Our Policies

ADMISSION
St. Mary Child Development Center is a non-profit, self supporting organization sponsored by St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish. The Center is licensed to care for children between 8 weeks to 12 years of age.

Enrollment is on a space available basis. Full time enrollments will be given priority when space is limited. All required forms must be on file prior to the child's first day of attendance.

WITHDRAWAL
We at St. Mary CDC reserve the right to terminate services for any family that does not meet the following guidelines:
-Families must pay tuition in a timely manner.
-Families must work in cooperation with the Center for the good of all children.
-Families may not create a hostile work environment for any staff members.
St. Mary CDC reserves the right to make the final determination regarding program termination for any reason.

A two week written notice is mandatory if a child is to be withdrawn for the Center to allow the opportunity to fill vacancies without lapse in the Center's revenue. A two week advance notice must be given when changing/reducing regular scheduled hours. Payment is mandatory for these two weeks.

Our Admissions Policy

Due to children's allergies, St. Mary Child Development Center is a 100% Nut Free facility. This includes, but is not limited to, all nut butters, cereals, candy, alternate milk products, etc. Label foods that are made with a peanut butter alternative.

Parents will be required to sign an agreement to provide ALL foods and supplies (spoons, bowls, etc.) for their child's meals. All lunch boxes or bags must be clearly labeled on the outside with the child's first and last name and the current date.

The Center provides whole milk for toddlers and nonfat or 1% milk for preschool children. Parents with infants are required to provide breast milk or formula for their child. Nutritious snacks are served once in the morning and once in the afternoon. This includes all drop-in children. Snack menus are posted in each classroom. We ask that parents refrain from sending sugary and/or carbonated beverages with their children.

Foods considered a choking hazard (see attachment) must be cut in small, appropriate size pieces prior to arrival at the Center. The need for food to be cut by staff takes away from adequate supervision and educational experiences.

A refrigerator is available in each classroom for temporary food storage. We do not have a licensed kitchen, so all foods provided should only require warming. Due to limited storage and LARA regulations, all food should be provided in a one-day supply only.

Breakfast will only be served 6:00a – 7:45a. Your child will attend after 7:45a, please provide them with breakfast before arriving. As with lunch, all foods and supplies are provided by the parent.

We welcome parents to provide special snacks for our children. However, due to a variety of food allergies, we ask that the snack be commercially made, whenever possible.

Our Food Policy

The Center is licensed to care ONLY for children in good health. Children may not attend if they exhibit any of the following symptoms:

Fever (100 or above)

Rash

Severe nasal/eye discharges

Vomiting

Diarrhea

Listlessness or irritability

Children must be symptom free for 24 hours (without medications) before returning to the Center. The Center reserves the right to refuse care to a child of questionable health until a doctor's permission is documented. Care will be given in an isolated area to a child who becomes ill while a attendance, until a parent is contacted and arrangements are made to have the child removed from the Center. If a parent cannot be contacted, the person listed as the emergency contact will be notified. In case of a medical emergency, the child will be transported to a nearby medical facility, accompanied by a staff person. The staff person will remain with the child until the parent or guardian arrives and properly identifies himself. The room and all equipment in the isolated area will be thoroughly cleaned after being used by an ill child.

Health physicals are required at time of enrollment and every year after until school age. The State of Michigan mandates that children be up to date on immunizations on the first day of enrollment. Any child that is not up to date on immunizations or has not obtained a valid waiver from the Health Department will be excluded from the program until requirements are met. The Center must be notified if a child has been exposed to any communicable diseases. An annual good health statement completed by a parent or guardian is required for all school age children.

Our Health Policy

Written authorization is required before any medication can be administered to a child. A Medical Authorization must be on file, which is signed and dated. Verbal permission over the phone is not acceptable. This includes prescription and non-prescription drugs, including aspirin, cough syrup, cough drops, or any other non – topical “over the counter” medication. Also diaper creams, sunscreen, insect repellent, and antibiotic ointment.

Both prescription medication and over the counter medication, must be in the original container and labeled with the child's complete name, the medication name, recommended dosage, time intervals for administration, expiration date and doctors name and license number.. Pain relief medication (i.e. Tylenol) may be administered ONLY for pain, it is not to be given to keep down or mask a fever or illness. The child must have received an initial dosage of the medication at home in advance of authorizing staff members to administer medication while in our care. We request that parents schedule medication administration dosages to require the minimal amount of doses to be received while in the care of the Center. All medications will be stored according to the instructions on the label, kept beyond the reach of children in a cabinet or the refrigerator and returned to the parent when no longer needed.

Our Medication Policy

St. Mary Child Development Center recognizes that a center that is physically and emotionally safe and secure promotes good citizenship, increases student attendance, engagement and supports academic achievement. To protect the rights of all children enrolled, St. Mary Child Development Center prohibits acts of bullying, harassment and other forms of aggression and violence. Bullying or harassment, like other forms of aggressive and violent behaviors, interferes with both a school's ability to educate its students and the student's ability to learn. All staff and parents, volunteers and students are expected to refuse to tolerate bullying and harassment, while also demonstrating behavior that is respectful and civil.

Grow Up With Us

Our Policies

Our Admissions Policy

Our Food Policy

Our Weather Policy

Our Health Policy

Our Medication Policy

Our Anti-Bullying Policy

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