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KARNAK CREATIVE CHILD CARE GSRP PARENT HANDBOOK

22603 Telegraph Road Brownstown, MI 48183

734-676-5200

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WELCOME TO KARNAK CREATIVE CHILD CARE CENTER, INC. Great Start Readiness Program

This Parent Handbook (“handbook”) contains the policies and procedures of Karnak Creative Child Center, Inc. in outline form. Please take the time to read the handbook and keep it in a convenient location for reference. The handbook is meant to serve as a reference guide. It is not meant to cover every aspect of the childcare program or every situation, which may arise. Parents should feel free to contact the program director with questions concerning the contents of the handbook. Throughout the handbook, the term “parent” will be used to refer to the parent(s) or guardian(s) of the child in care. The term “provider” will be used to refer to Karnak Creative Child Center, Inc.

Mission Statement

The mission of Karnak Creative Child Great Start Readiness Program is to serve the children and families of the Downriver Community by offering a dynamic,

developmentally appropriate and research-based preschool education program to prepare children for school and life success.

1. Program Overview

The Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) is Michigan’s state-funded preschool for eligible four-year-old children with a focus on supporting children’s development of school readiness skills. The program is administered by Michigan Department of Education (MDE), Office of Great Start (OGS). Research on preschool programs and specific research on GSRP indicates that children provided with a high-quality preschool experience show significant positive developmental differences when compared to children from the same backgrounds who did not attend a high-quality preschool program.

2. Changes to Handbook The provider reserves the unilateral right to add, delete, modify or amend the policies and procedures described in the handbook. Changes will be communicated to parents in a reasonable time frame. Changes to policies and/or procedures contained in the handbook are effective only if set forth in writing signed by the provider.

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3. Karnak Creative Child Care Curriculum

Karnak has implemented the use of the Creative Curriculum as well as the GOLD online assessment tool throughout the center. The Creative Curriculum is a research-based curriculum that focuses on the individual child’s interests and development. What this means is that we will be aligning our weekly lessons to match the way the children develop and learn in order to promote optimal development and learning.

There are five foundational principles of Creative Curriculum: 1. Positive Interactions and relationships with adults provide a critical foundation for

successful learning. 2. Social-emotional competence is a critical factor in school success. 3. Constructive, purposeful play supports essential learning. 4. The classroom environment affects the type of quality of learning interactions. 5. Teacher-family partnerships promote development and learning.

The Creative Curriculum for Preschool focuses on eleven interest areas: blocks, dramatic play, toys and games, art, sand and water, library, discovery, music and movement, cooking, technology, and outdoors. These interest areas help teachers understand how to work with children at different developmental levels to promote learning, and it also guides them in adapting classroom environment to make it more challenging for the children.

4. Non-Discrimination Policy The provider will maintain and conduct all practices relating to enrollment, discipline, and all other terms and benefits of childcare services provided in a manner that does not discriminate against any child, parent or family based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, or handicap.

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5. Admission Requirements/Care Schedule

Children must meet criteria based on the MDE, Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), and federal guidelines if the program is a GSRP/Head Start blend. Priority is given to families with greatest need. Students are not selected on a first-come, first-serve basis. Prior to admission, the following documents need to be completed and on file:

• Proof of age (four years old on or before December 1), which could be one of the following: Birth certificate (a district may require a certified copy) Passport Hospital record

• Proof of income, which could be one of the following: Tax return Paycheck stub W-2 Form Written Statement from employer(s) Public assistance Signed Income Verification Form or local equivalent

• Proof of residence, which could be of the following: Driver’s license Recent pay stub with employee address Utility bill Other recent government issued document listing the address and name of

parent of child

• Eligibility factor information and related documentation: o Head Start Waiver (if applicable) o Immunization records o Child Information Record o Application o Free and Reduced Meal Family Application (If center reaches 25% of

eligible enrolled children) o Written Information Packet

Once the above documentation is on file, a determination regarding admission will be made. A child will either be admitted to the program or placed on the waiting list. Children will be prioritized on the wait list in order of need, listing those with greatest need first.

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A Health Appraisal must be on file within the first 30 days of initial attendance or the child will not be able to attend until it is submitted. The Health Appraisal must have a physician’s signature, stamp, and the date. Calendar

Each family is provided a program calendar prior to the first day of school. Refer to the calendar for information regarding the first day of school, last day of school, school breaks, or other days the classroom may not be open. If you are in need of another copy of the program calendar, please contact your child’s teacher or the program administrator.

Before/After Care for GSRP

The option of before and after school childcare is offered at Karnak Creative Child Care. Participation in before and/or after care is at an additional cost to parents and is not included in the GSRP grant. If interested in before or after school care, please contact our center at 734-676-5200 for rates.

6. Hours of Operation

The center operates Monday-Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., subject to the holiday schedule listed below. No child may arrive before 7:00 a.m. or stay after 6:00 p.m. No child may remain at Karnak Creative Child Care after 6:00 p.m. If a child remains at the daycare past 6:00p.m. and the parent has not called to notify the provider that he or she will be late, the provider will attempt to contact persons listed on the child information card to pick up the child. If the provider is not able to arrange for an authorized person to pick the child up by 6:30 p.m., the provider will contact the police department for further instructions. Holidays The GSRP Classrooms are closed on the following holidays and dates: Thanksgiving Day after Thanksgiving Week of Christmas Week of New Year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day President’s Day First week of April Memorial Day When a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the program reserves the right to close to observe the holiday either the preceding Friday or the following Monday. The center

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also reserves the right to close for holidays that fall in the middle of the week at their discretion and will give parents a month notice of such closure.

7. Cultural Competence Plan The purpose of the cultural competence plan is to ensure that Karnak Creative Child Care shows every individual child, family, and member of staff has worth; that they need to be respected, and each individual’s dignity is preserved. This is important to children, families, and staff because it is creating a respect-based communication, “affirmative action”, “equal opportunity”, and “sensitivity training” that will allow Karnak Creative Child Care to create a more well-known cultural competency. Tools/Resources Being Used Karnak Creative Child Care employs the use of culturally inclusive tools and resources. Our dramatic play areas display things like multi-ethnic foods, multicultural dress-up clothes, and dolls that represent people of different genders and ethnicities. We encourage the use of books and blocks in our library, and block areas that represent similarities and differences in the world. You might also see things like pictures in the classrooms that represent the different ages, abilities, genders, ethnicities, or non-traditional roles of the families in our center. Karnak Creative Child Care utilizes this plan to meet the needs of children, families, and staff through the following:

• Addressing any cultural, linguistic, or economic barriers to care. • Providing a staff that reflects the composition of the community being served. • Being aware that families might hold different beliefs about the causes and

treatment of diseases or discipline. • Realizing that culture is critical to each person’s understanding of food, nutrition,

and physical activity. • Increasing the ability of children and families being able to relate to each other as

well as others. • Enhancing the sense of dignity and self-worth within the child and family. • Knowing that every individual is rooted in their culture. • The cultures reflected within Karnak Creative Child Care Center families are the

basis of any cultural plan. • Culturally relevant programming requires learning accurate information about

various cultures and disregarding stereotypes. • Addressing that cultural relevance in curriculum choices is necessary. • Every individual has the right to maintain their own identity while acquiring skills

to function in a culturally diverse society. • Multicultural programming for children enables children to develop an awareness

and respect for individual cultural differences.

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All of this information will be shared with the children through the use of culturally inclusive materials, activities, discussions, and/or books that are read to the class. The families will receive handouts of information regarding these policies and also may be asked to participate in making various cultural foods throughout the year as part of the cooking interest area in our curriculum. Parents/guardians may request to hold a meeting with the Program Director at any time to discuss these policies as well. Karnak staff will receive 3 hours of training annually that is focused on cultural competence or inclusive practices.

8. Confidential Information Each child has a right to confidentiality. All information pertaining to the children in the program, including all reports, records, and data are confidential and used for internal purposes only. Information pertaining to children enrolled in the program will not be released to third parties without the express written permission of parent, unless required by statute, court order or licensing mandate. Information pertaining to a child and his/her family is kept confidential by the staff at all times. Occasionally, records may be reviewed by regulatory agencies for information that may be pertinent to a child’s well-being or requested by a legal subpoena. Persons having access to these records include the Director and staff. These staff members use these records when assessing children, interpreting the assessment data, and making decisions about the children’s development. The file cabinet will only be accessible to Karnak staff members.

9. Notice of Program Measurement GSRP sites are required to work with the MDE to measure the effect of the state-wide GSRP. Information is sometimes collected about GSRP staff, enrolled children, and their families. Program staff or a representative from MDE might:

• Ask parents questions about their child and family. • Observe children in the classroom. • Measure what children know about letters, words, and numbers. • Ask teachers how children are learning and growing.

Information from you and about your child will not be shared with others in any way that you or your child could be identified. It is protected by law. If you have questions about this, contact: Address:

MDE Office of Great Start 608 W. Allegan, P.O. Box 30008

Lansing, MI 48909

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E-mail: mde-gsrp@michigan.gov Phone: 517-373-8483

10. Parent Participation and Communication

Parents are welcome at the program any time to observe or spend time with their child. Parents who wish to volunteer at the day care, must first provide documentation from the Department of Human Services that he or she has not been named in a central registry case as the perpetrator of child abuse or child neglect, and that they do not have a felony involving harm or threatened harm to an individual within the 10 years immediately preceding the date of offering to volunteer at the child care center. We encourage ongoing communication between the staff and parents. Parents should feel free to ask questions about the program or their child’s care. Important notes and notices will be placed in each child’s cubby box or family mailbox, and emails may be sent out to communicate with parents as well. Karnak also posts newsletters and center event calendars on our website that provide important dates and information regarding things happening in the center. We encourage parents to routinely check our website as it is updated monthly. We also utilize the Brightwheel app to communicate with families via messaging. Separated Communication Policy Karnak Creative Child Care Center encourages parents experiencing separation to speak confidentially with the program director and/or lead teachers. It is our goal to handle such matters with sensitivity and compassion. Ultimately our primary concern is for the well-being and overall development of the child. Karnak Creative Child Care Center will also operate on the assumption, unless there is evidence to the contrary, that both parents are equally committed to the child’s welfare and education. Parents therefore are equally entitled to be informed directly about significant issues relating to the child. In order to ensure that the center can support a child whose parents are separated, the following procedures which involve active cooperation between the parents affected and the center are required:

1. Parents are asked to inform the center if they are separated. In particular, the center needs to know which parent the child normally resides with.

2. If a separation/custody order is in place which limits contact by either parent with the center, Karnak Creative Child Care should be informed in writing. This can be done be either a letter from a solicitor or by providing the program director with a copy of the relevant part of the court order. The center commits to ensuring that such information will be held in the strictest confidence and will be used on a “need to know” basis only.

3. In the absence of clear evidence to the contrary, the center will treat both parents as equal partners in terms of parenting responsibilities and rights.

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4. The center cannot be asked to withhold a child from either parent in the absence of a custody arrangement to that effect. The same applies to significant information relating to the child.

5. When a child spends time in two homes, it is requested that Karnak Creative Child Care is provided with both sets of contact/emergency details.

6. The center will offer separate parent/teacher conferences to both parents, if desired.

7. Communication in regards to academic reports, significant disciplinary issues, and health and safety issues will be communicated by the center to both parents separately, unless there is a compelling reason not to do so. Such reasons must be given in writing to the school (see point 4 above).

8. Karnak Creative Child Care will deal sensitively and caringly with children experiencing parental separation and with both parents.

11. Assessment & Parent-Teacher Conference Policy Home Visits Two mandatory home visits are held every year before the start of the school year and at the end of the school year with the child’s parent/guardians. The Curriculum/GSRP Director will contact families prior to the first day of class to schedule the required beginning of the year home visit. The GSRP teachers will schedule the end of the year home visit. These visits are held for the parents/guardians and at least one parent/guardian should attend. The GSRP child should be present for the beginning of the year home visit in order to conduct the required ASQ developmental screening. ASQ results will be shared families at conferences, home visits, or informal meetings. Grievance Procedure If a parent has a concern regarding their child’s enrollment or learning experiences within the program, the parent should follow the procedure listed below: 1. Talk with the classroom teacher about your concerns. 2. Contact the Curriculum/GSRP Director at 734-676-5200 Parent-Teacher Conferences Children in the program are assessed in trimesters according to Creative Curriculum’s thirty-eight learning objectives. The purpose of this assessment is to support and improve the children’s learning by measuring and tracking their progress. Assessments are scored according to the anecdotal notes that the teachers make on each individual child and recorded online using Creative Curriculum’s GOLD assessment tool. The assessments help aid us in curriculum planning as well as identifying the individual needs, strengths, and learning styles of each child. These GOLD assessments are completed on all children in the GSRP program and are reviewed at the mandatory parent-teacher conferences scheduled in both November and February. During the November conference, your child’s teacher will go over checkpoint one on their GOLD

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report card with you. The report card provides information regarding the child’s skills, knowledge, and abilities with families, including a comparison of the child’s current abilities to widely held expectations. During the February conference, your child’s teacher will go over checkpoint two on their GOLD report card with you. Checkpoint three’s assessment results will be shared at the end of the year home visit. Parents may also request assessment results at any time and to address concerns. GSRP Screening and Assessment The Early Childhood Specialist will administer to each classroom a Program Quality Assessment (PQA) twice a year. The PQA results will be shared with GSRP families and staff during Data Analysis meetings. These Data Analysis meetings will be held every trimester and are open to all GSRP families interested in attending. Referral Policy We strive to meet the individual needs of all children in the program. If assessment or screening results indicate a developmental concern, you will be contacted by your child’s teacher to hold a discussion based on the results. GSRP staff may identify and obtain resources that families may need, such as: initial referrals, partnerships, and other resources. Screening Policy Karnak completes annual developmental screening at the beginning of each school year on all children using the Ages and Stages’ screening tool. Screening gives us a quick check of your child’s current developmental skills and helps accurately identify children who may be at risk for screeners in the Ages and Stages family: ASQ-3, which looks at key areas of early development, and ASQ: SE-2, which focuses on social-emotional development. There are twenty-one ASQ-3 questionnaires for use with children from one month to five ½ years old. There are five important areas of development that each questionnaire looks at:

1. Communication: Your child’s language skills, both what your child understands and what he or she can say.

2. Gross Motor: How your child uses their arms, legs, and other large muscles for sitting, crawling, walking, running, and other activities.

3. Fine Motor: Your child’s hand and finger movement and coordination. 4. Problem Solving: How your child plays with toys and solves problems. 5. Personal-Social: Your child’s self-help skills and interactions with others.

There are nine ASQ: SE-2 questionnaires for use with children from one to six years old. There are seven important areas of development that each questionnaire looks at:

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1. Autonomy: Your child’s ability or willingness to self-initiate or respond without guidance (moving to independence).

2. Compliance: Your child’s ability or willingness to confirm to the direction of others and follow the rules.

3. Adaptive Functioning: Your child’s ability success or ability to cope with bodily needs (sleeping, eating, toileting, safety).

4. Self-Regulation: Your child’s ability or willingness to calm or settle down or adjust to physiological or environmental conditions or stimulations.

5. Affect: Your child’s ability or willingness to demonstrate their own feelings and empathy for others.

6. Interaction: Your child’s ability or willingness to respond to or initiate social responses with parents, other adults, and peers.

7. Social-Communications: Your child’s ability or willingness to interact with others by responding or initiating verbal or nonverbal signals to indicate interests, needs, or feelings.

Upon completion, Karnak Creative Child Care Center will score the questionnaire, share the results with you, and discuss any follow-up steps. If your child is developing without any concerns, there will not be specific follow-up steps, just keep playing and interacting with your child as they grow and reach new milestones. If your child has trouble with some skills, your program will help you with the next steps, including a possible referral for more assessment. Whether or not there are concerns, Karnak Creative Child Care staff might also give you some fun and easy ASQ learning activities to try with your child before the next annual screening.

12. Parent Notification of the Licensing Notebook All childcare centers must maintain a licensing notebook which includes all licensing inspection reports, special investigation reports and all related corrective action plans (CAP). The notebook must include all reports issued and CAPs developed on and after until the license is closed. This center maintains a licensing notebook of all licensing inspection reports, special investigation reports and all related corrective action plans. The notebook will be available to parents for review during regular business hours. Licensing inspection and special investigation reports format least the past two years are available on the Bureau of Children and Adult licensing website at www.michigan.gov/michildcare.

13. Additional Required Forms The forms listed below must be fully completed before the child can be enrolled in the program. Parent is solely responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the information contained within those forms and for keeping all such information current. Provider

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assumes no responsibility for keeping forms updated. Parent will be required to review the forms to ensure accuracy in January and August of each year. a. Child Information Card (Emergency Card) b. Signed statement of receipt of Parent Handbook c. Facebook Permission Slip d. Child welcome sheet e. Enrollment checklist f. Student/Family Information Sheet

14. Business Interruption The childcare program may also be closed due to loss of electricity, fire damage, communicable disease outbreaks, other unforeseen events, etc. Parent agrees to arrange alternate emergency childcare for these situations. In the event the childcare program is closed for more than two consecutive business days, the parent is relieved of any financial obligation for before and after school childcare to pay for those days in excess of two business days. Parent further agrees to resume use of the childcare program as soon as it resumes operation. Nothing in this provision alters the contractual provision relating to the required length of notice for termination of the childcare contract.

15. Health Care Policy and Procedures The following health care policies and procedures are put in place to help keep our environment, children and staff healthy and safe. Procedure for Hand-washing: Step one: WET – Wet hands first. Step two: SOAP – Use soap, preferably anti-bacterial. Step three: SOAP/LATHER – Lather well beyond the wrist ... make lots of bubbles! Step four: WASH – Work all surfaces thoroughly including wrists, palms, back of the hands, fingers and under the fingernails. Rub hands together for at least 15-20 seconds. TIP: Sing the ABC song once or twice ©. When should hands be washed? • Prior to starting the workday at the center. • Prior to care of children. • Before preparing and serving food and feeding children. • Before giving medication. • After each diapering. • After using the toilet or helping a child use the toilet.

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• After handling bodily fluids. • After handling animals and pets and cleaning cages. • After handling garbage. • When soiled • When coming inside from playground. Staff and volunteers shall assure that children wash their hands at all of the following times: • Before meals, snacks, or food preparation experiences. • After toileting or diapering. • When soiled.

Cleaning and Sanitizing Equipment: 1) Scrub all surfaces to remove any soil. 2) Wash the surface with soapy water and a single service towel then rinse with water and a separate single service towel. Finally, wipe with a bleach/water solution. 3) Equipment should also be cleaned with a bleach/water solution. . 4) All toys and equipment are cleaned in a bleach/water solution monthly and also when the equipment has come in contact with body fluids. We use a Geneon machine to sanitize all our rooms on a regular basis and we follow the naeyc guide to clean and disinfect. See attached.

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Handling Bodily Fluids:

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HIV has been found in significant concentrations of blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk. Other body fluids, such as feces, urine, vomit, nasal secretions, tears, sputum, sweat, and saliva DO NOT transmit HIV UNLESS they contain visible blood. However, these body fluids do contain potentially infectious germs from diseases other than AIDS. If you have contact with any of these body fluids, you are at risk of infection from these germs. Here are some guidelines for dealing with situations where contact with body fluids may occur. Following these suggestions should also help prevent the spread of the flu, colds or other communicable diseases. Treat all bodily fluids as if they are infected with a life threatening disease. Always use disposable rubber or latex gloves. When the job is complete, take the gloves off by pulling the cuff over the fingers then turn inside out. Dispose of the gloves by sealing in a plastic bag before placing in a trash can. Encourage anyone with a bleeding wound or nose bleed to apply pressure to their own wound or nose and cover their own wound with bandaging. A first aid kit is available at all times. In the first aid kit you will find rubber gloves, a plastic bag, a diaper for serious bleeding, and bandaging. Thoroughly wash your hands and other parts of your body that came in contact with body fluids with hot water and soap even if gloves were used. Disinfect the area where body fluids have been with a 1:10 bleach solution NOTE: If an employee is exposed to blood, a blood exposure report is to be completed.

Controlling Infection Sick Children - Please do not send a sick child to the program. Not only is it better for the child’s emotional and physical well-being to remain at home but a contagious child can affect the health of everyone in the program. If a child becomes ill while in the program, he/she will be isolated from the other children. A family member or designated adult will be contacted to pick up the child. The following should be helpful in deciding when it is appropriate for your child to attend the program before, during and after an illness. These policies were written with the health of everyone in mind The following is a list of illnesses that exclude a child from attending:

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Disease/illness symptoms When child may return Fever of 101 degrees or above

Fever free for 24 hours without medicine

Vomiting 24 hours symptom free (on regular diet) Diarrhea (3 times) When stools are formed and symptom free for 24

hours (on regular diet) Nasal Discharge (yellow or green mucous)

Discharge is not thick yellow or green and/or if the child has been on antibiotic for 24 hours.

Chicken Pox After all skin lesions have dried Mumps After swelling is gone (~9 days) Strep Throat After 24 hours of antibiotic treatment Measles or German Measles Not earlier than 4 days after onset of rash Pink Eye or Conjunctivitis When eyes are mucous free or on medication for 24

hours Hepatitis A With physician’s clearance Impetigo With physician clearance, after medication for 24

hours and infected parts covered Ringworm or Pin Worms After 24 hours of physician prescribed

treatment and kept covered Lice When infestation and nit free as the result of treatment

with a medicated shampoo Scabies After 24 hours of physician prescribed

treatment Unidentified Rash With physician’s clearance Meningitis With physician’s clearance Influenza With physician’s clearance or fever free

without medication for 24 hours Roseola After rash clears Hand, Foot, and Mouth When lesions heal and drooling ceases Croup After free of viral infection and child is no

longer having difficulty breathing Please notify us as soon as possible when your child contracts a communicable disease. Parents and other children will be informed of exposure to the disease. Your privacy is assured. Your child should stay home if he/she does not feel well enough to participate in all group activities both inside and outside. Any time a child has been crying more than usual or complaining about discomfort for over ½ hour you may be called to pick up your child. Karnak Creative Child Care Center, Inc. will report any accidents/incidents or changes in the child’s health to the parents. If the child becomes ill while at daycare, he/she will be comfortably cared for separately from other children until the parent can arrive to

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take them home. After leaving that child must be free of symptoms, eating a regular diet, and fever free for 24 hours before returning. It is important that your child be well enough to participate in activities and also not be contagious. If an antibiotic is prescribed, your child may return after taking the medication for 24 hours, if they are feeling better and no fever is present. We know this may be an inconvenience, but we also know that efforts such as these to contain illnesses benefit all of us. All parents must have plans established to care for ill children.

16. Parent Notification Plan (accidents, injuries, incidents, illnesses) Parents will be notified when the center observes changes in the child’s health, child experiences accidents, injuries, incidents, or when a child becomes ill. Each of the following notifications will occur; Accident, injury, or incident – parents will receive a written report that includes the time, date, nature of the incident/accident, and first aid or action taken. Staff will discuss with the parent at pick up and parents along with staff will sign the report. Accident, injury, or incident (serious) – parents will receive a phone call as well as the written report discussing the accident, injury, or incident. Parents will automatically receive a phone call if the injury occurs above the shoulders in addition to the written report. Illness – parents will receive a phone call if a child becomes ill. The parent will be required to pick up the child within one hour of the notification.

17. When a Child/Staff Member Becomes Sick at the Program Provider will report to parent any accidents, suspected illnesses, or other changes observed in the health of a child. Provider will notify parent where the child is exposed to a communicable disease while in care, so that the parent may monitor the child for symptoms. Where a child becomes ill while at the program, the provider and/or staff will comfortably isolate the child in an area where the child can be supervised and will immediately contact the parent, who will be required to pick the child up within one hour of notification. If a staff member becomes sick he or she will be immediately sent home. Bedding, toys, utensils, toilet, and lavatory used by an ill individual shall be appropriately cleaned before being used by another child.

Emergency Medical Care

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The parent gives permission to the provider to call 911 in the event of a serious emergency. Any costs or charges incurred for 911 emergencies are the sole responsibility of the parent. The parent will be notified immediately in case of an emergency. Health Plan- Immunization Records/Health Appraisals The purpose of our health plan is to help keep the children, our environment, and the staff healthy and safe. This health plan is important to the children, families, and staff, as it ensures that Karnak has a policy in place that will help us maintain a safe and healthy learning environment for all. Karnak Creative Child Care Center uses the EZ care system to update and track immunization records and health appraisals we have on file for each individual child. We use EZ care to pull up these reports at least twice a month to track any outdated or needed information for these records. The State of Michigan requires us to utilize the MCIR system to log all immunizations. The immunizations are updated by your child’s pediatrician.

We encourage families to stay up to date on your child’s well-checks and immunizations. We make regular reminders twice a month to parents to notify us if there are any changes to your child’s health or allergies. If parents choose not to vaccinate their child, a state waiver is required for enrollment.

Karnak provides referrals to local free health fairs or places that offer low-cost immunizations for any families for their child’s health appraisal or immunizations. We provide milestone fact sheets and display any pediatrician business cards that we may receive. Karnak has also partnered with Help Me Grow to complete annual developmental screening on the children, see our Screening Policy beginning on page 8 for more information.

18. Health Related Resources; www.health.gov This is the Department of Health and Human Services website. www.webmd.com This website has information about medicine, illness, and disease. You can also find healthcare information http://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/0,5885,7-339-71550_5104_53072_53073--- This website has information about communicable diseases.

19. Medication Policy

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Karnak Creative Child Care agrees to the administration of oral medications only. In the event that the child requires a medication that cannot be administered orally, the child’s parent/guardian or an authorized emergency contact (with written consent from the parent/guardian) will be required to administer the child’s medication as needed. When a parent requests that the center administer medication, the following provisions shall apply: a. Medication, including prescription drugs or individual special medical procedures, will be given or applied only with prior written permission from parent. Prescription medication must have the original pharmacy label indicating the physician’s name, child’s name, instructions, and name and strength of the medication and shall be given in accordance with those instructions. Provider will not honor any instruction from a parent which contradicts the instructions of the physician (for prescription drugs) or the instructions on the label (for over the counter drugs). b. Provider/caregiver will maintain a record as to the time and the amount of any medication given or applied. c. The medication shall be in the original container, stored according to the instructions, and clearly labeled for the specific child. The provider/caregiver will keep the medication out of the reach of children and will return the medication to the parent or destroy it when no longer needed. d. The provider will not administer any over-the-counter medicines that, in the sole discretion of the provider, may mask symptoms of illness.

20. Child Care Abuse Reporting As a licensed childcare provider, provider and its employees are required by law to report any instances of the child abuse or neglect to the appropriate authorities. They must also report any instances in which there is a “reasonable suspicion” that abuse or neglect may have occurred. Provider takes these responsibilities seriously and will report any actual or reasonable suspicions of abuse.

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21. Discipline

• Children are entitled to a pleasant and harmonious atmosphere. It is their home away from home and they need to feel safe and secure.

• Staff will use a positive method of discipline to develop self-control self-direction, self-esteem and a spirit of cooperation within the classroom. Staff will direct children with the correct behavior wanted, i.e. “use walking feet” instead of “don’t run.” The staff will use a variety of strategies in helping children deal with their behavior. Positive approaches to assist children in eliminating disruptive behavior will be our primary course of action.

• Staff supports children as they begin to understand their behavior choices and learn acceptable ways of interaction with others. The approach we use promotes and encourages self-regulation, self-direction, self-esteem, and a spirit of cooperation. We use a six-step process to resolve conflicts. The steps are:

Approach children calmly and stop any hurtful actions Acknowledge children’s feelings Involve children in identifying the problem by gathering information Restate the problem in children’s vocabulary Ask children for solutions and encourage them to choose one together Give follow-up support when children act on their decisions

• We encourage you to help us give children a consistent message by trying to use

the six steps at home. • Staff may use non-severe discipline or restraint when reasonably necessary to

prevent a child from harming himself/herself or other persons or property. All early childhood staff receives professional development yearly using “Nonviolent Crisis Intervention”. Chronic disruptive behavior exhibited by a child on a continual basis will not be allowed. Chronically disruptive behavior is defined as verbal or physical activity that may include but not be limited to such behavior that requires constant attention from the staff, inflicts physical or emotional harm on other children, abuses staff, ignores or disobeys the rules which guide behavior during school (examples of chronic disruptive behavior are biting, hitting, kicking, and etc…).

• If a child cannot adjust to the program setting and cannot behave appropriately, we will make reasonable accommodations with parent support. Expectations for behavior will be discussed with parents and they will be asked for input as to how they discipline their child. The staff will be prohibited from using any form of corporal punishment, restricting movement, inflicting mental or emotional punishment, depriving or confining of a child.

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22. Special Needs Plan The purpose of this plan is to meet the needs of all children, regardless of their special healthcare needs and/or disabilities. This plan is important to children, families, and staff because it ensures that Karnak Creative Child Care is committed to working with every child in a positive manner, regardless of circumstances. Karnak Creative Child Care employs the use of the following tools and resources: Parents/Guardians will complete annual developmental screening at the beginning of each school year on all children using the Ages & Stages’ ASQ screening tool. Screening is a quick check of your child’s current developmental skills and helps accurately identify children who may be at risk for delays. Each screening questionnaire is to be completed by a parent/guardian. There are two screeners in the Ages & Stages family: ASQ-3, which looks at key areas of early development, and ASQ: SE-2, which focuses on social-emotional development. For more information, please review our screening policy on page 8 of the parent handbook. If your child is developing without concerns, there is nothing more you will need to do. You may try the next ASQ-3 age level as your child grows and learns new skills. If your child has trouble with some skills, your program will help you with next steps and may refer you to your child’s physician or an early intervention/early childhood special education agency. Karnak may make referrals to either Early On or Build Up Michigan agencies to provide developmental support according to the child’s age. Finding delays or problems as early as possible supports young children’s healthy development. There are twenty-one ASQ-3 questionnaires for use with children from one month to five ½ years old. There are five important areas of development that each questionnaire looks at:

6. Communication: Your child’s language skills, both what your child understands and what he or she can say.

7. Gross Motor: How your child uses their arms, legs, and other large muscles for sitting, crawling, walking, running, and other activities.

8. Fine Motor: Your child’s hand and finger movement and coordination. 9. Problem Solving: How your child plays with toys and solves problems. 10. Personal-Social: Your child’s self-help skills and interactions with others.

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There are nine ASQ: SE-2 questionnaires for use with children from one to six years old. There are seven important areas of development that each questionnaire looks at:

8. Autonomy: Your child’s ability or willingness to self-initiate or respond without guidance (moving to independence).

9. Compliance: Your child’s ability or willingness to confirm to the direction of others and follow the rules.

10. Adaptive Functioning: Your child’s ability success or ability to cope with bodily needs (sleeping, eating, toileting, safety).

11. Self-Regulation: Your child’s ability or willingness to calm or settle down or adjust to physiological or environmental conditions or stimulations.

12. Affect: Your child’s ability or willingness to demonstrate their own feelings and empathy for others.

13. Interaction: Your child’s ability or willingness to respond to or initiate social responses with parents, other adults, and peers.

14. Social-Communications: Your child’s ability or willingness to interact with others by responding or initiating verbal or nonverbal signals to indicate interests, needs, or feelings.

This plan is intended to meet the needs of children, families, and staff through the following:

1. Children with special needs will be accepted into our program under the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

2. All children and families will be treated with respect and dignity. 3. Karnak will ensure that confidentiality about special needs will be maintained for

all families and staff. 4. After a child with a special need is identified, a meeting will be held between

family and staff to identify the child’s needs. 5. Opportunities for children with special needs will be made if there is no

fundamental alteration to our program. 6. Staff will receive training on the special accommodations that the child needs if

there is no undue hardship such as requiring time-consuming or expensive training of staff.

7. Each child with special needs will have a plan of care for emergencies. All of this information will be shared with children, families, and staff through our parent and employee handbooks. Parent meetings may also be held with the Program Director to discuss a plan for the individual child as well as to review the policies and procedures stated above.

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23. Food and Nutrition We believe healthy eating is important for children. We have a nutrition plan in place that follows the guidelines of the Federal Child Development Food Program. There is a copy of our menu in the lobby and on our website www.karnakcccc.com If your child has any kind of food allergies, please make us aware at the time of enrollment. The cost of food is included in the program. When a parent elects to supply food from home, no fee adjustment will be made. Karnak Creative Childcare Center will provide the parent with a full menu used at the center. Karnak Creative Childcare Center reserves the right to substitute snacks on a given day if they run low on a certain snack item. Any chosen snacks will adhere to the healthy menu concept determined by the center. Lunch and snack times are planned so that no child will go more than four hours without being offered food. Meal times are as follows: • Breakfast between 8:30 am – 9:00 am • Lunch 11:30 am – 12:00 pm • PM Snack before the children go home

24. Nutrition Plan Policy Statement The purpose of our nutrition plan is to provide the best possible nutrition environment for the children in our facility in order to promote the children’s overall development and well-being. It is important to the children, families, and staff that our nutrition plan is in place so that Karnak Creative Child Care can encourage the development of good eating habits that will last a lifetime. Child Care Nutrition Karnak Creative Child Care uses the child care nutrition guidelines recommended by the USDA CACFP (Child and Adult Care Food Program) as a tool for all the foods we serve. The CACFP nutrition standards for meals and snacks are based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, science-based recommendations made by the National Academy of Medicine, cost and practical considerations, and stakeholder’s input. We also encourage healthy eating habits within our curriculum. The Early Pre and Preschool classes do cooking activities with the children as part of the Creative Curriculum interest areas. Every cooking activity follows the CACFP guidelines that are listed below. Our nutrition plan meets the needs of the children, families, and staff by

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providing a healthy and balanced diet that includes fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and limits foods and beverages that are high in sugar, and/or fat. We offer the following: Vegetables and Fruit We serve fruit daily. We offer vegetables or beans at least three times per week. Grains We serve whole grain foods at least once a day. Beverages We limit juice intake to once per day. Any child under 2 years of age receives whole milk while any child over the age of two receives 2% milk, per federal guidelines. Meat and Meat Alternatives We serve lean meats, such as ham, turkey and chicken. We limit serving processed meats, such as hot dogs, to only once per week. Weekly Menus All of this information will be shared with the children, families, and staff through our weekly menus that are carefully planned to follow the child care nutrition guidelines at every meal. Menus are rotated on a three-week basis to provide the children with a balance of variety and familiarity. Copies of our menu are posted in the lobby and on our website www.karnakcccc.com

25. Employee/Family Professional Conduct Personal relationships between employees and program families may create an actual or perceived conflict of interest, and/or create the risk of sexual harassment/hostile work environment related claims. Thus, employees may not engage in personal relationships with any program family members. If a personal relationship develops between an employee and a program family member, they must notify the director immediately. A personal relationship includes, but is not limited to the following activities: dating, sharing the same household or other activities that may give rise to an inherent subjectivity or conflict of interest. Karnak Creative Child Center, Inc. reserves the right to use its sole discretion in hiring, assigning, transferring or terminating employees who have personal relationships with program family members.

26. Personal Items from Home

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Provider discourages the parents from allowing children to bring personal items from home to the program, with the exception of a small naptime blanket and cuddle toy, if necessary. When a child does bring personal items from home, the provider is not responsible for loss or any damage to that item.

27. Clothing and Supplies Clothing Due to the nature of some of the activities the program offers for children, the parent must recognize that children’s clothing may become soiled or damaged, although the provider takes all appropriate steps to prevent this from occurring. The parents should therefore bring children to the program dressed in “play” clothes. The provider assumes no responsibility for damage to a child’s clothing. The program is required by licensing to take the children outdoors daily. As such, parents must be certain that the child is dressed appropriately according to the weather conditions. This may include, but is not limited to rain gear, jacket, sweater, long pants, hats, mittens, boots, snow pants, etc. If a child arrives at the program and does not have the appropriate outerwear for outdoor activity, the provider reserves the right to call the parent and ask that the appropriate clothing be brought. When a child is inappropriately dressed, the child cannot go outdoors. Unfortunately, the program does not have extra staff that can stay inside with the child. If a child is too sick to go outside, the child is too sick to be at school. Supplies Parents are responsible for providing the following items: a) Extra underwear b) One or two changes of clothes c) Extra socks d) Jacket (for cool weather) e) Sunscreen/insect repellent (if wanted)

28. Arrivals and Departure Procedure All children must be brought into the building by a Parent (or other authorized person) and taken to the child’s classroom. Teacher will sign the child in when child arrives in his/her care daily. Children must never be left unattended. At pick-up, a Parent (or other authorized person) must enter the building, and pick up the child from his/her classroom and the teacher will sign him/her out daily. Drop off We have found that our day begins the best when parents can make their drop off time routine and consistent. A staff member will greet your child in the morning and help him/her to enter the room smoothly. Please help your child put their personal items

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into their cubby or hook. Please leave any special toys in the car since this tends to cause problems during the day. Please talk to your child’s teacher for suggestions and help if the drop off time is especially difficult for you and/or your child. We want to make these pleasant times for you. Karnak Creative Child Care Center, Inc. assumes responsibility for enrolled children from the time between sign-in and sign-out by parents. Parents are responsible for the safety of their children at all other times. Please remember signing your child in/out daily is extremely important!

29. Child Release Policy As a condition of providing childcare services, the parent must supply the names of at least three individuals to whom the provider may release the child in the event of an emergency. The provider will not release the child to any individual whose name is not on the list. Before the provider releases the child, if the individual is unknown to the provider or any one of the provider’s staff, the provider/staff will require that the individual show positive identification in the form of a valid Michigan Driver’s License. Other forms of identification are not acceptable. Parents must be aware that the provider and staff are not properly trained to make assessments relating to intoxication or other impairment and therefore assume no responsibility to assess the competency or condition of any individual appearing to pick up the child. Should the parents wish to have a one-time special exception to allow an individual not listed on the card to pick the child up, the parent must leave a signed, dated, written note with the director, the morning of the release. The parents are not encouraged to change any release instructions orally. In the case of an emergency, release instructions may be changed, at the discretion of the director. Provider assumes no responsibility for any injury or harm to the child who has been released to a person on the child release card or identified in the written/verbal exception request process. Provider’s and staff respect the family’s privacy. However, where other questionable child release situations occur, the provider has a duty to maintain its role as the child’s advocate. With respect to child custody disputes, until custody has been established by a court order, neither parent may limit the other parent from picking up the child, and the provider will release the child to a known identifiable parent.

30. Emergency Policy

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Provider has developed an Emergency Action Plan to be implemented in the event of an emergency situation. In developing this plan, we have worked with American Red Cross and Wayne County Child Care Network. The plan has been designed to provide a plan of action in the event of natural or man-made disaster. If an emergency should occur, the provider will follow the instructions of the local authorities. The instructions may be to stay at the facility and shelter-in-place, or to evacuate. If we are instructed by authorities to evacuate to a specific location, the children will be taken to the location identified by the authorities. If we are instructed by authorities to evacuate but not directed to a specific location, the parent will be notified where the children will be taken to, depending on the circumstances. We understand that parents and family members will be concerned about the safety of their children and will want to pick them up as soon as possible. If we are sheltering in place, we ask that you wait until the authorities issue an all clear before coming to pick up your children. This request is made for the safety of all of the children. If we evacuate the facility, children will be released to parents or authorized persons as they arrive. If the authorities designate an evacuation shelter, the location will be disseminated through local radio and television stations. If the authorities do not designate an evacuation shelter, the children will be taken to one of the locations described above. We will take emergency contact information with us to the shelter sites. As part of our emergency plan, we ask that you update the information on your child emergency card and child release forms, anytime changes occur, to ensure that we have current telephone numbers (home, work and cellular), addresses, etc… for all emergency contact persons.

31. Attendance Policy Please make every effort to arrive at school on time. When children arrive after the day has started, they miss out on important parts of the routine. Children who consistently arrive on time and are in school every day quickly master the routine, learn more, are happier to be in school and receive the maximum benefit from our GSRP preschool program. If your child will not be in attendance, please contact the center via phone or e-mail, before the program day begins with the reason for not attending. If a child is absent and the program is not contacted by the parent, the program will attempt to make contact with the parent. If the program cannot make contact with the parent for 3 consecutive days, then a letter will be sent to the parent. If the program does not receive a response within 10 days of the date the child last attended, the child will be dropped from the class and moved to the program’s waitlist. If a child is planning to miss a consistent month or more of the program, the child may be moved to the waitlist and another child enrolled in their place. When the child who planned an absence returns the child may be re-enrolled if the program has an opening. Attendance will be reviewed on a monthly basis.

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32. Transition to Kindergarten Plan

Karnak has in place a plan for transitioning our GSRP children to Kindergarten: September-October: Ask parents to identify the school they think their child will attend for kindergarten

November-February: Karnak will provide families with copies of the “Transition to Kindergarten Guides”

that can be found on the Michigan Department of Education website. Karnak will provide families with copies of GOLD report cards to be shared with

the prospective kindergarten class. February-April Karnak will inform and remind families of the dates and locations of kindergarten

orientations and open houses in the Woodhaven-Brownstown district as they approach.

Preschool teachers and/or administrators will prepare and release the child’s past GOLD reports, ASQ screenings, and other documentation upon exiting Karnak.

May Ask parents to clarify where their child will be going to Kindergarten in case this

has changed. Be sure that each parent has all pertinent information from Karnak for registering

their child at their school of choice.

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School Calendar

Revised: 9/8/2020

Revisions: - 2/10/20 – Modified the attendance policy for 10 consecutive days of absence. - 2/21/20 – Modified the medication policy to staff administering oral medication only. - 3/9/20 – Added the Transition to Kindergarten Plan. - 9/8/20 – Updated Admission requirements, Hours of Operation, Holidays, Parent Communication and Assessment & Parent Teacher Conference Policy.