After School Child Care

AFTER SCHOOL CHILD CARE

2020-2021

OUR PURPOSE

To provide quality child care in a safe, creative, and fun environment, providing opportunities and experiences which stimulate the child’s physical, social, intellectual, and emotional growth.

OUR GOALS

To encourage each child to have a positive self-concept.

To encourage each child to develop healthy practices and to guide them toward physical coordination.

To encourage children to relate to other children, adults, and to deal with their emotions.

To stimulate a child’s concepts and ideas about the world.

To provide and encourage stimulating language development for learning language through talking.

To provide different opportunities for each child to express their self in many ways.

To provide a stimulating program that will encourage each child to be curious and want to learn.

We believe that:       

Children should have a safe and secure, yet stimulating environment staffed by warm and caring adults.

Children should have a quiet time and place in which to do their homework, under the supervision of a knowledgeable adult who can provide appropriate assistance from time to time as needed.

Children should have a time and place to be noisy and to “blow off steam” within acceptable limits.

Children should have opportunities to participate in planning their After School Program activities, and to choose what they are going to do from a range of age-appropriate alternatives.

Children should have opportunities to talk with caring adults who will truly listen to what they have to say.

Children should be read to, whether or not they can read by themselves.

Children should have opportunities for social interaction with each other, to cultivate old friendships as well as new relationships.

The After School curriculum should provide children with opportunities to develop new skills and abilities, and to build on  and improve those they already possess.

ACTIVITIES

Clinton YMCA After School Child Care will provide a program of educational enrichment opportunities including but not

limited to the following:     

Organized Outdoor Activity (30 min per day After School, 90 min per day on Full Days)

Field Trips and special events

We also offer 45 minutes a day Monday – Thursday for homework time. Presbyterian College

Work Study Students are available for each grade level to help each child with their homework.

Admissions

The program shall be open to children age 4-12 who attend school during the regular school day. To qualify at age 4 the child must be potty trained.

ENROLLMENT

Applications will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis and should be accompanied by a nonrefundable registration fee of $25.00.  The After School program will be staffed to maintain a pupil-teacher ratio of 10:1.  A maximum of 40 children will attend each week.  A waiting list   will be taken after the limit is reached until a vacancy occurs.

DAYS AND HOURS OF OPERATION – After School Day Care – 2:30 pm – 6:00 pm

The After School Program will be open from dismissal of school at approximately 2:30 pm until

6:00 pm on the school days of the current school year. Students at all elementary and middle

school will be transported to the YMCA by school bus or YMCA bus. In addition, the program

will operate from 7:30 am until 5:30 pm on all staff development, teacher in-service, and some

holidays. The program will be closed on the following holidays:

TUITION

$5.00 PER WEEK DISCOUNT FOR SECOND CHILD paying full rate

For school holidays, teacher workdays, and in-service days there will be an additional charge of

$6.00 per day for full day care. We now accept ABC Vouchers. To qualify call Control Central at

1-800-476-0199 or call the local DSS Office at 833-0100.

A payment contract will be attached to your application. If you contract as a full time participant,

this means that you are contracted to pay for every day that our after school program is open.  This will

guarantee your child’s spot.  The only exception to this is over Christmas/New Year’s Holidays and Spring

Break.  If the student is out all week and you have told us that he/she will not be attending, you will not owe

for that week.  We welcome drop-ins that only pay for the days they contract with us to attend, but these

spots are not guaranteed.  If a full time student applies, the drop-in spots will be forfeited.

**If you cannot pay on time, please contact Patti Nelson or Laura Martin in the Business Office prior to the due date for possible arrangements for payment.

If we go on field trips or have special events, you will be notified of the additional fee in advance.  Children are discouraged from bringing electronic games as we cannot be responsible for them.  Cell phones or other camera devices are prohibited in the dressing room areas of the YMCA.  Also the only money they need to bring is for a drink if they want one from the machine, or money for field trips and special events.  Do not let children bring large amounts of money.

DROP OFF/PICK UP PROCEDURES

All children will be dropped off at the Child Care Center next to the YMCA.

You are expected to pick up your child by 6:00 pm at the Child Care Center.  All students not picked up by this time will be taken to the YMCA lobby for late pickup.  There is a $5 per child per day late pickup charge.

Parents are reminded that a telephone call cannot serve as authorization to pick up a child.  To avoid unpleasantness, embarrassment, and inconvenience, please insure that the release forms in our files are kept current and that names and signatures are added or deleted as needed.

PARKING

DO NOT PARK IN THE FIRE LANE IN FRONT OF THE Y OR IN THE DRIVE WAY IN FRONT OF THE CHILD CARE CENTER WHEN YOU COME TO PICK UP YOUR CHILD OR WHEN YOU COME IN TO PAY  FEES.

BEHAVIOR/CONDUCT/DISCIPLINE

Just as After School staff members shall treat children with courtesy, dignity, and respect, so shall children be expected to obey the programs rules and regulations.  Participation in the After School Program is a privilege, not a right, and any child who is chronically disruptive despite staff members best efforts to work with him/her will be expelled from the program.

There will be no corporal punishment.

Verbal warning

Time out – 1 minute per age of child

Consult Director

3 days suspension

Permanent expulsion

Praise and positive reinforcement are effective methods of behavior management of children.  When children receive positive, nonviolent, and understanding interactions from adults and others, they develop good self-concepts, problem solving abilities, and self-discipline.  Based on the belief,  the Happy Days Child Care Center uses a positive approach to discipline and practices the following discipline and behavior management techniques.

WE DO

.    Communicate to children using positive statements

.    Communicate with children on their level.

.    Talk with children in a calm quiet manner.

.     Explain unacceptable behavior to children.

.    Give attention to children for positive behavior.

.    Praise and encourage the children.

.    Reason with and set limits for the children.

.    Apply rules consistently.

.    Model appropriate behavior.

.    Set up the classroom environment to prevent problems.

.    Provide alternatives and redirect children to acceptable activity.

.    Give children opportunities to make choices and solve problems.

.    Help children talk out problems and think of solutions.

.    Listen to children and respect the children’s needs, desires and feelings.

.    Provide appropriate words to help solve conflicts.

.    Use storybooks and discussion to work through common conflicts.

WE DO NOT

.    Inflict corporal punishment in any manner upon a child. (Corporal punishment is defined as the use of physical force to the body as a discipline measure.  Physical force to the body includes, but not limited to, spanking, hitting, shaking, biting, pinching, pushing, pulling, or slapping.)

.    Use any strategy that hurts, shames, or belittles a child.

.    Use any strategy that threatens, intimidates, or forces a child.

.    Use food as a form of reward or punishment.

.    Use or withhold physical activity as a punishment.

.    Shame or punish a child if a bathroom accident occurs.

.    Embarrass any child in front of others.

.    Compare children.

.    Place children in a locked and/or dark room.

.    Leave any child alone, unattended or without supervision.

.    Allow discipline of a child by other children.

.    Criticize, make fun of, or otherwise belittle a child’s parents, family, or ethnic groups.

Conferences will be scheduled with parents if particular disciplinary problems occur.  If a child’s behavior consistently endangers the safety of the children around him/her, then the Director has the right, after meeting with the parents and documenting behavior problems and interventions, to terminate child care services for that particular child.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

After School staff will be certified in first aid and CPR.  In case of a minor accident, the staff member in charge will supervise care of the child or children involved.  In the event of a serious medical emergency, the After School Program Site Director will telephone EMS for assistance and shall notify parents immediately thereafter.  Parents are asked to insure that all of the information on their children’s medical forms in complete and correct;  and to notify the After School Program Site Director of any changes or special conditions that may affect their children’s participation in the After School Program.

CARE OF SICK CHILD

If a child becomes ill during After School program hours, he or she will rest with the Site Director until arrangements can be made for him/her to be taken home.

MEDICATION

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL AFTER SCHOOL STAFF ADMINISTER OVER THE COUNTER MEDICINES.  Under special circumstances, the After School Site director will administer prescription drugs only.  Such a drug must be in a container with a pharmacist’s label bearing (a) the name of the child, (b) the name of the prescribing physician, and (c) clear directions for administering the medication.  The child’s parent or guardian must give this to the After School Site Director in person and must fill out a special form.  Parents and guardians are reminded never to send any medication to the program with their child.

FIRE / TORNADO /INTRUDER DRILLS

Fire drills will be conducted periodically to familiarize children with procedures and exits to be used in the event of a real fire.  Tornado and Intruder drills also will be held during the season to familiarize students with the procedures to be followed.

FOOD

The After School Program will offer a light snack and drink each afternoon.  During full days children should bring a bag lunch for the noon meal and another snack will be offered during the morning.  Microwaves are available for heating, if necessary.  We will provide a drink for lunch.  Our program will not serve sugar sweetened beverages.  Sweet food items will be served no more than twice a week.  Snacks will consist of 1% milk, fruit, vegetables and whole grain snacks at least twice a week each.  Each menu is designed to provide a wide variety of nutritious foods that are different in color, shape, size and texture.  All of our child care menus include foods that are culturally diverse and seasonally appropriate.  We also like to introduce new and different foods and include children’s favorite recipes in our menu planning.  Menus are rotated on a two week basis to provide the children with a balance of variety and familiarity.  Menus are adapted to incorporate local and fresh in-season produce when available.

CELEBRATIONS

From birthday parties to holidays there are many opportunities for celebrations in our child care center.  If you would like to recognize your child’s birthday, we request that you contact Neasy and coordinate with her what you are sending.  For holiday celebrations, a sign-up sheet with specific foods and beverages will be sent to parents.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

We have a ready to Play Policy! Please send your child ready to play and have fun each day.  Your child will participate in indoor play, outdoor play, and swimming activities.  Therefore, play clothes and shoes which can get dirty and allow for free and safe movement are most appropriate.  We expect to provide children with appropriate clothing for safe and active outdoor play during all seasons.  An old pair of shoes may be brought and left in the child’s cubby.  A swim suit, towel, flip flops, and goggles (optional) are needed on days we swim.

Staff members do not withhold opportunities for physical activity, except when child’s behavior is dangerous to himself or others.  Staff members never use physical activity or exercise as punishment.  Play time or other opportunities for physical activity are never withheld to enforce the completion of learning activities or academic work.  Our center uses appropriate alternate strategies as consequences for negative or undesirable behaviors, e.g., talk with child in a calm quiet manner, reason with and set limits, provide alternates and redirect children to acceptable activities, give children opportunities to make choices and solve problems, help children talk out problems and think of solutions.

Our staff receives annual training on the importance of healthy nutrition and standards in physical activities.  We encourage participation in all activities and appropriate clothing for easy and safe movement in indoor and outdoor play for the children and staff.

In the event of inclement weather we offer indoor physical activity using the time standards required of ABC and HEPA.  We have a large area in our childcare building that can accommodate a wide variety of physical play. 

TRAINING

All staff will receive 26 hours of ABC certified training bi-annually.

INCLEMENT WEATHER – The After School Program will follow the Laurens County School District 56 schedule as it applies to early dismissal and snow days.

TRANSPORTATION – By signing the After School Packet, the parent gives permission to the Clinton Y Child Care Program to transport their child from school to the Child Care Center.  Also, this form gives permission for the Child Care Program to transport their child on any field trips the child has signed up to participate in.