Admissions

1. Can parents drop by whenever they'd like to check up on our children? Yes, parents can drop by anytime. Calling to check on your child is also permitted. 2. Are we permitted to drop in to breastfeed? Yes, mothers are permitted to drop in and breastfeed. For your privacy we have provided a quiet room which includes a rocking chair for comfort. Please notify the office of the times that you would like to come by and we can get you scheduled for feeding. 3. What is your current visitation policy? Due to COVID-19, our facility only permits the child's parent or guardian to visit our facility. Each parent/guardian must wear their mask when coming in. 4. What happens if we're late to pick-up? If you pick your child up after close of business (which is 6pm) you will be charged late fee of $2.00 per minute. 5. What's your sick-child policy? Your child will not be allowed to attend daycare/preschool if he or she Has a fever over 100.3 (unless your child is teething) Has had diarrhea for more than three consecutive loose stools. Symptoms of any communicable disease Sore throat or constant cough Has Vomited Please review page 6 in this handbook for more details. 6. What is the potty-training procedure? We start potty-training only when the parent is ready to start at home. This is a team effort! We will work together to get the job done! 7. How, and how often, do you sanitize the toys and materials used by the children? We sterilize and clean all toys and materials that the children use daily. This also includes your child's classroom being deep cleaned daily as well 8. How do you handle discipline or behavioral problems? For instance, how do you handle biting, hitting, or bullying situations? Our facility is one that believes in providing a nurturing & loving environment. If a child does anything that is contrary to the rules and regulations of our facility, we will follow our discipline guidelines found on page 4 & 5 of our handbook. 9. If my child is absent from daycare for vacation or due to sickness, will I still be charged for the days? Yes, you will still be charged for the days that your child is not present. Please reference back to our Financial Agreement which is enclosed in the handbook. 10. Is there a written plan for responding to emergencies and disasters such as fire or flooding? Does the program conduct regular fire drills? Yes, we have a written plan for emergencies & disasters, Please reference to pages 8-11 of our handbook. General Information Attendance: If your child will be late or absent, please notify the office at (979) 732-6183

Holidays & School Closings We will close the center on MLK DAY, Good Friday, Labor Day, Memorial Day, Christmas Eve & Christmas Day, Thanksgiving Day & the day after, July 4th, New Year's Eve & New Year's Day. Bad Weather Days When there are bad weather days our facility will keep all parents/guardians up dated on whether or not the facility will open late, close early or be closed for the day. Please view our facility App, Social Media outlets or local radio station closing updates. Pest Control The center has Pest Control to come and spray once a month on the weekend with environmentally safe pesticides. Guidance & Discipline Our Center seeks to provide a warm, nurturing, safe, and loving environment where self- concepts are enhanced, independence is encouraged, and individuality is respected. If a child chooses to act in a manner contrary to the rules or instructions of his teacher/care provider, there are several corrective guidelines a teacher/care provider must choose. *Redirection-to stop a certain action; gets the child interested in something else. - *Awareness to make the child aware that what they are doing is not acceptable an offer alternatives. *Discussion to make the child aware of the rules governing the situation; don't expect the child to always remember what is discussed. *Refocusing time (Time Out) - have the child sit in a designated area for a short time to think about why he/she should not act in a certain manner. In the event a child bites or hits, the director will observe the incident and proceed accordingly. Each parent will be notified of the incident/accident and will be provided an incident/accident report to sign on the date the incident occurs. Extreme behavioral problems such as behavior that places another child in danger, extensive biting or fighting will result in the child being suspended for the time made by the director or assistant director. We strive to reinforce the positive self-esteem of the children. Our Center prohibits the following type of discipline: Corporal punishment, punishment associated with food, naps, or toilet training, pinching, shaking or biting a child, hitting a child's mouth, humiliating, ridiculing, rejecting or yelling at the child, subjecting the child to harsh, abusive, or profane language, placing a child in a locked or dark room, or requiring a child to remain silent or inactive for inappropriately long periods of time. All St Paul Christian Learning Academy staff members are required to report any suspected abuse, neglect, or maltreatment on the part of an employee, parent, or volunteer. Any abuse or maltreatment of a child, either as an incident of discipline or other, is prohibited. Any means of corporal punishment will not be tolerated. Additionally, withholding or using food, rest or sleep as punishment is prohibited. Our staff is required to have yearly training to recognize and report child abuse and neglect. St Paul Christian Learning Academy strives to help parents in need to help prevent child abuse and neglect. Please consult with the director or assistant director if you have any concerns or need help with this matter. We are bound by law to report all suspicion of abuse and neglect to Child Protective Services (800-252-5400). Medical Policy The policy of St Paul Christian Learning Academy regarding sick children: Your child will not be allowed to attend school if he/she: e *Has fever of 100.3 degrees or over (unless teething is occurring and can be proven) *Has diarrhea or more than three loose stools during the day *Has symptoms of a communicable disease *Has sore throat or constant cough *Is unable to participate in the program *Has vomited *The child must be free of these symptoms for 24 hours before returning to the center* Please notify the school if your child has a contagious illness so we may notify other parents. If a child is not well enough to remain at school, a parent or someone listed on the release form will be contacted. We will expect the sick child to be picked up from the school within one hour after being called. If a healthcare professional has diagnosed the child with a communicable disease, the child must have a doctor's note to indicate that he/she is no longer contagious in order to return to the center. Administering Medication Prescription medications must be in the original container labeled with the child's name. We must administer the medication as stated on the label. Medications will only be given at noon unless instructed by a health care professional. No other times! Parents must fill out an authorization form in order for the facility to administer the medication. If medication (Tylenol /Benadryl) is needed before the child can be picked up, the center is able to do so with verbal permission from the parent. Vaccines for Preventable Disease All children must have updated immunizations and their updated shot record on file. If your child is exempt from vaccinations due to medical conditions or reasons of conscience, it must be stated by a health care provider to put in your child's file. The staff of St Paul Christian Learning Academy are not required to receive the whooping cough and Hep A vaccine. We have trained the staff to take precautionary procedures to prevent the spread of diseases. Employees are required to wash their hands and the child's hands after diaper changes, before and after serving food, after they come in from outdoors, and sanitize the classrooms (i.e. tables, toys, changing tables, etc.), wear gloves, and not come to work with symptoms of vomiting, fever, or diarrhea. (Each Immunization record must obtain the clinic or hospitals' stamp in which the vaccinations were received.) Hearing and Vision Screening Children four and five years old as of September 1st are required by the state licensing department to have their hearing and vision screened. The screening may be done by your family doctor. A copy must be kept on file at the center. Accidents The policy of St Paul Christian Learning Academy regarding accidents: If an accident occurs at the center, the parent will be contacted according to the information found on the child's incident/accident form that was completed by the parent at the time of registration. (Which is found in each child's file) Should any accident require emergency medical treatment, the child will be taken to Columbus Community Hospital. The parents will be contacted immediately to meet the staff member and the child at the Emergency Room. Evacuation Process When the decision is made to evacuate the Center facility, the Director will make the announcement in the most expeditious way possible that all persons are to evacuate to their assigned assembly area and await further instruction. The building is to be evacuated completely. The Director will notify appropriate personnel and communicate what type of emergency is present. In the event of an actual fire, the Director will be responsible to notify 9-1-1 of the emergency from a cell phone outside the building once the evacuation is complete. Center staff will evacuate their children as follows: Infants The Infant Nursery Supervisor shall put infants in an evacuation crib and move to the designated evacuation assembly area, all infants must be physically accounted for against the sign-in log and the results reported to the Director immediately. The Infant Nursery Supervisor is responsible to bring all attendance sheets, child rosters, and information sheets. For inclement weather, if possible, take appropriate supplies to protect the infants. Toddlers and Preschool The Toddler Supervisor and Preschool Supervisor shall be responsible to gather their respective classes in a group and supervise and orderly evacuation to the designated assembly area. The Group Leader is also responsible to bring all attendance sheets, child rosters, and information sheets. Upon arriving at the designated evacuation assembly area, all children must be physically accounted for against the sign- in log and the results reported to the Director immediately. For inclement weather, if possible, take appropriate supplies to protect the children. All available personnel will assist the staff with the evacuation and then proceed to perform their assigned duties. *Note: Under no circumstances does staff stop for any of their own or children's personal belongings, including, jackets, shoes, purses, etc. Procedures for conducting a fire drill: Inform the staff in advance. The Center Director informs the staff that there will be a fire drill later in the day/week. Familiarize the children with the fire drill. Teachers talk to the children in their classroom about the bell/alarm, rules, and procedures for vacating the building. Evacuate the building. The Director will sound the alarm and the Center will be evacuated. • O *Evacuating Infants and Toddlers: The designated member of the management team goes to the infant/toddler area. *Children in the Infant Nursery are placed in an evacuation crib and the crib is wheeled outside by the Infant Nursery Supervisor, to the designated area. *Toddlers (walkers) proceed immediately with their Group leader to the outside-designated area. o *Group Leaders will count their children and take attendance sheets, emergency information and cell phones with them. *The Center Director or designee checks bathrooms, closets, and "hiding places" for "lost children" and for possible sources of smoke or fire during a real alarm. *The Center Director retrieves the official daily sign-in sheet and cell phone. Time the drill. The Center Director times how long it took to vacate the building. Verify accurate recount of all persons. The Center Director or designee checks with each group to verify an accurate recount of all persons. Return to the building. The Center Director or designee gives approval to reenter the building. The Center Director or designee helps with infants and toddlers. Document the completed fire drill. The Center Director completes written documentation that contains the specifics of the drills: date, time and location of fire and the length of time required to vacate building. Fire drill will be practiced at least once in a month, at different times of the day. All children should have the experience of a practice fire drill to be better prepared for a real emergency. Additional assignments of staff: Evacuation Supervisor: Make sure all children are accounted for. Determine the safest location for continued operations until children can be picked up and the safest path for all staff and children to get there. Activate the parent/guardian pick-up point assignment. This should be the best location away from the play space areas and first aid station. Activate the communications assignment and provide specific phrases for the caller and information about the parent/guardian pick-up point. First Aid Supervisor: Administer First Aid as necessary. Key materials-Complete First Aid Kit, flashlights, batteries, cell phone, and radio contained in bright, labeled bag. Communication Supervisor: Check in with Evacuation supervisor about exact information to give to families when calling (emphasis should be placed on the child's condition and pick-up location). Discuss the exact wording to offer families whose children that have been injured in some way by the event. Relay information to group leaders of each class. EMERGENCY NUMBERS Director-Briana Bedford (979) 533-3812 Assistant Director- Chrystal Ross (713) 373-7037 Ambulance 911 Fire Poison Control 911 (800) 222-1222 Local Health Department (979) 732-3662 Fire Inspector-City of Columbus (979) 732-2366 Childcare Licensing Representative (832)595-3007 Child Abuse Hot-Line Water/Sewer-City of Columbus (800) 252-5400 (979) 732-2366 Columbus Police Department (979) 732-3351 Colorado County Sheriff (979) 732-2388 ST PAUL CHRISTIAN LEARNING ACADEMY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY & PLAY Here at St Paul Christian Learning Academy, we want to ensure that your child will have age-appropriate equipment and physical activities to enjoy and promote physical health. These activities include but are not limited to: music movement, songs and simple games. This also includes dramatic or imaginary play that encourages movements such as dance, running, climbing stretching, walking and marching. There will be days when your child will be able to go outside for these activities. During those times your child will have an age-appropriate playground in which we have created play areas that were designated separately for each age group in our care. All children are limited to 30 minutes of outdoor play during the morning and 30 minutes of outdoor play in the afternoon. On days when the weather prohibits outdoor play, your child will be able to partake in indoor activities in their assigned classrooms or our facility fellowship hall. While enjoying physical outdoor activities each child is required to wear closed-toe shoes. This includes tennis shoes. Crocks are permitted as long as the back strap is connected properly. If your child is wearing non appropriate shows we suggest to bring an extra pair for closed toe shoes, so they may be able to change into the appropriate attire. If not, we will have your child participate in an alternate activity that will accommodate them for physical activities for the day. Our nursery instructors will interact with infants in daily physical activity that encourages active exploration of the infant's environment. Infants may be seated in a restricted device no longer than 15 minutes at a time, unless the infant is being transported of eating. All infants are to have supervised tummy time daily. Children younger than the age of 2 years old WILL NOT have any kind. This includes but is not limited to: TV viewing of any kind, video games or computer games. Children 3 years of age & older will be limited to no more than 60 minutes total of screen time activity per day. All screen activities must be educational and will not be permitted during mealtimes or nap times. If you have any questions or concerns of any kind please contact our facility director at 979-732-6183. ST. PAUL CHRISTIAN Learning Academy All child care staff working in the St Paul Christian Learning Academy infant room, or child care staff who may potentially work in this room, will follow these safe sleep recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics. (AAP) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for infants to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome/Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Syndrome. (SIDS/SUIDS). St Paul Christian Learning Academy Infant Safe Sleep Policy 1. Infants will always be placed on their backs to sleep unless there is a signed sleep position medical waiver on file. (Form 3019) Infant Sleep Exception/Health Care Professional Recommendation completed by the infant's health-care professional) In that case, a notice will be posted on the infant's crib. ** If the infant is able to roll back and forth from the front to back, we will place the infant on the infant's back to sleep and allow the infant to assume a preferred sleep position** 3. Sleeping infants will closely monitored by staff. There will be active observation of infants by sight and sound at all times. 4. Steps will be taken to keep babies from becoming too warm or over heated by regulating the room temperature and not over-dressing the baby. We will ensure that the sleeping area is well ventilated. 5. We DO NOT swaddle an infant for sleep or rest unless you from a F3019. (Infant Sleep Exception/Health Care Professional Recommendation completed by the infant's health- care professional.) 6. We are a "blanket free" infant room, and will not use blankets in cribs. St Paul Christian Learning Academy allows sleep clothing such as sleepers or footed pajamas as an alternative to blankets. 7. Only one child allowed in a crib at a time. (Unless we are evacuating infants in an emergency.) 8. Pacifiers may be used in cribs. However, the pacifier must NOT be attached to a stuffed animal or the infants clothing by string, pacifier clip, cord or other attaching mechanism that might be a suffocation or strangulation risk. 9. Infants will be placed on a firm mattress, with a tight fitting sheet, in a crib that meets CPSC federal requirements for full-size cribs and for non-full size cribs. There will be NO USE of soft or loose bedding, such as blankets, quilts, bumper pads, liners. Infants must not have their face, head or cribs covered at any time. 10. We DO NOT USE sleep positioning devices, such as wedges or infant positioned. The AAP has found no evidence that these devices are safe. (Their use may increase the risk of suffocation.) 11. NO toys, sound machines or stuffed animals will be used in cribs. 12. If an Infant falls asleep in a restrictive device other than a crib (such as a swing, high chair, bouncer or arrives to the facility in a car seat) the infant will be moved immediately. Unless the parent provides a F3019. (Infant Sleep Exception/Health Care Professional Recommendation completed by the infant's health-care professional) 13. Our center is smoke-free. Smoking is not allowed in Texas child care operations. (this includes e-cigarettes and any type of vaporizers. 14. Awake infants will have supervised "tummy time" several times daily. This will help them strengthen their muscles and develop normally. 14. A written copy of this Infant Safe Sleep Policy will be provided the parent/guardian prior to enrollment. A signed copy will be kept on file by the facility.

*Hours: Our operating hours are from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday - Friday. Thirty minutes after the center closes, if a child is not picked up, the center has the right to call Child Protective Services or take the child to the local Sheriff's office. Children picked up after 6:00 p.m. will be charged a late fee of $2.00 a minute until the child is picked up. Payment is due when the child is picked up. *Arrival and Dismissal: All daycare children should go to their rooms for sign in. Preschoolers arriving before 8 a.m. should meet in the Early Bird room. Preschoolers arriving at 8:00a.m. should meet in their classroom. All parents must park and bring their children into the facility to their appropriate classrooms. The parent/guardian must sign the child in on their class sign in sheet. Children will be dismissed only to those who names appear on the enrollment form. Any changes in the enrollment form must be signed and given in writing to the director. When the child is picked up, a parent/guardian must sign the child out. *Transportation: We supply transportation from Columbus Elementary School and St. Anthony's Catholic School. These arrangements must be made in the office and at school and the center. We also do transportation for field trips with parent permission. *Field Trips: The child/caregiver ration for field trips may include adult volunteers and employees. Field trips are taken only with 48 hour prior notification and a signed permission slip. A volunteer must have a criminal history check and pre service training. *Water Activities: When your child care center uses a swimming pool (more than 2 feet of water) there must be at least 2 caregivers supervising the children if four or more children are swimming. You will be notified in advance of the days that the child will be participating in a water activity.

An FAQ section can be used to quickly answer common questions about you or your business, such as “Where do you ship to?”, “What are your opening hours?” or “How can I book a service?” It’s a great way to help people navigate your site and can even boost your site’s SEO.