REACH Early Learning Policies

An emergency plan is in place and consists of the following:

• Parents shall be notified by phone, paper, or in person in the case that a staff member has contracted a contagious disease and their child has potentially been exposed.
• In the case that a caregiver passes away, parents shall be notified in person or by phone. A substitute and alternate care policy is in place and is given to all parents at the start of enrollment.
• Alternative emergency contacts for all children should be included by the parents in their child’s enrollment packet.
• An evacuation plan is in place and parents shall be notified by phone or in person in the case of evacuation.
• Our meeting place is the Rainbow Fence in the back parking lot. If this meeting spot is deemed unsafe, we will move to the Fletcher Place Community Garden across the street on State Street.
• In case of severe weather, REACH Early Learning will notifiy parents via ProCare and/or REACH Early Learning Facebook Page to notify all parents of school closures or delays.

Caregivers shall always directly supervise all children by sight and hearing, even when the children are in sleeping areas.

• Ratios will be maintained according to the posted Ratio Chart.
• During naptime, at least one adult shall be physically present in the same space as the children.
• Other adults included in the ratio shall be readily available to assist in the case of emergency.
• Caregivers shall regularly count children on a scheduled basis, at every transition, and whenever leaving one area to confirm the safe whereabouts of every child at all times.
• Children who need assistance with toileting shall not be allowed in the bathroom without direct visual supervision.
• To aid with supervision of outdoor play a fence enclosed the play area.
• Supervision during outdoor play will include staff being positioned for optimum view of playground and emphasis on higher risk equipment/ activities where children are exploring their abilities.
• No staff will be allowed to supervise children without another staff member present, until a negative criminal history and child abuse registry check has been received.
• Children will not be left along with anyone other than trained staff.

This policy is effective at all times children are present, including during transportation, indoor and outdoor play time, and field trips. Additional staff may be needed depending on the needs of the children and/or nature of activity.

REACH Early Learning has taken the following steps to ensure your child is safe in our program:

Children will be actively supervised with the required number of qualified staff (staff who have completed a comprehensive criminal history check, drug screen, negative TB test and have completed all required trainings).
REACH Early Learning will not care for children in areas that are being remodeled, repaired, or painted. REACH is responsible for maintaining all interior and exterior surfaces, including walls, floors, ceilings, restrooms and furnishings to ensure they are in safe condition. REACH staff is responsible for reporting all broken toys, furnishings, and equipment to the Director or Administrator to ensure that these items are free from sharp points, or jagged edges, splinters, protruding nails, exposed wires, loose parts, rusty parts, or materials poisonous substances which will then be reported to the maintenance staff for repair.

REACH will take the following steps for routine maintenance:

1. Clean the facility daily.
2. Keep the facility in sanitary condition at all times.
3. Sanitize toys, furniture, and other equipment used by children daily and when they are soiled or contaminated.
4. Wash all soiled items prior to sanitization.

It is very important that a child’s development is nurtured through caring, patience and understanding. Children, as you know, may not always get along with each other. They may not agree to follow our classroom and safety rules or may have unfavorable behaviors. We may have to respond to your child’s misbehavior. Hitting, kicking, spitting, hostile verbal behavior and other behaviors which will hurt another child are not permitted.

In response to these misbehaviors, your child’s teacher will not use:

• Threats or bribes
• Physical punishment, even if requested by the parent
• Deprive your child of food or other basic needs
• Humiliation or isolation

In response to misbehavior, your child’s teacher will:

• Respect your child
• Establish clear rules
• Be consistent in enforcing rules
• Use positive language to explain desired behavior
• Speak calmly while bending down to your child’s eye level
• Give clear choices
• Redirect your child to a new activity
• Move your child to a time-out chair for no longer than one minute per year of your child’s age, if necessary. Toddler children will be moved away from the group and allowed to return on their own.

If your child’s behavior is very disruptive or harmful to himself or other children, we will discuss the issue with you privately. If the situation can be resolved, the child may remain enrolled. If we are unable to resolve the issue, you may be asked to make other childcare arrangements.

The undersigned, who are the parents or guardians having legal custody of the above –named minor, hereby authorize the above-named school, into whose care the above-named minor has been entrusted, to consent to any X-ray examination, anesthetic, medical or surgical diagnosis or treatment, and hospital care to be rendered to said minor under the general or special supervision and upon the advice of a physician and surgeon licensed under the provisions of the Medical Practice Act, or to consent to an X-ray examination, anesthetic, dental or surgical
diagnosis or treatment, and hospital care to be rendered to said minor by a dentist licensed under the provisions of the Dental Practice Act.

The undersigned further authorizes the above-named school to have the above-named minor released into the custody of its representative, should hospital care no longer be required.

This form is to be used ONLY in an extreme EMERGENCY, when said parents or guardians cannot be or are unavailable to be contacted

When your child is enrolled in this program, he/she will be involved in a number of special activities for which we need your permission. Please read the following information carefully. You are encouraged to ask questions about anything that is unclear to you. You, of course, have the option of withdrawing permission at any time.

I understand that my child will participate in activities that may take them off school property. I give them my permission to walk to the Fletcher Place Community Garden, located across the street from REACH Early Learning. I also give my permission for my child to participate in supervised walks with their classroom to the Fountain Square, Indianapolis Public Library. I also give my permission for my child to participate in all previously advertised field trips.

I also understand that REACH Early Learning may screen children for vision, hearing and other educational and developmental needs. I understand I will be notified as testing is being done and in all cases, the confidentiality of my child’s records will be maintained.

I understand that my child may travel to the second floor of the community center to eat meals or attend special programming within the dining hall.

REACH Early Learning occasionally transports children ages 4 and 5 years for field trips. A field trip is considered to be the act of taking enrolled children anywhere outside of the licensed/registered property of Fletcher Place Community Center. The following is an outline of information depicting the rules and procedures pertaining to transportation within our school:

• Our preschool does not provide transportation to or from school or to or from other extracurricular activities. Occasionally we take field trips and parents are always invited to participate. Should the preschool attend a field trip, a vehicle will be secured from a third party company.
• If children are transported for field trips, parents will always know prior to the trip and permission slips must be signed by a parent or guardian of all children in attendance.
• Children will be transported properly in a seat belt, car seat, or booster seat according to the current Indiana regulations. Parents may be required to supply a booster or car seat as needed for activities involving transportation.
• Staff will insure that each child is properly secured before setting the vehicle in motion. All adults in the vehicle will use proper restraining devices.
• The number of passengers in the vehicle will not exceed the manufacturer’s state capacity for the vehicle. Children will not be placed in the front seat of a vehicle.
• Children will be prohibited from eating, drinking, standing, or other dangerous activities during transportation.
• Children will never be left unattended in a vehicle. All children will be accompanied by an adult to/from the vehicle to ensure safety.
• All children will be accounted for before leaving the facility and again before returning.
• All travel routes will be planned in advance.
• Smoking is prohibited in vehicles used to transport children.
• Child and staff ratios will be maintained at all times and only qualified adult licensed drivers will transport children.
• Drivers will follow Indiana laws and will not use cell phones at any time while in the vehicl

Vehicle Requirements:

• All vehicles used for transportation will be maintained in safe condition.
• Only insured, licensed, well-maintained vehicles will be used to transport children.
• A first aid kit and list of emergency contacts for all children and adults will be in the vehicle during transportation of children.
• A cell phone will be available in case of emergency.

Driver Qualifications:

• Drivers will be legally-licensed and shall not be under the influence of any chemical substance that may alter their ability to drive safely.
• Drivers will meet staff qualifications including a criminal history check.
• Drivers will obey all traffic regulations.
• Drivers will have evidence of a safe driving record.
• All drivers of REACH Early Learning vehicles will be 25 years old or older

This policy is in effect anytime children are transported by REACH Early Learning.

I understand that pictures and video may be taken of my child while in attendance at REACH Early Learning/Fletcher Place Community Center and other program partner activities. I authorize and release the pictures and video to be used by Fletcher Place Community Center, REACH Early Learning and pre-approved others on printed materials, on their website, on their social media or in any other reasonable fashion for advertisement in promoting their cause and mission to the community at large.

Children with special needs will be accepted into our program under the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). All families will be treated with dignity and with respect for their individual needs and/or differences.

The Preschool Director will be responsible for ensuring that confidentiality about special needs is maintained for all families and staff in the program. The Preschool Director will also ensure that when a child with special needs is identified on the Child Care Application Form, the family will be given a Special Health Care Plan and Emergency Information for Children with Special Needs form to be filled out by the family and health care provider collaboratively with a member of the child care program staff.

Children with special needs will be given the opportunity to participate in the program to the fullest extent possible. To accomplish this, preschools may consult with agencies/organizations as needed, provided parental permission is granted (Authorization for Release of Information Form). Inclusion of program staff on IFSP and IEP case conferences is desired to ensure the preschool provides the most supportive environment possible.

All staff will receive general training on the benefits of inclusion of children with special needs and training on specific accommodations that any child in their classroom may need. The knowledge of parent’s health care professionals involved in the care of the child with special needs will be consulted to determine accommodations and or therapy requirements.

The individual written plan of care for children with special needs will be followed in all emergency situations. The Preschool Director is responsible for making sure the plan shall be updated annually, at a minimum.

BUREAU OF CHILD CARE DIVISION OF FAMILY RESOURCES
SAFE TRANSPORTATION OF FOOD RESPONSIBILITY

Food must be brought to the facility in clean, insulated, sanitizable containers, which keeps cold food at 41° F or below and hot food at 135° or above. Containers must be clearly labeled with the child’s name and date of preparation. Upon receiving the food from the parent, the facility shall verify the temperature of the food. When potentially hazardous food temperature is not correct, the facility will not accept the food. Upon accepting the food, the facility shall maintain correct food temperatures until served.

Parents will review this policy upon enrolling their infant at Reach Early Learning at Fletcher Place Community Center, and a copy of the policy is provided in the parent handbook. All staff, substitute staff, and volunteers at REACH Early Learning will follow these safe sleep rules and recommendations and will have completed and
updated certificates on file for the required Safe Sleep Trainings through the I-Lead Training Portal.

Safe Sleep Rules:

• Always put infants to sleep on their backs unless you provide a signed Sleep Exception Form by the infant's health care professional
• Place infants on a firm mattress, with a tight-fitting sheet.
• For infants who are younger than 12 months of age, cribs should be bare except for a tight-fitting sheet and a mattress cover or protector. Items that should not be placed in a crib include soft or loose bedding, such as blankets, quilts, or comforters; pillows; stuffed toys/animals; soft objects; bumper pads; liners; or sleep positioning devices. Also, infants must not have their heads, faces, or cribs covered at any time by items such as blankets, linens, or clothing.
• Do not use sleep positioning devices, such as wedges or infant positioners.
• Ensure that sleeping areas are ventilated and at a temperature that is comfortable for a lightly clothed adult.
• If an infant needs extra warmth, use of sleep clothing such as sleep sacks or footed pajamas will be used as an alternative to blankets.
• Place only one infant in a crib to sleep.
• Infants may use a pacifier during sleep. But the pacifier must not be attached to a stuffed animal or the infant’s clothing by a string, cord, or other attaching mechanism that might be a suffocation or strangulation risk.
• If the infant falls asleep in a restrictive device other than a crib (such as a bouncy chair or swing or arrives to care asleep in a car seat), move the infant to a crib immediately.
• Our childcare program is smoke-free. Smoking is not allowed in childcare operations (this includes ecigarettes and any type of vaporizers).
• Actively observe sleeping infants by sight and sound.
• If an infant is able to roll back and forth from front to back, place the infant on the infant's back for sleep and allow the infant to assume a preferred sleep.
• Awake infants will have supervised “tummy time” several times daily. This will help
  them strengthen their muscles and develop normally].
• Do not swaddle an infant for sleep or rest.

By signing below, I, the parent/guardian of above named child, agree that I
have been given a copy of, read, and signed the Family Guide, Enrollment Packet, and REACH Early Learning Policies. I also agree to sign and return any forms needed upon entrance to the REACH Early Learning program before my student’s start date. If another copy is needed, the REACH Early Learning Director and/or staff will have these documents prepared upon request.