Northland Childcare Centre

Approved Policies to date:
Goals
Our goals are to provide quality care for…
Children:
- Emphasizing free-play and choice, through a variety of environments
- Engaging in community interactions – becoming global citizens
- Respecting each child’s interests, ability and skills
- Developing the whole child
Families:
- Enhancing the child/family relationship
- Facilitating open and honest communication
Childcare Staff:
- Showing respect for all children, staff and families
- Working collaboratively with other staff
- Providing ongoing professional development

The Board of Directors:
- Supporting the needs, ideas and decisions of the daycare staff
- Working together with the director to complete administrative tasks



Enrollment/Discharge Policy
All children and families will be welcomed into our centre. The wait list will be maintained according to: full time over part time, and date of registration. As an inclusive centre, we strive to fill 10% - 15% of spaces with children who require additional supports. Priority will be given to siblings of children currently enrolled; staff member’s children and situations deemed critical (such as placement from an outside agency) by the Director. The Director reserves the right to make enrollment decisions based on what is best for the dynamic of the centre at the time of registration.
A child will be considered enrolled once the following 3 conditions are met:
1. A registration form has been filled out.
2. The registration fee has been paid.
3. A centre tour and orientation have been completed.
Two weeks’ notice is required for withdrawals. If not given, families will be charged accordingly.
Registration Fee
A registration fee of $100.00 ($50.00 for subsidized families) per child is required to secure the spot(s). This is refundable at the time the child is withdrawn, providing two weeks’ notice is given.
Subsidy
Families who are unable to meet the full cost of care may apply for financial assistance through Manitoba Early Learning and Child Care. An application can be accessed through the website www.gov.mb.ca/childcare or by requesting a form at the office. Any unsubsidized amounts are the responsibility of the family. It is the family’s responsibility to provide all necessary documents and meet all government requests and deadlines in order to benefit from subsidy. Please talk to the Director if you require assistance or additional information. If subsidy has not yet been approved at the time of enrollment, families will be charged the full amount and credit will be issued once approval is given.







Fees (as set by Manitoba Early Learning and Child Care, July 2013)
Infants (12 weeks – 24 months) Full days (less than 10 hours) $30.00
Half days (4 hours or less) $15.00
More than 10 hours $45.00
Preschool (2-5 years) Full days (less than 10 hours) $20.80
Half days (4 hours or less) $10.40
More than 10 hours $31.20
School Age (6-12 yrs) Full days (less than 10 hours) $20.80
Half days (less than 4 hours) $10.40
1 slot (before OR after school) $6.15
2 slots (before AND after school) $8.60
10 hours or more $31.20
Payment
Fees are calculated on a 4 week rotation and must be paid in advance. Fees must be paid by the Friday before the billing period begins. See Appendix 1 – Billing Period Schedule. If paying by pre-authorized direct payment, these arrangements can be made at the time of registration. Families paying by cheque or cash should hand their payment into the office.
Late Fees
Northland Childcare Centre’s budget is in accordance to funding. We reserve the right to cancel a child’s spot and may take legal action if fees are not paid in accordance to policy as outlined below. Please communicate with the Director if family circumstances deem it necessary to make alternate payment arrangements.
Second Friday after billing no charge
Third Friday after billing $10.00 late payment charge
Fourth Friday after billing additional $10.00 late payment charge
Fifth Friday after billing child is withdrawn from centre and late fees will accrue weekly

Late Pick Up Fee
Families are expected to arrive in enough time to dress your child, gather their belongings and leave the Centre by 6:00 PM. A late fee of $10.00 will be charged if your child has not been picked up by 6:00 PM.
Family Holidays
If your child is registered for five full days per week, you are entitled to 2 weeks, or 10 days of holidays per year without charge. Part time enrolments will receive prorated holiday time as per their regular attendance. These days do not have to be taken consecutively but we are requesting that as much notice as possible be given so that NCC knows when to expect your child. Regular childcare rates will be charged at all other times (illness, additional vacation time, statutory and civic holidays) and unused holiday time may not be carried forward. The year is defined as September 1 – August 31.

Lunch and Snack Policy

• NCC is a nut free centre; please check labels of food products carefully.
• NCC will provide two snacks daily, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. All snacks will include three of the four food groups (bread and cereal, dairy, protein, & fruit and vegetables).
• Parents are to provide lunch, milk will be provided by the Centre.
• NCC believes in healthy and nutritious eating habits and encourages parents to send a lunch with a variety of foods from the Canada Food Guide. Leftovers are a great lunch option, a microwave is available to warm up lunches.
• Lunch and snack should be an enjoyable time for your child with positive interactions and learning in a relaxed and comfortable environment.
• To avoid conflict at lunch, NCC staff will promote eating healthy foods first. If your child still wants their treat first, they will be allowed to have it. Please send a small treat so your child will still be able to eat the rest of their lunch.
• Staff will use discretion as to what foods are safe to serve children.
• If a lunch has been forgotten, one will be provided to your child for a $3.00 charge.




Parent Involvement & Suggestions
• Take the time to talk to the staff. Keep staff up to date with your child’s needs and your own concerns. Share your ideas and suggestions.
• Spend a few minutes with your child at the Centre. Parents are welcome at any time of the day.
• Attend a Board meeting or the Annual General meeting to contribute to the operation of the Centre.
• Become a Board member.
• Donate your time to help with odd jobs.
• Let us know of any skills and abilities you have that you would like to share with the children and staff.
• Keep your eyes open for materials we can use for art activities (i.e. egg cartons, yarn, wood, cards, etc.)
• Throughout the year, we hold a few fundraising events to raise funds for new equipment, field trips, etc. All money raised through these events is used to further develop the children’s programming.
• Newsletters, menus, notices, field trip information and other items of interest are posted on each rooms bulletin boards as well as on our website: (www.northland-cc.com)
• Open communication is essential. The Director’s door is always open.

Curriculum Statement
Preschool Program

Preschool is a time of exploration and discovery. Preschool children become engaged in learning experiences when given materials that are hands-on. This gives them a wide and varied number of ways to learn about the world and develop socially, emotionally, physically and cognitively. Our staff recognize that each child has a unique set of abilities and needs and learns at their own pace. Children need to be given opportunities to make choices and to develop independence and confidence. All children deserve the opportunity to learn, grow and develop through play. This is why the daily schedule includes three large blocks (45-60 minutes minimum) of free play time. Staff use observation skills to take note of how the children are responding to and thriving within the play environment. Consistency and structure is valued so children know what to expect, however staff make changes as needed to support the needs of the group as a whole, and also of individual children. This can happen spontaneously throughout the day or at team meetings when a more permanent change to the schedule is necessary. Transitions between daily routines are kept to a minimum to make the most of learning opportunities, and staff communicate up-coming transitions to children to prepare them for the next event of the day.

Staff greet children by name, and with a smile, at the beginning and end of the day to foster a sense of belonging. During play, staff sit near children and ask open-ended questions to encourage friendships and the development of skills such as problem-solving and critical thinking. Staff are interested in what the children are telling them and show genuine care for the children. Even regular routines of the day provide opportunities for learning. For example, staff sit with the children at the lunch table and talk with them which helps develop language and social skills. Play areas throughout the room are set up for small group interaction which gives children the opportunity to engage with each other to practice self-regulation and to show empathy and respect to peers. As staff engage in children’s play, they model emotional responses and appropriate behaviours.

Staff organize the environment to be easily accessible to all children. Toys and materials are at the children's level, giving them opportunity to make choices and to exercise independence. For example, supplies such as scissors, play dough and a variety of writing utensils are available on the art shelf allowing children to practice fine motor skills and develop creativity. We also use the environment to expose children to literacy and numeracy by labelling the toy shelves and providing bins which can be used to sort and classify. Staff observe during play to find out what children are interested in and then organize play areas and staff-led activities accordingly. We also consider each child’s developmental needs during this planning. For example, staff may notice during play that children are interested in building roads for toy cars and so provide a piece of linoleum and masking tape in the car area. This develops creativity and team work. Staff also build on children’s personal interests at the centre by keeping aware of what is going on in the community that might provide a learning experience. For example, several children play on the local hockey team and staff see that the group seems very interested in this. Staff put out mini-sticks and balls to give all children the opportunity to play hockey and practice their gross motor skills. Staff may expand the learning process by providing other items about the topic such as adding hockey books to the library area, or inviting members of a local hockey team to come read to the children. Staff are always looking for "teachable moments" where a spontaneous experience can provide a learning opportunity. For example, a spider is spotted on the floor. Instead of squishing it, a staff member carefully places the spider in a bug-catcher for the children to observe and discuss. We also expose children to diversity by providing experiences and play items that show a variety of races, cultures, ages, abilities and both genders. For example, students from Northlands Parkway Collegiate’s Community Health and Child Care and Family Studies classes will regularly participate in our program with the goal of providing enriched interactions for our children to receive more one-to-one time reading books, playing learning games and developing communication skills. In addition, guests from the community are invited to visit our centre to share their skills and knowledge. The centre has dolls representing a variety of races as well as books about families and dress up clothes from a variety of cultures. Children and families are encouraged to bring in items that represent their culture. Parents are also encouraged to share their special skills and abilities by being a guest speaker or leading an activity.

Our staff recognize that parents and families are the most important people in the children’s lives. Staff work in partnership with parents by communicating with them during drop off and pick up time and by listening closely to understand what families need and want. Open and honest communication as well as mutual trust is essential to the parent-staff relationship. We provide information to parents about their child’s learning and development by displaying art creations that the children have made, photos taken of their children during play and through regular dialogue.