Blessings Abound Family Child Care

Blessings Abound is open from 7:00 am to 5:30 pm. Your rate is based on a 10 hour day…anything more then that will be a higher rate, based on your needs.

INFANT DAILY ROUTINES AND SCHEDULES ~ Research shows that infants in group care settings can develop optimally when their schedule is tailored to their individual needs. The babies in my care eat and sleep on demand, however, routines are very important to promote a sense of security and balance though each child may have different routines.

To promote your infant’s overall development, your infant will be engaged in a variety of activities throughout the day, including music, lap games, rattle and ball play, large muscle play, exercises, etc. In addition, infants can independently explore and manipulate the many high quality educational toys I have to offer.

~ Click here to view our Daily Schedule ~

I maintain an open door policy. This means you are always welcome to call or drop in to see your child(ren) at any time during regular hours. It does not mean that my door will always be unlocked. For children's safety, I would not want unwanted or unexpected visitors to enter without my knowledge. I also do not want little ones leaving the house unsupervised. I would appreciate your taking into consideration my schedule when dropping in or calling and remember that visitors (even parents) usually cause the children to react in an excited manner that does not normally occur when I am alone with them. Please understand that I am taking care of children and may not have time to sit and talk on the phone or in person. If you need to pick up your child during nap/rest time, please let me know in the morning so I may have your child waiting for you so the other children are not disturbed.

Please send your child(ren) clean, well rested, and dressed for the day. I ask that you sign your child(ren) in/out each day. The sign in sheet will be kept by the front door. It is normal for some children to have difficulty separating from parents in the morning or not wanting to leave when it is time to go home. Please be very brief during these transition times. The longer you prolong the departure the more difficult it can get and I need to focus my attention on all the children. Children are almost always quick to get involved in play or activities as soon as parents are gone.

This is also a time of testing when two different authority figures are present (the parent and the provider). Sometimes children will test to see if the rules still apply. During arrivals and departures, I ask that parents/guardians please back up my rules. If you do not, I will remind the child that their behavior is inappropriate and take action to correct, if needed.

You are responsible for your child during drop off/pickup times, please be in control of your child(ren). For their safety, children are not permitted to go out to their car or run out the door unattended at pick up time. I will only release your child(ren) to the parent/guardian or someone else you designate. If someone else is to pick up your child, please notify me ahead of time. I must have written permission to release your child whether or not they are on your contact list. Please inform emergency contacts, or people designated to pick up your child, that if I do not know them, I will need to see a photo ID. I will not let a child leave without a parents written permission.

Please Note: If there is a court order keeping one parent away from the child(ren), I must have a copy to put in the child’s file. Otherwise, I cannot prevent the parent from picking up the child(ren).

BOTTLES AND FOOD ~Breastmilk bottles must be pre-made and labeled with your child’s name. If you use formula for your baby, you are welcome to leave three (3) bottles at my home.

All breastfed babies must be familiar with and use to being fed from a bottle. It is unfair to your child, myself and the other children in my care if your infant does not like or is not use to being fed from a bottle. This should start weeks before your infant starts in my care. I would suggest that you bottle feed at least half of the time during “daycare hours” so again, your infant will be use to the bottle when he/she starts childcare. The bonding process between a caregiver and an infant most often occurs during feeding times; to ensure a loving bond between the two, feeding time needs to be an enjoyable one.

I will provide all food and formula for your baby. I will provide Gerber Baby Food and Enfamil formula. If you have specific preferences about the brand or type of formula or food that your baby eats, feel free to supply your own choice and I will use that brand to feed your baby.

Typically, infants will start cereal around three months of age, first foods around four months of age, second foods around six months of age and third foods around nine months of age. At nine months of age, I will discuss with you about adding table foods to your child’s diet. I will work with all infant parents regarding what foods your baby has tried and in what order you wish your child to start different foods. A journal is a wonderful way for us to communicate this type of information.

Blessings Abound is participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program, so healthy meals and snacks are served daily and are included in your rate. Meals served here are in accordance with the Federal Government USDA Food Program. All special diet food must be supplied by the parents/guardians.

You are responsible for feeding your child if he/she will arrive at child care after the beginning/end of a meal time.

Our Meal and Snack Schedule is as follows:

Breakfast: 7:30-8:30 am
Lunch: 12:00-12:45 pm
Afternoon Snack: 3:15-3:30 pm

All meals are served family style at the kitchen table. Children are invited to help set the kitchen table and are taught to serve themselves as much as possible. At 18 months of age I will begin to teach them to pour their own drinks and begin to scoop up their own food. We will pray at mealtimes.

I encourage each child to take a bite of everything served at mealtime, but they are never forced to eat something they don’t want.

Sippy cups, eating utensils and bibs will be provided for you. Your child will sit in a highchair until 12 months of age; at this time, your child will transition to a booster chair at the kitchen table.

There are a few forms that must be completed and in my possession before I can assume the responsibility of caring for your child. There are no exceptions. These forms include:

You are required to keep me informed of any change in address, telephone numbers, and any other pertinent information on these forms as they arise, including notifying me of additional childhood immunizations. Any questions regarding the completion of the forms, please feel free to ask. Each child’s file will be updated on January 1st.

There is a two (2) week trail period beginning on your child’s first day of care. During this time the child care agreement can be terminated with at any time. After the trial period a two (2) week notice is required. Any and all pre-paid fees are non refundable.

If it is decided that your child(ren) will enroll in my care and you will not be placing your child(ren) with me until a later date, you must pay a deposit for tuition to hold the spot. All fee rules apply. The deposit is NON-REFUNDABLE if you decide, for any reason, that you will not be enrolling your child(ren). Also, an Intent to Contract form must be filled out and signed to hold this space.

Care can be terminated with two (2) weeks written notice. No other notice will be accepted. If parent(s) wish to terminate this agreement without a two (2) weeks notice, he/she agrees to pay the two (2) weeks fee at time of notification. Termination notices will not be accepted while provider or parent is on vacation.

Blessings Abound Family Home Care reserves the right to terminate for the following reasons (but not limited to):

I reserve the right to give written notice of immediate termination where there are extreme circumstances that affect the well being of myself or other children in attendance (with all fees due and payable). Absences of more than one day without notification can result in an automatic withdraw (with all fees due and payable). Re-admittance, if accepted, will include all back pay including late fees. If parent/guardian breeches contract he/she will be liable for all collection, attorney, court, any/and all costs involved in breech. I will also give two (2) weeks notice if the child is to be terminated from care (with all fees due and payable).

Budget Billing I use a budget billing method that simplifies tuition
365 (days in a year)
-104 (weekends)
- 15 (days off)
_______________
246 (days) X $30 per day = $7380 / 12 = $615

$615 per month

Full Time Enrollment(4-5 days)..........................$615.00 per month
Part Time Enrollment (3 days)...........................$400.00 per month
Parents wishing to enroll children less than 3 days.....$ 30.00 per day

Families with multiple children may receive a 10% discount on the tuition of the second child.

I offer both full-time and part-time care. Full-time positions will generally be preferred over part-time positions. I reserve the right to terminate a part time position if the position can be filled with a full-time family. You may opt to pay for a full-time slot in order to keep your part-time position.

I do provide occasional drop in care as space permits. My rate for drop in care is $5.00 per hour with a minimum of 2 hours and is due when your child is picked up for the day.

Payment is due in advance of services. You have two payment options available.

A payment schedule will be agreed upon when you sign your contract. If for some reason your payment is more than 5 days late, child care services will be suspended. Your child will not be readmitted until payment is received in full.

You will receive a $25.00 referral credit to be used towards one (1) week's care for any referral in which another child becomes full-time. The credit will be available when the referrals two (2) week trial period is up.

If you (or any of your designated drop off/pick up people) drop off/pick up before/after your contracted times, there will be a fee of $5.00/15 minutes or any portion thereof. This is strictly enforced and you will be billed for early/late times (to be paid each week on Friday). Repeated late pickups/early drop offs, even if you call me to let me know, can be grounds for termination of services (with all fees due and payable). Please choose your drop off and pick up times carefully, allowing for your daily commute. Don’t assume that because I am open for 1 family you can come early or stay late…each family’s contracted hours are different.

There is a charge of $10 per day that payment is not received (to include Sat & Sun). If this fee and your weekly fee are not paid at drop off time Monday morning, I will not accept your child for daycare until all fees are paid. Continued late payments will result in termination of services (with all fees due and payable).

I will charge $25 plus any additional costs I may incur for any returned checks. Service will be halted until I receive full payments in cash. In addition, I will only accept cash payments from that point forward.

I will supply you with a year end summary of all child care fees paid for the year for tax purposes no later than January 31st. If care is ended before the end of the year, your receipt will be provided on your last day of care.

I will provide receipts at the time of payment only upon request.

Although very rewarding, childcare is a very high stress occupation. As a Childcare Provider on the Practitioner Registry in Montana I am required to have 23 hours of training per year excluding CPR and First Aid in order to maintain my childcare level on the registry. As well, the state requires I keep my training current as well. Therefore, I reserve the right to take up to five (5) paid training days per year. Two (2) weeks notice will be given for these days.

Although I will make every attempt to be available each day, there will be occasions when I or another family member is ill and I am unable to provide care. You will be notified as soon as possible of any personal or family illness, funeral, or emergencies. If I am unable to provide care for any of these reasons, I will credit your next week of care per day.

I ask that you notify me as soon as possible if you will not be bringing your child or will be arriving late. Your child could be the only one in attendance and I would not like to be kept waiting or I may be able to fill your spot for that day with a drop-in.

When I must be away for a short time, i.e. doctors or dentist, backup care will be provided by my substitute caregiver. If I am unable to use my substitute caregiver then it will be necessary for me to close for half the day or the full day.

There are a limited number of spaces available therefore weekly payments are not based on child's attendance. NO refunds are given for late arrivals, early departures, parental vacations, or exclusion due to illness, weather and holidays.

I am not responsible to find backup care in case of child care closing and/or sickness of a child. I will be happy to provide a list of family home childcare’s in the area for your reference. However, it is up to you to find a backup provider that you are comfortable with. It is often wise and even customary to interview and select a backup provider before a need arises. That way there are no surprises in the case that you might have to use one. Please have a list of backup providers, friends, or family that you can call in case I am unable to work because I am sick, doctor appointment, emergency, vacation, etc.

Hand washing - Hands will be washed before and after meals, after bathroom use, after nose blowing and wiping and after handling an ill child.

Toys & Equipment - Toys will be sterilized daily or as needed with the recommended bleach solution.

Fire/Tornado Drills - Practice drills will be conducted quarterly and recorded.

Symptoms Requiring Removal Of Child From Childcare (no exceptions) Please do not bring your child if he/she is sick; the health and well being of all the children here are of the utmost importance to me. It is for the protection of the children that I must insist on a strict adherence to my illness policy. Please read it carefully.

Communicable Diseases: Not permitted by law in childcare. Some of these illnesses are, but not limited to:

If your child is thought to have a communicable disease, you will be notified and asked to pick him/her up. Your child will be accepted back into care when no longer contagious and must have a doctor’s note saying so. All other parents will be notified of possibility of a communicable disease and what symptoms to watch for.

Fever: Not Permitted. A temperature above 99 degrees is considered a fever. A child needs to be fever free for a minimum of 24 hours before returning to childcare; that means the child is fever free without aid of any fever reducing substance.

Diarrhea: Not Permitted. Children may return to care 24 hours after beginning an antibiotic or needs to be diarrhea free for a minimum of 24 hours. Infants and toddlers with fevers and/or diarrhea pertaining to teething will only be accepted into care with a doctor's note, stating that these symptoms are due to teething.

Vomiting: Not Permitted. If your child vomits while at daycare, you will be expected to come within the hour to pick your child up. The child must stay home until 24 hours have passed with no vomiting episodes.

Runny Nose: Your child may be brought to daycare if he/she has a common cold (slight occasional cough, clear runny nose, occasional sneezing). Discharge of any color other than clear is not acceptable in child care. A constant runny nose, which lasts longer than a week and you suspect it may be due to allergies, I will require you to bring a doctors note stating the same.

Rashes: Not Permitted. Any rash other than diaper rash must accompany the child to child care with a note from a doctor stating it is not contagious.

Runny and/or Crusty Eyes: Not Permitted. Watery, matted, and/or red/pink eyes are not acceptable in child care under any circumstances.

Excessive Crankiness: If your child is irritable, excessively whining or crying, wants to be constantly held or requires more attention than I can provide without jeopardizing the health, safety, or well being of the other children in my care, you must keep your child home regardless of the presence of other symptoms. If this occurs during child care hours, you will be called to come pick up your child.

Lice: Not permitted back to childcare until after the second hair treatment. 24 Hour Rule: Your child must be free from any of the above symptoms for a minimum of 24 hours before you can return to childcare. NO EXCEPTIONS. If you arrive and tell me your child’s fever broke at noon the previous day, you will be asked to leave.

Please take the rules seriously. It is always best to call me and ask if you are unsure whether or not you may bring your child. It is always best for you to have a back up plan available to you in the event your child is ill and you cannot miss work. Any infractions of the rules (on previous page) and you will be called at work or school to come and pick up your child. Repeated calls to have you return to daycare to pick up your child may result in termination (with all fees due and payable). If someone in my family has any of the symptoms (on previous page), I will call you the previous evening, or as soon as I am aware of the situation, so that you may determine whether or not you want your child exposed to such symptoms. I will ask you to make other arrangements if I feel the illness in my family will hinder the quality of care I give your child.

Any non-life-threatening injury will be handled on a case by case basis. For minor injuries likes bumps and bruises, I will provide first aid and a report will be taken. Cuts and scrapes will be cleaned and a band-aid will be applied to the area. If I feel an injury needs more medical treatment than I am qualified to give; a parent or guardian will be notified and asked to seek proper medical attention.

If a child suffers a potentially life threatening injury or sudden serious illness, 911 or the poison control center (1-800-525-5042) will be called immediately. You will be notified as soon as possible.

All costs involved in emergency treatment and/or the cost of an ambulance is your responsibility. The owner/staff and my family of Blessings Abound cannot be held liable for any sickness/injury of either the parent/guardian or child while on these premises, or while the child is in the company of myself/staff during outings.

If at all possible, please administer medications at home; however, in the event that medication must be administered while the child is in my care, I am required by law to receive additional paperwork to do so. If a child requires medicine while in my care a Medication Administration Form must be filled out and signed by the child’s physician and the parent. In addition to the Medication Administration Form, the medication administration log by the front door on the parent information board must be filled out as well.

ALL medications must be in the original container. Parents are required to supply any and all medications including: Tylenol, Motrin, gas drops, teething tablets and gel, as well as diaper rash lotions. Medications will need to come with you in the morning and go home with you in the evening.

Prescription medications must come in the original container labeled with: child’s name, name of medicine, time medicine is to be given, dosage, date medicine is to be stopped, and licensed health care provider’s name. Pharmacy name and phone number must also be included on label.

Over the counter medication must be labeled with child’s name. Dosage must match the signed health care provider authorization, and medicine must be packaged in original container. If at all possible, please give children medicine at home.

I have summed up the expectations in our house in one word… “respect”. Children are taught to respect themselves, respect others, and respect our belongings and our environment. This means that any behavior that would hurt themselves, hurt others or damage property is discouraged and further action may be required.

I will do everything in my power to maintain the safety and well-being of your child. Please remember that biting is a normal stage of development; I will try my best to protect your child while our toddlers pass through this stage.

Discipline: The philosophy of a child-centered classroom, with its freedom, independence and opportunities to make choices, does not overlook the importance of discipline. Safety and respect for the rights and feelings of children need to be incorporated into any method of discipline. Discipline for infants is a matter of safety. There is no such thing as a bad or naughty baby. They do not understand rules or consequences. A safe environment is provided to prevent problems by:

Toddlers are beginning to understand simple directions, but they are unable to remember things, so rules are repeated frequently. Because the toddler is struggling to understand his/her world, s/he often exhibits acceptable behavior with unacceptable objects; i.e. throwing blocks. Safety procedures used with infants are used with toddlers as well as:

Preschool and school age children are better able to understand and remember rules and consequences. The children are reminded of what is expected of them at all times. When children know what is expected of them, problems are less likely to occur. The basic rules are:

When a problem does occur, positive methods of discipline are used in a quiet, calm manner. These methods encourage self-control, self-direction and cooperation. The child is directed and encouraged to solve his/her problems using polite words. "I" messages are used with children such as: "I don't like to hear those kinds of words" or "My job is to keep you safe and I can't allow you to stand on the table." The methods used are:

If a child is misbehaving or hurting another child, and does not cease after attempts at redirection and verbal warnings, I will send him or her to the “safe” place. This is a place where the child can go whenever he or she needs a little time or space to regroup and reconnect with what was happening around them. Once the child is ready to return, I use behavior-modification techniques to encourage appropriate ways of acting. My goal is to help each child develop a strong sense of self-discipline and self-esteem.

If a child seems to exhibit a behavior that is not age-appropriate and it continues to be a problem, I will set up a time when the parent and I can work together on possible solutions. If a problem becomes so severe that it is disrupting the other children’s' daily activities, removing the child from the program will have to be considered.

When attempts at behavior modification continue to be unsuccessful, I will conference with the parents to work together on possible solutions. If a problem becomes so severe that it is disrupting the other children’s' daily activities, then another childcare arrangement will have to be considered. I believe children are responsible for their actions and I teach them to respect other people's property and the value of those items. Should a child break a toy or personal item due to excessive roughness after they have been asked not to, or because s/he broke a rule, parents will be responsible for AT LEAST 50% of the replacement cost.

The following methods of discipline will never be used on any child at any time.

Moderate restraint may be used to prevent a child from harming him/herself or other persons or property, or to allow a child to gain control of him/herself.

I prefer that children do not bring toys from home unless it is something that can be shared with all the children (except for infants). If toys are brought, please note they may be put away if they cause problems among the children. All personal items must be clearly marked with child(ren)s name. I take no responsibility for lost, stolen or broken toys/videos brought from home. Should the child(ren) deliberately destroy my toys or other property through misuse or willfulness, the parent will be required to replace it. If your child needs a special toy or item for sleeping, it will be put away until naptime.

Parents are responsible for supplying disposable diapers/pull-ups, bottles, nap blanket (2 yrs. and older), weather & play appropriate clothes (including a warm jacket, hat and gloves during the winter months). Children will need to have one change of clothes (no matter what the age of the child), a crib sized sheet, and a blanket for naptime. All supplies need to be marked with child(ren)s name.

Children should arrive dressed for play! Having fun includes outdoor activities and can include messy activities, so please make sure your child is dressed appropriately. Please do not expect me to constantly change your child’s clothing from "nice" clothes to "play" clothes.

Keeping close communication with my families is a priority! Because we may not always have the time to talk about how and what your child is doing, I have established the following communication system to help us keep in touch at all times:

~Entryway Posting~
I will post information regarding your child’s day, upcoming events, reminders, sign-up sheets and other “newsy” information pertaining to the child care and your children. The Parent’s Bulletin Board contains our monthly calendar, curriculum information, community information and other fun tidbits.

~Email~
I send regular emails to all parents regarding upcoming activities, daily activities, questions about a child or just to share a cute little “ditty”.

~Parent Conference~
Occasionally parents will be invited to meet and discuss their child’s development and concerns. This may be initiated by either the parent or myself.

~Calendars and Newsletters~
A monthly calendar will be distributed to keep you informed about learning themes, special dates and topics of interest.

~Evaluation Forms~
I encourage you to give me feedback about my program through conferences, daily conversations or surveys in a formal evaluation. Written surveys are given to each parent twice a year. Please be honest as I will use this information to better my program.

Occasionally I will invite parents to some special events each year such as their child’s birthday party or special holiday parties. Additionally, you may participate by helping with a field trip or in any way you like. Of course you are always welcome to visit at any time during the daycare day!

I will be more than happy to help with the potty training provided that it is done when the child is ready. Some signs to look for include appropriate language skills to communicate the need to use the potty, staying dry for long periods of time, that ability to dress and undress self, and interest in staying dry or clean. I take a very relaxed attitude towards potty training, children potty train easy when ready.

We must work together as a team in order for potty training to be a success. I require that your child wear pull-ups only through this process (no plastic pants) for health and safety reasons in my child care setting. Please keep in mind that the activity level here can distract your child from responding to an urge to use the potty, more so than at your home. Therefore, I will continue to use pull-ups until your child can and will announce that he/she must use the bathroom (not just at home, but here as well) and can control his/her bladder and bowels for a few minutes beyond that announcement. We will need to go two full weeks with no accidents here before putting your child in big girl or boy underpants at childcare. While your child is learning to use the potty, please: NO overalls, onesies, belts, buckles, snaps, buttons, or zippers. A second full set of spare clothing is required. If your child is not ready and does not use the potty it is easier to keep them in diapers until they are ready to train. It makes diaper changing much easier, we don't have to remove all clothing to change a diaper like we do a pull-up. It is also cheaper for you to buy diapers than pull-ups.

My main goal at Blessings Abound is to provide a variety of fun learning experiences for all of the children. I will be using a variety of activities like free play, reading, arts, crafts, music/singing, dancing, pretend play, puzzles, building and board games.

TV Viewing
I allow TV viewing of educational and age appropriate videos/shows. I do not use it as a babysitter. We will have a special “Movie Day” once a week on Fridays featuring an educational age appropriate movie with a popcorn snack, etc. “Movie Day” is a special day that kids usually look forward to.

Nap/Rest Time
All children under the age of 5 are required to rest quietly or take a nap. No child is forced to sleep, however they must remain quiet and on their nap mat. Nap time occurs between the hours of 12:30 and 2:30 pm.

Parties
We will celebrate Christmas, Halloween, birthdays etc...with parties. I will buy the child a gift that is from all of us. If you feel you must purchase a personal gift for the birthday child, I ask that you please give the gift outside of the childcare home. I will let you know which day we will celebrate. If you do not want your child present for these parties/celebrations, please make alternate plans.

Pictures
I may take candid pictures of the children at various times during the day and/or on field trips to use for craft projects, newsletters, and/or decorating the daycare. As long as I have permission and the Picture Permission Form signed, I will use such pictures.

Blessings Abound is a home based child care so there will be times when it will be necessary for your child(ren) to go with us somewhere. We also go places to play and do extra curricular activities. A signed permission slip for transportation is required at the beginning of childcare services. "Field Trips" requiring additional money will be announced before hand and an additional permission slip will be sent home. All transportation is done within the requirements under state law.

It is law and also my responsibility as a childcare provider to report any and all abuse or neglect performed on a child. I cannot turn my head on a child that has been abused or neglected. Therefore, I will notify Children’s Protective Services and the Police Department when it appears that a child in my care is being physically, sexually, or emotionally abused, neglected, or exploited.

And the list goes on.................