PROCEDURE FOR REPORTING SUSPECTED CHILD ABUSE

Any staff member in the Early Childhood Center who has reasonable cause to suspect that a child has been subject to abuse or neglect or has observed the child in circumstances or conditions, which would reasonably result in abuse or neglect, is required by law to immediately report these facts to the county Department of Human Services at 679-4490.

Illness

Children may not come to school if they have:

• Fever within 24 hours
• Diarrhea (wait for normal bowel movement)
• Vomiting (wait 24 hours after last time)
• Excessive coughing or nasal discharge
• Draining sore or rash
• Strep throat that has not been treated with antibiotics for 24 hours.
• Head lice and/or nits
• Scabies
• Red itchy matted eyes that have not been treated with antibiotics for 24 hours
• Your child has symptoms of possible communicable disease (these usually include sniffles, reddened eyes, sore throat, headache and abdominal pain with fever)
• Your child is sick enough that they need a parent’s care – You are the judge of this one.
• Please call the office if your child has a communicable disease or if you are uncertain
  • The ECC Office number is 491-7082

If your child becomes ill during the day

• We MUST know how to contact you at all times and have several numbers to try. Please make sure you have an English speaking contact for emergencies.
• Keep your “parent schedule” up to date in the office
• Call in if you will be somewhere “different” (such as your class is cancelled unexpectedly so you are going to the library)
• If you use a cell phone, be sure you can receive calls or messages at all times
• If necessary, someone will be sent to get you (if on campus) and will tell you there is an emergency. Don’t panic, just call us.

Injury

• If a child is injured while attending the program, first aid will be administered. An Incident/Accident report will be written and a copy will be left taped to your child’s cubby.
• If it is a serious injury, parents will be contacted before any subsequent action is taken. If this is impossible, or should circumstances of the injury warrant, the director will notify the family doctor and appropriate steps will be taken to ensure the health and safety of the injured child.
• If 911 needs to be called, your child will be transported to Poudre Valley Hospital unless otherwise indicated on your emergency form.

Meals and Snacks

• Snacks are planned and prepared by students in our Human Nutrition and Food Science department. They are planned to meet or exceed the minimum requirements of the FDA for this age group.
• Snacks are served family style and children decide what and how much they will eat. Often, children try new things because they see their friend eating it.
• Substitutions are made for food allergies and other dietary restrictions (parents bring from home). Substitutions are not made because “he doesn’t like yogurt”.
• We are a peanut/tree nut free center. Please check lobby door for restricted foods.
• Parents provide lunch and beverage (no soda please), with an ice pack in a lunch box to be stored in their cubby. Milk will be provided, if requested. No children’s food can be stored in our refrigerator, following Health Department regulations.

Payment and Late Charges

• Children enrolled in our program must be 2 ½ - 6 years of age, and must be toilet trained. Enrollment papers must be completed and returned to the administrative assistant in room 131 by your child's first day of attendance. Enrollment is conducted on a first come, first served basis without discrimination.
• Accounts are established through CSU and invoices will be mailed to the parent’s address. It is the parent's responsibility to notify the ECC office of address changes. The charge is based on scheduled days of attendance. This means that you pay for the times that you have reserved, whether your child attends or not. This includes days of inclement weather.
• A non-refundable insurance fee of $5.00 is included in the first bill of each new semester.
• A two-week written notice from parents must be submitted to the ECC administrative assistant when a child is leaving the program. Parents will be charged for this time whether the child attends or not.
• After the first Friday of the semester, a $45.00 charge will be assessed for each change in schedule, and parents should give written notice of this change to the ECC administrative assistant. A non-refundable deposit is required upon acceptance into the program to reserve your child’s placement. Any returned checks will be subject to a $17.00-19.00 returned check charge.

***By accepting service or goods, you agree to submit payment in full to Colorado State University upon receipt of invoice or University Billing Statement. Late payment charges of 1.5% per month and other penalties specified, may be assessed for late payment.***

NOTIFICATION OF SERVICES WITHDRAWN
Services will no longer be provided if any of the following should occur:

• One month of tuition is not paid
• Three extreme late pick-ups occur – EXTREME = ½ hour
• Child’s prolonged inappropriate behavior
• Child displays repeated and prolonged inappropriate behavior (e.g., ongoing aggressive behavior such as biting or hitting, difficulty in “settling in”)
• Parent displays inappropriate behavior (e.g., disrespectful communication with staff, failure to comply with ECC policies)

Late Pick Up Policy

• We appreciate your promptness in picking up children promptly, as post lab discussions with ECC students begin at 5:30 p.m. A $5.00 late charge will be assessed and added to your bill for the first 10 minutes a parent is late. A $1.00 per minute charge will be assessed for every late minute thereafter.
• If you are detained, please call the preschool at 491-7392.
• If a child is not picked up from the Early Childhood Center by 6:00 p.m., the ECC Director will be notified as well as campus police. If you are involved in an emergency, please notify us a soon as possible at 491- 7392. If you arrive at the center after 6:00p.m. and your child is not there, contact campus police at 491-6425.