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Survey Results: In a recent survey of parents with young children, frequent program closures was cited as one of the main reasons families choose center based over family child care.
Hours of Care and Late Pick-Ups
Subsidized families are entitled to up to ten hours of care each day.
Each subsidized family has specific, agreed upon hours based on their documented service need. Some families only need six hours; some need all ten. If a family needs to make a long-term change to their hours they need to discuss this with both their Educator and CFC.
The expectation is that families will always inform their Educator if their schedule is different on any particular day and, when there is an unexpected delay, they will inform the Educator that they are running late. The Educator is expected to be prepared to care for the child at least until the program’s closing time. If a family routinely picks up their child after the agreed upon hours, they should be reminded of their agreed upon hours. It is also wise to contact CFC if a parent consistently picks up late. We can review EEC policies with them in order to avoid educators terminating the child. Again, if parent scheduling needs have changed, they must inform CFC.
If a child is picked up after the program’s closing time, a pre-determined late fee may be charged to the family. These late fees must be clearly stated in the program’s Parent Handbook. Some Educators choose to terminate care for families who are often late. In these cases, CFC, Inc. must be notified and the family given a two-week notice.
If an Educator has not heard from, or been able to contact a family that is late for their child, CFC must be notified. Please call by about 5:00 as the office closes at 5:30. We will work with you to contact the family, and help with an appropriate plan for the child, as needed. In the rarest of instances, when a family cannot be contacted by either the Educator or CFC, the Department of Children and Families may have to be contacted.
PYRAMID MODEL
It’s important to create a Visual Weekly Schedule – children transition easier when they know what to expect:
This includes photographs or clip art for each activity
Each daily activity should be represented
The schedule should be posted at children’s eye level
Make accommodations when any changes occur (e.g., rainy weather, special events)
As you move from activity to activity, indicate the passing of time. Example: pieces can be flipped over, removed, or you can use a marker to check current activity
Make sure the schedule stays visible the entire day