who request that such immunizations be waived on religious grounds must submit the request for such a waiver in writing. The waiver must be signed by the Director and the parents. Each child must have a medical and current immunizations (continuously kept up-to-date) record on file. Please bring copies of all updates to the center so that we can keep your child’s records up-to-date.

If your child is bitten: Child development research indicates that approximately 50% of all children enrolled in childcare centers will be bitten. Toddlers especially will often use biting as a form of communication. Beautiful Beginnings Child Care will strive to minimize biting accidents. If a biting occurs we will do our best to comfort your child and care for his/her needs immediately. We will also inform the biters parents and work with them and their child to change their behavior.

If your child bites: Although we acknowledge biting as a development phase, it is very serious. If your child bites, we will develop a plan with you to try to correct the behavior. However, if the biting is aggressive, breaks the skin, or does not lesson within a reasonable period of time, we may ask you to temporarily withdraw your child until the biting diminishes. Upon your child’s return, if biting continues you may be asked to withdraw your child until he or she is older.

SIDS Policy (applies to children younger than 12 months of age).

Beautiful Beginnings Child Care uses a safe sleep policy which is posted in all infant classrooms. Children under 12 months of age will be placed on their back to sleep. No stuffed animals, fluffy blankets, pillows, bottles, etc. will be allowed in the crib with the child while sleeping. The child is allowed to have a pacifier. . There is a form that can be filled out by the child’s physician if the child has an illness that requires them to sleep in another position. If you, as the parent, wish to have your child sleep on his/her stomach, there is a standard form that you may choose to fill out which gives the center and all staff permission to allow the child to sleep on his/her stomach. This form is only valid if the child is six months of age or older. This form will not be accepted before the child is six months old. All staff members at Beautiful Beginnings Child Care are required to obtain SIDS training within 2 months of hire. They are also required to maintain the training and to not let it expire. This way, each staff member is trained in working in our staff sleep policies as well as how to handle any SIDS complications with a sleeping infant (under 12 months old). We require our staff to have this training in order to

ensure the safety of the sleeping infants as well as the peace of mind of the parents no matter which teachers are in the room at that time.

Beautiful Beginnings Child Care begins with toilet training your child(ren) whenever the parent feels as if their child is ready. Potty training is not offered to children who have not transitioned into the 2 year old classroom. This is a difficult and time-consuming activity and it is vital that you, as the parent, begin toilet training at home as well. We will do everything that we can to work with you on the steps to toilet train your child. We take your child to the restroom every 30 to 45 minutes and set them on the toilet, if they are willing, even if they do not have to use the bathroom. This helps them get used to the feel of being on the “potty” even if they are not comfortable using it yet. Your child is praised repetitively when they do choose to use the toilet. This helps reassure them that going in the toilet is the right thing to do. During the potty training period, once your child begins using the potty almost every day, we will ask you if you were prepared to put them into underwear. If you are, your child will be placed in underwear every day and in the event of an accident, your child will be cleaned and changed into another pair of underwear and pants. Please remember to send several pairs of underwear and pants for your child in case of accidents. If you wish, your child will be put into a pull-up to nap until they are able to hold their urine for longer periods of time. Also, your child will be put into a pull-up if the center has changed their clothes several times and are down to the last pair of pants they have been sent from home. In this case, the child will wear a pull-up for the remainder of the day and will continue to be taken to the restroom every 30 to 45 minutes to use the toilet. Soiled clothing will be sent home with the parent upon retrieval of their child and will be asked to send additional cleaning clothes the following day.