happy zone early learning center: parent policies handbook · staff has completed the basic...

Happy Zone Early Learning Center: Parent Policies Handbook 2014

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WELCOME

Welcome to the Happy Zone Early Learning Center. We are licensed by the State of Washington’s Department

of Early Learning to provide child care services for infants-school age children. We appreciate your interest in

our center and we are convinced that your family’s needs will be met with the highest level of competence

according to developmentally appropriate practices and, in the process, you and your child will develop a close

relationship with the staff and community. Your child will be nurtured and introduced to a world of exploration,

creativity and learning and we are excited to have the opportunity to grow with your child.

INTRODUCTION

From its inception, The Happy Zone Daycare has been a staple in the community of Tukwila and after

providing family childcare services for nearly 20 years, the decision to provide childcare services in a center

became a natural transition. Our facility features 3 classrooms that serve various age groups, while as a whole;

the center is an integral component of the lives of several families from various backgrounds, demographics and

the diversity that is reflected in the center is highly welcomed, respected and celebrated.

It is our practice that each staff that is hired has a genuine, authentic passion for working with children and

exceeds minimum staff licensing requirements combined with extensive experience. What this means is that the

staff has completed the basic requirements of First Aid, CPR, Blood Borne Pathogens, Food Handler’s Permit,

20 Hours STARS Training and, additionally, many have received or are in pursuit of a Child Development

Associate or Associates of Arts degree in Early Learning. We maintain continued education information for

staff to be able to explore pursuing higher levels of education.

Over the years, Happy Zone has developed an approach to working with children which is patience, love and of

course…lots of hugs! Each child should be treated as an individual. We strongly believe it is the responsibility

of the parents and caregivers to meet those needs and provide a nurturing environment for the child in order for

them to flourish, feel comforted and safe.

As a consortium of child care providers, Happy Zone staff is a committed group of early learning specialists

who will be sure to develop a personal relationship with your family and child. We commit to assist and

nurture, by promoting child development and strengthening communities. To the best of our ability, we will

provide a quality program as well as a safe learning environment that encourages life-long learning and a future

of academic success. We will ensure that children will gain a foundation of social skills, play, adventure,

investigation while keeping in mind that it takes a village to raise a child.

MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission is to provide a healthy, safe, learning environment that meets the needs of each individual child and

family while creating an atmosphere where children can grow according to their social, physical, cultural and

emotional needs. Our vision is that every child/family is treated with love and respect.


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PROGRAM GOALS

Our program goals have an emphasis on learning through play. We strongly believe that a children’s play is

their work. We strive to make sure that each child builds socialization and self-help skills that encourage a

positive self-esteem, which is needed to succeed in all areas of life. Our main objectives to:

Provide a service for parents while they work, attend school or other necessary obligations.

Prepare children for future academic success by offering the foundational building blocks of early

childhood education.

Enhance children’s self-concept and social skills as they learn to get along in the world.

Ensure that children have a childhood that merges learning and play through scaffolding practices.

Provide a program that promotes cognitive, social, emotional and physical development that maximizes

independence.

NON-DISCRIMINATION & ANTI-BIAS STATEMENT

We recognize value and promote diversity by offering a program that reflects the community in which we are

located and we provide an anti-bias, family centered program. We will make sure that each family’s cultures

and concerns are addressed and incorporated into our curriculums.

Happy Zone will not discriminate based on ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion,

language, or physical or mental abilities. We are dedicated to providing an anti-bias environment for children

and families that encourages and active approach to challenging prejudices, stereotyping and biases by:

Fostering a confident, self-identity in each child.

Foster empathetic interactions with people from diverse backgrounds.

Foster each child’s critical thinking about biases.

Foster each child’s ability to stand up for themselves and for others when faced with biases.

In addition to our non-discrimination and anti-bias policy, we would like to make it clear that we are a non-

religious child care center; however, we may decorate the classroom or participate in activities related to the

season’s theme. We would like to incorporate your family’s traditions, decoration and food into our classroom.

We also celebrate most national recognized holidays in the classroom. If your have any concerns, please speak

with your child’s lead teacher directly.


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CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT

We respect you and your child’s privacy. We will not share or discuss you or your child’s family information

with third parties. The information you provide o us, will be kept strictly confidential. Additionally, children

will be released only to the adults who are authorized on the enrollment or emergency contact form. No child

will be released to any person not listed on the registration form unless communication between the parent and

director has taken place.

Only the legal parents, legal guardians or any other listed person has unsupervised access to children during

business hours. Keep in mind that visitors do need to sign in and out. If there is an unauthorized person on the

premises whose presence is prohibited, local law enforcement will be contacted. Please note, children’s files are

kept on the on-site at all times. Parents and legal guardians have free access to your child’s file, however, please

put a request in writing if you need to access information from your child’s file.

(WAC: 170-295-6060) (WAC: 170-295-7031) (WAC: 170-295-7010)

CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT

Child Abuse is the non-accidental injury, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, negligent treatment or maltreatment

of a child by any person under circumstances which indicate that the child’s health, welfare and safety has been

harmed.

The Happy Zone staffs are all Mandated Reporters. We are required by Washington State Law and licensing

requirements to report any suspicious or reasonable cause for us to believe that a child has suffered abuse or

neglect, it will reported to the Department of Social and Health Services as well as local law enforcement.

The child at our center is our first priority and the staff has been trained on how to decipher child abuse and

neglect as well as how to report it.

If you suspect child abuse to neglect, please inform a staff person immediately so that it may be reported to

licensing and Child Protective Services.

(WAC: 170-295-7060) (WAC: 170-295-2080-g) (WAC: 170-295-6040)


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BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT & POSITIVE GUIDANCE

We strive to practice positive guidance and communication. We teach children to be responsible for their own

behavior. In an effort to reduce and eliminate opportunities for children to be involved in conflicts or stressful

situations, we keep the children active and engaged in learning activities throughout the duration of the day.

We understand, however, that children often express themselves in various ways during the early learning years

according to their developmental levels and are still learning the skills and tools to communicate their

frustrations. We commit to being sensitive to your child’s individual needs. We encourage children to use their

words and verbalize and listen to each other. We make sure that they understand the limitations of our programs

by modeling what behavior is expected of them.

Our behavioral objectives are to:

Guide the child's behavior based on an understanding of the individual child's needs and stage of

development.

Promote the child's developmentally appropriate social behavior, self-control, and respect for the rights

of others.

Ensure behavior management and guidance practices that are fair, reasonable, consistent, and related to

the child's behavior.

We practice several positive guidance techniques which include redirecting children to alternative activities,

verbal intervention, logical consequences and allowing the child to take a break and engage in individual play if

necessary. Under no circumstances will any form of corporal, cruel or unusual punishment be used, which

includes biting, jerking, shaking, slapping, hitting, pinching, kicking, shaming or any other means of inflicting

emotional or physical pain. Furthermore, no yelling, negative talk, humiliation, scare tactics, physical restraint

mechanisms or extended time-outs will be practiced.

When positive guidance fails, we will issue verbal reminders. If the negative behavior continues, we will

remove them from the play area within the classroom’s learning environment and offer a suggestion of

something that will interest them and ensure that their choice allows them the opportunity to de-escalate. If a

child is continually demonstrating negative behavior that is having a negative influence on the other children,

hurting other children or preventing harmonious program operations, we will have a parent/teacher conference

to determine the best course of action and explore possible behavior modification techniques.

If these techniques fail, your child will be placed on a suspension dependent on the behavior and/or trial period

in an effort to remediate behavioral concerns. If the situation doesn’t improve, you will be asked to withdraw

from the program and find a better fit for your child.

If your child has a learning disability or special needs, please discuss an individual guidance plan with your

child’s lead teacher to determine if special needs accommodations need to be established.

(WAC: 170-295-2040)


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ENROLLMENT & ADMISSION

Happy Zone has an open enrollment policy; however, if we are at full capacity, you will be placed on a wait list.

The first step in getting your child enrolled into the program would be to call and set up a tour. During the tour,

you will be introduced to the staff, meet the lead teacher of your child’s age group and ask questions about the

center. After this visit, tuition, payment options, attendance, and start dates will be discussed if you determine

that our center is a good fit for your child.

The registration process isn’t complete, until your child has all of the following information on file:

Completed enrollment form, signed.

Immunization form

Health history

Welcome letter

Off-site authorization form

Child care agreement

Emergency contact information

When your child is enrolled, we ask that you provide at least 2 changes of clothes, weather appropriate attire,

nap blanket, pull-ups and for infants, you must provide formula and diapers.

It is important that all child records are kept current, please let us know if any contact information changes such

as your telephone number or address. In addition, if your child changes doctor’s physicians, insurance or has an

update in immunization, please inform us so that we may update your child’s profile.

(WAC: 170-295-7010) (WAC: 170-295-7020)

CHILD CARE AGREEMENT CONTRACT

Upon enrolling your child into the program, you will be signing a payment contract that will outline your

child’s schedule, fees and pay schedule. The child care agreement will be signed and agreed upon by the

parent(s) and the director. Please note that if your fail to pay, you will be charged a late fee and sent to

collections.

Understand that paying your child care tuition in a timely manner is essential to the thriving life of our program.

Parents are required to pay for the time their children are scheduled to be in care. In other words, parents are

paying for a space whether their child is there or not. Payment for care is due in advance. Special payment terms

are negotiable on occasion and case by case basis, these special terms will be defined in the contract.

If for any reason, you feel like you need to be refunded, please make your request in writing, the situation will

be evaluated and a discounted credit will be applied to your next payment. Cash refunds will not be issued.


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TUITION FEES & PAYMENTS

Early Learning Rates

Toddler: 18-35 Months $865.00/Month

Pre-School: 3-5 Years $800.00/Month

School-Age Rates (6-11 Years)

Before AND After School $640.00/Month

Summer Rate $750.00/Month

Additional Fees: All Ages

Pick-ups after contracted time $1.00/Minute

Children in attendance past 10 clock hours $20.00/Occurrence

Late fees not received on contracted due date $30.00/Occurrence

Bounced, Returned or NSF checks received $50.00/Occurrence

Non-refundable registration fee $100.00/Annually

30 days with no attendance $65.00/Re-enrollment, per child

PAYMENT POLICIES

Full time care is 5-10 hours per day, Monday through Friday.

Parents, please remember that closure dates, holidays and vacations are still considered a part of your

normal pay schedule and you will be required to pay.

Parents are required to pay for the time their children are scheduled to be in care. In other words, parents

are paying for a space whether their child is there or not. Payment for care is due in advance. Special

payment terms are negotiable on occasion on a case-by-case basis and will be defined in the contract.

Please note that rates are evaluated and may be adjusted according to the cost of living, enrollment state

subsidy increases. A notice will be given to parents in preparations of tuition adjustments.


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PROGRAM WITHDRAWAL

Parents/Guardians must communicate to Happy Zone their intent to withdraw their child at least two weeks

prior the child’s last day, however, we do understand that situations may arise that are beyond your control. In

those instances, please keep us updated and notify us of any changes regarding your child’s withdrawal from the

program. The following are conditions that will cause us to terminate your child’s enrollment.

Behavioral challenges that cannot be resolved or remedied.

Continuous late pick-ups

Inability to respect staff, children or other parents/guardians

Disregard for our policies

Directly or indirectly threatening a staff member or child

DAILY ATTENDANCE

You are required to sign your child in/out each day with full signature and time. Attendance records are kept on

file. Additionally, please give a 1-2 week notice if your family will be participating in a vacation or if your child

will not be attending child care for the day due to illness.

(WAC: 170-295-7030)

DAILY SCHEDULE & OPERATIONS

Happy Zone’s business hours are 6:00am-6:00pm, Monday through Friday for 12 months of the year. Our day’s

plans our dependent of the number of participants in attendance. We request that parents drop their parents off

before 9:00am tin order to participate in our morning routine that consists of breakfast and morning activities. If

special arrangements need to be made or your child will be absent for the day, please contact the center.

You must pick your child up no later than 6:00pm, unless prior arrangements have been made. At the end of the

day, the closing staff has procedures that need to be executed each evening in preparation for the following day.

If you are picking your child up after 6:00pm, you will be charged a $1.00 per minute past your contracted pick

up time due at the time of pick-up.

Happy Zone’s program corresponds with the Tukwila School District schedule, with the exception of summer

vacation. In the event that there is no school, we also will be closed. This includes snow days and in-service

days. Please check the school district for closure days or call to receive a school calendar. Please note that

Happy Zone will be closed on the following days, each year:

-New Year’s Day -Martin Luther King Jr, Day

-President’s Day -Memorial Day

-Independence Day -Labor Day

-Veteran’s Day -Thanksgiving Day

-Christmas Day


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SAMPLE DAILY ACTIVITY SCHEDULE

(Schedule subject to change without notice)

TIME ACTIVITY

6:00am-8:00am Opening procedures, breakfast, quiet activities and school-age transports

8:30am-9:30am Free-play and circle time

9:30am-10:30am Teacher directed morning activity and outside play

10:30am-11:00am Clean up, toileting and nap preparations

11:00am-12:00 Lunch

12:00-3:00pm Nap with relaxation music

3:00pm-3:30 Wake-up, toileting and school-age transports

3:30pm-4:30pm Afternoon snack, supervised free play and school-age tutoring

4:30pm-5:30pm Outside play

5:30pm-6:00pm Clean up, departures and closing procedures

(WAC: 170-295-2010) (WAC: 170-295-2050)

LESSON PLANS & CURRICULUMS

In order to maintain our program goals, each classroom will base there curriculums and lesson plans on a

monthly theme. Every effort will be made to include activities that cover cognitive development, early literacy

well as small and large motor skills, critical thinking, problem solving and social-emotional development.

During free play times, the children will have full access to the classroom’s learning areas which include play

materials according to the developmental needs of your child’s age group. Manipulatives, blocks, dramatic play,

sensory, science, story-telling, books, music, art supplies are just some of the materials that each classroom has.

Our curriculums focus on child care development, creativity and cultural knowledge. Furthermore, our

curriculum emphasizes each child’s active involvement in developing and participating in classroom activities.

We feature an emergent curriculum which means that our lesson plans evolve from the collective interests of

the children.

(WAC: 170-295-2010)

CLASSROOM TRANSITIONS

As a participant in our program, we will monitor each child’s development and progress through observations

and constant communication between parents and staff. When your child displays that he or she is emotionally,

cognitively, socially and behaviorally ready to transition into the next classroom’s age group, we will meet with

the parent to establish when to transition. Transitioning will consist of the parent visiting the lead teacher,

asking questions and having the child doing a few visits before fully integrating so that he or she will be

familiar with the learning environment, teacher and routine.


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RECORD KEEPING

Sign in/out sheets: You are required to sign your child in and out with full signature and time that your

child has arrived or departed.

Injuries: In case of an accident and your child has been injured, an incident report will be filled out by

the staff who was present or observed the incident. A copy of the report will be given to the parent to be

signed. This will be kept in your child’s file in order to fulfill licensing requirements.

Observations: Periodically, for staff development and to record children’s progress, we will participate

in observations on your child based on Washington State’s Early Learning and Development Guidelines.

These will be kept strictly confidential and placed in your child’s portfolios with pictures and art work.

Parent Information: Each classroom has a parent/teacher communication board that will be updated of

what activities the children either have or will be engaged in. Additionally, the Resource Area will

contain family resources as well as required postings outlined by the Department of Early Learning.

Facility Records: Compliance agreements, previous license monitoring visits and deficiencies will be

kept on-site for review.

Any other important documents containing the child’s personal information will be kept in a file box accessible

only to staff and licensing personnel.

(WAC: 170-295-7010) (WAC: 170-295-7030) (WAC: 170-295-7031) (WAC: 170-295-7040)

MEALS, NUTRITION & FOOD SERVICE PRACTICES

Happy Zone provides daily breakfast, lunch and snacks. The meals conform to the USDA standards and a

conscious effort is to provide well balanced, healthy, low sugar, colorful, appealing, varied and nutritious foods.

If your child has any dietary preferences, allergies, special medical needs, cultural/religious preferences we will

ask that you put this in writing and provide supplemental food and if necessary, a note from you’re a pediatric

physician or your family’s primary practitioner.

Throughout the course of the day, the children will be kept well-hydrated. Each classroom has its own supply of

chilled filtered water. During mealtimes, children will use plastic utensils and we will eat family style. This

means that efforts will be made to teach manners, socialization skills and, based on the children’s

developmental level, self-serving skills. Eating surfaces, utensils and kitchen materials will be washed, rinsed

and sanitized before and after each meal.

Treats are welcomed and encouraged for birthdays and other celebrations but we do suggest that parents bring

sugar free goodies, low fat items or educational supplies for birthdays to respect special dietary preferences and

to remain in concordance with your meal planning. Each staff is required by law to obtain a Food Handler’s

permit, all food served is prepared according to the safe and healthy food preparation practices.

Nutritional information as well as weekly meal plans will be posted weekly.

(WAC: 170-295-3150) (WAC: 170-295-3160) (WAC: 170-295-5070) (WAC: 170-295-3220) (WAC: 170-295-

3180) (WAC: 170-295-3190) (WAC: 170-295-3210)


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HEALTH CARE PRACTICES

Washing/Sanitizing: In an effort to keep the participants in our program healthy, we take appropriate measures

to reduce illness and maintain cleanliness. Every week, toys, napping materials and furniture are washed with

antibacterial soap, sanitized with a diluted bleach solution, rinsed and air dried. Cleaning, sanitizing and

disinfecting practices include daily sanitizing all toys and eating utensils that are mouthed by children. Tables

and all food prep surfaces are sanitized before and after each meal, snack or messy play activity. At the end of

each work day, the floors are swept, vacuumed and mopped as needed. All janitorial supplies are stored in an

inaccessible ventilated closet.

(WAC: 170-295-3010) (WAC: 170-295-5040)

Laundry: Bibs, sheets, towels and any other textile is laundered weekly or as needed according to licensing

standards in 140 degree, inaccessible to children and separate from food prep areas. We do not do child’s

laundry. If a child has soiled a clothing item, we will place it in a tied plastic bag and place it in your child’s

cubby to be taken home that day. Remember, it is pertinent, that your child has a change of clothes

(WAC: 170-295-5110)

Hand Washing:

The most common, effective and preventative practice to avoid illnesses is hand washing. Every child and adult

in the program follows the hand washing steps as directed by the Public Health Department. We wash hands

when entering the classroom, before and after preparing bottles, or food, before and after eating, changing a

diaper, administering medicine, after touching bodily fluids or excretions and as needed throughout the day. In

between hand washing, we use an alcohol based hand sanitizer, but by no means is this considered to be a

substitute for actual hand washing with soap and warm water.

(WAC: 170-295-4120) (WAC: 170-295-5100)

Medication: As a safety precaution, we make reasonable accommodations for all participant as outlined by the

American Disability Act, however, the only medication that Happy Zone will administer and kept on the

premises will be albuterol and doctor prescribes epi-pens. These will be kept in a locked box, inaccessible to

children. If your child needs regularly, timed dosages of medicine, we ask that your child stay home until he or

she is healthy again as directed by a doctor.

If a special circumstance applies to your child, please speak with the director directly. In this case, you will have

to follow the requirements medication consent.

Please refer to WAC 170-295-3100 if your child administers his or her own medicine.


3090) (WAC: 170-295-3120) (WAC: 170-295-3130)


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First Aid: All Happy Zone staff is first aid certified in CPR, Blood Borne Pathogens and how to use an epi-pen.

First aid kits are kept in each classroom, the vehicles used for transporting children and in the kitchen. Also,

first aid kits will be taken off-site. Each kit contains materials to treat every day injuries as well as a

thermometer.

(WAC: 170-295-1100) (WAC: 170-295-5010)

Illness: We regularly monitor the children and check for signs of illness throughout the duration of the day. If a

child becomes ill, we will notify the parents. We ask that parents plan to pick-up their child within one hour of

being notified. The child must stay home for a full 24 hour period. (Don’t bring your child back the day after

being sent home.) Please bring a doctor’s note upon your child’s return.

Please notify us if your child has been exposed to lice, scabies, the chicken box or any other common childhood

illnesses or infectious disease so we can create a memo for the other parents in the program. As a mandated

diseases reporter, we are required by law to notify the Public Health Department as well. If a child is, simply,

not feeling well we will provide them a rest area and monitor them until they are ready to be picked up.

(WAC: 170-295-3030) (WAC: 170-295-7060)

Symptoms: Any child with the following symptoms will not be permitted in our care and will be sent home.

Any communicable diseases will be reported to the proper health care authorities.

Fever of at least 100F

Sore/strep throat

Ear ache

Headache

Irritability

Confusion

Runny nose that is yellow or green in color

Cough with yellow, green phlegm, blood or discharge

Diarrhea: 3 or more watery stools within a 24 hour period or a bloody stool

Vomiting on 2 or more occasions within a 24 hour period

Rash combined with fever or itching

Eye discharge or visible pink eye

Sick appearance

Open or oozing sores

Lice

Scabies

Ringworm

Extreme fatigue

Chicken pox

Any other contagious illness

If your child develops these symptoms at home, please notify us and contact your child’s health care providers

immediately. Also, your child’s immunization records will be kept on filed and updated regularly.

(WAC: 170-295-3010)


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No Smoking Policy: Our program is a non-smoking facility. If you smoke, we respect your choices, however

keeping the children in mind; we ask that you do not smoke in or around the perimeters of the business.

Additionally, the staff will not smoke while transporting the children, outdoors while supervising children or in

the view of our program participants. Thank you.

(WAC: 170-295-6050)

Drugs & Alcohol: No illegal substances are allowed on the premises. Alcohol may not be consumed during

business hours. No one under the influence of drugs or alcohol may be in the presence of children at any time. If

a parent seems to be under the influence while attempting to pick up their child, local law enforcement will be

notified or other alternate pick up arrangements will be made.

(WAC: 170-295-6050)

Nap Time: To promote healthy, happy and well-balanced children, we are required by licensing to provide a

rest period in our daily schedule for all children in our program, except school aged children. Each rest period

immediately follows lunch. Each child will be provided with a blanket and each nap mat is moisture resistant

and will be protected with a sheet cover. We promote a restful napping period with soft, relaxation music, dim

lighting and minimal distracting noises.

(WAC: 170-295-5120)

Diapering/Toilet Training: Children who are in diapers will be changed before and after each meal and as

needed on a changing table which will be sanitized before and after each use. All diapering procedures follow

licensing requirements. When you feel that your child is ready to begin potty training, we will make every effort

to ensure that your child’s transition from diapering to toileting is a positive experience. We will assist children

on the potty and help them with hand washing. We ask that you bring extra clothes in case of accidents.


5100) (WAC: 170-295-4090)

Certificate of Immunizations Status form supplied by a health professional must be used and be current and

updated yearly or as needed. All children must be current on their immunizations. If there is a signed exemption

to immunizations, the child may need to be excluded from child care if there is an outbreak of a vaccine

preventable disease that the child has not been immunized for. Pease note, a signed doctor’s note is required

with immunization exemptions.

(WAC: 170-295-7020)


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EMERGENCIES, SAFETY & DISASTER PLANNING (WAC: 170-295-5030)

Emergency & Evacuation: The decision to evacuate in the case of an emergency may be made by the director

or government officials. Our evacuations site is Fire Station 54 located at 4237 South 144th St Tukwila

Washington 98188. The directions and map to our evacuation site are detailed below.

Copies of the children’s registration forms will be brought to the evacuation site. Upon arrival, we will

document children according to attendance sheets and contact parents.

We regularly and routinely practice evacuation drills. We keep updated records of fire and earthquake drills,

floor plans and follow evacuation procedures outlined by licensing.

Disaster Response Plan: In the case of a disaster of any kind that may occur in relevance to our region, we

have prepared emergency supplies for up to 72 hours. The emergency kit includes:

Drinking water, over 100 servings of non-perishable foods & dry milk

First aid supplies & hand sanitizer

Flashlights and extra batteries

Blankets

Eating utensils, paper towels & wipes


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In the instance of a natural disaster, and parents are unable to pick up their children, we will provide overnight

accommodations that include mats and blankets for each child, dinner, maintained staff ratios and

developmentally appropriate practices. If for any reason there is a power outage, parents or emergency contacts

will be notified to be pick up children if power is not restored in one hour.

(WAC: 170-295-2060)

Life Threatening Emergencies: Every effort will be made to ensure the safety of your child, unfortunately,

emergencies do happen. In the case of a life threatening emergency 911 will be called immediately, first aid

and/or CPR will be administered as appropriate by a certified staff, parents/emergency contacts will be notified

and an injury/incident report will be filed.

If there is a suspected incident

where a child ingests poisons,

Washington State Poison Control

will be contacted and procedures

will be followed as directed by

service personnel. If necessary,

your child will be transported to the

nearest hospital. The nearest

hospital to the center is Highline

Medical Center located 16251

Sylvester Road Southwest, Burien,

Washington 98166. The directions

are detailed below:


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Emergency Planning: Each classroom

has emergency contact information and

disaster plan posted along with the floor plan. The floor plan indicates the emergency exits as well as the

locations of the fire extinguishers, smoke detector and carbon monoxide detectors. In the event of a fire, the

children will be evacuated off the premises. Each staff has designated responsibilities that are as follows:

Director-Disaster kit & implementing first aid if needed

Program Supervisor-Notifying parents and emergency contacts

Head Teacher-Attendance sheets & head counts

Children with special needs will be assigned to one staff who will follow the directions of their special needs

plan to ensure that their needs will be met.

Emergency Closure: In the event of an emergency closure, we will update the program’s voicemail at 5:00am

with information on the delays and closures or we will contact parents as soon as possible. In the event of a

closure, please make alternate child care arrangements for the day.

In the event of a nearby or off-site threat, the staff will follow the directions of local law enforcement to proceed

with lockdown procedures. All windows, doors, gates will be locked and covered. The lockdown will continue

until notification is received that it is safe to leave the facility and the premises are secured.

Disaster Record Keeping:

Annual disaster plan review signed by director, staff and parents

Quarterly fire and earthquake drills

Staff training of the disaster plan

Staff debriefing and evaluation log after each disaster drill

Monthly fire evacuation drills on site as well as previous calendar year.

EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION


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Felicia Kemp, Director 206.244.855

Randi Kemp, Program Supervisor

206.291.2254

Washington State Poison Control Center

1.800.222.1222

Child Abuse Reporting Line

1.800.END.HARM

Communicable Disease Reporting Line

206.296.4774

Fire/Ambulance

911

INJURY PREVENTION

Shelving, furniture and heavy objects on high shelves are checked regularly to protect against falling and we

continually check and monitor the safety of our program for potential hazards. Per licensing requirements, all

staff employed has been certified in First Aid, CPR and HIV/AIDS Blood Borne Pathogens Prevention

Training.

When staff comes in direct contact with bodily fluids, we will wear disposable gloves; follow universal

precautions as well as cleaning procedures. All surfaces that have been contaminated with bodily fluids will be

cleaned and sanitized.

Minor cuts, bruises and scrapes will be treated; more serious injuries may require that the parent will have to

pick up their child. If injury results in medical treatment, staff will be required to immediately notify

Department of Social and Health Services, CPS and/or the licensor at the Department of Early Learning. Parents

will be given a copy of the incident report.

OFF-STE ACTIVITIES

Field trips provide great learning opportunities for children of all ages. We will provide a one week notice of a

field trip in the bulletin board of your child’s classroom and provide permission slips. Without a signed

permission slip, your child will not be able to attend or participate. We often take community walks and visit

sites close to our facility such as the local library. For these general outings, there will be a one-time, one

general off-site general form that will require a parent’s signature and will be kept in your child’s file.

When we participate in any off-site activity, the staff will be equipped with cell phone, backup power source to

maintain contact with the director, program supervisor and other staff and if necessary, parents, emergency

personnel, licensing staff or parents. Additionally, full enrollment information as well as first aid supplies will

be taken to off-site activities.


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TRANSPORTATION

In the event, that we have a field trip, we will drive in an insured vehicle with a certified driving licensed

individual. Washington State law requires that children within the weight/height requirements ride in a car seat.

Children outside of those requirements will use a secured seat belt. A log will be kept in the vehicle of each

outing, time, date and passengers.

In some cases, when there are adequate staff members and chaperones, we will use public transportation. An

advanced notice will be given. Unless previous arrangements have been made, parents are responsible for

transporting their own children to and from the child care site.

A copy of each child’s registration form is kept in the vehicle with a first aid kit and road side assistance

equipment, If your child attends one of the serviced schools, he/she will be transported to/from school. Please

discuss individual transportation times with the director.

(WAC: 170-295-2070)

STAFF PLANNING

In addition to meeting the 20 Hours STARS training, all staff as a cleared background authorization that allows

that person to work unsupervised with the children. Current staff trainings will be posted. All efforts are made

to that the proper children to staff ration is maintained as required by licensing to ensure proper supervision of

all children. Staff and volunteers are regularly observed and attend trainings to strengthen the competence of

their performance as early learning specialists. Staff training records are available upon request.

If a staff person is absent or ill, a substitute teacher will act as an alternate. Any subs will be required to meet

the same staff licensing requirements, however, every effort is made to plan trainings, classes and orientations

on non-business hours, however, we do allocate quarterly in-service days for planning, maintenance and

cleaning.

State required ratios will be maintained at all times and staff planning be posted in the main resource area.

(WAC: 170-295-0070) (WAC: 170-295-1060) (WAC: 170-295-1090) (WAC: 170-295-7050)

Lead Teacher: The lead teacher is responsible for curriculum planning and maintaining their classroom. They

implement the activities for the day. Licensing requires that the lead teacher be at least 18 years old, have

completed a high school education, have documented child development education or experience and have

completed STARS training.

(WAC: 170-295-1030)

Assistant Teacher: The assistant teacher provides support in the classroom under the direction of the lead

teacher. Licensing requires that the assistant must be at least 16 years of age, however, only a staff over the age

of 18 may be responsible for a group of children. All assistants will meet the staff licensing requirements.

(WAC: 170-295-1040)


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All staff will complete an orientation that will include the following topics:

Licensing requirements

Planned daily activities and routines

Child guidance and behavior methods

Child abuse and neglect prevention, detection and reporting

Health policies and procedures

Contagious disease recognition and preventions

Blood borne pathogens

Fire prevention, disaster planning and safety precautions

Special health and developmental needs of the individual child

Cultural relevancy and child interaction

Developmentally appropriate practices

(WAC: 170-295-2030) (WAC: 170-295-1080)

FACILITY MAINTENANCE

It is our practice at Happy Zone Learning Center to discard and recalled toys, items or equipment as a safety

precaution. All toys will be kept in working order and safety inspections are conducted regularly and hazard

checklists will be kept in each classroom.

Additionally, our play and learning environments follow licensing requirements regarding minimum space-this

means that each child has adequate space to play, explore and nap. Unlicensed areas are kept inaccessible to

children. To maintain a comfortable environment, indoor temperature is maintained between sixty five and

seventy five degrees during the winter months between napping and waking times. In the warmer months, we

employ fans that are kept inaccessible to children to help regulate the atmosphere.

(WAC: 170-295-5150)

As required by licensing, all exits are free and clear, windows with pull cords have been removed and

emergency exits are labeled, accessible, free of clutter and are equipped with a sounding device

All electrical outlets in licensed areas have safety coverings, we use eco-friendly lighting and coverings and

appropriate locks on all doors and windows. All hand washing sinks are equipped with warm running water,

proper waste equipment which is cleaned regularly.

The outdoor play space is maintained weekly and as needed by a groundskeeper so it maintains a welcome,

attractive environment. It is regularly supervised when children are present and is an adequate enough space so

that children can have a comfortable play space while in a group or individually. Industrial standard cleaning

will be performed every week after hours in all bathrooms, kitchen and classrooms.

(WAC: 170-295-5020)

PARENT/TEACHER COMMUNICATION


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Positive, regular communication in a child’s life benefits everyone involved. We will maintain routine

communication about what is expected of the participants in our program to avoid misunderstanding. To avoid

conflicts, we employ several methods of communication:

E-mail/Phone

Newsletters/Observations

Parent Resource Area

Website: (To be launched soon)

Each question, concern, complaint and suggestion is treated with the utmost importance. Any emergency

situation that needs to be discussed should be communicated as soon as possible. We love for parents to be

included in the growth and development of their children while attending our program. We grant permission for

parents and guardians free access to all licensed areas.

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happy zone early learning center: parent policies handbook · staff has completed the basic...

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