The Day Care Policy Statement is a declaration of the guidelines by which your child care facility will operate. This program will help you identify important topics to include, and provide suggestions for their content. When the statement is completed and distributed to parents, it will be useful to communicate to both prospective and active customer-parents what you expect from them and what type of child care services you will provide. You should also be prepared to respond to parent's questions regarding why a particular policy is important. Consider developing child care policies and guidelines with respect to the following topics: - Philosophy/Mission Statement (also known as a "statement of purpose")
- Personal Background/Qualifications
- Age and Number of Children Accepted
- Hours of Operation
- Children with Special Needs
- Fees
- Trial period/Termination of Services
- Holidays and Vacations
- Program Activities
- Meals
- Infants
- Toilet Training
- Naps and Rest Periods
- Supplies
- Medical Care
- Sick Child Policy
- Emergency Contact Information
- Discipline
- Substitute Providers
- Pickup of a Child
- Participation by Parents
- Future Enrollment
- Day Care Contract
- Equal Opportunity
- Confidentiality
- Child Abuse and Neglect
- Child Care Regulations
When developing policies, you should make sure that you have or can get the necessary supplies, equipment, staff, and facilities to support the policies. Your state and local governments may have various laws and regulations in place that you must follow. The Day Care Policy Statement does not attempt to address all of the possible laws and regulations that might apply in your location. Therefore, you should consult your state and local child care regulations to make sure that your policies are consistent with them. Please note that your state and local child care regulations must be followed carefully even if they differ from the recommendations or suggestions in this program. |