Parent handbook

Campus Child Center is a place

…where children are valued for their sense of wonder, their genuine curiosity and need to explore, and their natural desire to learn.

…where families are valued for the support they provide their children, for the partnerships they build with our staff, for their eagerness to help and for their willingness to entrust their children into our care.

…where staff are valued for their ability to work together for the benefit of the children, for their commitment to continual program evaluation and improvement, for their energy and enthusiasm, for their ability to design and implement well-planned curriculum, and for their capacity to build relationships with and make use of resources within the community.

…where all are valued for their unique abilities and ideas, for their ability to play, for their love of laughter, for the respect they give one another, and for their capacity to trust, lean on and learn from one another.

...establish and maintain... 
        a safe and healthy environment for the children 
       partnerships with parents and links to community resources

…encourage children to... 
       explore, manipulate and use the tools and toys around them 
       think critically 
       solve problems 
       gain confidence 
       build friendships

 …support children's need for... 
       creative expression 
       increased independence 
       closeness, warmth and compassion

 …extend children's knowledge through… 
      books 
      field trips 
      classroom visitors 
      meaningful conversations and discussions 
      a variety of activities and experiences

 …weave into the program... 
      a sense of respect for others and the world around us 
      opportunities to express kindness and cooperation 
      an appreciation for nature and the arts

The Campus Child Center was established in 1985 to provide quality care for the children of University of Wisconsin-La Crosse students and employees.  Our program was first housed in what is currently the Mississippi Valley Archeology Lab. In 1997 we doubled our capacity when we moved to the new child center adjacent to the Recreational Eagle Center.

Established as a program to provide high quality care to the children it served, the center believed that attaining high quality involved attention to the following: providing age-appropriate activities that stimulate both exploration and discovery; viewing play and socialization as essential to young children; celebrating each child's unique needs and capabilities; providing a well-balanced mix of large and small group activities, indoor and outdoor activities, and restful and active play times; and by building strong connections and partnerships with the families we serve. These beliefs still guide the center as we continue to provide high quality care for our children.

Included in the vision of high quality was the commitment to recruiting and maintaining a staff whose knowledge base was firmly planted in sound early childhood practice.  As the staff grew from two full-time employees to seven full-time employees, a team evolved that has proven itself in its commitment to young children.  We take pride in a staff turnover rate that is virtually non-existent. 

From its inception, Campus Child Center built and maintained strong ties within the University setting. From its beginnings, the staff and children participated with other programs on campus. This practice continues to this day, as Campus Child Center describes itself as an active member and participant of our university community. Our center has been used as a field site for programs in education, recreation, foreign language, psychology, and physical education. Reciprocating arrangements are valued as a source of expanding ideas and activities for the children, our staff, and the college students involved.

Research and experience tell us that young children learn more through direct interactive experiences than through just listening to someone talk. That's simply an educated way of saying that we value play!  As you become familiar with our program you may be inclined to think that all the children do here is play. At good early childhood programs there is a lot of play - and there should be. 

Play fulfills children's natural desire to move and touch. Through play, children create their own themes, test ideas, solve problems, learn to see other's points of view, use language, develop muscle coordination, explore their environment, and make discoveries.

Our children have several opportunities throughout each day, both indoors and outdoors, to guide their own play. We call this time "free play."  As teachers, we have several roles during free play. First, it is our job to establish the environment. We provide a variety of toys and materials especially chosen for the children to use. These toys and tools beckon one to explore and discover, to use one's senses, to build and manipulate, and to cooperate with others.  Our other role is that of facilitator - to help extend the play so that it becomes more interesting and more imaginative. It is not our role to control play, but to encourage and extend it.

Built into our daily routine is also a time we refer to as "group time."  This is the time during the day when each teacher implements a curriculum that has been designed for their group of children. Although this time includes some direct teaching, it is mainly filled with additional opportunities to explore one's environment, to create, to discover, to participate, and to gain ideas and increase awareness and understandings about the world around us. Woven into our curriculum are activities and/or concepts involving art, music, drama, science, math, large and small motor development, literacy and language.

What we hope you see are children actively involved and exploring their surroundings. We hope you hear the sounds of laughter, the sounds of music and children's voices active in play. Active learning is sometimes messy and often noisy.  It is always relevant and consistently interesting. 

The staff at the Campus Child Center is professionally trained in early childhood education. The professional staff members are assisted by students in the Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Psychology, and Occupational and/or Physical Therapy departments. All staff and students receive on-going training in issues related to working with young children. 

The Campus Child Center Policy Booklet, outlining all Center philosophies, policies, and procedures and Wisconsin Administrative Code, DCF 251, Licensing Rules for Group Child Care Centers are available upon request.  Copies of each of these booklets are also available in the entry area of our building for reference purposes. Our state license, accreditation information, and the record of our last licensing visit are posted in the entry area.

The Campus Child Center is licensed to care for children age 1 through age 12. We are not currently providing school-age care. Our center is open from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the Preschool Area and 7:30 a.m. through 5:30 p.m. in the Toddler Room Monday through Friday. The center is closed during the summer and reopens during the last week of August.

During periods of low enrollment, such as Spring Break, the hours of care may be shortened.

The Campus Child Center enters into a contract with each family to establish the hours of care to be provided and the rate to be paid for that care. Any care needed above and beyond the established, contracted hours needs to be first approved by the Director. 

Parents are charged a child care fee according to their contract made with the center, with an additional charge for any extra care given. Bills are generated on the first business day of the month for care provided during the previous month. Payment is due by the 10th of the month and should be made through the HiMama app with a card payment or a bank transfer. The Center reserves the right to cancel enrollment for non-payment of fees.

Charges are made for all contracted days, even if the child does not attend. We follow this policy since we order food and schedule staff several weeks in advance. 

A family that holds a current contract for two or more children at the center will receive a sibling discount. Families will pay full tuition for the child who attends the center for the greatest number of hours or who is a toddler, and will receive a 10% discount for the second child.

If a contracted day falls on a day the Center is closed, no charge will be made.

A fee to help cover the cost of setting up accounts and to pay for the state licensing fee may be charged at the beginning of each session. This fee is non-refundable and cannot be applied to tuition.

Full-Time Student Rates

Preschool Area (children ages 2 and older) 
Morning or Afternoon Session: $26.00/day
Full-day Rate: $34.00/day

Toddler Area (children age 1 to 2) 
Morning Session or Afternoon Session: $30.50/day
Full-day Rate: $40.00/day

Part-Time Student Rates

Preschool Area (children ages 2 and older) 
Morning or Afternoon Session: $29.50/day
Full-day Rate: $38.50/day

Toddler Area (children age 1 to 2)
Morning or Afternoon Session: $33.75/day
Full-day Rate: $45.00/day

Staff/Faculty and Alumni Rates

Preschool Area (children ages 2 and older) 
Morning or Afternoon Session: $34.50/day
Full-day Rate: $45.00/day

Toddler Area (children age 1 to 2) 
Morning Session or Afternoon Session: $37.75/day
Full-day Rate: $50.00/day

Drop in care may be available if enrollment is low. When it becomes available the following will apply:

All forms according to admission requirements must be on file before we can arrange drop-in care.

A 24 hour notice is requested.

Space must be available before care can be given.

Drop-in clients will pay the highest rate charged at the Center.

Our Center closes promptly at 5:30 p.m. in the Toddler Room and 6:00 p.m. in the Preschool Area. An additional charge of $5.00 is made for every 5 minutes after closing time for which the parent/guardian is late in picking up the child.  Our staff members often have obligations after the Center closes and hope that our parents understand our needs beyond the Center. The late fee is billed immediately, and is due immediately.

Since work and teaching schedules typically change each semester, our current families have the opportunity to re-enroll each semester according to their schedules and needs.  Renewal of or changes to the current contract will be offered toward the end of each semester for the upcoming semester.

A one week written notice is required if you wish to withdraw your child from the Center.

The Campus Child Center may terminate enrollment for the following reasons:

• Non-payment of fees.
• The parent/guardian fails to follow correct admission procedures, especially as they relate to submission of required forms.
• The parent/guardian fails to follow correct arrival and departure procedures. (Please refer to the subheading of "Arrival and Departure Procedures".)
• Retention of the child would be detrimental to the health and safety of the other children in the Center, the Center staff, or the child due to the exceptional needs for special treatment.

In the case of a Center termination, a one week, written, dated notice will be given to the parent/guardian. All terminations may be appealed in writing to the Office of Student Life (149 Main Hall).

We prefer children to wear comfortable, washable clothing that is suitable for active play. Messy art projects and sand, dough, and water play are an important part of our curriculum. Even though smocks are provided, accidents can and do occur. For your child to fully enjoy all activities at our Center, we ask that dress be extremely casual. 

We also prefer that our children wear shoes that have a snug, secure fit and coverage for their toes. Sandals, clogs, crocs, and flip-flops do not provide the type of support and safety that active children need.  

It's wise to dress your child in layers. Depending upon the amount of sunshine and wind, our children can feel either warm or cool...all in the same day.  Dressing in layers allows for comfort.

We provide a wide variety of toys for the children to use at the Center. The toys we choose are age-appropriate, safe and durable. We choose them to promote construction, imagination, and manipulation. We teach the children that these toys belong to everyone at the Center and that sharing them and caring for them is everyone's responsibility. When a toy comes from home this structure of sharing and caring is broken and is replaced by ownership and possessiveness.  Often toys from home have small parts and/or can be easily broken. Books and a stuffed animal for naptime are more than welcome at school, but all other toys should remain at home.

The Campus Child Center has a designated parking area located on the east side of our building for dropping-off and picking-up your child.  Please use the following guidelines in this area: 

Please limit your time in this area to 15-20 minutes, only when dropping off or picking up your child. If you will be going somewhere else on campus or you plan to be in the center longer than 20 minutes, please park elsewhere. 

Please do not park at the far entry or exit areas unless the parking area is already full. Parking at the outer entries makes it difficult for others to drive their vehicles into the area. Please avoid blocking the crosswalk while parking in our drop-off area and avoid idling your vehicle in this location. In addition, please do not leave your car running while it is unattended.

If you are attending an event at the center (family nights, conferences, etc.), please park in the metered areas of the parking lot or ramp if you do not already have a parking permit for a lot on campus. Payment for parking as established by UWL will apply.

Parents/guardians are required to sign their child in and out of the Center at each arrival and departure via the HiMama app. Parents/guardians are also required to present their child's nametag upon arrival and to retrieve the tag upon departure. When arriving, please find your child's tag, give it to the child's teacher, wash your child's hands and take your child to their teacher.  When departing, please retrieve your child's tag from a teacher and inform the teacher that you and your child will be leaving. Parents/guardians must designate, in writing, on the Child Enrollment Form, who is allowed to pick up the child from the Center. The staff will not release the child to anyone without written notification and approval.

If your child is sick or will be absent for the day, or will be arriving late, please call the center or send a message via HiMama to let us know that your child will not be attending.

We feel that communication between teachers and parents is essential in making our children feel comfortable and secure at the Center. We encourage parents to express any concerns to us. Please remember that we employ approximately 55 student assistants and 7 professional teaching staff. Since our student assistants keep a wide variety of hours, we ask that your concerns be routed to one of the teachers or to our director. You are encouraged to use HiMama to relay messages to teachers if they are not in the classroom during arrival or departure times for your child. Verbal communication to a teacher is also encouraged and appreciated.

A report about your child's day will be sent home via HiMama daily at 6 p.m. Messages from teachers to parents concerning upcoming events, field trips, and special days may be posted on your child's locker, in our entry area, or on our entry door. We also keep in contact via email messages/HiMama and occasional phone calls to your home or work.

Weekly lesson plans are posted in the entry area. We encourage you to read these. Not only is this information pertinent to you, but it can also act as a catalyst for you when you ask your child that inevitable question of, "What did you do today?"

If you need a paper copy of the lesson plan, please let one of our staff members know and we will provide one for you. 

Nothing is better than speaking with each other - actual face-to-face contact.  We look forward to briefly speaking with you when you drop off or pick up your child and enjoying your company during some of our special center events. We also look forward to the times during the year when we can spend uninterrupted time together, such as parent-teacher conferences or requested meetings with one another.

Parent-teacher conferences are held once each semester. Conferences provide you a chance to speak one-on-one with your child's teacher without our typical daily interruptions. If you have a question or concern about your child, please feel free to speak with one of us at any time.

Parents of toddlers will meet with their child's teacher at least once every three months to discuss and document changes in the child's development and routine.

We often offer parent education and/or parenting tips on our closed Facebook page. If you have an interest in a certain issue or topic concerning young children that we have not touched upon, please talk with one of our staff members. We may be able to suggest a book, offer suggestions, or invite a guest speaker in to talk with us concerning this topic. Our Center has a Parent Lending Library for your use, which includes books and magazine articles on a wide variety of topics related to parenting young children. 

Once a year you will have the opportunity to formally evaluate our Center. This evaluation will occur in the spring and you will receive written feedback concerning the results of the evaluation in April. In May, we will hold a staff/family meeting to discuss the results of the evaluation and set program goals for the upcoming year. If you have a concern or a compliment, you do not need to wait for the evaluation. Please feel free to state a concern at any time.

Campus Child Center hosts a Facebook page available to parents whose children currently attend the center. The purpose of this group is to share information about child and family friendly community events and resources, to ask and answer common parenting questions, or to make announcements of interest to fellow families. It is not intended to be used as a communication tool with your child's teacher or with the center director. The group is closed meaning that anyone on Facebook can see the group and who is in it, but only members of the group can see and read posts. Posts should be professional and respectful. The purpose of the group is not for personal communication with your child's teacher. Posts to this group should be focused on child-friendly community events, parenting Q&As, resources, or other announcements. Photos are allowed and encouraged but before joining the group realize it is possible for posts to include tagged pictures of you/your children. Please direct any questions about this page and group to childcare@uwlax.edu. Thank you for your interest in the group and we look forward to connecting with you!

Each of the staff members at Campus Child Center adheres to the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s Ethical Code of Conduct. This code of conduct reminds us that our children, their families, and our colleagues have the right of confidentiality. We have become increasingly aware of the use of social media and its implications for our children. 

The right of confidentiality extends to social media. With the exception of the ways listed below, our staff members will not post images of your children on social media. We respectfully ask our families to follow this protocol also. Exceptions for posting: 

• Our parents and staff members may share digital images with each other via email .
• Our parents and staff members may post images on the Campus Child Center Facebook page (which is for members only).
• Our staff members may post select images on the Campus Child Center website. When posting images on our website, we will work to capture images that are not facial in nature, but instead will show children from afar or from back or side views.
• Our staff members may post images to HiMama which include more than one child/just your child.

Images taken by you and including only your child involved in Campus Child Center events may be posted by you on social media. Please refrain from posting images including other children on any form of social media.

Parents are welcome to participate in our program in several ways. We enjoy having parents join us for lunch, snack, special days, and field trips. Parents are encouraged to share a hobby or interest with our children and an invitation always stands for you to read a book during storytime. Please remember that our center has an "open door policy" and unless denied access by court order, you are welcome to be here at any time during the day.

Perhaps you noted the word "respect" included in our philosophy statement and goals for children. Respect for one another - for everyone involved in this program - is essential and is the best method to create a setting that is a great place for the children we serve. One of the most important ingredients of respect for one another is the pledge of confidentiality. What we know about you, your family, and your children remains in our setting and is not shared with others unless we have your written permission to do so. The many forms that you complete, your child's file, and your child's portfolio are kept in files to which only our core staff has access.  

If at any time you have a question or concern regarding the care given at the center, please speak first with your child's teacher or the center director. If your question or concern has not been properly addressed, you may speak with the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at Room 149, Graff Main Hall. Questions pertaining to the quality of care or specific licensing infringements may be addressed to the Department of Health and Family Services, Division of Children and Family Services at 715-836-2185.

What's assessment and why do it? When we assess children it simply means that we take a good, solid look at and gather information about what your child is doing and how they are progressing in relation to developmental milestones and our program goals. We use a variety of tools to do this. We ask you many questions about your child when you first enroll in our program.  You know your child best and the information that you give us is incredibly helpful as we start to become acquainted with your child. While your child is involved in ordinary, everyday work and play in our center, we collect evidence. Evidence may be art or writing samples, notes of words or conversations your child has said, observations recorded on a developmental checklist, or observations of your child at work and play. The information we gather has developmental and educational significance. This evidence is collected during a child's typical day of work and play. It is also collected continually so that we can compare what we've seen or recorded today with what we've seen in the past. This allows us to gain a good understanding of your child and to look for growth over time. 

Why do it? Assessment is really the driving force behind everything we do. It helps us, as teachers, to plan, design and establish our curriculum and environment. When the evidence shows us that our children find a certain topic appealing, we can address this by designing the curriculum and environment to meet this interest. Children learn and gain so much more when they are focused and fascinated. When we are able to integrate necessary concepts and skills into an interesting theme, we support their growth and learning. When the evidence indicates that our children may be lacking a skill that is viewed as typically developing for a particular age, we can integrate this need into the curriculum or environment. When we have a question or concern about a child's growth and development, the evidence gathered helps us provide a focus to address the concern. It is also very rewarding to share with parents our observations of their child's growth over time. 

What's your role in this? As stated previously, you know your child best. We know the developmental milestones of young children and we know your child in this setting. Building partnerships between school and families is one of the strongest foundations for success in learning for your child. The sharing of information between us - what you know and what we know - builds this strong foundation. When you enroll your child in our program we will discuss and agree upon assessment methods that best meet the needs of your child.  We look forward to sharing information and observations with you through conferences, email messages, notes, phone calls and informal conversations. 

All teachers have training and background in the assessment of young children and use this knowledge as they gather and assess information pertaining to your child. We would be happy to share information concerning tools used for assessment with you at any time. All information that is gathered concerning your child's growth and development is kept in an area accessible only to center teaching and administrative staff. All children's records are kept confidential. Access to this information by anyone other than a parent or guardian is done only with the parent/guardian's written approval. 

Some of the children attending the Center receive special needs programming through Birth to Three or an area school district. When a child with a special need is enrolled in the program, adherence to the IFSP or IEP is essential and communication between center staff and service specialists is crucial.  Center staff will work in cooperation with Birth to Three personnel, School District personnel and/or health care providers at the parent's request or as warranted by a child's Individual Family Service Plan or Individual Education Program to help meet the child's needs and goals. Specialists serving the child are welcome and encouraged to serve the child in our setting and all of the information concerning the child's IFSP/IEP will be maintained and kept in a confidential manner.

Learning to use the toilet is an important self-help skill for young children. It's a process that requires much encouragement and patience. The best possible toilet training experience for young children (and the adults helping) happens when the child shows some signs of being ready for this training. In an effort to keep parents fully informed on what we can and can't do at the center, we have written materials to share before beginning the toilet training process.  Sharing these materials will also help us cooperate with each other so that the toilet training routine is consistent between the Center and home. When the time comes to begin this process at home and here, please speak with your child's teacher.

A child's birthday can and should be a special day. Many children choose to bring a special treat to share on their birthday. We serve nutritious, low-sugar snacks on a daily basis and feel that an occasional sweet treat on a birthday may be shared. It's wise to remember that little tummies need little treats - big cupcakes with loads of frosting are not compatible with young children. Mini-muffins or cupcakes or small cookies are easier to handle and are just the right size for small tummies. Some children and parents decide to follow an alternative route of donating a book or toy to the Center in honor of the child's birthday.

We find it extremely difficult to be the liaison between families when inviting friends to birthday parties. If you choose to host a birthday party for your child we can help you prepare a small guest list. Knowing and understanding the developmental needs and abilities of very young children, our staff still strongly supports the conventional wisdom of inviting the same number of children as the age of the child being honored. Please provide pre-stamped envelopes which we will address and drop into the mail. We refrain from placing invitations on lockers. Our Center has several large rooms where most lockers are visible to all children. When invitations are hanging on only certain lockers, feelings are easily hurt. 

If your child has a cough, fever, sore throat, diarrhea, a rash, is vomiting or experiencing any other flu or COVID like symptoms while at the Center, they will be isolated from the other children and made comfortable in a quiet area of the room. We will contact you or your emergency contact (in the event we cannot reach you) to make arrangements for the child to be removed from the Center. It is a goal of the Campus Child Center to provide a safe and healthy environment for all the children. If your child exhibits any of the symptoms listed above before coming to the Center, please leave them home.   

Campus Child Center follows State of Wisconsin guidelines for exclusion from childcare for children with a communicable disease. A chart indicating these guidelines is posted in the entry area.

Prescriptive and non-prescriptive medications, such as acetaminophen, cough medicine, cough drops, or aspirin, are administered only with written recommendation from the child's physician.

All medications must come with written instructions from the health provider who has prescribed the medication.

A signed and dated "Authorization to Administer Medication" form is completed by the parent/guardian and is on file at the center.

The medication is in the original container and labeled with the child's name, directions for dosage, date, and prescribing physician's name.

Our center maintains a medical log, recording the time, date, method of administering medication and amount of all medication dispensed at our center. This log also serves as the recording log for injuries received by the children while attending the center. Information in the medical log pertaining to your child may be reviewed by you at your request.

If we neglect to dispense an authorized medication at the proper time or have made an error in administering the medicine, we will call the parent as soon as possible to report the error.

Health records are kept on all children enrolled in the program and are due within 6 weeks of enrollment. These records must be renewed every 6 months for children under the age of two and every two years for those older than two. When a child is overdue for a health check, written verification from the parent/guardian must be on file stating the date of the child's scheduled appointment. State law requires our children to be fully immunized. The center director will meet with the parent/guardian of all under-immunized children to discuss compliance alternatives established by state licensing law and national accreditation standards.

For any child with a special health care need, food allergy, or special nutrition need, the child's health care provider must provide a written, individualized care plan for the child. A Child and Adult Food Care Program Special Dietary Needs Tracking Form will be completed and kept on file. Children who have other dietary restrictions will need a non-disability special dietary need request form completed and kept on file.

Allergy information, particularly food limitations and restrictions, will be posted in the kitchen and/or group areas. In an effort to keep all staff fully informed and all children with food and/or other life-threatening allergies as safe as possible, the child's name and allergen will be posted on the restriction chart.

In the event of a medical emergency requiring immediate medical attention, we will call to request police or ambulance service. We will then call the parent/guardian or the emergency contact person if the parent cannot be reached.  The child will be transported to the health facility listed on their enrollment form or to Mayo Clinic Health System -Franciscan Healthcare, which is the closest emergency treatment center. If a child is transported to a medical facility, a staff member will accompany them.

Staff members maintain certification in infant/child CPR/AED and First Aid and use the procedures learned to care for medical emergencies and/or injuries not requiring immediate medical attention. First aid kits are available throughout the center.  njuries are recorded in the medical log and parents are informed of the injury.

Information on medical assistance for families in financial need is available in the office.

Our center policies establish practices that we follow in the event of emergencies. We are trained to respond in safe and specific ways and practice for emergencies on a routine basis. Some of our emergency plans are posted in the front entry for your perusal. In the event that we have any emergency during which you need additional help or assistance, contact University Police.

Wisconsin Act 35, the Concealed Carry law, permits a person to be licensed to carry a concealed handgun. However, Department of Child and Family regulations prohibit firearms on the premises of group child care centers. DCF 251.06(2)(C) states: Firearms, ammunition and other potentially dangerous items may not be kept on the premises.

A prominent sign on our entry door serves as a reminder of this stipulation. 

Other than an occasional Beta fish housed in a glass container, the Campus Child Center does not own or keep any pets on the premises. Occasional visits from pets or from the Humane Society are allowed. Pets that visit the classroom must be in good health and come with documentation from a veterinarian or animal shelter indicating that the animal is fully immunized and suitable for contact with children. Families are informed via written notice at least one week prior to any pet visit. Alternative activities will be provided for any child who is not allowed access to a visiting animal.

As child care providers, it is our responsibility to protect the health and safety of the children we serve. Use of alcohol or drugs by adults before transporting children can create an unsafe situation. If, in our opinion, the child cannot be safely transported to or from our center, we will ask the parent/other adult transporting the child to choose one of the following alternatives:

• We will call the emergency contact on the Child Enrollment form to transport the child.
• We will call a cab to pick up the parent and the child. The parent will pay the cab fee.

If the parent refuses to agree to one of the alternative listed above and insists on transporting the child under unsafe conditions, we will immediately call University Police or the La Crosse Police Department and report the unsafe driving situation.

The health and safety of our children is one of our top priorities. Center staff will report any incident in which a child appears to be abused or neglected (other than by accidental means) to Child Protective Services, the University Police Department, or the La Crosse County Sheriff's Department.

Any parent/guardian who has reason to suspect abuse by a staff member should report his/her concern to one of the agencies listed above.

We believe that fresh air and outdoor exercise are refreshing and healthy. We're convinced that our children are healthier and happier when they play outside and this includes playing in the snow and rain. If a child is well enough to be in attendance at the Center, he/she is well enough to play outdoors. The only exception would be a child recovering from a lengthy illness. Otherwise, all children should come with appropriate outdoor play clothing. During the winter months, please label and send hats, boots, mittens, and snowpants with your child. Please provide rain boots for your child during the spring and fall.

Young children have a unique need to rest and/or sleep during the day. We play hard all morning and when a child falls asleep during our nap time it is because their body is tired and needs the rest. All of our children rest after lunch and many of our children sleep at this time. It is our responsibility to provide a calm and quiet environment for the comfort of those napping.  When we are asked to awaken a child who is soundly sleeping, it disrupts the sleep of all the other children. Our policy is to allow our children to sleep until they awaken on their own or until the end of our scheduled nap time. 

We try to make naptime restful and comforting by reading to the children, rubbing backs, or rocking. Children who do not fall asleep rest for a brief period of time and then are allowed to get up and play quietly until naptime is over. 

Each toddler will be allowed to follow their own pattern of sleeping and waking. We find that as toddlers reach the age of 1 ½, they typically begin to drop a morning nap and nap in the early afternoon, immediately following lunch.

We provide a cot and a cot sheet for each preschooler and either a crib or a cot for each toddler. Toddlers using a crib are asked to bring a crib sheet.  You are welcome to send a blanket, a stuffed animal, and/or a pillow for your child. We will send blankets and pillowcases home for laundering each week.  If you find your child's blanket or pillowcase in their locker, it is a reminder that these items need to be laundered before using them again at naptime.  We will launder your child's cot or crib sheet once a week.

Due to the number of allergies our children are exhibiting, Campus Child Center is a latex-free environment. 

Parents who would like diaper ointment, bug repellent and/or sunscreen applied to their child are asked to bring the brand of their choice, in the original container, labeled with their child's name. An authorization form will need to be completed before the ointment, sunscreen and/or bug repellent can be applied.  Per our licensing regulations, we are not able to apply aerosol sunscreen. 

We occasionally go on walking field trips or field trips requiring the use of a bus. When using a bus for a field trip, we transport only three and four-year-olds and then only with written parental permission to do so. Fieldtrips requiring transportation will be contracted through a reputable school bussing company and insurance forms from the company will be on file at the center.  We notify parents of the time, date, and location of any transporting or walking fieldtrip at least one week in advance of the trip and only children with written parental permission are allowed to go on the trip. We take emergency information, first aid supplies, and a cell phone with us on walking and transported trips.

Meal times are meant to be a time for tasting new and possibly unfamiliar foods, nourishing our bodies, and socializing with friends. Our Center serves a morning breakfast and an afternoon snack. Our children bring their lunches from home for our noon meal (we will supply the milk). In an effort to encourage healthy eating habits, we try to serve a variety of nutritious foods. The breakfast and snack menu is posted in the entry area and can be found on HiMama.

With the exception of milk, Campus Child Center does not serve food at our noon meal. We ask that you send food from home for your child to eat at lunch and have the following requests concerning lunch:

Please bring your child's lunch in an insulated bag, with an ice pack in it to keep it cold (if it needs to be kept cold). Between breakfast and snack supplies and milk, we simply don't have enough room in the fridge to keep all of the lunches cold.

Please label your child's bag with their name. We want to make certain that we are feeding the right lunch to the right child.

Please do not send choking hazards in your child's lunch if they are under the age of 3. This includes popcorn and whole nuts. If you are sending grapes, cherry tomatoes, or hot dogs, please cup them in half lenghtwise.

We won't be able to warm foods in the microwave. If even a small number of children need something warmed, someone will be waiting 15, 20 or even 30 minutes for their food. We have brought foods in a thermos and they do stay warm. The thermos route for keeping things warm is worth a try.

When sending food for lunch, we strongly recommend sending the following: 1 ½ oz. of meat or meat alternative, 1/4 cup vegetable, 1/4 cup fruit and 1/2 slice bread or bread alternate. We will supplement with milk. We know you will send nutritious foods. We also realize that an occasional treat is certainly a part of "cold lunch" as we know it.

We will send home the food that your child has not eaten so that you know how much they have consumed and can plan accordingly.

But…it's good to remember that often children don't try something right away.  They often need to see it a number of times before even tasting it. So, if you send vegetables and they return home, don't give up. Try it again and again before making the choice to discontinue a certain food. We have a good snack a few hours after lunch, so when lunch foods go uneaten, more food is soon on the way.

If you choose to bring the breakfast or snack from home for your child, we recommend the following:

Breakfast - at least 3/4 cup of milk, 1/2 cup of 100% fruit juice or a piece of fruit, and 1/2 slice of bread or 1/3 cup of cold cereal or 1/4 cup of hot cooked cereal.

Snack - (two of the following) at least 1/2 cup of milk, 1/2 cup of juice or fruit, 1/2 slice or bread or bread alternate, 1/3 cup cereal, 1/2 oz. meat or meat alternate, 1/4 cup yogurt.

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement and Complaint Filing Procedure

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at 202.720.2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at 800.877.8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling 866.632.9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

1. mail:
   U.S. Department of Agriculture
   Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
   1400 Independence Avenue, SW
   Washington, D.C. 20250-9410
2. fax:
   833.256.1665 or 202.690.7442
3. email:
   program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

The Campus Child Center views self discipline as a developmental goal for the children. This goal is achieved through thoughtful analysis of our daily routine and our room environment, modeling productive behavior, explaining expectations, setting reasonable limits, identifying and verbalizing feelings, and redirection to a more appropriate activity. An emphasis on non-aggressive behavior and respect for each other and our school remains as a constant in our center. Sometimes a child needs additional comforting or time away from the group. If a child is removed from the group, this cooling off period is a very short period of time, after which the child is reminded once again of our expectations and is warmly welcomed back into the group setting.

It can be quite a shock to find out that your child has been bitten by or has bitten another child. Biting is usually a group phenomenon and can happen anytime there is a group of children together. Unfortunately, although we do not want it to happen, when it does, it's not an unexpected occurrence.

There are many reasons young children bite. Sometimes they bite to express feelings they can't yet express with words. Sometimes they bite because they are teething. Sometimes they bite out of frustration, and as unusual as this may sound, sometimes they bite out of sheer excitement. Young children learn through imitation and sometimes a bite may occur because a child has seen others doing it. Most of these motives are not related to behavior problems and for this reason, punishing the biter serves little or no purpose.  Instead, we choose to focus on effective techniques that address the specific motivation for biting.

No one can predict which children will bite. And when it does happen, it's our responsibility to intervene so that biting does not look like a good thing to do and to help those toddlers who bite to learn other, more appropriate behaviors. When a bite occurs, we give treatment, sympathy, and advice to the child who was bitten. We respond to the child who did the biting by showing our strong disapproval for what just happened. Our response varies by circumstance, but the basic message is that biting hurts and we do not bite people. 

There are a few things we do to try to prevent biting. We model kindness, caring and gentleness so that these behaviors may be imitated by the children. We get to know our children well so that we can sense when tension is in the air and try to redirect a behavior before it happens. We help children use their words to solve problems and work things out. We balance our day so that children have an opportunity to participate in stress relieving activities such as outdoor play, sensory play, music, and art. We try to supply the proper amount of toys (including duplicates of favorites), space, and staff so that children do not need to compete for materials, space, or attention.

When a child is bitten an entry concerning the incident is written in the medical log. Both families (the child who did the biting and the child who was bitten) receive written or verbal notification of the incident. It is our policy to keep the name of the biter confidential. It serves no constructive purpose to provide this information.

If biting becomes a frequent behavior of a particular child, we begin taking detailed notes concerning the incidents. We use these notes to look for patterns that may assist us in finding the causes of the biting and to look for ideas that may assist us in helping the biter find alternative, more appropriate behavior. We will also ask the child's parents to help us establish strategies to deal with the biting behavior. 

We wish we could guarantee that biting will never happen in our program, but we know that there is no such guarantee. What we can guarantee is that we will support your children whether they bite or are bitten.