Bethel Harvest Church -- Nicholasville, KY 40356

Welcome to Bethel Early Learning Center! We are honored to share in the early childhood development of your children. Bethel Early Learning Center is dedicated to excellence in childcare through nurturing, love, and education. The following policies and procedures have been established to serve and minister to your family. Your support is vitally important and appreciated.

The preschool years provide us with the most critical opportunities to build a solid education for your children. Bethel Early Learning Center provides developmental childcare at its best. Our mission is to offer a structured, age-appropriate, Christ-centered program of learning to meet the unique needs of each child. Our daily goal is to encourage physical, social, spiritual, emotional, and intellectual growth for each child.

The staff at Bethel Early Learning Center is an asset! The providers are trained professionals who have experience in working with young children. Prior employment at the center, everyone goes through extensive interviews, background and reference check procedures, including criminal history release screening. All staff members receive State mandated training with special emphasis on safety, security, hygiene, health and child development.

Goals
The goals of Bethel Early Learning Center include providing all children with:

A safe, clean, environment.

A caring christian environment where the children can play and learn with positive guidance and loving care.

Care that promotes their social, emotional, physical, and intellectual development through developmentally appropriate activities.

Opportunities for them to be challenged to learn and reach their potential at their own pace.

Admission and Enrollment
Bethel Early Learning Center requires a complete enrollment packet on all children 48 hours prior to the child attending the center. This packet includes this handbook, enrollment forms, food program application, and a copy of immunization records must be returned to the Center upon enrollment. Additional forms may be included at the discretion of the center, without regards to race, religion, sex, or national origin.

Our center provides care for infants to 12 years of age without regards to race, religion, sex, or national origin.

Curriculum
Our curriculum is carefully designed to meet each child’s individual needs. We engage all our children from age’s 12 months-5 years old. Educational experiences include art, blocks, creative dramatics, discovery games, field trips, free play, math concepts, movies, music, puppetry, puzzles, reading readiness, and story time, and much more.

Tuition & Fees
Tuition is due and payable on Friday for the following week. Tuition is paid one week in advance. Payment may be made by cash, check, money order, or credit/bank card. Payment shall be placed in completed payment envelope and deposited in the payment box in the lobby.

Payments not received by Tuesday will be assessed a late tuition fee of $5.00 per day. A $30.00 service fee will be charged for a returned check. A $1.00 late fee per child is charged for late pick-ups after 6:00 p.m. For each family that has more than one child enrolled at the center at the same time a discount of 10% from the highest rate of each child will apply

If there are repeated instances of returned checks, another acceptable payment option may be required.

Published Rates

	Daily	Weekly	Part-Time (M, W, F Only)	Part-Time (T, TH Only)
Infant	$35.00	$160.00	$105.00	$70.00
Toddler	$30.00	$140.00	$90.00	$60.00
Pre-School(Age 3-5)	$25.00	$130.00	$90.00	$60.00
JELV After Kindergarten Program	$25.00	$115.00	$75.00	$50.00
School Agers (6-12) After School Care (Only)	$20.00	$80.00	$60.00	$40.00
Special curriculum, field trips, and other incidental and one-time charges are not included in the fee schedule.

Family Daycare Discount Child care is a major expense for working families. For each family that has more than one child enrolled at the center at the same time a discount of 10% from highest tuition rate of each child will apply.

Enrollment Fees
A non-refundable deposit equal to one week's tuition is due at the time of registration.

Late Pick Up Charge
Parents who pick their child up after the regular closing time will be charged a late fee of $1 per minute that must be paid before children reenter the center. If there has been no communication from parents, legal authorities will be contacted for children left at the center one-hour after the closing time of the center.

Open Door Policy
Bethel Early Learning Center has an open door policy. Quality care for your child includes good communication between the parents and the center’s staff. Parents are welcome to come by unannounced, anytime during the day to visit. The center’s only concern is for parents to use discretion when coming to visit during nap or quiet time since it is disruptive to a crucial time of the day for all of the children.

Arrivals & Departures
All children must be signed in and out of the Center each day. Only a parent, guardian or other listed escort may drop off or pick up a child. Advanced written notice and picture identification will be required if someone other than a listed escort will be picking up the child. Notify the Director in writing of any changes, as children will not be released without proper authorization.

Do not leave your car unlocked or the engine running while bringing in or picking up a student.

Alcohol or illicit drugs are not permitted on our premises. If a parent or escort is presumed to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, we will request that another parent or escort be called. We reserve the right to notify authorities if it is considered to be in the best interest of the child.

Holidays
Bethel Early Learning Center will observe the following holidays:
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving (2 days)
Christmas (2 days)
New Year’s Day

Dress Code
Clothing should be comfortable, sturdy, washable play clothes. Dress your child appropriately for the weather. All clothing must be labeled with the child’s name.

We are not responsible for soiled, lost, or stolen clothing. Children under age five should keep a change of clothes at the Center at all times.

Shoes are required to be worn by all children during the entire day, including sprinkler time. We strongly suggest no sandals, clogs, or boots. Flip-flops may be sent with swimming gear. Girls in grades Kindergarten and up must wear one-piece swimsuits during sprinkler time and on field trip days to the pool.

Behavior Management
Our staff strives to develop a positive relationship with each child as an individual person. Offering a daily program that is interesting and challenging alleviates many discipline problems. If a discipline problem does occur, a positive approach of behavior modification will be utilized. In instances of continued disruptive behavior, a short time out may be utilized. Physical punishment will never be used at Bethel Early Learning Center. The director reserves the right to ask that a child be picked up at any time if the behavior is severe and needs more disciplinary attention than is appropriate for our staff to administer.

Biting
Sometimes toddlers and some older infants resort to biting for many reasons. A child overwhelmed by anxiety may bite. Infant cutting teeth may bite. It is difficult and frustrating for the parents, the children, and the caregiver involved. Our policy is to attempt to stop the biting by observing and documenting the episodes. Through observation a pattern can often times be determined. Please note that long-term, non-determined biting is not going to be tolerated and parents will be asked to remove their child from the center in the event that occurs.

Medication at the Center
There may be times when a child needs to have a routine medication administered while in care at Bethel Early Learning Center. The center maintains all medications in a secure place and will administer the medication prescribed. Prescription medication must be in the original container, labeled with the child’s name, date, directions, and the physician’s name. If Tylenol, cough syrups, or other nonprescription medication is required, send the medication labeled with the child’s name.

All medications must be signed in and out and a medical authorization form must be on file. It is helpful when medication can be brought to the center in a zip lock bag with a calibrated measuring spoon.

Children under two years of age must have a physician’s prescription for all medication. Medication must be in the proper container and will only be administered at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. — we cannot determine “as needed” times for medication. Medication and medication authorization forms must be given directly to the teacher or Director. If your child’s medication varies from the recommended dosage of non-prescription drugs, a doctor’s written authorization must be provided.

You will be notified to pick up your child if he becomes ill, including a fever over 100.5, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. In the event of illness, a child must be fever-free for a minimum of 24 hours before returning to the Center. We are not licensed to provide care for children who are ill.

Please indicate any allergies on the application form. The Director will notify the teacher and food service personnel in order to take appropriate precautions.

Meals
A nutritionally balanced breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snack are provided for each child. Parents must supply and prepare baby foods, formula, milk, or juice for all children who are bottle fed, as required by state law. Children on special diets for medical or religious reasons are responsible for supplying their own food. Field trips requiring a sack lunch, or additional money, will be posted according to each classroom’s policy. Children may share a special treat with their class to celebrate birthdays or holidays. Otherwise, no food or snacks may be brought from home. If you wish to eat lunch with your child, please notify the Center office one day in advance.

Immunizations
Each child enrolled at Bethel Early Learning Center must meet the applicable immunization requirements specified by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

All immunizations required for the child’s age must be completed and documentation provided to the center 48 hours prior to admission into the center.

Security
Our facility has a premium and state of the art security system which allows our staff to monitor both by video and audio the entire facility. The facility has a total of 32 surveillance cameras which monitors the building 24 hours a day. Each of the classrooms and nurseries has individual cameras. Each external door is secured and access given to only to staff and other key leaders. Visitors are allowed entrance to building via a video phone located on the north side (daycare main entrance) of the building.

Emergency Evacuation
An emergency evacuation plan is posted at the center. Once a month the children and staff will practice a fire drill.

Policy Changes
A complete listing of our program’s policies and procedures and staff guidelines is available for review at any time in the Center office. Bethel Early Learning Center reserves the right to modify our policies and procedures at any time.

Master Schedule

Time	Activity
6:30 — 8:15 a.m.	Good Morning! Supervised Play & Activities
8:15 — 8:30 a.m.	Clean Up Prepare for Breakfast
8:30 — 9:00 a.m.	Breakfast
9:00 — 11:15 a.m.	Learning Center Education & Activities Preschool Programs
11:15 — 11:30 a.m.	Clean Up Prepare for Lunch
11:30 — 12:00 p.m.	Lunch
12:00 — 12:15 p.m.	Prepare for Nap
12:15 — 2:30 p.m.	Nap
2:30 — 2:50 p.m.	Bible Activities
2:50 — 3:00 p.m.	Clean Up Prepare for Snack
3:00 — 3:30 p.m.	Snack
3:30 — 6:00 p.m.	Supervised Play & Activities Prepare to go home

Parents Comments
Bethel Early Learning Center encourages and promotes parental involvement. The program begins with an open door policy, continual communication between center and parent, along with opportunities for parents to share ideas and concerns in a positive way.

From time to time the center will notify you of different opportunities for parental involvement. This may include supply requests for special projects, assistance with field trips, or simply notification of events and/or resources parents might find useful.

Video and/or Photographs
The center may produce classroom photographs and/or video tapes of the children for teacher training purposes or to promote the on-going program of the center. These photographs and video tapes may be reproduced and/or published in printed publications. A permission slip is required to be on file to allow any child to participate.