Portland - Rules & Policies
This information is regarding policies set for BabyVillage location in Oregon, in compliance with Oregon law.
History
WeVillage is an ever-growing family of centers with locations in Portland and LA . BabyVillage is the newest member of the WeVillage family and was created to cater to infants and toddlers specifically. Within BabyVillage there are 4 classrooms, with students ranging in age from 6 weeks to 36 months. We strive to accommodate NE Portland families with the quality care they deserve. WeVillage was started in 2010 by our owner, Karen Beniniati as a drop-in child care center to meet the needs of busy families who needed child care on their schedule. Over the last 12 years, the model has grown to also include full-time child care and BabyVillage as well.
Mission Statement
At BabyVillage, our mission is to provide exceptional full time and flexible childcare spaces that are beautifully designed for discerning parents! We believe in the value and uniqueness of each child and family we serve. Our center experience is designed to promote each child’s own individual social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development. As caregivers and educators, our mission is to provide a safe and developmentally appropriate learning environment, which fosters a child’s natural instinct to explore, discover, create, and become a lifelong learner.
Philosophy
We believe that in the right environment, a child’s natural curiosity and creativity leads to endless opportunities to grow in knowledge and develop a love of learning. We provide that environment at BabyVillage by making it a safe and nurturing place where your child will be encouraged to explore and create their way to exciting discoveries about the world around them. We allow children to join the BabyVillage Family as young as 6 weeks and to stay with us until 3 years.
Each day with us will be a chance for your child to grow socially, cognitively, emotionally, and physically. As early as infancy, your child will be provided with learning opportunities adapted to fit his or her age, developmental stage, and learning style. Flex care, Full-day, and year-round care in one location makes it possible for you to provide your child with the care and education that will help them become happy, healthy lifelong learners.
Hours of Operation
BabyVillage is open Monday - Friday from 7:30 am - 5:00 pm
BabyVillage is closed for the following holidays in 2023:
New Years Day
MLK Day
Memorial Day
3rd and 4th of July
Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day and the day after
Christmas Day
Plus 2-3 Professional Development Days per year
Programs
There are 4 programs offered at BabyVillage. They are:
Licensing Notebook
BabyVillage is a public program voluntarily licensed to serve 36 children by the Oregon Office of Child Care. A copy of the licensing rules is available for review in the office and on the web: https://secure.sos.state.or.us/oard/displayChapterRules.action?selectedChapter=115
Click on “Division 300 - Certified Child Care Centers”
Weather Related Closings
BabyVillage may not remain open during severe weather. The Director will monitor the weather, local news stations, school closures, and public transit schedules to determine when it is appropriate to close the center early or cancel care for the following day. In the event that BabyVillage closes early or cancels care for the following day, parents will be contacted and informed of the situation via ProCare. Children should be picked up in a reasonable amount of time to ensure all parents, children, and staff can travel safely home.
Enrollment Records
Each fall, BabyVillage completes an audit of enrollment records. At the conclusion of this audit, families will be notified if anything needs to be updated. Some forms must be updated every year, including the Child Enrollment and Authorization form.
Other records must be updated throughout the year, such as immunization records. When visiting your child’s physician for a yearly “well-child” appointment, please request a copy of your child’s most recent immunization record. You may email/bring these items into the center yourself.
In addition, any time a family’s information changes such as address, place of employment or health insurance provider, a new Child Enrollment and Authorization form must be completed.
Enrollment Procedures
Confidentiality
Confidentiality is a top priority for BabyVillage. Personal information of families and staff will not be shared for any reason without prior written consent of the individual. When discussing a child’s activities and friends in the classroom, only first names will be used. In situations regarding behavior problems and/or Incident/Accident Reports, names of children involved will never be given to families. ProCare is an app used to communicate between parents and staff. Please know that staff can read messages sent via ProCare. Please keep ProCare communication information things that you do not mind staff reading.
Tuition Financial Agreements
Full-time contracts are available for 2, 3, and 5 days a week and are auto-billed on the 1st of each month using ACH accounts. Debit/Credit cards can be used, but will incur a 3% fee on top of the monthly tuition. Flex care is booked on a first come, first serve basis and is paid for at the time of booking. Any changes to contracts must be submitted to the director in writing with 60 days notice or will be subject to additional fees. If 60 days notice is not received prior to withdrawing or reducing the number of days of care, families will be responsible for the remainder of the current month’s tuition, half of the following month’s tuition, and will forfeit their deposit.
The following are the current tuition rates:
Payment Schedule
Tuition is paid using MindBody. Please contact the Director to set up payments online via MindBody. Tuition is due on the 1st of the month.There is a $35 late fee for payments not initiated on the 1st of the month.
Subsidized Care (ERDC)- DHS
BabyVillage accepts child care assistance. Parents will be responsible for a monthly copay after a determination amount has been calculated as well as the difference between what ERDC pays and the regular tuition amount. If at any time assistance is stopped, parents will be responsible for full tuition as of the date the assistance ended.
Late Pick-Up Fee
BabyVillage closes at 5:00 pm, Monday-Friday. Parents will be charged $3.00 for every minute a child is present after their contracted pick-up time (this will pay for the teachers’ time when they have to stay past their scheduled out time). Teachers will record late fees for processing. If there is a late pick-up fee parents will receive a written notice from the Director stating the amount of the late pick-up fee. The fee will be processed the following day.
If parents do not arrive to pick up their child from the program and have not contacted staff by 5:15 pm, staff members will first try to contact the parents using all phone numbers provided on the Emergency Contact and Medical Consent form. If parents are unable to be reached, staff members will try to contact all emergency contact persons. If staff members are unable to contact anyone by 5:30, the Director will be notified and they will notify the Department of Human Services and/or the Portland Police Department.
Insufficient Funds
All payments rejected due to insufficient funds will be charged a $35 penalty. Repeated incidents could result in termination of child care services. A payment plan should be discussed with the office if a family is having trouble making tuition payments.
Delinquent Accounts
Families that are behind in payments more than 1 month without contacting the Director and setting up a payment arrangement may have their child care services terminated. For information about assistance programs that will help cover the cost of child care tuition, please speak with the Director. A payment plan must be agreed upon between family and Center before an account will be considered “in good standing” and no longer eligible for termination. This requires a signed payment plan contract.
Holidays and Vacation
BabyVillage will generally be closed in observance of the following holidays:
New Years Day
Memorial Day
4th of July
Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day and the day after
Christmas Day
And up to 2-3 Professional Development days per year. Additional closure days may be added and will be communicated to families a minimum of 30 days in advance of the closure.
If the holiday falls on a weekend day, BabyVillage will close during the week.
For example, if New Year’s Day falls on a Saturday, BabyVillage may close on Friday or Monday. Families will be given 30 days notice in the event of additional closings.
Holidays and Professional development days are essential to ensuring the highest quality care and education for your child.
Programming and Curriculum
At BabyVillage, our philosophy is that children learn best in an intentional environment that offers time and space for independent exploration, as well as guided instruction and has a curriculum that is based on children’s individual interests and development. An “intentional environment” has the following components....
Supports Positive Relationships: Our environments are thoughtfully designed to promote responsive relationships, which are so important to infants’ and toddlers’ growth and development. Look for the following:
Several spots where adults can sit with children such as cushions, benches, and tables;
Spaces where infants and toddlers can freely explore and caregivers can be nearby;
Places for children and adults to snuggle, like a rocking chair or comfortable seating area, where adults can hold children to offer comfort, have quiet interactions, or read books;
An area for meals that includes appropriately sized furniture for the children and caregivers;
Comfortable spaces for adults to sit at children’s levels and have meaningful interactions;
Space and time to talk with families at drop-off and pick-up times to exchange information;
Open-door policy that helps families feel welcome to interact with staff at any time;
Supports Development: Allowing for safe freedom of movement supports children’s growth by allowing them to practice physical skills, develop thinking skills, and practice independence. In moving around freely, children are able to do what comes naturally to them, including crawling, scooting, running, climbing, jumping, and walking. BabyVillage rooms include:
Spaces for children to explore movement at all levels of development with occasional use of restrictive devices, such as bouncy seats;
Clear pathways for children to easily make their way through the room;
Low shelves, dividers, and other furniture that allow caregivers to easily monitor children;
Safe opportunities for different kinds of movement by providing furniture and equipment that allow children to crawl through, climb on, jump off, and pull up;
Plenty of choices offered throughout the day to help infants/toddlers stay interested, engaged, and happy. Some examples of choice include:
Spending time with others or spending time alone;
Playing quietly or being loud and more active;
Being able to eat, sleep, and play based on individual needs;
Exploring a variety of age-appropriate materials and activities
Exploring a variety of play surfaces and equipment such as soft climbing blocks, chairs, and mats that are arranged in a way that supports small-muscle activity, sensory perception, large-motor activity, creative expression, block play, dramatic play, and a quiet area to explore books.
Responsive to Individual Needs: In keeping with the idea that our environments should be continually adapted for infants’/toddlers’ interests and developmental needs, BabyVillage proudly offers an Emergent Curriculum. Emergent curriculum is a developmentally appropriate approach to planning for children’s learning in early childhood settings and gives teachers a comprehensive understanding of each child's individual needs, allowing for thoughtful and individualized programming. Our teachers employ the following for optimized learning:
Taking quality observations of each child, their interests and development in the following areas: social/emotional, motor skills, cognitive, language and literacy, math, science, and approach towards learning.
Planning according to observations as well as objectives, developmentally appropriate content, and standards.
Use a system of assessments in areas mentioned above to track development and progress and create portfolios.
Daily Schedule and Activities
Each program has a Daily Schedule tailored to each age group. A Daily Schedule will be provided of your child’s program and includes the following:
Free Choice: During free-play, teachers actively participate with the children by asking questions about what the children are doing, participating in their pretend play, reading books when prompted, encouraging children to try new activities or play with a new toy, etc. Free-play is another opportunity for a child to grow socially and cognitively through the development of relationships.
Outdoor Play: Staff members actively engage in activities when prompted by the children. Outdoor play is an opportunity for children to run, jump, climb and use their bodies in ways that would otherwise be unsafe in an indoor classroom. In addition, a large amount of social interaction takes place when children play outdoors. Because they are engaged in fewer teacher-directed activities and more child-directed play, children are able to choose their friends and who to interact with. Children will go outside year-round. Only during extreme weather will the children remain indoors. Our teachers refer to the Child Care Weather Watch poster from the Oregon Department of Public Health to determine if it is too hot or cold to play outdoors. It is important for parents to send their children in appropriate clothing and outerwear for the weather conditions (e.g., coat, snow pants, boots, gloves, etc.). Please clearly label all articles of clothing with your child’s name. If a child is not dressed appropriately for the weather, we will contact parents to provide the appropriate attire.
Nap/Rest time: The Oregon Office of Child Care requires that all children must be provided a regularly scheduled nap/resting time. Children will not be forced to sleep but may be encouraged to lie quietly for a period of time. Children will be provided alternative quiet activities if unable to rest. Wobblers/Toddlers are encouraged to bring a familiar item from home to use during nap/rest time, such as a small blanket or stuffed animal. These items will be stored in your child’s backpack or cubby; there is limited space for storage of such items. Please take this into consideration when deciding which items to bring. All items should be clearly labeled with your child’s name. In order to keep children safe and adhere to Safe Sleep protocol, infants under 12 months are not allowed any items in the crib with them while they sleep other than a sleep sack and a binky.
Multimedia
Following recommendations about screen time for young children, BabyVillage is a screen-free environment. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under 18-24 months do not have any screen time at all and that children between the ages of 2-5 years only have 1 hour a day.
Children at BabyWillage do have ample opportunity to listen to music and dance, but there will be no use of screens for the purpose of watching movies/shows, or for “educational purposes”.
Weapons/Violent Play
There is a strict policy of allowing no weapon play at BabyVillage. Children are not permitted to play with weapons of any type or size or to pretend that other items are weapons, including their fingers, hands, or blocks. Redirection should be used when a child is engaging in weapon or violent play. If a child brings a weapon to BabyVillage, the weapon should be placed out of sight and sent home the same day with a note explaining the policy about weapons.
Competitive behavior is minimized in our programs. In very young children, competition often increases negative behavior and decreases acceptance of others. Bullying is not considered acceptable behavior; all efforts will be made to guide children in finding appropriate ways to interact with others.
Assessments
BabyVillage uses ProCare (which has the Oregon Early Learning Standards included) to assess students’ development in order to guide lesson planning and curriculum development as well as to create portfolios that are shared with parents twice a year at conferences. Parents are encouraged to work with their child’s teacher to assess and meet their child's needs.
Parent-Teacher Conferences/ Assessment Portfolios
Parent-teacher conferences will typically be held twice per year. The goal of the parent-teacher conference is to gain insight into your child’s development both in the center setting as well as the home setting. During conferences, your child’s development and any goals you may have for your child will be discussed. BabyVillage uses the Oregon Early Learning Standards tracked in ProCare to help assess children’s development. Parents are encouraged to request conferences whenever they feel it necessary.
Meals and Snacks
Food Service Policy
Children are provided nutritious AM/PM snacks and families will provide lunches. BabyVillage follows the USDA nutritional guidelines for balanced meals. Whole Milk will be offered at snack/meals to all children over 12 months. If milk is needed at other times throughout the day, families will provide additional milk. Children will be encouraged to sample foods that are offered, but never forced to eat.
Menus will be posted on the Parent Board in the entryway. Please inform your child’s teacher if your child cannot eat a certain food or has different dietary needs (e.g. vegetarian, vegan, lactose intolerant) so a substitution can be made. For certain dietary restrictions, you may be asked to provide food from home.
Food From Home
Children are welcome to bring in treats to celebrate a birthday or holiday. Due to various food allergies and dietary restrictions in our classrooms, we recommend supplying store-bought snacks still in the original packaging. Please check with your child’s teacher before bringing any homemade snacks. A list of healthy snack options approved by the USDA and OregonDepartment of Education is available from the Director.
Food Allergies/ Action Plans
If your child has a food allergy, please complete a Food Allergy Action Plan form. This form will be posted in your child’s room, as well as in food preparation areas. If medication for an allergic reaction is provided, please have your physician sign the Food Allergy Action Plan as well.
Infants Not Yet Eating Solid Foods
Parents must supply bottles, formula, breast milk and/or baby food. If you are breastfeeding, please discuss with your child’s teacher when your child should be fed breast milk, and when you would like to come in and feed your child.
Breast milk must be brought in ready-to-use containers and in an insulated bag with a freezer pack. For health reasons, we are not able to store bags of frozen milk for extended periods of time.
We recommend that all new foods be tried at home first since a child could have an allergic reaction to foods they have not had before. Please inform your child’s teachers of any new foods your child has tried.
SIDS
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the unexpected, sudden death of a child under age 1 for which a cause of death cannot be identified. It is not known what causes SIDS; however, several sleeping practices have been linked to an increased risk for SIDS. Therefore, BabyVillage has a strict policy for infant sleep placement.
All infants less than one year will be placed on their back to sleep in a crib. Infants shall not be allowed to sleep in a car seat, swing, bouncy seat, boppy, etc at BabyVillage.
Once a child has been placed in his or her crib for a nap, if the infant rolls from back to front - and is also able to roll from front to back - it is acceptable to leave the infant sleeping on his or her stomach. NO blankets, stuffed toys or pillows will ever be placed in a crib. Sleep sacks are acceptable as long as they have zipper closures (not Velcro) and the baby's arms are free and not restricted.
What to Provide
Play Clothes
Please send your child to BabyVillage in comfortable play clothes and shoes. Play is usually active and often messy; comfortable, washable clothes are important if your child is to participate fully in the program. Outdoor play is scheduled every day as an essential part of our planned curriculum.
Children should be dressed appropriately for both indoor and outdoor activities. All children occasionally get their clothes wet and have toileting accidents. Whenever this occurs, it is best to change the child into an extra set of clothing provided by the family. Your child’s teacher will request that you bring a complete change of clothing, including underwear, to be kept at school and replenished as needed. Please be sure to clearly label all items of clothing. Let the teacher know whenever your child’s clothing or other items cannot be located.
Items from Home
BabyVillage allows one stuffed animal or comfort item to be brought to school for nap/rest time. We ask that all items brought to BabyVillage from home be placed in your child’s cubby shortly after arrival by parent. Please clearly label all belongings brought from home. It is recommended that items of value be left at home, due to the risk of damage or loss. BabyVillage is not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged items.
Children may use pacifiers during rest time. To reduce the likelihood of spreading illness, pacifiers must be kept in a child’s cubby or diaper bag during all other times of the day.
Water bottles/sippy cups, sunscreen, small blanket for rest, and travel size pillow are other recommended items.
Arrival and Departure
Arrival
Parents are required to accompany their child into the center and sign their child in while in the lobby. Teachers will meet parents in the lobby and parents are encouraged to speak with the teacher. We encourage parents to communicate with their child’s teacher about their child’s temperament that particular day, how he/she slept the night before, whether he/she has eaten that morning, etc. Most children go through periods of difficulty with separating from their parent(s). This is common and developmentally appropriate.
Try these tips for a successful drop-off:
Establish a regular, predictable routine. Whether you have a kiss and a hug and go, or help your child put his things in his cubby first, do it the same way every day. What often makes separating stressful for children is the uncertainty. If your child can predict what will happen, the separation won’t be as difficult.
Separate once. If you come back again and again, it will increase your child’s stress. Remember the moment of separation is the worst part for your child, so doing it more than once makes it more stressful for your child
Be reliable. Return when promised. Children who are picked up later than expected may have more difficulties separating. Phrase time in terms your child will understand. For example, you will be back after snack time or before nap time.
Departure
BabyVillage closes at 5:00 PM, Monday-Friday. If you will be late picking up your child, please provide us with as much notice as possible. Please note that there is a late fee for arriving after 5:00 PM. If someone we are not familiar with is to pick up your child, it is essential that you inform your child’s teacher in advance of the pick-up. This person must be listed as an authorized person on the Child Enrollment and Authorization form. Remind the authorized person that they will be asked for identification such as a driver’s license to ensure your child’s safety. Even if the individual has picked up before, he or she may still need identification if the teacher in charge has never met him or her.
The last 15-20 minutes before we close tends to be a somewhat chaotic time of the day as there are several families coming and going at the same time. In order to streamline this process as much as possible and ensure our staff are able to leave at their scheduled time, we ask that you please keep the pick-up process as short and swift as possible. If you would like to have time to have a longer discussion with your child’s teacher about their day, please arrive earlier, or message your child’s teacher in ProCare.
Once you have reunited with your child and are departing, BabyVillage is no longer responsible for your child. For safety reasons, please do not let your child run ahead of you inside or outside of the building.
If parents do not arrive to pick up their child from the program, staff members will first try to contact the parents using all phone numbers provided on the Emergency Contact. If parents are unable to be reached, staff members will try to contact all emergency contact persons. If staff members are unable to contact emergency contact persons, the Director will be notified and the Director will then notify the Department of Human Services and/or the Portland Police Department.
Attendance
Regular attendance is strongly encouraged for the benefit of the child as well as the classroom as a whole. If your child will be absent, please let us know with as much advance notice as possible so your child’s teacher may make accommodations to the lesson plan and staffing can be adjusted, if necessary. If you are going to be absent on a day for a Flex Care reservation, the funds can be refunded or applied to future care if there is 24 hours notice prior to cancellation.
Health and Safety Policies
Illness
Our first priority at BabyVillage is providing a healthy, safe learning environment for all children. A child will be sent home as soon as possible if any of the following is experienced: an illness prevents the child from participating comfortably in activities (as determined by the staff); an illness results in a greater need for care than the staff can reasonably provide without compromising the health or safety of other children in the classroom; or a child is experiencing any of the following conditions:
Fever of 99 degrees (under the arm)+, until 24 hours symptom-free without medication
Signs/symptoms of severe illness, including: lethargy, uncontrolled coughing, inexplicable irritability or persistent crying, difficulty breathing, and/or wheezing Diarrhea (not associated with diet changes or medications) (Two instances) until diarrhea stops for 24 hours or the continued diarrhea is deemed not be infectious by a licensed healthcare professional.
Blood in stools not explainable by dietary change, medication, or hard stools
Vomiting (one instance) the child can return after vomiting has been resolved for 24 hours or until a health care provider determines the cause for vomiting is not contagious.
Persistent abdominal pain (continues more than 2 hours) or intermittent pain associated with fever or other signs/symptoms of illness
Mouth sores with drooling, unless a health care provider determines the sores are not contagious
Rash until a physician determines that these symptoms do not indicate a communicable disease
Pink eye (conjunctivitis) until after treatment has been initiated for 24 hours
Scabies, until after treatment has been completed
Tuberculosis, until a health care provider states that the child is on appropriate therapy and can attend child care
Impetigo, until 24 hours after treatment has been initiated
Strep throat, until 24 hours after initial antibiotic treatment and cessation of fever Chickenpox, until all sores have dried and crusted (usually 6 days)
Hand Foot and Mouth sores have dried and crusted and no fever
Pertussis, until 5 days of appropriate antibiotic treatment has been completed
Mumps, until 9 days after onset of symptoms
Hepatitis A virus, until 1 week after onset of illness
Measles, until 4 days after onset of rash
Rubella, until 6 days after onset of rash
Unspecified respiratory tract illness accompanied by another illness which requires exclusion
Covid19, until quarantine for 5 days and symptom free
A child who becomes ill while at BabyVillage will be isolated in their classroom in order to limit exposure of other children to communicable disease. For this reason, we ask families to make every effort to pick up a sick child as soon as possible.
BabyVillage reserves the right to make the final determination of exclusion due to illness. Any exceptions to our illness policy will require a written note from a licensed healthcare professional stating that the child is not contagious.
Parents will be notified by telephone and ProCare. Please contact BabyVillage phone or ProCare by 7:00 AM whenever your child is ill.
Notice of Exposure & Reporting Disease
If your child is exposed to a communicable disease, a notice will be shared by ProCare. If your child or anyone in your household becomes ill with a communicable disease, please notify the Director immediately.
In the event a child is reported to have a communicable disease, the Director will notify the health department.
Hand Washing
Frequent hand washing with soap and warm, running water is the most effective way to reduce and prevent the spread of illnesses commonly found in childcares such as the flu, diarrhea, and pink eye. Parents are encouraged to assist their child in the hand washing process upon arrival.
Other times your child (and staff members)will be expected to wash their hands:
Upon arriving at the center or when changing classrooms
After each diaper change or using the toilet
Before and after meal times
After cleaning or handling garbage
Before and after administering medication
After handling bodily fluids (mucus, blood vomit)
Before and after using the sensory table
After coming indoors from the playground
Warm, running water (no colder than 60 degrees F) and soap must be used. Hands must be rubbed vigorously for at least 20 seconds, including the backs of hands, between fingers, under nails, and under any jewelry. A disposable paper towel should be used to dry hands and turn off the faucet. Help reinforce the importance of hand washing by encouraging frequent hand washing at home as well.
Medications
Prescription and over-the-counter medications must be given to a staff member in the original container, clearly labeled with the child’s full name and birth date. BabyVillage staff will not administer any medication without a signed Medication Authorization Form. Forms can be obtained from your child’s teacher or from the Director.
BabyVillage does not administer Tylenol for Fever. If a child needs medication to control a fever, they should stay home. To administer Tylenol to a child under 2 years old for instances of pain due to teething, BabyVillage will need a doctor's note with dosage and times.
Medications are stored in a locked box (refrigerated medications) or in a high cabinet (non- refrigerated medications) while in use at BabyVillage. The Medication Authorization Form must remain with the medication at all times. Unused medications must be immediately returned to the family and will not be stored at BabyVillage.
Medications are administered only by BabyVillage staff. When a medication is given, the teacher will document the type of medication administered, the dosage, and the time it was given.
Immunizations
Each child must have a current immunization record on file at BabyVillage to attend. The immunization records must be updated whenever a new immunization is received.
Documentation of Accidents/Incidents
Staff members shall document accidents and incidents that occur at BabyVillage using an Accident/ Incident Report on Procare.
Documents of Health Incidents
All parents will be notified of any communicable illnesses present in the center via a sign posted on the main entrance to the center explaining the illness as well as ProCare. In addition, parents with children in the classroom of the infected child will receive an email regarding the illness.
Documents of Allergies
A child with allergies must have an Allergy Action Plan posted in a visible location in the classroom. If the allergy is food-related, an Allergy Action Plan must also be posted in the kitchen area. All staff working in the classroom of a child with allergies must review the Allergy Action Plan to ensure understanding of emergency procedures should the child have an allergic reaction. All allergic reactions must be documented with a Health Incident Form.
Documents of Special Health Care Needs
An Emergency Care Plan will be on file for any child with special health care needs (seizures, etc). A copy of the Emergency Care Plan must be kept in the classroom emergency binder. All staff working in the classroom must familiarize themselves with this plan, should an emergency arise. If necessary, staff will receive training regarding a child’s specific health care needs.
Emergency Medical/Dental Procedure
It is important that parents complete and update, as needed, an Emergency Contact and Parental Consent Form. This form contains contact information for both the parents as well as the individuals authorized to pick up the child in the event of illness or emergency. In addition, the form allows BabyVillage staff members to seek emergency medical or dental care from authorized care providers in the event of serious injury. It is the responsibility of the parent to complete this form and to make corrections to this information when necessary.
If a child becomes ill or injured after arriving at the center, the Director will attempt to contact the parent(s) at all available telephone numbers. If a parent cannot be reached, the individuals listed as emergency contacts/authorized pick up persons on the Emergency Contact & Parental Consent form will be called.
Children who are ill or seriously injured will be sent to the office and remain under the supervision of the Director until a parent arrives.
If the child requires immediate medical attention: The staff member who witnessed the emergency situation will remain with the injured child and instruct someone else to call 911. If no one is available, first ensure the child is stable and if possible, bring the child with you to call 911.
A staff member who witnessed the emergency situation will accompany the child to the hospital, bringing the child’s physical exam, immunization records, and Emergency Contact & Parental Consent Form.
The Director will contact the parent(s).
Sunscreen
All families will be required to supply sunscreen for their child/ren for outdoor activities. A permission slip must be on file before sunscreen will be applied to a child. Sunscreen will be applied by classroom teachers regularly throughout the day.
Mandatory Child Abuse Reporters
As childcare professionals who interact with children on a daily basis, each staff member of BabyVillage is a mandatory child abuse and neglect reporter and must contact the Oregon Department of Human Services whenever abuse or neglect is suspected.
Tobacco Use
Cigarettes/ Vapes and smokeless tobacco products are prohibited on premises, including parking lots and outdoor play areas.
Access Policy
Any person in the center who is not an owner, staff member, substitute, or subcontracted staff or volunteer who has had a record check and approval to be involved with child care shall not have unrestricted access to children for whom that person is not the parent, guardian or custodian, nor be counted in the staff to child ratio. Unrestricted access means that a person has contact with a child alone or is directly responsible for child care.
Persons who do not have unrestricted access will be under the direct supervision and monitoring of a paid staff member at all times and will not be allowed to assume any child care responsibilities. The primary responsibility of the supervision and monitoring will be assumed by the Director unless he/she delegates it to the classroom Teacher due to a conflict of interest with the person. If staff don't know visitors to the center, they shall ask for ID or get the Director. Center staff will approach anyone who is on the property of the center without their knowledge to ask what their purpose is.
If a staff member is unsure about the reason, the Director is to get approval for the person to be on site. If it becomes a dangerous situation, staff will follow the “Dangerous Adult” procedure. Non-agency persons who are on the property for other reasons such as maintenance, repairs, etc., will be monitored by a paid staff member and will not be allowed to interact with children on the premises.
A sex offender who has been convicted of a sex offense against a minor (even if the sex offender is the parent, guardian, or custodian) who is required to register with the Oregon Sex offender registry:
Shall not operate, manage, be employed by, or volunteer at the child care center.
Shall not be on the property of the child care center.
Affidavit Policy
At times families may be dealing with difficult situations at home. When legal matters are present in the home, families may need to collect affidavits for their legal team. Due to the nature of the relationship between caregiver and child, families may choose to ask a BabyVillage staff member to provide such a statement. Our program’s priority is providing the best possible care when children are away from home and our focus will remain on the child, making sure all their needs are met during what could be a difficult time at home. BabyVillage staff members will not provide written statements or affidavits of a professional nature to families.
Guidance Strategies
Reasons for Misbehavior
Every adult who cares for children has a responsibility to guide, correct, and socialize children toward appropriate behaviors. These adult actions often are called child guidance and discipline. Positive guidance is crucial because it promotes children's self-control, teaches children responsibility and helps children make thoughtful choices. The more effective caregivers are at encouraging appropriate child behavior, the less time and effort adults will spend correcting children's misbehavior.
Effective guidance focuses on the development of the child. It also preserves the child's self-esteem and dignity. Actions that insult or belittle are likely to cause children to view their caregivers negatively, which can inhibit learning and can teach the child to be unkind to others. However, actions that acknowledge the child’s efforts and progress, no matter how slow or small, are likely to encourage healthy development. Teaching children self-discipline is a demanding task that requires patience, attention, cooperation, and an understanding of the child. BabyVillage staff will use only positive guidance techniques.
When interacting with young children, staff should ask themselves the following questions: “Am I...”
Validating feelings?
Asking open-ended questions?
Encouraging problem solving?
Respecting children’s choices?
Using praise and positive reinforcement?
Talking with children – not at them?
Circulating throughout the classroom?
At the child’s eye level?
Understanding Misbehavior
If caregivers understand why children misbehave, they can be more successful at reducing behavior problems. Listed here are some of the possible reasons why children misbehave.
Test whether caregivers will enforce rules.
They experience different sets of expectations between school and home.
A child does not understand rules, or is held to expectations beyond their developmental levels.
They have been previously "rewarded" for their misbehavior with adult attention.
They want to assert themselves and their independence.
They feel ill, bored, hungry or sleepy.
They lack accurate information and prior experience.
Preventing Misbehavior
Intervention strategies include but are not limited to the following:
Noticing and describing the child’s body/face/actions, labeling feelings, and acknowledging intent.
Modeling self regulation techniques
One-on-one relationships building activities
Assessing, teaching, or scaffolding missing executive skills.
Class-made books individualized for the student. Individual picture cards to support expectations.
I Am: Feeling Chart, I Choose: Self-Control Board, and intense work with the Feeling Buddies.
Utilize mental health, social workers, and psychologists in service of the child and family.
Refer to special needs programs if available.
Biting Program
Before age three, biting is somewhat common. When a child repeatedly bites:
Identify stressors—not enough structure, too much structure, not enough rest, eating, bowel habits, connection, attunement, etc.
Start a stress reduction program at home and school.
More touching (skin to skin), massage games (I’m saying goodnight to your legs, arms, hands, fingers, head, etc.)
Chest and lap time
More schedules and routines
Shadow the child. There is nothing you can do to help a child learn other ways of getting needs met after the bite has occurred. You must catch the child before the bite. Most bites occur during transitions and unstructured time. Have a person shadow the child who is biting. When the child begins to bite:
Firmly say, “STOP. No bite! Ouch! (make a pained face) Biting hurts.”
Say, “You wanted _____(take an educated guess as to what the child wanted). Say _____ (acceptable words) or do _____(acceptable action)!”
Make visuals of alternatives to biting: Say, “My turn,” put up a STOP hand, play with a different toy, move away, etc.
While biting is an age-appropriate behavior, it is important to remember it is also an unacceptable behavior in a childcare environment.
Severe Biting Policy
The following process will be followed if a child’s behavior continuously takes away from the care or safety of others.
Meeting with parents, teachers, and administration to discuss a plan of action to increase positive behavior at school and home. If necessary, an evaluation will be recommended for the child and the parent will be supplied contact information for the evaluation. Failure to respond in a timely manner may result in the child’s expulsion from the program.
Logs must be kept to seek out triggers and patterns for repeated undesired behavior. Upon written request, these logs will be made available to the parents and/or evaluator.
If aggressive behavior/ biting occurs two times in the same day the child must be picked up from the center immediately. The child will be removed from the classroom while waiting to be picked up. If the behavior occurs a third time in the same week, the child must be picked up immediately and take the following day off.
Home and School Partnership
Daily Communication
BabyVillage uses ProCare to communicate, share photos, notes and incidents. ProCare is an app to help parents stay connected with their child and teacher during school hours. This is where you can communicate directly with your child’s teachers throughout the day.
Newsletters
Newsletters will be sent to families on ProCare and teachers will post lesson plans and newsletters on ProCare as well as post them in your child’s class. Newsletters and updates may provide you with general information and announcements about the center as well as detailed weekly lesson plans and announcements.
Cultural Competence
BabyVillage is committed to respecting each child’s and family’s culture and diverse needs. We recognize that culture influences every aspect of a child’s development and is reflected in childrearing beliefs and practices. We believe it is important to support and preserve the child’s home language usage, faith and beliefs, and cultural traditions. We recognize that children can and will acquire the use of English even when their home language is used and respected.
BabyVillage carries out this philosophy of cultural competence in the following ways:
Families are treated with respect and sensitivity from our first meeting.
Families’ financial limitations are respected when planning for activities that could potentially result in additional costs, through the acceptance of DHS payments, and clear understanding of payment expectations from the time of enrollment.
We attempt to learn accurate information about each family, their culture, faith and beliefs, and cultural traditions (we encourage each family, if they feel comfortable, to share this information with us at the time of enrollment). This information is part of the child’s daily plan as it relates to meals and snacks, holiday recognition, etc.
Families are encouraged to be actively involved in what their child is doing in our program through family “homework”, dress up days, holiday parties, and volunteer opportunities.
Families where English is their second language are encouraged and assisted in becoming knowledgeable about the cognitive value for children of knowing more than one language and providing them with strategies to support, maintain, and preserve their home language. BabyVillage will continue to acquire training annually to further our knowledge of culture, language, and diversity.
Room Transitions
Your child will transition to a new classroom when he/she has reached the developmental milestones for a particular classroom. As the time for a transition to a new room approaches, you will receive communication from the Director of Teachers about your child’s transition into his/her new classroom. Both your child’s current and future teacher is available to address any questions or concerns you have during the transition process. Before the transition into a new classroom has been completed, parents are encouraged to schedule a meeting with the new teacher in order to familiarize themselves with the new classroom, children, and curriculum.
Questions/Concerns
If you have a question or concern, do not hesitate to bring it to the attention of the teacher most directly involved.
If the concern is not resolved, the Director can be reached at 971-302-6187 or via email: kristen@wevillage.com
The Director is available to assist parents and staff in resolving concerns.
Emergency Procedures
Fire, Bomb, or other Emergency Situations
Fire regulations are posted near the entry. Fire drills are conducted every month; all classrooms are required to participate. In the event of a fire, bomb threat, or other evacuation emergencies, the children and teachers will immediately leave the building and go to Saint Simon Coffee Co. at 2005 NE Broadway, Portland, OR 97232
Blizzard/ Severe Winter Weather
The Director will monitor the weather and local news stations throughout the day to determine when it is appropriate to close the center early or cancel care for the following day. The Director will post on ProCare to inform parents of the situation. Routine classroom activities will continue until parents arrive.
Missing or Abducted Child
In the event of a missing child, the Director will search for the child in the immediate area.
If the child cannot be located in a reasonable amount of time, the Director will notify the Portland Police Department and the child’s parents.
In the event of an abducted child, the Director must immediately contact the Portland Police Department, and the child’s parents.
Power Failure
Staff members and children should remain in the classroom and if possible, proceed with activities as usual, or may go to the outdoor playground until power resumes.
If power cannot be restored within a reasonable amount of time, the center will close and parents will be contacted.
The Director is responsible for contacting parents to inform them of the closing and of the need to immediately pick up their child.
Activities will resume as soon as possible until parents arrive.
Special Needs Care Policy
BabyVillage is committed to the principle of inclusion and complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. We are committed to every child equally, regardless of their special needs, and will commit to learning more about each child’s specific needs and finding the best resources necessary to accomplish our common goal of finding the best care for each child. We believe that including children with special needs can enrich the experience of learning for all children and BabyVillage will make accommodations for children with special needs within the guidelines of ADA.
To assure that we are meeting the individual needs of each child enrolled with an identified special need, the following procedures and programs are followed:
Staff receive ongoing training on inclusion and special needs as related to the specific needs of enrolled children.
Confidentiality of children and families is respected and maintained at all times.
Children with special needs will be included and encouraged to participate to the fullest extent of their abilities.
Staff and families collaborate to meet the individual needs of the child.
Communication with families is ongoing and is responsive to the needs of families.
Physical environment is free of barriers.
A variety of teaching strategies are used to meet the individual needs of each child.
An individualized special needs care plan will be created with help of the parent/guardian, doctor, and BabyVillage to ensure that all parties are aware of the practices which need to be in place.
The special needs care plan will be completed annually or more frequently at the request of the parent/guardian or child’s doctor.
You can find the BabyVillage Handbook agreement included with the rest of the enrollment paperwork given to you by the Director.
The handbook agreement must be signed and initialed before your child starts their first day.
A hard copy of this handbook is available upon request from the Director.
We are so excited to have you join the BabyVillage family and look forward to caring for your child in the years to come!
Kristen Buffaloe - Operator/Director
971-302-6187