Parents’ Guide
Somewhere Over the Rainbow LLC: ChildDevelopmentCenter
600 West Beaver Street
Zelienople, PA16063
724.452.7072
Christina Smochek, Director
Somewhere Over The Rainbow LLC, is a state licensed child development facility. We are an equal opportunity employer.
Hours of Operation:
We are open Monday through Friday from 6:30am through 6:30pm. There is a sign in sheet near the facility entrance for parents to sign in their kids each day.
Late Pick Up Fees:
For every minute a child is left after our normal hours of operation there will be a $1.00 a minute fee charged, payable at time of pick-up. The Department of Public Welfare requires that two staff persons be available when children are in our care. Those salaries must be paid even for unintentional tardiness.
Open Door Policy:
At any time your child is in our care, parents are welcomed.
Preschool:
Preschool will be held from 9am until 11am and will focus on learning strategies best fitted for the child’s age and learning style. Two and three year olds will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays, four and five year olds will be on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Holidays:
We believe that our employees also deserve a little vacation, therefore we are closed the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, day after Thanksgiving and ½ day Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, ½ day New Year’s Day, and New Year’s Day. Payments for these dates are included in the weekly fees and are not excluded from payment.
Communications for Parents:
Each child will be provided with a mail bin that is just within the front door. This is primarily how we will communicate to the parents any important information as it occurs. Any daily activity logs will be found in the mail box as well as requests for update medical records, notices of special events that are coming to Somewhere Over The Rainbow, and any other issues that need to be communicated to the parents.
Child Release:
1. Children will only be released to those designated on the Consent Form kept in the child’s permanent record. Photo ID will be required upon pick up until person becomes known to child’s caregiver. In the case of emergency a parent may call us to declare an alternate pick-up person, photo id and a password will be required.
2. In the case of divorce, we must have a copy of the custody order in the child’s records. If we do not have this, we can not deny parental access to the child!
Illness:
Do not send your child into our care if they have any of the following, but not limited to the following, symptoms/conditions: Vomiting, Excessive diarrhea, Fever, Pink Eye, or Flu.
A child that develops these conditions while in our care will be sent home. Once a parent has been notified to pick up their child they will have a 3 hour time span within which to pick up or arrange for a pick up of the sick child.
If the child contracts a serious illness such as measles, mumps, chicken pox etc., that child will not be permitted to reenter into our care without a written note from the Doctor stating that the child is no longer contagious. Payment will still be required for the duration of the illness to maintain that the child’s place in our ratio count.
If the child seems ill, or is not “feeling like themselves”, without an obvious symptom, we will contact the parents to see if we can make reasonable accommodations until pick up time or if the parent would rather pick up or have the child picked up.
In the event of the necessity of emergency medical care, the parent will be notified as soon as possible and a care giver will accompany the child to the ER and wait until a qualified custodial person has arrived.
Medications:
We will administer over the counter medications that arrive in the original bottle and as per the parents specific instructions as are obtained from our daily “medication log” that is kept beside the daily sign in touch screen monitor. In the event a parent signs the sheet dosage frequency “as needed”, we will follow the instructions on the bottles that are appropriate for the child’s age. We do not administer medicines that do not come in bottles, inclusive of but not limited to: mechanical administrations and syringes.
Medical Records:
The state requires certain medical records be kept for each child and that those records are up to date. These records include but are not limited to immunization history and annual well child physical. Appropriate forms will be supplied to you in your child’s mail box before appointed update time.
Clothing:
Weather permitting, we will try to get the children outside every day, please dress them accordingly. That means no sandals, only tennis shoes or boots, each as they are seasonally appropriate.
Each child should have season appropriate extra clothes on hand for those occasional “oops” that necessitate a clothes change.
All extra clothes should be labeled with the child’s name. If certain unlabeled clothes are mixed up, we cannot be held responsible; however there will be a lost and found bucket.
Payment:
The fees for the child’s attendance are due on Monday each week. There will be a tuition box located near the office for parents to slip their checks or money orders into as they either pick up or drop off their children. This tuition box will also substitute as a suggestion box, should anyone, parent or staff member, have a suggestion for improving the operations of the facility.
We do accept CCIS and CAO payments; however there is a $10.00 fee above the assigned weekly co-pay.
There will a $35.00 fee for any returned checks, or unprocessed automatic withdrawals.
Sibling Discount:
When siblings are enrolled there will be a 10% discount off the older sibling’s weekly tuition fees. In the event of three children enrolled, the second older child will get an 18% discount.
Registration Fee:
There is a $50.00 registration fee for each child payable prior to or on the 1st day of attendance, for siblings there is a discount 2 children it is $75.00 and three children is $100.00
Vacation Policy:
After the child’s 6-month anniversary, they will be entitled to two “vacation” weeks, or ten days of daycare, wherein the center will discount the child’s tuition for that week to ½ rate. Two weeks notice is required to receive this benefit.
Termination Policy:
A Two (2) week notice of termination is required when withdrawing a child from our care. If a child is withdrawn with no notice there will be a tuition charge for those 2 weeks.
We also reserve the right to terminate a child’s enrollment with our facility for any of the following reasons. These include but are not limited to:
1. Physical harm to staff or other program participants.
2. Verbal abuse to staff or others, including swearing or sexual verbiage.
3. Leaving designated area without permission.
4. Stealing.
5. Malicious and willful destruction of property.
6. Possession of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or weapons.
7. Threat to the safety of themselves.
8. Physical exposure.
9. Failure to maintain payment schedule
10. Continuous late pick-up.
11. Disrespectful behavior by parent or guardian.
12. Child’s needs not being met.
Center Closing:
Due to hazardous weather conditions the center may close. Should this happen we will announce a closing on KDKA and WTAE radio and television stations.
Meals and Snacks:
Somewhere Over The Rainbow will provide breakfast upon arrival, morning snack at 9 am and afternoon snack at 3pm all are included in the weekly tuition. Parents are responsible for packing their child’s lunch. We have a microwave and refrigeration available and kindly ask that parents refrain from sending excessive sugar in their child’s lunch, including candy and pop.
Should a child forget their lunch, one will be provided for $1.50.
Feeding schedules for infants and toddlers will be obtained from their parents, and updated monthly for new feeding habits.
Rest Time:
Each child will be provided age appropriate sleeping cots. The parents are required to provide dressings for the sleeping equipment , such as sleeping bags, blankets, pillows, etc that will be sent home each Friday to be returned with the child on Monday morning after being laundered. This is to prevent spreads of colds (flu and virus) and pest control (head lice). Young toddlers will be offered a nap as needed, every one else will take a nap at 12:30 after lunch.
Toys and special blankets:
We understand that each child develops a special attachment to certain toys and blankets, while children are permitted to bring these special items and we will try to make sure that the favorites stay with the correct child, but we can not guarantee that other children will not develop a liking for the same special toy. We encourage leaving home toys at home. Items brought to the center are at your own risk and may very well return in a damaged state.
Infants:
Infants have certain needs that older children do not, so these rules apply only to those still considered infants.
Parents need to provide:
- Feeding and napping schedule.
- Bottles, formula and any solid food the child can eat.
- Diapers and wipes - notice will go home 3 days prior to needing more.
- Diaper rash cream
- Two changes of labeled cloths.
At the time a child can walk and has reached their 1 year birthday they will be considered eligible to be moved on to the young toddler room parents will be consulted at that time for schedule changes.
Corrective Action:
When the situation warrants, a child’s behavior will be addressed to maintain the continuity of the group learning experience. Our philosophy is to proactively encourage desired behavior so that hopefully there is never, or very infrequently, the need for any corrective action. But we will first try simple instructions of what to do and not do. Should that not be sufficient, we will then discuss one on one with the child to discover the cause of the disorder. If that proves to still be not enough then we will resort to a time out. Time outs are 1 minute in duration for each year of the child’s age. A three year old is in time out for three minutes, a five year old in time out for five minutes.
Important phone numbers:
Adiago Health……..www.adagiohealth.org........................................724.282.3756
Early Intervention .......................................................................800.692.7288
Child Abuse ................................................................................800.932.0313
Human Services.. Mental Health and Mental Retardation services......724.284.5114
WIC program...............................................................................866.942.2778
Child-Support Enforcement............................................................877.696.6775
Child Care Subsidy.......................................................................800.424.2246
Mortgage Payment Assistance........................................................800.750.8956
Debt Relief...................................................................................800.291.1042
Free Bankruptcy Advice.................................................................800.379.0985
Discount Prescriptions (Home Delivery)...........................................800.291.1206
Center for Community Resources...................................................724.431.0097
Butler:
County Assistance Office 108 Woody Drive....................................724.284.8231
CCIS 120 Hollywood Dr. Suite 101 Butler PA................................724.285.9431
CVE Elementary..........................................................................724.452.8280
Evans City Elementary.................................................................724.538.3680
Beaver
County Assistance Office 171 Virginia Ave. Rochester PA...............724.773.7387
.