Foundations Policies - Foundations Early Learning Center

Discipline and Behavior Management

We believe children learn to self-regulate through positive relationships and in a positive environment. Our intent is to assist children in developing positive behavior by role modeling and by providing an environment that promotes and supports each child’s social-emotional development and well-being. Our discipline practices focus on promoting caring, cooperation, affection, generosity, and empathy. We use positive guidance techniques that include positive reinforcement, acknowledging children’s efforts, prompting, modeling, persuading, redirection, using consequences, encouragement, and listening. Our goal is to build self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-reliance in the children we serve.

Foundations Early Learning Center DOES NOT allow certain discipline practices on its premises at any time. These discipline practices include humiliation, any strategy that hurts or belittles a child, verbal or physical threats, any strategy that threatens or forces a child, profanity, the use or withholding of physical activity as a punishment, restricting restroom privileges, the use of food as a reward or punishment, or corporal punishment. Corporal punishment includes, but is not limited to, spanking, hitting, shaking, slapping, biting, pinching, and jerking.

Families are required to adhere to all center policies, including discipline. Families will not be allowed to use physical punishment when on the property and may not request staff to use physical punishment.

Families will be contacted to assist in resolving consistent disruptive or destructive behavior. We reserve the right to terminate services when a child does not respond to our discipline practices and if their behavior may be detrimental to themselves or others in the class. However, our intent is to work with families collaboratively for a successful adjustment.

Nutrition and Meals

Each day we serve breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack. We provide a healthy and balanced diet and limit foods high in sugar and/or fat, as recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).

All meals and/or snacks provided by the center meet a child’s nutritional requirements, as recommended by the USDA CACFP in proportion to the amount of time the child is in the center, with no more than four hours between food services. There may be less time between meals, as directed by state licensing guidelines.

Sugar intake is limited by the following practices:

Juice is served no more than once per week in a serving size specified by USDA CACFP for the age group served.
Sugar sweetened beverages are not served.
Sweet food items are served no more than two times per week.

Foods and beverages high in fat are limited by the following practices:

High-fat meats are served no more than 2 times per week.
Only skim or 1% milk is served to children age 2 years and above.
Fried or pre-fried vegetables, including potatoes, are served no more than once a week.

Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains shall be served based on the meals/snacks provided, as follows:

Fruit (not juice) is served at least 2 times per day.
A vegetable other than white potatoes is served at least once a day.
Whole grain foods are served at least once a day.

Foundations Early Learning Center does not allow outside food, unless the facility is unable to meet a child’s dietary needs. Documentation from a physician may be required to support the request. Chewing gum is not allowed in the center.

Outside Food Policy

Foundations Early Learning Center does not allow outside food unless we are unable to meet a child’s dietary needs. Documentation from a physician may be required to support the request.

We are a peanut-free facility. To protect children with food allergies, please do not send any food with your child, including homemade snacks.

Physical Education and Outdoor Policy

We create environments for infants and toddlers that encourage movement. To this end, we restrict both the number of, and the amount of time children spend in devices that do not allow for free movement.

We plan for a designated amount of outdoor play time each day. Children engage in outdoor play at least two periods daily, totaling at least 60 to 90 minutes per day for toddlers, and 60 to 120 minutes per day for 3-year-olds and older, weather permitting. Please make sure your children are properly dressed for the weather.

In the event the weather seems too hot (above 90º F) or too cold (below 32º F), too rainy or too snowy to go outside, or as a result of poor air quality, we will participate in indoor activities to promote movement and large muscle development and to provide the same amount of physical activity.

If you do not wish your child to go outside, you must keep him or her home until you feel they may resume physical activity both inside and outside.

Staff members do not withhold opportunities for physical activities nor do they require physical activities for discipline (i.e. run laps, push-ups, etc.).

Safe Footwear Policy

For your child’s safety, all mobile children are required to wear tennis shoes or sneakers with a skid resistant sole. Crocs, sandals, flip-flops, slippers, boots, etc., are not permitted at school.

Medication

We administer medication only under very strict guidelines, as dictated by regulatory agencies. Only designated trained staff members distribute medicine and do so according to the center medicine administration policies. For more information on this policy, please speak with your Center Director.

All prescription and non-prescription medication requires written authorization from your health care provider and written parent/guardian consent. Medication Authorization Forms are available from your Center Director. The instructions from your health care provider must include information regarding the medication, including the reason for the medication, specific time of administration, means of delivery, and length of time the medication needs to be given. Emergency medicines, like EPI pens or inhalers, may be used with proper documentation.

All medication must be in the original labeled container and given to your Center Director. All medications are stored in a locked, clean container and kept under the conditions directed by the health care provider or pharmacist. Expired medications will not be given to a child under any circumstances.

Please do not leave medicine or other products such as diaper creams, powder, etc., in a child’s bag.

Tobacco Policy

No smoking, vaping, e-cigarettes or chewing tobacco is allowed in the center or on Foundations Early Learning Center property.

Safe Sleep Practices

We follow safe sleep practices for infants, using the guidelines published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. This includes the following:

Infants will be put to sleep on their backs in an assigned crib. If a parent/guardian requests their child be put to sleep in a position other than on their back, the parent must complete and submit an Infant Sleep Position Exception Form that explains how the infant should be put to sleep, the medical reason for this position, and length of time for this position. This note must be signed by a physician and approved by a Foundations Early Learning Center Regional Director and the ADA Department. Once approved, this note will be kept in the child’s medical file and all staff will be notified of the infant’s prescribed sleep position.
No toys, stuffed animals, pillows, blankets, extra bedding, or positioning devices (unless ordered by a health care provider and approved by the Regional Director and ADA Department) will be in the crib. Infants 6 months and under (as long as they cannot pull up in the crib) may use a sleep sack, if one is provided by the parent. Pajama sleepers are a good alternative to blankets.
Infants may never sleep in a bouncy chair or swing. If an infant falls asleep in one of these devices, the child will immediately be moved to his/her crib.

Tuition Guidelines

Tuition Schedules
Tuition rates are generally established on a yearly basis. Rate increases will apply with a minimum of two weeks prior written notice. A detailed fee schedule is given to families prior to enrollment.

Two weeks written notice is required when withdrawing a child from the center. The family is responsible for the tuition during the two week notice, whether or not the child attends. If a child is temporarily withdrawn from the center, re-enrollment will be based on availability and a registration fee must be paid.

Tuition Payments
Tuition is due weekly, by the close of business on Tuesday, for the week of attendance. A late fee will be assessed for payments not made by the close of business on Tuesday. If payment has not been made by the end of business on Friday, your child may not attend on Monday of the next week until past and current tuition is paid. We reserve the right to cancel services to parents who have payments overdue. Parents wishing to pay bi-weekly or monthly must pay in advance.

We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover Card and online payments. Please ask your Center Director for details.
Should the parent leave the center owing a balance, we will use every legal means to collect the unpaid balance.
A payment app, called Foundations Early Learning, is also available for download for free from the app store.

Tuition Discounts
A family discount of $10 per week is available for a family with more than one child enrolled full-time at the center. The family discount is not applicable to summer camp or drop-in care.

Reservation Credit Policies
Any child absent from the center for a full week (Monday-Friday) can secure their child’s enrollment with payment of half their regular tuition, up to two times in a calendar year (January-December). This half-priced tuition is called a reservation credit.

Reservation credits are only available to families with a zero account balance, and is payable prior to the week of the child’s absence.

Refunds
Refunds can be issued to families with a credit upon withdrawal and who have followed the proper withdrawal procedures. Refund requests must be provided to the Center Director in writing and must include a current mailing address. Requests will be processed within 30 days.

Registration Fees, Late Fees and Other Charges

Families are responsible for a non-refundable initial registration fee at the time of enrollment. After enrollment, there is an annual registration/ supplies fee, charged the first full week in September of each year. Families who enroll during June, July, or August and pay a registration fee will not be assessed an annual registration fee for that year.

Children must be picked up by closing. A per child late fee will be charged for each minute that a child is picked up after closing time. Payment is due at time of the pick-up. Consistent late pick up may result in dismissal from the program.

Any other charges for services (activities, program charges, etc.) must be paid as they are incurred.