Policies
- Enrollment/Capacity
My current licensed capacity is 10, which is posted on my license. At any one time, I can only care for the number of children that I’ve been licensed for, which may include my own grandchildren, depending on their ages. In addition, EEC regulations state that I cannot care for more than three (3) children under the age of two (2) without an assistant, with one of those children being at least 15 months old and walking unassisted. Currently, I only accept children age 2.9 and older. If you have concerns or questions about the number of children in my care, please feel free to discuss them with me.
- Use of Assistants
I may have an assistant to help care for the child care children, provided they are approved by EEC. If and when I use an assistant, I will let you know ahead of time, and you will have an opportunity to meet the assistant that will be working in the program. I may also use volunteers from time to time, and although they will not be directly responsible for the care of children in the program, they will be on the premises and assisting me. The assistants I am currently using in my program are:- Jennifer Shadrick
- Sue Davis
- Maddie Cooper
- Ariana Tenglia
- Sick Policy: I will care for mildly ill children in my
program, however there will be times when you will need to keep your children out of the program due to illness. If your child has a fever, diarrhea or vomiting , you should keep them out of
care until those symptoms have resolved for 24 hours. If your child expresses a sickness while at my program I will contact you for pick-up or utilize the emergency families on your list
if you can not be reached.
- Plan for Meeting Potential Emergencies: If the program needs to be evacuated, I will notify all
parents, as well as the appropriate authorities (fire, police, etc.) and EEC.
- Evacuation location: In the event of an emergency needing evacuation such as a natural disaster or other catastrophic incident, we will transport children to South School in Hingham, and follow protocols of town policies. Parents will be notified as soon as possible.
- On property location: Should the program need to be evacuated in the event of a fire, loss of power, heat or hot water, or any other emergency situation, we will meet at my van parked in driveway, which is a part of our monthly fire drill exercise.
- Fire Drills: Monthly fire drills are practiced to ensure children's understanding of evacuation procedures. The escape routes from each room are posted at designated exit areas.
- Children's Records:
EEC regulations require me to maintain an individual written record for every child I have in care. These records include the information that parents complete at enrollment, as well as progress reports, incident reports and other documentation regarding your child’s care. Records are updated at least annually, but may be updated as frequently as is needed.
As a parent, you have access to the record that I maintain for your child, and you have the right to add information or to request that information in your child’s record be changed or deleted. You also have a right to receive a copy of your child’s record; however I may charge a reasonable fee for that copy.
EEC regulations require that I make children’s records available to EEC at any time that EEC may request these records, such as during a licensing/monitoring visit, a complaint investigation, or a financial review of my program. Failure on my part to provide these records to EEC could result in EEC citing me for regulatory non-compliance or taking legal action against my license. When EEC staff members review children’s records in order ensure that I am in compliance with EEC regulations, at times they may copy and keep the information found in these records in order to review my compliance with all EEC regulations and policies applicable to my program.
This information will be kept in my EEC Licensing file or in EEC’s financial monitoring file if the information involves issues related to subsidized care. EEC is required by law to keep confidential any personally identifiable information found in children’s records collected and maintained by EEC staff members. EEC has a Privacy Policy which discusses how EEC keeps such information confidential. That policy can be found by going to the EEC website at http://www.eec.state.ma.us/docs1/20101124_eec_privacy_policy.pdf.
Please let me know about any questions you have regarding your child’s record. - Maintaining a Safe Environment: EEC has a number of licensing standards related to safety in a Family Child Care Home. Most of these standards outline common
safety precautions such as making dangerous materials inaccessible to children, covering outlets, having a first aid kit, practicing evacuation drills, gating stairs, windows, or heating elements,
posting emergency numbers, and maintaining a clean, hazard-free indoor space. Also the outdoor space must be safe and hazard free and there should be no access to a busy street, water,
construction materials, rusty or broken play materials, debris, glass, or peeling paint.
- Lead Poisoning Prevention: All Family child Care Educators are required by EEC to provide parents with information regarding the risks of Lead Poisoning. Miss
Donna's Place has been inspected and designated "lead free". The following are some facts that all parents should know about lead and
lead poisoning:
- Lead poisoning is caused by swallowing or breathing lead. Lead is poison when it gets into the body.
- Lead can stay in the body for a long time. Young children absorb lead more easily than adults. The harm done by lead may never go
away. Lead in the body can:
- Hurt the brain, kidneys, and nervous system
- Slow down growth and development
- Make it hard to learn
- Damage hearing and speech
- Cause behavior problems
- Most of the lead poisoning in Massachusetts comes from lead paint dust in older homes. Many homes built before 1978 have lead paint on the inside and outside of the building.
- When old paint peels and cracks, it creates lead paint chips and lead dust. Lead dust also comes from opening and closing old windows.
- Lead dust lands on the floor. Lead gets into children’s bodies when they put their hands and toys in their mouths. Children can also breathe in lead dust. Children between the ages of 9 months and 6 years are most at risk.
- Important: Home repairs and renovations also create lead dust.
- Most children who have lead poisoning do not look or act sick. A lead test is the only way to know if your child has lead poisoning. Ask your doctor to test your
child for lead. Some children may have:
- Upset stomach
- Trouble eating or sleeping
- Headache
- Trouble paying attention
- As mentioned earlier, if your child is over nine (9) months of age, you will need to provide documentation to me that your child has been screened for lead poisoning. Most children will be screened annually until either age three (3) or four (4), depending on where the child lives.
- For more information on lead poisoning, you can
visit http://www.mass.gov/dph/clppp or call the Childhood Lead Poisoning
Prevention Program at (800) 532-9571.
- Supervision
Supervision is critical to keeping children safe. I and any assistants in my program will appropriately supervise children in order to ensure their health and safety at all times. I will use good judgment and consider several factors in determining the appropriate level of supervision for children including age, developmental needs, behavioral characteristics, the nature of activities and the space we are using, as well as the number of caregivers present at any given time. If you have any questions about how I supervise the children in my program, feel free to ask me.
- Parent Conferences: In
January, I will be sharing your child's progress reports with you, as well as offering an opportunity to meet and discuss your child's progress. Feel free to ask me about curriculum
and progress reports and how they are implemented in my program at anytime. I am always available for phone conversation even prior to midyear conferences.
- Child Guidance: When it comes to interactions and the guiding of children's
behavior, the goal of all Educators is to maximize the growth and development of children, as well as keeping them safe. My philosphy of being with the children is always
to provide a place where respect, kindness and honoring self dignity is established. I treat the children with the utmost belief that they are and should be responsible, sensitive caring individuals.
I express what I expect from them in terms of behaviors and manners and will help guide them to achieve these responsiblities. If a child acts inappropriately, I will tell them that the behavior is
inappropriate, and ask for their assurance of understanding by having them communicate back to me what I expect. If children are not getting along I work with the same type of verbal
communication only having them share their feelings and expectations with each other. Removing children from a play space is a last resort and rarely done. Usually distraction and offering
different choices is a key to maintaining the balance I expect.
- Medication Administration:
EEC requires I have a policy requiring the administration of medication. I have also taken the medication administration training. Please see guidelines below common to all programs licensed by EEC, which includes: prescription medication, non-prescription medication, topical ointments and sprays, and all medications. My program will maintain a written record of the administration of any medication (excluding topical ointments and sprays applied to unbroken skin), which will include the child's name, the time and date of each administration, the dose, and the name of the person administering the medication. This completed record will become part of the child's file.
The following guidelines are common to all programs that are licensed by EEC:
Prescription Medication
Prescription medication must be brought to MDP in its original container and include the child's name, the name of the medication, the dosage, the number of times per day and the number of days the medication is to be administered. This prescription label will be accepted as the written authorization of the physician. MDP will not administer any medication contrary to the directions on the label unless so authorized by written order of the child's physician. The parent must fill out the Authorization for Medication Form before the medication can be administered.
Non-prescription Medication
MDP needs written parental authorization to administer oral non-prescription medication. The parent must fill out the Authorization for Medication form, which allows the Educator to administer the non-prescription medication. In the case of unanticipated non-prescription medication that is used to treat mild symptoms, the program must still have written parental authorization. The Educator will make every attempt to contact the parent prior to the child receiving the non-prescription medication unless the child needs medication urgently or when contacting the parent will delay appropriate care unreasonably.
Topical Ointments and Sprays
Topical ointments and sprays such as sunscreen, diaper rash ointment and insect repellant will be administered to the child with written parental permission. The signed statement from the parent will be valid for one year and include a list of topical non-prescription medication. When topical ointments and sprays are applied to wounds, rashes, or broken skin, the Educator will follow the written procedure for non-prescription medication which includes the written order of the physician, which is valid for a year, and the Authorization for Medication form signed by the parent.
All Medications
The first dose must be administered by the parent at home in case of an allergic reaction. All medications must be given to the Educator directly by the parent. All medications will be stored out of the reach of children. All medications that are considered controlled substances must be locked and kept out of reach of children. MDP will maintain a written record of the administration of any medication (excluding topical ointments and sprays applied to unbroken skin), which will include the child's name, the time and date of each administration, the dose, and the name of the person administering the medication. This completed record will become part of the child's file. All unused medication will be returned to the parent if possible, or disposed of in accordance with Department of Public Health guidelines.
- Oral Health: Each child is required
to have a tooth brush and brush teeth after each meal or snack. This is a state regulation. Tooth brushes will not return home each day, but I will notify you when replacements are needed. You
may sign a waver to opt out of this requirement. Please see waiver on the FORMS tab of my website.
- Parent Notifications: I am required by EEC regulations to notify you of
certain information about my family child care home. These notifications include, but are not limited to:
- an injury to your child
- allegations of abuse or neglect regarding your child
- if another educator will be caring for your child
- the administering of first aid to your child
- whenever a communicable disease has been identified in the program
- children being taken off the child care premises
- the extent of firearms in my home
- if there are any changes in my household composition
- prior to any pets being introduced into the program
- whenever special problems or significant developments arise
- Mandated Reporting : As a licensed Educator in Massachusetts, I must operate my program in a way that protects children from abuse and neglect. As such, I am a mandated reporter, whenever I have reasonable cause to believe a child in the program is suffering from a serious physical or emotional injury resulting from abuse inflicted upon the child, or from neglect, no matter where the abuse or neglect may have occurred or by whom it was inflicted.
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