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Frequently
Asked
Questions
about Discovery
Preschool
and Child
Care.
We will take the children outside to play every day that we possibly can, so please dress your children appropriately. Please label all clothing that comes to the center. Additionally, please bring a full set of extra clothing, labeled in a zip lock bag for each child. Infants will need several complete sets of clothing. We provide healthy and well-balanced meals and snacks to those children eating table food. There will be no more than 3 hours between meals/snacks. Weekly menus will be posted. The Director’s approval is required for any outside food to be brought to the center for older children.
Parents must provide baby food, bottles (with plastic cover) and formula for younger children. Formula and bottles must be prepared by parents. All baby food and bottles must be clearly labeled with the child’s name, and they must be properly sealed.
Please let us know about any food allergies your child has. Parents are always welcome visitors in our busy classrooms. We welcome involvement and participation. Please let us know if you would like to share a special hobby or craft with a classroom. Birthdays are a special day in a child’s life, and we want to recognize them in a special way. Please make arrangements with your child’s teacher if you want to bring in a game or activity. You may send a special treat for the class, but it must be store bought in a sealed container due to health regulations. We encourage parents to join the class if possible. We must have a completed registration form for each child on file which lists the medical history and provides emergency treatment authorization. All children are required to have a current immunization certificate on file within 30 days of enrollment. We are required by law to have a current Kentucky Immunization Certificate. If your child has a fever, diarrhea, vomiting, eye drainage, earache, sore throat, acute cold or an unusual rash, please do not bring him or her to the center. Sick children cannot be admitted. If your child becomes ill during the day or has a fever of 100 degrees or more, we will contact parents to pick up the child early. Please keep children at home until they have been symptom free and fever free for 24 hours. Please notify the center if a member of your family contracts a communicable disease:
Play time is a vital part of the development and growth of children. We play outside every day that weather permits. We do not play outside if it is too hot, too cold, wet or if the pollution index is too high. Please let us know if you do not want your child to play outside. Medication can be given to children while in our care when the following steps are followed: - A medical form must be completed and signed by the parent each day medication is required. The form must include the name of the child, name of the medication, the dosage amount, the times to administer and the parent’s signature. Daily written permission is required. Please note any side effects, special instructions, purpose of the medication and the name and phone number of the prescribing doctor. - The medication and medical form must be received by a staff member each morning. - If the medication is a prescription, it must be in its original container and list the child’s name on the label. - If it is an over the counter medication, it must be in the original container. - The expiration date must be valid. - All medication must be taken home daily. Parents are responsible for providing diapers, wipes and ointments daily until children are potty trained. When children are ready to begin potty training, we will coordinate efforts with parents. Please feel free to discuss your child’s nap schedule with his or her teacher. The entire center has a quiet time/nap time between 12:00pm-2:00pm. The length of the rest period will vary depending on the age group. Rest mats and cots with sheets are provided, and children can bring a small pillow or special rest time item from home. We can not be responsible for lost or stolen items. If you need to pick up your child during rest time, please advise the teacher in advance. Our goal is to teach and encourage appropriate behavior and self discipline. We use positive reinforcement, re-direction of attention and time out as our primary forms of discipline. Children are made aware of expectations through the consistent use of clearly defined limits, and we strive to help children solve their own problems. Physical punishment or harsh verbal discipline is not allowed by staff or parents on the child care property. We will communicate with parents if additional reinforcement is needed from home. We consider communication an essential component of child development. We want to partner with families to encourage maximum growth in all areas of your child’s development. Please communicate with your child’s teacher on a regular basis. We can schedule a conference to discuss any items or concerns. Please be careful what you discuss in front of the children. Please leave personal belongings and toys at home, including electronic games and listening devices. We can not be responsible for personal items brought from home. Items from home could be damaged or lost, and they may promote conflict among the children. Please be supportive if a staff member removes an item from a child until the end of the day. We will take photographs of the children for art projects and wall displays. Pictures will be sent home with the children. Please let us know if you do not want your child’s picture taken at the center. We may periodically enhance our development program with special visitors or field trips. We will notify our families in advance of a planned field trip with a note and permission slip requiring a parent’s signature. A signed permission slip must be returned for children to participate. Some trips may have an additional fee. Children who have been enrolled in our program for one year or more will be given one week of vacation per year. The child can skip one full week (Monday – Friday) in our program and not pay for the week. If a vacation is not used within a 12 month period, it will be lost. We will be closed on the following holidays: - New Years Eve - Thanksgiving Day - New Years Day - Friday after Thanksgiving - Memorial Day - Christmas Eve - 4th of July - Christmas Day - Labor Day If one of the above holidays falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the holiday will be observed on a Friday or Monday as determined by the Director. Weekly tuition rates remain the same during weeks with a holiday. Our center will try to remain open on days with inclement weather; however, if we do find it necessary to close, it will be reported on WHAS 11 news. Each child is required to have a current immunization certificate on file in our office within 30 days of enrollment. Updated certificates should be provided to the center as children receive future immunizations.
Many of our
staff
members are
trained in
CPR and
First Aid,
and we are
careful to
ensure the
safety of
our
children.
If,
however,
emergency
care is
needed, your
child will
be given
first aid,
we will call We will practice emergency drills on a monthly or quarterly basis as required by the state. We will have a fire drill each month to familiarize the children and staff of proper exit procedures. We will have tornado and earthquake drills quarterly. In the event of a complete evacuation of the center and the surrounding area, we will transport the children to the closest Fire House that is not in the evacuation area, and children may be picked up there. - In the case of a tornado, children will be moved to an inside wall, and children will assume the tornado position (seated on - In the case of an earthquake, children will move away from windows and sit under tables. We will move outside and away from and building structures as soon as possible. - In the case of fire, children will exit the building in an organized manner. Staff will take the roll book outside to keep track of the children. We will remain outside until the building has been cleared for reentry to the ground, head tucked in, arms around head). - If there is a man made disaster that requires evacuation of the building, we will keep children outside until parents have picked them up. Children can only be released to parents, who have signed the Enrollment Form, and adults listed on the Release Authorization form. In the event of a custody dispute, we must rely on legal documentation and information provided by the enrolling parent. We require a two week written notice of a child’s permanent withdrawal from the center. Discovery Preschool and Childcare reserves the right to remove a child from our program if the child, parent or guardian is unable to adjust and function within our program or comply to our policies. The child will be dismissed with two weeks notice. In extreme circumstances, immediate dismissal will be given at the discretion of the director. Please feel free to contact our center with any questions. Your child’s care is our primary concern.
Staff-to-Child
ratios
required by
the state of
Age of
Children
Ratio
Infant 1 staff for 5 children
(1-11
months) Toddler 1 staff for 6 children
(12-24
months) 2-3 years 1 staff for 10 children 3-4 years 1 staff for 12 children 4-5 years 1 staff for 14 children 5-12 years 1 staff for 15 children
Discovery Preschool and Childcare is licensed by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. The center has also been inspected and approved by the Jefferson County Health Department and the State Fire Marshal’s Office. We are currently licensed for 117 children.
The child
care
industry is
closely
regulated by
government
agencies.
We are
required by
law to
report any
suspected
abuse or
neglect of
the children
in our care.
The
director and
staff are
directly
responsible
for
reporting
the
suspected
abuse and/or
neglect of
any child
enrolled at
Discovery
Preschool
and
Childcare.
The
director
will aid
staff that
suspect
abuse or
neglect of a
child.
The
state of
Rights of
Children and
Parents
Pursuant to
KRS 199.898
Effective 7-15-1998
Division of
Regulated
Child Care, (502)-564-7962
Each age
group has an
age
appropriate
curriculum.
Activities
and projects
will be
based on
theme based
curriculum.
Caring for infants requires individualized routines and schedules based upon the needs of each child. We provide more flexibility in scheduling for younger children. Below are some examples of the routines and activities an infant might experience:
Hellos and good-byes Diapering and toileting Eating and mealtime Sleeping and nap time Dressing Playing with toys Imitating Pretending Enjoying stories and books Enjoying songs Enjoying music and movement Creating art Puppet play Enjoying the outdoors Tummy time Standing time Swing time Sitting time
An appropriate schedule for infants and toddlers must be flexible, unhurried with sufficient time for play and transitions. We try to balance active and quiet times as well as alone time and small group time. Listed below are skills and concepts that are age appropriate for two year olds, and they may be included in their daily activities.
Numbers -
Introduce
numbers 1-5
through
games, songs
and hands on
activities
Colors
-
Introduce 8
basic
colors:
red,
blue, green,
yellow,
orange,
purple,
brown, black
Shapes
-
Introduce 4
basic
shapes:
circle,
square,
triangle and
rectangle
Fine Motor
Skills -
Improve hand
coordination
through play
using a
variety of
materials:
play dough,
puzzles,
finger
plays, art
project,
songs and
more.
Gross Motor
Skills -
Improve
large motor
skills with
directed
physical
activities:
running,
jumping,
hopping,
climbing and
more.
We
make
children
aware of
general body
parts.
Language
Arts -
Improve
language
skills
through
circle time,
songs, play,
listening
and
discussing
stories &
more.
Weather -
Introduce
concepts
about
weather
(wind, rain,
snow, sun)
and
temperature
and the
relationship
to clothing.
Seasons
-
Introduce
characteristics
of seasons
(flowers,
leaves,
seasonal
activities)
and
holidays.
Arts/Crafts
-
Simple
crafts are
encouraged
with a
variety of
materials. Listed below are skills and concepts that are age appropriate for three year olds, and they may be included in their daily activities.
Numbers
-
Begin to
recognize
numbers 1-10
and simple
counting of
objects.
Colors
-
Begin to
recognize
and name 8
basic
colors: red,
blue, green,
yellow,
orange,
purple,
brown,
black.
Shapes
-
Begin to
recognize
and name 4
basic
shapes:
circle,
square
triangle and
rectangle
Alphabet
-
Begin to
recognize
and name
letters, and
begin to
recognize
his/her own
name.
Fine Motor
Skills
-
Improve
eye-hand
coordination
with finger
plays,
cutting,
painting,
molding,
Gross Motor
Skills -
Involve the
children in
directed
physical
activities:
running,
jumping,
hopping,
climbing,
ball
handling and
more.
Language
Arts
-
We work to
develop
speech and
enunciation
at this age
and letter
recognition.
We
also work on
concepts
such as
same/opposite,
likeness/difference,
and more.
We
introduce
the “est”
concept
(biggest,
shortest,
etc.).
We
work on
manners and
identification
of specific
body parts.
We
introduce
the days of
the weeks
and months,
and we
discuss
holidays.
Weather
-
We discuss
the weather
(wind, rain,
snow, sun)
and
temperature
and the
relationship
to clothing
and
activities.
We
also discuss
animals and
how they
adapt to
different
weather.
Arts/Crafts
-
We allow
creativity
and
exploration
by
encouraging
crafts with
a variety of
materials.
Listed below are skills and concepts that are age appropriate for four year olds, and they may be included in their daily activities. Numbers - Identify numbers 1-20 by grouping into sets, simple addition and subtraction & matching correct number to sets of objects. Colors - Identify 10 basic colors: red, blue, green, yellow, orange, purple, brown, black, pink and white.
Shapes - Identify 6 basic shapes: circle, square triangle, rectangle, oval and diamond through activities, games, puzzles and songs.
Alphabet Begin to recognize letters in the alphabet, upper and lower case. Introduce phonics.
Fine Motor
Skills
-
Master
cutting with
scissors,
holding a
pencil and
crayon
correctly,
molding with
Gross Motor Skills - Master running, jumping, hopping on one and two feet, climbing, skipping, ball handling and more.
Language Arts - We work on clear enunciation and speech. Work with upper and lower case letter recognition. Each child will work to write his/her own name clearly. We work on same/opposite, likeness/difference, and more. Work on “est” concepts (biggest, shortest, etc.). Reinforce manners and identification of specific body parts. Reinforce the days of the weeks and months, and we discuss holidays.
Weather - Discuss the weather (wind, rain, snow, sun) and temperature and the relationship to clothing and activities. We also discuss animals and how they adapt to different weather.
Arts/Crafts - Work in groups and individually on craft projects using a variety of materials. |
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