Our Policies and Procedures
GENERAL INFORMATION:
1.School will begin Septeber (TBA) and end in June (date TBA). Summer camp is June and July.
2.Our school calendar is on this website. We will have one day in November when the school will be closed for parent conferences.
3.SCHOOL HOURS: Lilliput opens at 8:00 and closes at 5:00 for pre-school, 7:30-4:30 for Toddlers. Class times vary from class to class. Parents are welcome to visit.
4.Conferences are held at least twice a year. Once in the fall and once in the spring. Conferences may also be held at the request of either the teacher or the parent.
5.Parents will receive a written progress report in the fall and a written one in the spring before each conference.
6.Children’s records will be released to the parents at the end of your child’s time at Lilliput. Parents may view them at any time and get a copy of any report desired.
7.All of our teachers are first aid and CPR trained.
8.All of our teachers have had CORI (Criminal records) checks, DSS checks and have been fingerprinted.
9.Parents are welcome to visit and spend time in the classrooms.
10.Parents provide a water bottle, snacks, and lunches. Please note peanuts and tree nuts are not allowed.
THE LOCATION OF THE FIRST AID KIT:
Each classroom has a first aid mini-kit with rubber gloves, Band-Aids, CPR mask, and gauze. The main kit is located in the kitchen cupboard. Each month the Director checks the contents of the kit to insure that it is well stocked. The Director or a teacher will administer first aid.
FIELD TRIPS:
For each field trip, a form must be filled out by the parents granting permission for their child to attend the trip, and listing the telephone numbers where they can be reached during the field trip time. It will also list allergies, medical preferences, and preferred hospital for us to use.
The lead teacher will carry the childrens’ permission slips, first aid kit and any emergency medications while off school property.
ABUSE AND NEGLECT POLICY:
1.All children shall be protected from abuse and neglect while in our care.
2.All staff shall report suspected child abuse and neglect to the Director. This includes suspected abuse and neglect at home or at the center. All staff are mandated reporters.
3.The Director or Assistant Director will determine if there is just cause to indicate abuse or neglect. If a staff member disagrees with the decision of the Director, they may file on their own, not as part of Lilliput.
4. If there is just cause to indicate abuse or neglect, the Director or the Assistant Director will immediately report the suspected abuse or neglect to the Department of Social Services.
5.The licensee’s program administrator shall notify the Office of EEC (Early Education and Care) immediately after filing a 51A report or learning that a 51A report has been filed, alleging abuse or neglect of a child while in the center during a program related activity.
6. The licensee shall cooperate in all investigations of abuse and neglect including identifying parents of children currently or previously enrolled in the center, providing consent for disclosure to the Office of EEC and allowing the Office of EEC to disclose information to any person and or agency the Office may specify as necessary to the prompt investigation of allegations and the protection of children. Failure to cooperate may be grounds for suspension, revocation or refusal to issue a new license.
7. Any staff member accused of abuse or neglect shall be removed from their positions working with children, until the Department of Social Services has completed an investigation and for such further time as the Office of EEA requires.
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR TRANSPORTATION
1.Lilliput does not offer transportation. Parents must transport their child to and from school and are responsible for their child until the child is with a teacher.
2. Parents are to pull up in line and bring their child to their teacher waiting on the poorch. At pick up the Parent will pull up and take their child from the teacher waiting on the poorch.
3.Field trips will be by bus or each parent will transport their own child to and from the field trip.
4.In an emergency situation at the school, the Director or Assistant Director will call for an ambulance to transport the child to the nearest hospital. The Director will go with the child and carry the child’s folder. A teacher back at Lilliput will continue to try to contact the parents.
SUSPENSION AND DISENROLLMENT OF A CHILD
At Lilliput ECC we want all children to be successful and reach their potential. To do this we often work with parents and the public school system when a child exhibits challenging behavior or challenging learning needs that have not been able to be remediated through team efforts.
Lilliput ECC seeks to accommodate a wide range of individual differences, it is only on rare occasions that a child’s/family’s behavior or learning needs may warrant the need to find a more suitable setting for either a short term or permanent basis.
Some examples of such instances that would warrant disenrollment include but are not limited to:
Child’s Actions:
Child unable to adjust to the program after a reasonable amount of time
Ongoing physical or verbal abuse to staff or other children
Ongoing uncontrollable tantrums/angry outbursts
Excessive biting/hitting
Physical or emotional challenges that require constant one-on-one attention
Parental Actions:
A parent/guardian fails to abide by Center policies or requirements imposed by the appropriate licensing agency.
Non-payment of tuition or recurring bounced checks
Parental refusal to seek professional help for their child
Failure to provide required medical/health forms and other paperwork required for enrollment
A parent/guardian demands special services that are not provided to other children and cannot reasonably be delivered by the program. This includes requests that depart from the philosophy of Lilliput ECC
Discriminatory, humiliating, intimidating or harassing behavior of any kind
Immediate Causes for Disenrollment:
A parent/guardian is physically or verbally abusive or intimidating to Center staff, children, or anyone else at the Center.
Potentially dangerous behavior by a parent or child.
Behavior that puts the child or the class at a safety risk
The Center will not disenroll a child based solely on any of the following:
Making a complaint to the office of licensing regarding a centers alleged violations of the licensing requirements
Reporting abuse or neglect occurring at the center
Questioning the center regarding policies and procedures
The decision to disenroll a child from Lilliput ECC is a difficult one for both the center and the family. In all cases it is our goal to act quickly, thoughtfully and thoroughly to communicate, address and resolve concerns relating to the children in our care. Lilliput personnel will attempt to work with a family to take constructive steps to find a solution and resolve the problems before disenrollment occurs.
1. Please send a zip lock bag with diapers, wipes and a change of clothes.
2. LATE PICK-UP: Children who are not picked up on time will be brought to the extended day room and parents will be charged a fee for any part of each hour the child is in extended day. Teachers wait 5 minutes before and 5 minutes after class time, after this period you are considered late.
3. Please do not discuss your child with the teacher in the pick-up line. If you need to talk to the teacher, please call the school and the teacher will be glad to talk with you by phone or schedule an appointment.
4. Written notification must accompany any individual who picks up your child and is not on the Authorization for Pickup List. For your child’s safety, we will not release them to anyone without proper verification and a note from the parent.
5. ABSENTEEISM: Parents are asked to call the school on the days that their child will not attend. Tuition deductions and make-up days cannot be given for absenteeism.
6. Removable clothing (Coats, hats, mittens) and school bags should be labeled. Lilliput is not responsible for lost items or clothing.
7. Toys should not be brought to School. They are easily lost among our toys. Special "blankies" etc. may come for the children who nap and must be labeled with the child’s name.
8. School clothes should be comfortable and easy for your child to manage by themself. Children should not have to worry about getting them dirty.
9. FOOTWEAR: Children need to come to school in comfortable shoes they can run in such as sneakers. Please no flip flops or crocks. Children wearing these shoes will not be allowed to climb for safety reasons.
10. In case of wetting accidents, please keep a zip-lock bag with extra clothes and your child’s name on it in their back pack at all times/change seasonally.
11. Your child should have a large school bag for carrying home papers and projects. Attach a large safety pin to the outside. This can be used to attach notes from home to school. Please label the school bag with your child’s name where it is visible on the outside.
12. Lilliput reserves the right to cancel any class due to lack of enrollment.
13. Lilliput believes communication between home and school is very important. Call us at any time to discuss your concerns or problems. We can only fix it if we know it needs to be fixed.
PROCEDURES FOR EMERGENCIES AND ILLNESS:
When a child is ill with a temperature, vomiting or exhibiting evidence of a communicable disease, or is complaining of not feeling well, the child will be removed from the classroom to the Director’s office. The Director or Assistant Director will stay with the child and make the child as comfortable as possible while we contact the parent, or if necessary, the emergency contact person for that child. If no one can be contacted, and the problem is not life threatening, the child will remain in the office until dismissal.
In the case of an accident or life threatening illness, the child will be removed from immediate danger. If necessary, we will follow through with first aid and call an ambulance. As the Director or Lead Teacher administers to the needs of the child, an assisting staff member will try to contact the parent(s). The Lead Teacher or the Director will go with the child to the hospital, and will bring the child’s file.
In case of an emergency on a field trip, the school will be called and the Director notified. The Director will contact the parents. If the child is sick and the parent(s) cannot be reached, one teacher will bring the child back to the school. The school will follow the regular illness policies. (The teacher will then return to the field trip.) If an ambulance is necessary, one will be called from the field trip and the regular emergency procedures will be followed, with the Lead Teacher going with the child in the ambulance and the Director contacting the parent.
A child cannot attend school if they have an unexplained rash. A child must wait 1 school day after having a temperature or vomiting. The child must be symptom free, without the use of medication. Please see our Guide For Sick Children Linked Below.
PLANS FOR EVACUATING THE CENTER INCASE OF AN EMERGENCY:
In the case of an emergency, where the center must be evacuated, the lead teacher will lead the children from the building to the playground area where they will line up against the back fence. The lead teacher will take an attendance list that is posted by the door, and insure that all children are accounted for. The assistant teacher will see to it that no children are left in the school and that classroom doors are closed. The first aid kit will go with the class. If it is necessary to vacate the area, children at Lilliput will walk to Paton School.
Each room has two means of egress with Exit signs posted.
Fire drill and emergency evacuation procedures will be practiced every other month. The Director will maintain a log documenting the date, time and
TOILETING POLICY
1.Children will be taken to the bathroom first thing as they come to Lilliput. A teacher will accompany them.
2.Children will be taken to the bathroom just before snack and any other time that they may need to go.
3.Preschool children never go to the bathroom unsupervised.
4.Children are encourage to unzip or unbutton their own clothes as well as to secure their own clothes. If they have difficulty a teacher will help them.
5.Children must wipe themselves if they are able. Please help your child learn this prior to attending school. if a child is unable to clean themselves a teacher will assist.
6.Children in diapers will be changed and cleaned by the Teacher. The Teacher will place a disposable mat on the changing pad, will wear rubber gloves, and will dispose of wipes and diapers in a closed garbage bag. Parents are required to send to school a change of clothes, wipes and clean diapers. Lilliput keeps extra clothes on hand. The Director or the lead teacher will change any diapers or soiled clothes.
7.Children must wash their hands after going to the bathroom and before eating or baking.
8.Should a child accidentally soil their clothes, the teacher will change them. The soiled clothes will go home in a ziplock bag. The child will be cleaned and redressed. soiled clothes will go home in a plastic bag.
9.Lilliput will help with toilet training when needed.
ALLERGY POLICY
We are a peanut conscious center and do not serve or allow any nut products in classrooms with children who have nut allergies. Please let us know if your child has a food allergy or food restriction, we will make sure an anonymous note goes home to parents in the classroom that tells parents what food or foods cannot be sent into the class for parties or birthdays. We will not serve nut products for birthdays or parties in case a child in the class has never been exposed to nuts.
Lilliput cannot serve homemade goods as a classroom snack. The only food products that we can serve the children as a class must be store bought with ingredient labels or fruits and vegetables. This is to keep all children included and most importantly safe and healthy.
Lunches:
If you are sending in lunch everything must be nut free if your child is in a class that has a student with a nut allergy. If you are using soy butter or sunflower butter it must come labeled. We cannot heat lunches at school, if you are sending in a warm lunch please use a thermos to keep it warm.
LINES OF AUTHORITY
If a parent has a problem or concern, they should follow the the outlined chain of command when addressing the problem:
1. Talk to the Lead Teacher first.
2. If the problem is not resolved, then please talk to the Director.
WITHDRAWAL PROCEDURE
•As outlined in our Tuition Agreement Policy all families must provide 30 days written notice of withdrawal.
•Parents must complete and turn in the Lilliput Early Withdrawal Form below.
•As we are a school year program early withdrawal will not be accepted for the months of April, May or June.
•If a student withdraws from the program and then wishes to return the same school year they will be required to pay any missed tuition following our school year commitment policy.
• If your child is absent you are still responsible for tuition in full. Please plan vacations to coincide with school vacations to avoid absenteeism.
• If you are 1 month past due your child will not be allowed to attend until you are caught up on tuition and or extended day fees.
• You are responsible for all collection costs including attorney's fees and all collection agency fees
associated with any unpaid tuition/expenses
•Please keep in mind we are a small family business.
WINTER WEATHER GUIDLINES FOR OUTSIDE PLAY
1. Dress your child in layers. Children should come to school dressed in layers typically in one more layer than an adult would wear.
2. Head, neck and hands should be covered when outdoors.
3. Check on warmth: We periodically check with children to see if they are cold.
4. Use sunscreen. Children and adults can get sun burnt in the winter as sun.
5. Keep hydrated. In the dryer winter weather children lose more water through their breath. Keep children drinking throughout the day.
We watch for Signs of frostbit: pale, grey or blistered skin on fingers, ears, nose and toes. Children may complain that their skin burns or is numb. If you think a child has frostbite:
• Bring the child indoor and put the affected area in warm (not hot) water, use a face cloth for face.
• Do not rub the frozen area
•After a few minutes dry and cover the child with
clothing or blankets and give the child a warm drink
• If the numbness continues we call parents to have
the child brought to a doctor.
* Signs of hypothermia:
shivering, slurred speech, and unusual clumsiness.
•If you think a child has hypothermia call 9-1-1
• Bring child indoors and remove any wet clothing
and wrap in warm blankets or clothes
•At Lilliput School we do not go outside if the temperature is less than 20 degrees or if there is a wind chill below 20 degrees.
References:
American Academy of Pediatrics
www.savethechildren.org
CONFIDENTIALITY OF RECORDS;
Information contained in a child’s records shall be privileged and confidential. The information in a child’s record shall not be distributed or released to anyone not directly related to implementing the program plan for the child, without written consent from the child’s parent(s). Lilliput Early Childhood Center shall notify parent(s) if a child’s records are subpoenaed. The child’s parent(s) shall upon request have access to the child’ records at reasonable times. In no event shall such access be delayed more than two (2) business days. Lilliput shall maintain a written log in each child’s record, indicating any person to whom information contained in a child’ record has been released.
DISCIPLINE:
Lilliput uses positive rather than negative reinforcement for behavior
Discipline and guidance shall be consistent and based on an understanding of the individual needs of the child. Lilliput shall direct discipline to the goal of maximizing the growth and development of the child and for protecting the group and the individuals within it. Children will be encourage to use self-control and will participate in the development of classroom rules when possible.
•Corporal punishment shall not be used
•No child shall be denied food as a form of punishment
•No child shall be subjected to cruel or severe punishment, humiliation or verbal abuse
•No child shall be punished for soiling or wetting their clothes or for not using the toilet
•A quiet corner is used for children who continue inappropriate behavior or for children who hurt others. The quiet corner is limited to a one minute stay for each year of the child’s age.
•For most incidents, the teacher will talk to the child about what they should have done and help them to use the correct behavior the next time.
WRITTEN PLAN FOR REFERRAL SERVICES:
Lilliput Early Childhood Center shall use the following procedure for referring parents to appropriate social, mental health, educational and medical service for their child should the center feel that an assessment would benefit the child.
REFERRAL PROCESS:
Whenever any staff member is concerned about a child’s development or behavior and feels that further evaluation should be done, they should report it to the child’s classroom lead teacher, who will review concerns with the director.
The director will observe the child and do three 15 minute written observations of the child. If the director agrees, the lead teacher is requested to complete a report of her concerns and review the child’s record prior to making a referral.
The director will maintain a list of current referral resources in the community for children in need of services. This list shall include the contact person for Chapter 766 and Early Intervention program referrals.
REFERRAL MEETING WITH PARENTS:
The teacher will schedule a meeting with the parents and the director to discuss the center’s concerns. A current list of possible referrals and resources will be made available to the parents.
At the meeting the director will provide to the parent a written statement including the reason for recommending a referral for additional services, a copy of the three observations made by the director, a list of the teachers concerns, and a list of any efforts the center may have made to accommodate the child’s needs.
The director will offer assistance to the child’s parent in making the referral. Parents should be encouraged to call or request in writing an evaluation. If parents need extra support, the center may, with written parental consent, contact the referral agency for them.
If the child is at least 2 ½ years of age, the director shall inform the child’s parent(s) of the availability of services and their rights, including the right to appeal, under Chapter 766. If child is under the age of three, the director shall inform the child’s parent of the availability of services provided by Early Intervention.
FOLLOW –UP TO THE REFFERRAL:
Lilliput will, with parent’s permission, work with the agency who evaluated the child in order to provide for the needs of the child. If the child does not qualify for services, Lilliput will review the child’s progress every 3 months to determine if another referral is necessary.
Lunch Ideas:
Ham and cheese
Cold cuts
Tuna
Hard boiled egg
Chicken salad
Seafood salad
Salad
Cereal with milk on the side
Wow butter and jelly
Sunflower butter and banana
Hard boiled eggs
Pasta with butter
Tacos
Pizza
Meatloaf
Steak, potatoes and broccoli
Grilled chicken Sweet potatoe
Grilled cheese
Sushi
Bacon and eggs
Hot dog/sausages
Snack Ideas:
Stuffed celery
Carrots and dip
Fruit cut appropriately for child's age
(apples, oranges, banana, pineapple, avocado, berries, peaches, watermelon., etc..)
Dried fruit
(rasins, apple, prunes, apricot, pineapple, figs, crasins, etc...}
Granola bars
Yogurt raisins
String cheese
Popcorn
Pretzels
Puree' fruit packs
Tortilla chips
Pumpkin seeds
Chick pea
Tabouli
Hummus
Guacamole
Vegetable slices
Shredded Coconut
Nuts (if there is no allergy for your child or the classroom)
Thermos Ideas:
Milk
Soup
Mac and cheese
Spaghetti
Oatmeal
Yogurt
Rice
Vegetable pasta/rice
Egg rice
Naan
Chicken nuggets
Beef stew
Hash
