Welcome to Tipton Adaptive Daycare, LLC.  We are a Category B Child Development Home, and we participate in the childcare nutrition program.  We are a member of the Iowa Afterschool Association, the National Association for Family Child Care and the AFSCME Child Care Union.  We have been designated an "Exceptional Day Care Provider" by the Community Action of Eastern Iowa Child Care Nutrition Program.  We hope that you will feel comfortable enough with us to feel secure in the care your child will receive.

Here are my daycare policies and a few hints that will help acquaint you with our daycare:

• Always feel you can talk to me.  Feel free to call me or email me any time.  I like to encourage open communication regarding the health and well being of the children, and I welcome your suggestions.
• Our daycare has an open door policy.  Please feel free to stop by any time during business hours.  Please come on in, as I am often busy with the children and am unable to come to the door.  I have a door chime that lets me know when the door has been opened so that I am aware if anyone is entering or exiting the daycare.
• Please sign your child in and out on the clipboard by the entrance.  This provides me with a record of who dropped off and picked up each child and a record of hours for billing and the child care nutrition program.  Please be sure to initial the box below each time recorded.
• Each family has a folder in the file box on the back of the entry door.  Art work, parent education, announcements, community information, forms for you to sign, and other papers for you to take home are placed in this folder.  Please check your folder daily.
• I recommend that all parents schedule a conference at least once a year to discuss your child's care and progress towards school readiness.  A good time to schedule a conference is the month of the anniversary of your child's enrollment.  This provides an opportunity to update your child's records and forms.  Conferences can be scheduled on weekends and after daycare hours.
• The children all address me as "Mrs. V" rather than calling me by my first name.  This helps the children with transitioning to kindergarten and encourages them to treat teachers with respect.
• We encourage special toys and blankets the children can bring for nap time.  Toys and/or blankets from home not only ease the transition of starting a new daycare, but also help your child feel comfortable, especially at nap time.
• Per DHS guidelines, all children below school-age are required to have a rest time each day.  Children need adequate sleep for them to optimize their ability to learn.  All preschool children are expected to rest on a nap mat.  They may have a book or puzzle if they are not feeling sleepy.  If they rest quietly for at least 30 minutes without getting up, they are allowed to go to the play room to watch a movie and play quietly while the other children are resting.
• Please ensure that your child is getting enough sleep before coming to daycare.  Two to five-year-old children need an average of eleven hours of sleep at night and up to two hours for naps.  Children who have inadequate sleep are more moody, more impulsive, and less able to concentrate.  Children who are chronically sleep deprived demonstrate the same symptoms as children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).  Ensuring your child gets enough sleep is crucial to their ability to learn and function well in a group.
• In the winter, all children wear slippers or non-skid socks in the house.  In the summer they may go barefoot, if they prefer.  We generally do not wear shoes in the house.  Please place their shoes in the shoe crate by the door.  Please remove muddy shoes on the porch.  If you prefer not to remove your shoes, I will be happy to bring your child to you.  Infants tend to play in and eat the dirt tracked in on your shoes.
• When the outside air temperature and wind chill are at least 20 degrees, we will try to go outside to play (weather permitting). When there is snow on the ground, children who have snow pants, snow boots and snow gloves (not mittens) will be allowed to play out in the yard if it is not too wet, slushy or muddy. Children that do not have snow gear will have to stay on the deck so that their clothes don’t get wet.  When the air temperature or wind chill is below 35 degrees, we will keep the amount of time we spend outside brief and I will monitor the kids closely to ensure they are not getting cold.
• Please remember to be careful on the daycare driveway, sidewalk and steps in icy or slick conditions. I try to keep the walkways clear and treated with ice melt, but when I am here alone, I can not go out without leaving the children unsupervised. If I am not able to get outside before the children arrive, I will try to go out during nap time. If you encounter slippery walkways, please let me know, and I will go out to correct it while you are inside with the children.
• Please do not to allow your children to go out the front door without you.  Even though we are on a cul-de-sac, our street can have a lot of traffic and there are many young drivers on our street. It is not safe for your children to be alone in the front yard or driveway.
• Tipton Adaptive Daycare is a smoke free environment.  Please extinguish smoking materials in your car, and please do not discard smoking materials on the ground outside the daycare. As of July 1, 2008, Iowa law prohibits smoking in a child care home, including parking areas, playgrounds, and outdoor areas, including any vehicle located on daycare grounds. Violators can face fines of up to $500 for each violation.
• We try to limit television viewing time by shutting off the TV during normal school hours.  There are exceptions to this policy, such as movies during quiet time for children who are finished napping.  When the TV is on, commercial-free options, such as Noggin and children's videos, are used as much as possible.  When weather permits, the TV is turned off after school and the children are sent outside to play.
• Always try to have an extra set of clothes and a pair of slippers or non-skid socks in your child's cubby.  Please check each spring and fall to make sure the clothes are the correct size and season.  The children may get dirty during play.  If you request it, I will be happy to change them into clean clothes before you pick them up.  "The dirt washes off, the memories don't."
• I provide bibs for infants and toddlers during meals and smocks for messy crafts.  If your child needs drool bibs, please include one when you dress your child, and keep a spare bib in your child's cubby.
• The children are encouraged to play outside frequently when the weather is favorable.  Especially during the summer, please apply sun screen to your child's exposed skin each morning.  If you leave a bottle of sunscreen at daycare, I will try to reapply later in the day, especially before water activities and field trips.
• Please do not send candy, soda, play weapons, or toys that pose a choking hazard to children under three years of age.  Please be considerate to all of the children and do not send food or drinks for your child to consume in front of the other children.
• Your child may bring a toy to share if it is safe for all the children to play with.  Tipton Adaptive Daycare is not responsible for breakage or loss.  Your child will be asked to put the toy away if he/she does not want to share.
• All meals and snacks are provided by the daycare, and follow the childcare nutrition program guidelines.  I am not allowed to make individual substitutions without a doctor's order.  Children are not required to taste or eat anything.  "I decide what goes on their plates, and they decide what goes in their tummies."  You may send a treat to share with all of the children, and it will be offered after our planned snack has been served.
• I have children in my care that have special health care needs and that are at increased risk from illness.  I ask that all of the children receive an annual flu vaccination and refrain from attending daycare when they have a communicable illness.  Please notify the daycare promptly when your child has a communicable illness so that the other children can receive monitoring and/or treatment for the illness.
• Please wash your child's hands or apply hand sanitizer upon entering the daycare to help prevent the spread of illnesses. You should also wash their hands before they leave the daycare.
• I will provide care for mildly ill children who don't have contagious conditions.  A physician visit may be necessary to confirm your child is not contagious.  I can administer medications with a signed medication form.  Ill children may rest on the couch or on a nap mat away from the other children.  If your child needs continuous one-on-one care, they are too ill to attend daycare.The Iowa Department of Public Health Guide to Communicable Diseases will be followed to determine when a child can return to daycare after an illness.
• Infants are allowed to play in the living room, and older children are asked to stay out of this room unless under the direct supervision of a teacher or an assistant.  This is to ensure the safety of the infants, and to prevent the breakage of toys and equipment for infants.  Infants who can crawl or walk are allowed to go into the daycare room with the older children under the supervision of a teacher or assistant.  Cribs are used for napping and when needed for the safety of the infant.  Baby gates are also used as needed to protect children from injury.  Since there is only 1-2 caregivers present at a time, it is not possible to have an adult in direct view of every child all of the time.
• Iron fortified infant cereal is provided as appropriate to children between the ages of four to twelve months.  Cereal is spoon fed and is not put into bottles.  Appropriate table foods from our menu can be prepared in a baby food grinder for infant meals.  Commercial baby foods and formula are not provided by the daycare.
• Parents of infants and toddlers provide the following, if needed:  disposable diapers or training pants, wipes, creams and medications, sunblock, jars of baby food, formula or breast milk, 2-3 bottles, pacifier, blanket, drool bibs, and a change of clothes.  These items remain at daycare, so a diaper bag is not needed.  You will be notified when an item needs to be replenished.
• Parents of children with special needs will need to provide the following, if needed:  disposable diapers, wipes, creams and medications, supplemental or tube feeding formulas, adaptive feeding equipment, tube feeding supplies, special positioning or mobility equipment, communication aids, drool bibs, water-proof pads, change of clothes, communication journal, or any other special equipment or supplies needed.  These items may be left at the daycare at your discretion.
• Please label all items left at daycare with your child's name or initials.  Items not labeled will be labeled with a permanent marker. Items not claimed within 30 days of the last day of attendance will be disposed of at my discretion.
• Infants, children with special needs, and children taking medications at daycare will have a daily care sheet detailing their medications, meals, toileting and special care while at daycare.  A copy of the daily care sheet will be kept in your child's file if they are taking medications or are receiving medical monitoring.
• I generally do not provide transportation to and from pre-school because of the disruption to our routine and the time it takes to get all of the children into the van. I can occasionally provide transportation when other transportation is not available, but the preschool staff will have to meet me at the door so that I am not leaving the other children unsupervised in the van.
• If your child demonstrates behaviors that pose a danger to themselves or other children, including infants, or if they are continuously disrupting my ability to care for the other children, I will meet with you and your child's other caregivers as appropriate to try to find a way for your child to continue to attend daycare safely.  If we are unable to control the dangerous or disruptive behaviors, or if a child is injured as a result of the behaviors, you will be asked to remove your child from daycare.  We are unable to provide continuous 1:1 supervision, but we do welcome other service providers to assist with your child's care.  I will assist as much as possible with locating services to help meet your child's needs.
• Discipline consists of time out in a chair or sitting on the floor, away from the other children.  The time out is one minute per year of age.  If a child is unwilling or unable to sit in time out, he/she may be assisted by sitting on a teacher's lap, or in a playpen, if appropriate. Time out does not begin until the child is calm.  Your child will be told in a developmentally appropriate way why he/she is in time out, and will be redirected to another activity and/or will be assisted in resolving the problem that resulted in his/her behavior.  The goal of our discipline is not to punish the child, but to help the child with his/her impulse control, develop social, communication and problem-solving skills, and to ensure the safety of all of the children.
• In the event an incident occurs, a written incident form will be placed in your child's file describing what occurred and what was done to resolve the problem and/or treat the injury. I may also document behavior problems to help me determine the need for referral and/or dismissal. You will be given a copy of this report when you pick up your child. If your child needs immediate medical attention or needs to be removed from daycare, you or your designated emergency contact will be called to come pick up your child.

  I am required to comply with the Iowa Administrative Code definitions for incidents and incident reporting as follows:

  A “major incident” means an occurrence involving a consumer of services that:
  (1) Results in a physical injury to or by the consumer that requires a physician’s treatment or admission to a hospital;
  (2) Results in someone’s death;
  (3) Requires emergency mental health treatment for the consumer;
  (4) Requires the intervention of law enforcement;
  (5) Requires a report of child abuse pursuant to Iowa Code section 232.69                                                                                                            
  (6) Constitutes a prescription medication error.                                                   
  
  A “minor incident” means an occurrence involving a consumer of services that is not a major incident and that:                                                                                                          
  (1) Results in the application of basic first aid;                        
  (2) Results in bruising;
  (3) Results in seizure activity;
  (4) Results in injury to self, to others, or to property; or
  (5) Constitutes a prescription medication error.

• We offer a brief circle time each morning that includes stories, songs, and pre-academic skills.  We will substitute other activities, such as field trips and trips to the library, as appropriate.  Due to the diversity of the ages and developmental needs of the children, the curriculum is very basic.  Both structured and unstructured learning opportunities are provided throughout  the day. 
• Craft projects are focused on the learning experience and artistic expression rather than the finished product.  There are daily free-play arts and craft activities available, and group craft activities are planned about once a week. This allows time for me to work individually with the children to develop fine motor and pre-academic skills and allows the children to complete the project at their own pace. Arts and crafts activities include play-dough, coloring books, doodle boards, chalk boards, side-walk chalk, and outdoor crafts, so there might not always be a finished product to take home. I prefer to hang the children's art in our classroom for a period of time before sending it home.
• Children learn best through play, so there are generous amounts of both indoor and outdoor free-play time.  We focus our activities and routine interactions to help develop the skills needed for school readiness, including communication skills, social skills, self-help skills, pre-academic skills, impulse-control, attention span, and the independence of the children.

 Again, welcome to our daycare.
  I look forward to serving you and your children.
-Mrs.V