school age childcare employee handbook...aide- must be at least 16 years of age or 15 years of age...
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School Age Childcare
Employee HandbookMiddletown YMCA404 N. Cass Street
Middletown, DE 19709302-616-9622
Welcome to the YMCA of Delaware
The YMCA is an association of people of all ages, ethnic groups and religious affiliations that strive to cultivate the human potential, self-esteem, and dignity of all people. Our organization exists to develop and practice the Christian principles of love, caring, inclusiveness, justice, and peace… and to enrich the emotional, physical, and social life of all individuals, families and our community.
Program PhilosophyStaff will provide a safe and nurturing environment for children, while implementing age appropriate activities that promote social, emotional, intellectual, and physical skill development. It is our goal to help each child develop to their fullest potential.
Character CountsThe Middletown YMCA embraces the four basic values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. Staff is expected to model, teach and demonstrate these
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character values on a daily basis.
RED=CARINGBLUE=HONESTY
YELLOW=RESPECTGREEN=RESPONSIBILITY
These are the YMCA’s core values; however, the YMCA believes that all values are important traits of a quality citizen and building character in children. The staff should always support and verbally recognize any positive displays of character children show.
The Middletown YMCA does have an open door policy. Parents/guardians are welcome to visit and participate in special activities and events. Staff Requirements
Fingerprinting Adult Abuse Check Criminal Background Check Physical with a TB shot Drug Testing Professional Development Plan Service letters Verification forms References-four Declaration Waiver Child Abuse Reporting law (reviewed annually)
Staff Qualifications
Site Coordinator- Successful completion of at least 12 college or university credits in
recreation, elementary education, school-age care, or school-age administration and 12
months of experience working with children kindergarten through sixth grade in a group
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setting, and must be at least 20 years of age.
Site Assistant-
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At least 18years of age
At least a high school degree or its equivalent and meets one of the following
qualifications:
Successful completion of three (3) credits in recreation, elementary
education, school-age care or school-age administration and part-time employment for one
school year from September to June providing education/care to children kindergarten
through sixth grade in a group setting
Successful completion of three (3) credits in recreation, elementary
education, school-age care or school-age administration and full-time employment during
the majority of one summer season (June through August) providing education/care to
children kindergarten through sixth grade in a group setting
Successful completion of 45 clock hours of quality-assured training related
to the needs of the school-age children served and part-time employment for one school
year from September to June providing education/care to children kindergarten through
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sixth grade in a group setting
Successful completion of 45 clock hours of quality-assured training related
to the needs of the school-age children served and full-time employment during the
majority of one summer season (June through August) providing education/care to children
kindergarten through sixth grade in a group setting
Successful completion of at least 15-clock-hours of quality-assured
training in school-age care within 12 months of employment and part-time employment for t
wo school years from September to June providing education/care to children kindergarten
through sixth grade in a group setting
Successful completion of at least 15-clock-hours of quality-assured
training in school-age care within 12 months of employment and full-time employment for o
ne school year from September to June providing education/care to children kindergarten
through sixth grade in a group setting
Successful completion of at least 15-clock-hours of quality-assured
training in school-age care within 12 months of employment and full-time employment durin
g the majority of two summer seasons (June through August) providing education/care to
children kindergarten through sixth grade in a group setting
Intern-
At least 16years of age and must meet one of the following qualifications:
Successful completion of at least three college or university credits from a
regionally accredited college or university in recreation, elementary education, school-age
care, or school-age administration
Successful completion of at least 15-clock-hours of quality-assured
training in school-age care completed within 12 months of employment
Successful completion of the education requirement for a higher level
position contained in the Delacare regulations
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Aide-
Must be at least 16 years of age or 15 years of age if attending a vocational or
technical high school’s three-year program in early childhood education or a traditional high
school's career pathway program in early childhood with enrollment documentation on file
at the center.
Substitute-Must be at least 16 years of age and substituting less than 2 months
before qualifying for a position.
Staff Ratios-1:15 (maximum), Stars sites 1:14
Staffing
Site coordinator must be at site 50% of time.
Site assistant must be present in absence of site coordinator.
Interns cannot be left alone with children; accept when walking them to or
from the bathroom.
Aides/Volunteers cannot be left alone with a group of children.
Staff Procedures
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Professionalism
Wear name tag at all times
Wear staff shirt at all times
Meet and greet children and guardians daily
Greet school personnel daily
Communicate positively and professionally at all times with children,
families, staff, and school personnel.
Do not talk on personal cell phones or text message while working.
Child Abuse-Our top priority is keeping children safe at all times. You are
required by law to report suspected cases of abuse or neglect. Please notify your
supervisor immediately if you would suspect anything. Reporting procedures will
remain confidential and staff will not be discouraged or impeded from reporting.
Any type of abuse by staff will not be tolerated and may be cause for immediate
dismissal. Please refer to # 5 in the employee code of conduct.
Staff Training
CPR-every 2 years
First Aid-every 2 years
Child abuse Prevention
Blood Borne Pathogens
Managing Slips, Trips, and Falls
Sexual Harassment
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9 hours of annual training
For each staff person 75% or more of all training hours completed need to
be quality assured (Level 2 or higher).
25% of staff will be required to complete the School Age Credential.
25% of staff will be required to complete 1 Delaware Credential excluding
Administrator Credential and School Age Credential.
Mandatory staff meetings
SACC Orientation
New Staff Orientation (online)
Schedules and Schedule Changes
Morning shift starts at 6:20 a.m.
Afternoon shift starts 15 minutes prior to children arriving
Schedule changes must also be submitted in writing 2 weeks prior to the
change. Time off Procedure: requesting time off does not mean it is
automatically granted. Time off is approved on a first come, first serve basis. If
your time off request is not approved, you are expected to report to work as your
schedule reflects. Failure to do this can result in disciplinary action.
Must be submitted in writing 2 weeks prior-It is your responsibility to
contact the director to determine whether or not it has been approved. If your time
is not approved it will be your responsibility to get shift covered or will be
unexcused absence.
A maximum of 5 requested days off per school year will be granted.
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Illness-Staff are not expected to call out unless they are truly very sick. Mo
rning shift must call off by 6:00 am; Afternoon shift must call off by 10:00 am.
Doctor’s/dentist appointments or any other appointments should not be
scheduled during your scheduled hours.
Cell Phones
The YMCA cell phone is for business only.
Personal cell phones can remain on vibrate and should only be answered in
what you may think might be an emergency. Licensing regulations state that cell
phones are not to be used while directly caring for children.
TEXTING IS NOT ALLOWED WHILE ON DUTY!
Time Clock System-is a legal document and should be treated as such.
Time MUST be entered into the Ulti Pro system daily; if you do not have
computer access your time MUST be entered weekly.
Must be accurate-Putting unauthorized time in the system will result in
disciplinary action including immediate termination. YOU ARE EXPECTED TO BE
HONEST! Do not put hours in the system prior to working your shift.
Dress Code
Staff shirt at all times
Name tag at all times
No open toed shoes
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No tank tops
No short shorts or short skirts
No ripped or torn clothing
No outfits revealing midriff
No outfits revealing underwear
No pants or shorts with words across the rear
No low cut topsStaff Meetings
Mandatory Quarterly Meetings
Must be excused by director if cannot attend
Staff meetings will always begin with an ice breaker/team building activity and an
invocation. The purpose of the meetings is to continue to create a strong team of
leaders, plan, brainstorm, and discuss strengths and challenges of our day to day
jobs. Problem solving techniques will be used to increase quality of the program.
Agenda items may vary depending on the needs of the program and staff. In-
service training may also be included in the meetings.
Performance Reviews
Each staff person will have a performance review annually based on our
Association Review Process.
Each staff person will review themselves (self assessment), annually, based
on the Delaware Competencies for School-Age Professionals. This assessment will
be used to create an annual Professional Development Plan for each staff member.
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Employee Benefits
All YMCA of Delaware employees are entitled to voluntarily contribute
money to the YMCA Retirement Fund. After an employee has worked for the YMCA
of Delaware for 1 year and worked 1,000 hours within that year and 21 years old,
the YMCA will contribute to the Retirement Fund.
Free adult membership to the YMCA of Delaware.
Employees will receive discounts on YMCA programs, see employee
personnel policy handbook for discount rates.
Employee Retention-Directors make every effort to retain employees from year
to year at each site. Some of our strategies include:
Offer promotion within job; i.e. moving from Site Assistant to Site
Coordinator upon completion of requirements.
Staff incentives
Membership to YMCA and Discounts on YMCA Programs
Staff Development/Training paid for by the YMCA
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Attendance
MUST BE PUNCTUAL-If for some reason you have an emergency, you must
contact the director immediately if you are going to be late at all and it must be refle
cted in the time clock system.
Expected to be at your shift. Please do not call out unless it is an absolute
emergencyAll staff are required to give a 2 weeks notice upon terminating their
employment. Failure to do so may result in ineligibility for rehire of employment for
the entire YMCA of Delaware.
Snow Days-It is your responsibility to know whether the schools are closed or
open.
Check school closings on the following website:
http://schoolclosings.delaware.gov/ OR http://www.apposchooldistrict.com
Appoquinimink School District: Bunker Hill Elementary & Cedar Lane Elementary
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If schools are closed the program is closed
If schools have a delayed opening, we start work at 8:00 a.m.
If schools close early, we must staff all sites at dismissal
Please make every attempt to be available when the schools close early.
In-service Days
Extra hours will be available to you. Watch for information to follow.
Medications
Can only be given by med certified staff; must follow policies & procedures
learned in training.
Must be stored in a separate container away from children in the locked
cabinet.
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Illness
Sick children should be in quiet area away from the other children and
guardians should be notified to pick up. Children should not be in our care for the
following reasons.
Fever
Diarrhea
Vomiting
Persistent Abdominal Pain
Mouth sores
Rashes
Conjunctivitis-pink eye
Scabies
TB
Head Lice
Impetigo
Strep Throat
Chicken Pox
Pertussis
Hepatitis A
Measles
Rubella
Discomfort, lethargic, and/or uncomfortable to the point of not
being able to participate in activities.
Staff Illness
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Should not have direct care with children or food handling if sick.
Collection of Payments $$$
No Cash
All payments are on EFT or must be paid directly at the Middletown
YMCA
Transportation Policy
Field trips only with secured bus transportation
Parent must give written permission
Ratio=1:8 Parents/Guardians can be included in the ratio
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Emergency Procedures
Emergency Management Plan
Refer to the Emergency Response Plan; evacuation relocation is on
3way board
Plan will be located in the daily site binder.
Fire Drills/Fire Inspection Log
Must be done 1 time per month
Must be logged on the fire inspection log
Take attendance sheet, cell phone and black binder out with you.
Take attendance when you get outside.
Do not release children until you get the all clear.
Re-enter the building after getting the all clear.
If returning to the building is not an option, contact director to
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notify parents.
Accidents/Injuries
Minor
Treat as needed.
Fill out incident report.
Do follow up with parent at pick up and note on the incident report.
Major
Give appropriate medical care
Call 911 if needed
Call Director
Call parents
Fill out incident report
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First Aid Kits-should be stocked with the following supplies
Disposable non-porous gloves
Scissors
Tweezers
Non-glass thermometer
Bandage tape
Sterile gauze pads
Flexible roller gauze
Triangular bandages
Safety pins
Eye dressing
Pen or pencil and note pad
Instant cold pack
Current American academy of pediatrics first aid guide
CPR barrier
Band-aids
Plastic bags
Please ensure that first aid kits are kept fully stocked. It is the responsibility of
ALL staff to make sure this is done.
Site Procedures
Communication-is essential amongst staff. Morning staff and afternoon staff
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should communicate via daily memo’s as needed (please find communication log in
daily site binder)
Usable Space
Space must be clean and free from hazards to the health and safety
of children.
Bathroom Policy
Staff should check bathrooms prior to sending children in.
System of 3-children close of age and supervised by staff
When the bathrooms are far away from the cafeteria or gym,
staff should do scheduled group bathroom times.
Morning Procedures
Set Up
Set up 3 way board and parent information.
Check information sheet on children for allergies and/or custody
issues.
Turn on cell phone and make sure it is charged. Cell phone should
be with a staff person at all times.
Get out sign in/out binder and first aid kit and any other supplies
needed.
Check book for new memos and staff communication.
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Set up for morning activities.
Observe children as they arrive for any sign/symptoms of abuse,
injury, communicable diseases or other evidences of illness.
Sign In/Attendance-Must be done in ink
Meet and greet children and guardians daily.
Sign in book should remain with a staff person at all times to ensure
every child is signed in. ATTENDANCE-Every child should be logged onto the
attendance sheet as they are signed in.
If a child is dropped off without a guardian signing in, please contact
the director immediately.
Attendance: a check mark means a child is there. An A means they are absent.
Morning Dismissal
Clean up
All Children sit quietly at a table.
Attendance is taken again.
Dismiss quietly.
Afternoon Procedures
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Set Up
Set up 3 way board
Get out binders -sign in/out and children’s files books.
Turn on cell phone and make sure it is charged. Cell phone should
be with a staff person at all times.
Check emergency sheet for children’s allergies and/or custody issues.
Check book for memos and staff communication.
Get out other supplies needed for the afternoon shift including first
aid kit.
Children come in, take attendance.
Immediately check with office staff if all children have not arrived.
Follow daily schedule as planned which should include the following
Bathroom/hand washing
CATCH-4 times a week for 35 minutes. This should be done as soon
as the children come into our care.
Social time/snack- Staff must wear gloves to serve food.
All staff must be aware of any food allergies that children may
have and take necessary precautions to avoid exposure.
Homework Help (30 minutes)
Center Time (1/3 of the time, i.e. 45 minutes – 1 hour). Each center
should be out every day with children free to choose (Science, Math, Literacy, Music,
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Art, & Dramatic Play).
Other activities as planned: should include the following.
Arts and crafts morning and afternoon-1 x per week
Science 1 x per month
Literacy-4 x per week, Friday’s off
Family event- 1 x per month
Character Development Ceremony-last Friday of each month,
afternoon only.
Clean up all supplies, wipe tables and sweep floor. Take garbage out
at some sites.
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Snack procedures
Staff and children wash hands
Staff must wear gloves when serving snack
Staff and children must wipe tables and sweep floors after snack
Sign Out Procedures
Meet and greet guardian.
Sign in/out book should remain with a staff person at all times.
Guardians must sign every day.
ID check-ID check is not enough, you must also check to see if they
are authorized to pick up
Site Rules-Definite “N0’s”
Children cannot return to classrooms under any circumstances.
Children cannot under any circumstances be released to someone
that is not on the authorized pick up list.
Children should never be allowed out of sight at any time. Even to
use the bathroom with a buddy.
Children should not be allowed on the stage.
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Never Take Cash payments.
Staff should not use the school staff lounges.
Staff should never be 1 on 1 with a child.
Staff should never transport a child
Staff should never leave children alone.
Staff cannot under any circumstances baby-sit member’s children.
Planning Time
Site Coordinators are allotted 30 minutes per week for planning time.
Any further time needed will be need to be approved by the Director(s).
Computers and resources are available at the branch.
Delaware Stars
Delaware Stars for Early Success is a Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS)
, which is a method used to assess, improve and communicate the level of quality in
early care and education and school-age settings. It establishes quality standards
for programs and provides technical assistance and limited financial support to
programs involved in Starts as they engage in quality improvement efforts.
Delaware Stars is designed as a voluntary system that expects programs to work
on improving quality by moving up the Star Levels.
*Participating Schools:
Cedar Lane Elementary
Transition Policy
We recognize that changes in schedules can be stressful for both parents and
children. For this reason, we provide opportunities for families to get to know us,
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prior to starting our program, during the school year and into the summer.
Orientations for new and returning families will be scheduled along with the schools
open house/back-to-school night or walk throughs. The school district will notify
us and the parents of the date and times. Parents and students will have the
opportunity to visit the area that we will provide care and participate in examples of
activities.
Families signing up after the open house will discuss the program with the Director
and if time allows, a staff member from the YMCA school site will call the student’s
family prior to their start date. The staff will introduce themselves, welcome them
to the YMCA and answer any questions they have about the program. The staff will
start to get to know the children, by asking the parents to tell them about their
child‘s likes, interests or concerns.
We encourage families to visit the program and participate in activities with their
child. We also invite our families to participate in our community/family events, at
the school site and YMCA branches.
As the school year comes to an end, the YMCA will provide information about the
summer activities, for families, and inform them about camps and classes the YMCA
offers. Students ageing out, of our program, will be given information about our
older youth programs and tips for kids staying home. If the family is interested, we
will introduce the families to the staff people who run specific programs.
Transition into Program at Site/Vacation Program Days
During the first month of school children will participate in weekly
activities at the site to get to know each other. These activities will consist of
games and projects. The activities will be evident on the lesson plans.
On Vacation Program Days the children are given the opportunity to
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come to either Cedar Lane or Bunker Hill (dependent upon availability by school) for
a “camp” day program. This program consists of 50 children (max) from both sites.
The children will play “get to know you games” at the start of each day. These
games will allow them to meet new friends and also get to know the staff that will
be working in the program.
Curriculum
YMCA of the USA School Age Curriculum Framework: The framework
discusses the developmental stages of children and youth, describes YMCA beliefs
and other frames of reference used in selecting and developing activities, connects
the curriculum to the YMCA mission and goals, suggests core content areas, lists
sample activities, details additional sources of activities for school-age children
and youth, discusses how to use the framework, and suggests how to develop, set
up, and introduce and evaluate activities. The eight YMCA core content areas are:
art and humanities, character development, health and fitness, homework support,
literacy, science and technology, service learning, and social skills and conflict
resolution.
C.A.T.C.H.: Coordinated Approach to Child Health is a health
program designed to help children and their families adopt healthy eating and
physical activity behaviors. As part of our new curriculum, CATCH is run several
times per week at our After School Sites. The students will engage in a number of
stimulating and non-competitive games and exercise that are developmentally
appropriate and FUN as well as learn healthy eating habits and behaviors.
Program Goals
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To support and strengthen the family unit.
To help children develop to their fullest potential.
To develop and strengthen the character values of caring, honesty,
respect, and responsibility.
To help children improve interpersonal relationships; learn to care
about, communicate with and cooperate with family, friends, and significant adults
in their life.
To help children lead healthy lives; learn ways to be active and make
healthy food choices.
The YMCA of Delaware is dedicated to helping families in healthy living, social
responsibility, and youth development. Over the last few years, the YMCA has
turned its attention to our nation’s growing health crisis through our Activate
America program. To address this crisis, the YMCA mission is to try to influence
change, and support individuals who seek a healthier lifestyle.
Inclusion
The YMCA of Delaware child care programs welcomes all children and their families.
We follow the YMCA of the USA’s values of caring, honesty, respect, and
responsibility to guide and nurture the children in our care. We respect and value
input from parents and encourage families to share information about their child.
We will use the information to provide appropriate learning environment for all, as ap
plicable. In addition, if a child has an IEP/IFSP, we request that parents provide a
copy to the director of the program. It is beneficial to meet with the parent/legal
guardian to review the plan and work together to ensure that the guidelines are
understood. Children with special needs and children developing typically will be
together in our program to support all opportunities for learning. We are
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determined to provide a safe and secure environment where all children are
respected and values in an atmosphere conducive to learning and making friends.
Youth with Identified Disabilities
If your child has an IEP/IFSP, we request that you provide a copy to the director of
the program. Upon receiving the IEP/IFSP, the director will schedule a parent
meeting to review the plan and discuss ways to accommodate your child’s needs.
We will use the information from the plan to provide appropriate learning
opportunities in an environment conducive to learning.
Youth who are Dual Language Learners
Dual language learners refer to youth whose primary language is not English. The
YMCA welcomes all children and their families. The director and the staff will work
to learn key phrases and simple conversational words to make communication easier
with children and families we serve. Appropriate learning opportunities will be made
available in a safe and caring environment.
Communication
Parent Communication
All school sites have an area where information is posted as a means to keep
parents informed on a daily basis. This will include the license, behavior
management plan, emergency numbers, evacuation procedures, fire drill log,
monthly lesson plans, daily schedule, newsletter, snack menu, community resources,
and articles posted about child development.
Daily Communication
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Staff will meet and greet each guardian and child as they arrive and leave
the program.
Staff will be available to answer questions about the program schedules,
activities and daily routines.
Staff will be available to families at drop off and pick up to answer any
questions about their child’s progress and/or to discuss any concerns.Staff
Communication
All staff will receive a new staff and program orientation
Directors will communicate with staff members person to person, via email,
phone, memos and mandatory scheduled staff meetings about expectations and program
curriculum.Youth Assessment/Parent Conferences
Staff will observe and document individual youth’s progress and
report to families twice a year. Parent conferences are available upon the parent
and/or Director(s) request. Sign-up sheets will be made available to request a
convenient time slot.
Results of assessments will be used to set program goals and
develop lesson plans.
Parent Survey and Evaluations
Parents feedback about our before and after care program is very important.
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Parents will receive either a paper evaluation or an electronic-evaluation annually.
The directors of the program will evaluate the responses and determine what
changes need to be made to the program on an annual basis. We encourage all
parents to take the time to fill an evaluation out to help us best meet the needs of
the families and children we serve.
Relationship with School
The Directors of the program partner with the schools to encourage an open and
collaborative relationship. Both the Executive Director and Program Directors meet
with Principals throughout the year to evaluate program goals and needs.
Family Events
Parents are invited and encouraged to join scheduled family events. Information will
be provided in advance regarding these events.
Behavior Management
Discipline- use the following discipline techniques.
Redirection
Positive reinforcement
Problem solving techniques
Talk with children about good choices vs. bad choices and
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consequences for both.
Temporary loss of a privilege as a consequence
Write Ups- for consistent behavior problems.
Fill out the behavior report.
Talk with child about consequences and choices made.
Talk to parent at pick up.
If the behavior continues, please contact the director to schedule a
parent/child conference. This is after we have exhausted all attempts in behavior
modification.
No Tolerance Policy- for aggressive behavior, weapons, drugs or alcohol.
Contact director
Director will contact parent and suspend child.
Director will schedule a re-entry conference.
Continuous behavior problems can eventually lead to removal from the program.
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I have read and received the SACC Childcare Handbook and the SACC orientation.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Staff Signature Date
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Staff Name