John R. Oishei Child Development Center

Please notify us immediately if your child has or suddenly acquires any allergies. This includes food, animal, or plant allergies, because the teachers engage in a lively curriculum where the children interact with living things through observing, experimenting, caring, or cooking. It is important for you to familiarize us with any specific symptoms of allergic reactions so we may be alert to administer any necessary treatment. Treatment should be detailed by your child’s physician in writing so that the center can accurately comply with all recommendations involving the center’s environment, menu, or especially, medication. There are members of the center staff who are state certified in Medication Administration Training, which officially qualifies them to administer medication in case of emergency only!

Children will not be released to anyone not listed as a “person authorized to pick up” in the child’s enrollment packet.

In addition, we will ask to see identification if we are not familiar with the individual.

If the individual does not have their identification the child will ABSOLUTELY not be released.

If on your child’s special day you would like to bring in a snack, it cannot be homemade. The Niagara County Health Department will not allow us to serve food that has not been prepared in an “approved” kitchen. Therefore we ask that you bring packaged items such as boxes of raisins, pretzels, juice pops, cheese crackers, graham crackers, animal crackers, etc. (Try to make it nutritious!) Check with your child’s teacher beforehand, please.

The staff and director of the Center are mandated reporters for suspected Child Abuse and Maltreatment/Neglect. That means that any time a child is suspected of being abused or maltreated, the staff and director are required by law to report such suspicions to the NYS Child Abuse Hot Line.

The Center practices evacuation every month so the children and staff are well versed on the proper way to quickly exit the building. In the event of an actual emergency, do NOT come to the Center to get your child. Get yourself outside to safety first! You may join us at the Student Housing Village across from front entrance of Building G, the Student Center. In case of an extended power outage, please come to the Center immediately to pick up your child. If you are approved to be off campus, your on-campus proxy must meet your child at the emergency evacuation site or pick your child up at the center. Experience has taught us it is too difficult to try to carry on in the dark!!

Please don’t bring food from home to the Center. Our staff has been instructed to put all food and drink brought from home into the kitchen until the parent returns. The children are provided with breakfast, a hot lunch and an afternoon snack each day. The children will be exposed to and encouraged to try a variety of different foods and meal combinations. Food from home is not necessary and creates issues of fairness (not enough to go around) for the other children. Please help us by observing this policy.

If you are an ESL or TOEFL student and need further assistance with interpreting the center’s policies, procedures, or language used during a parent-teacher meeting, please see the Director and you will be referred to the Office of the Vice President for Student Services (A-161).

Students are expected to be on campus at all times unless prior arrangements have been made with the Director. Only college-related matters (field trips, clinical placements) are acceptable reasons to be off-campus.

We serve breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack. We serve breakfast around 8:15 am – 8:45am. Lunch is served at 11:30am-12pm. Afternoon snack is served from 2:30-3pm. Each meal is prepared under the CACFP ( Child and Adult Care Food Program) guidelines to assure nutritional value. In accordance with CACFP, it’s best to serve whole milk to children between the ages of 12-24 months and 1% milk to older children. A quarterly menu is posted throughout the center and sent home. Staff members join your children for meals to encourage good table manners and engage children in friendly discussions about the day’s activities. Lunch is served family-style and your child will be encouraged to try everything—but will not be forced to eat. The children will be exposed to and encouraged to try a variety of different foods and meal combinations. We understand that children go through “picky” stages…and that is normal. We will notify you if we notice a sudden decline in his/her appetite.

There will be times when medical or dental attention may be necessary for your child. Every attempt will be made to contact you first – which is why it is vital for you to make sure we have a copy of your current schedule. In an obvious emergency, an ambulance will be called at the same time you are notified, while a staff member or the nurse administers emergency first aid. Once the ambulance arrives, you and your child will be transported to the primary hospital listed on your OCFS Day Care Regulated Card or Mount Saint Mary’s (Lewiston, NY) in extreme emergencies only. If necessary, the staff member present at the time of the injury or sudden illness will accompany you to furnish any necessary details, and to help you in any way. If you are off campus, then we will also call the individuals listed on your emergency contact list to report directly to the hospital to be with your child until you arrive. The parent will be responsible for the ambulance costs. In the event that the injury is very minor (ex: splinter) either a staff member or the nurse ( as available) will treat your child. You will be informed of the mishap when you pick up your child.

We feel children are healthier when they get fresh air every day. We take the children outside quite often, even in the winter. Our licensing agency requires it. Please be sure to bring proper outdoor attire including; snow boots, snow pants, coat, hat, and water resistant (not knitted) mittens (not gloves). Children must wear clothing that is dry and layered for warmth in cold weather. Some parents find it helpful to keep an extra pair of mittens and snow pants at the center since they do get wet. On warm and sunny days, the children have an opportunity to play in the shade. They must also wear sun-protective clothing, applied skin protection, or both. Applied skin protection will either be sunscreen or sun block with UVB and UVA protection off SPF 15 or higher that is applied to exposed skin. However, a signed parental permission form must already be on file. Please do not request that we keep your child inside due to illness. If a child is ill, they should not be in the Center. When the weather is below 40 degrees and/or at a 32 degrees (freezing level) wind chill OR above 85 degrees and/or at high allergen or UV alert, the children will remain indoors for gross motor play. When public health authorities recommend use of insect repellents due to a risk of insect-borne disease, only repellents containing DEET are used and applied to children more than 2 months old. Staff can apply insect repellent no more than once a day and only with written parental permission.

Conferences are scheduled at the end of each semester. Parents MUST sign up for a conference as this is an important means of maintaining continuity between home and school. Teachers gain valuable insight into your child’s behavior when you share your experiences with them. In addition, our teachers are most helpful in helping you to understand you child’s strengths—and assisting you in managing normal childhood struggles.

8 Weeks – 16 Months: Each child will be given a crib to sleep in, and will be supervised based on NYS OCFS Regulations. The child’s nap time will follow their individual schedule stated on their Caring for Little One’s Sheets.

16 Months – 18 Months: Each child with parents’ written permission will start to transition on to a rest time cot to prepare for moving up to the toddler room. The child will be supervised based on NYS OCFS Regulations. This includes providing the opportunity to sleep between 12:30-2:30pm.

16 Months and up: Each child will be given the opportunity to sleep between 12:30-2:30pm. All children will be provided a rest time cot to sleep on and will be supervised based on NYS OCFS Regulations. If the child is unable to nap during nap time, the child will be given an alternative activity on their cot or at the table quietly.

The following items (hair beads, earrings, barrettes, small toys, and money) are easily lost and could be swallowed if your child wears or carries them to school. We ask that you please consider this when sending your child to school. If your child comes to school with one or more of these items and we feel it may be potentially dangerous, we may remove the item from the child’s possession and place it in his/her mailbox.

It is vitally important that we know your location at all times; in case of an emergency.

If your schedule changes permanently, you need to notify the office of these changes as well as provide a new schedule to be followed.

If you schedule changes only for a particular day, you may complete a form telling us where you will be. These forms are located by the front desk.

If you need additional time on a particular day you will need to complete an “Additional Time Form” at least 24 hours before and it will need to be approved by the Director or front desk. Please be advised that it needs to be approved it is not guaranteed.

We ask that you leave your child’s toys at home or in your car. (Except for those comfort toys necessary for rest time).

It is natural and healthy for a child to defend their possessions. However, quarrels over toys are not conducive to the spirit of cooperation, sharing, and consideration for others which is one of the goals of our Center. In addition, we find that toys from home are often “lost in the shuffle” which leads to frantic searching at the end of the day.

The Center will not be responsible for lost toys which your child brings to school.

Absolutely NO guns, war toys, or other toys of destruction are allowed!

All billing and payment transactions can be handled: Monday-Friday during center hours. A drop box is available by the front desk.

You can pay by cash, check, or credit card. Checks should be made out to SUNY Niagara or Child Development Center.

Fees are due according to the tuition bill provided to you. Please follow the schedule for the payment provided to you.

The fee is the same each week—whether or not your child attends.

Late payment will be charged an additional $5.00 non-refundable fee for each additional week unpaid.

The College Business Office charges a fee for all bounced checks. We will notify you if a check has bounced.

Parents may elect to have their child’s tuition charged against their financial aid and/or loan. Just let the Director know if you wish to do this.

If there is an unpaid balance, the account will be considered in a state of default. In this case, the parent’s grades and records will be impounded and the parent will be ineligible for any further registration until such time as their financial obligation has been repaid. Further, SUNY Niagara will withhold all student services, including transcript requests.

It is our policy NOT to administer medication of any kind to the children. Parents are welcome to stop by and give the child medication between classes. The following procedure must be observed:

• The Center will make available appropriate, safe, locked, and clean storage for the child’s refrigerated or non-refrigerated prescribed or over-the counter medications to be given by parent. This medication will be stored in the kitchen, classroom, or main office.
• Medications must be labeled with (a) the child’s first and last name, name of clinician, expiration date, and manufacturer’s instructions or (b) the original prescription label that details the name and strength of the medication as well as directions on administering and storing.
• The Center will accommodate the parent according to their class or work schedule so that the child is available at the Center when the medication is to be administered. Parent will be asked to document medication administered on an OCFS approved form.
• The Center will provide at least three MAT trained and certified staff will be on site at all times.
• All MAT staff and child’s teacher will be made aware of the possible need for emergency medication.

Please be sure you have checked the expiration date prior to bringing the medications in. The Director will check the expiration dates as well. Any expired medication, or which you have forgotten to take home at the end of the semester, will be immediately disposed of in the appropriate manner.

Your child’s health is a matter of major importance to all of us. Upon enrollment, you must file a health form with us, signed by a physician, verifying that your child’s immunizations are up to date and that he/she is healthy and able to enroll in our Center. No child will be allowed to enter the Center if they have symptoms of a communicable illness. Children will not be allowed to attend child care if, within the past 24 hours they have had any of the following symptoms:

• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• A fever of 101 or more
• Red, swollen and/or runny eyes
• An excessively runny nose
• Unidentified skin rash
• Parasitic infestation
• Severe sore throat
• Listless behavior (child is not him/herself)
• Excessive coughing

If your child is not attending a scheduled day we ask that you contact the Center so we do not worry about your family.

If any of these symptoms become evident while a child is in the Center, she/he will be taken to the nurses’ clinic immediately, and/or the parent will be located to take him/her home. We strongly recommend that you have a backup babysitter for those days when your child is too sick to be in group care. Sickness always seems to hit when you have an important exam!!

Yes: Comfortable clothing that allows the child to be actively involved in play. Sneakers are mandatory. Washable clothing. Pants with an elastic waist that allows the child to independently use the bathroom.

No: Dresses or restrictive clothing. Sandals, fancy shoes, heavy boots of any kind. Good clothing that you don’t want to get dirty. One-piece overalls, suspenders belts, difficult snaps, buttons, etc.

Check your child’s shoelaces to make sure they will stay tied, (some round laces just won’t stay tied) and are not too long or too short. Velcro sneakers are a teacher’s dream come true! We get involved in messy activities and should not have to be overly concerned with staying clean. The Center will not be responsible for any damage done to children’s clothing. We recommend that you keep this in mind when dressing them for school. In addition, there is a safety issue when little girls wear dresses on the play ground. Little girls have been injured while trying to maneuver on the climbing equipment in dresses.

We know you want your child to derive the maximum benefit from our program so please, dress them accordingly.