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Quick Links:
Daily activities
and schedules
Environment
Communication
Safety and illness
Staff training and
facility licensing
Registration and
fees
Daily activities and
schedules
1.
What time can I drop my child
off?
Our center is open Monday through
Friday from 6:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. If
you sign up for a full day, any of those
hours are open to you. For half-day
care, the morning session starts at 6:30
a.m. and ends at 12:15 p.m. and the
afternoon session is from 12:30 p.m.
until 6:00 p.m.
2.
What is the latest time that I
can pick up my child?
We are open until 6:00 p.m.
3.
Are meals provided?
We provide lunch for your child and
the cost is included in your tuition.
All the meals meet the
State of Wisconsin
requirements for a
balanced meal. A lunch menu schedule is
provided to you each month.
4.
Are nap times provided?
All children from toddler age up
have one scheduled nap time per day.
Infants take as many naps as they need
throughout the day.
5.
Will my child go on field
trips outside the facility?
During the school year, our
preschool classes go on approximately
two field trips a year – a Fall trip to
the pumpkin farm and a Spring trip to an
animal farm.
6.
Is there an education
curriculum?
We start our educational curriculum
at the toddler age beginning with simple
shapes and colors. The program
progressively becomes more detailed as
the children get older with advancement
to numbers and letters. By the time they
leave our 4K program, they will have met
all requirements of the 5 year
kindergarten schools and then some!
7.
What activities will be
available for my child?
Every room has a kitchen set, craft
tables, blocks, puzzles and other
age-specific toys and activities to do
during free time. Our
playground
has swings, slides, jungle gyms and
outdoor toys, such as cars and sand
toys. There are also parts of the day
that the activities are teacher-lead,
for example, circle time, story time and
art time.
8.
Do you offer transportation? If so,
from what schools or locations?
We have transportation to our
Oconomowoc daycare center from nearby area Oconomowoc schools, including
Parklawn,
Greenland
and
St. Jerome’s.
Environment
1.
Do you have an outdoor
playground?
We have a very large
playground
area that is shaded by big beautiful
trees and separated into two areas – one
for younger children up to 2 ˝ and the
other for ages 3, 4 and school age. The
playground offers swings, slides, jungle
gyms and outdoor toys, such as cars and
sand toys.
2.
Are there personal cribs for
each infant?
We do have cribs available for each
child up to 1 year of age.
3.
Are there separate rooms for
each age group?
Children are separated into age
groups –
6 weeks to 1 year olds;
2 year olds;
3 year olds and older;
pre-kindergarten
and
school age.
Communication
1.
Can I visit the facility
without an appointment?
At Almost Home, we have an open door
policy. We welcome current and
prospective parents to our center at any
time.
2.
Is there communication about
what my child did during the day?
Each child under the age of 2 ˝ goes
home with a daily sheet which records
diaper changes, meals, nap time and
daily activities. Children ages 2 ˝ and
older will be be informed about the
child’s day by his or her teacher. All
teachers fill out a “What
we did today” sheet that
summarizes the activities of the day.
Safety and illness
1.
Is there a safety plan in
place in case of an emergency?
Each room has a layout of the
building that shows where you are and
how to get out in case of a fire or
tornado. We practice these drills
periodically with the children.
2.
What is your sick policy?
Our
sick policy is written with
the best interest of all children – sick
and healthy. We ask that children with a
fever of 101 degrees or higher stay at
home until the fever is gone for 24
hours. We also request that children
stay home if they have vomited or had
more than 4 diarrhea stools. If these
illnesses occur during the school day,
we will call the parent to pick up the
child.
3.
What do I do if my child
becomes sick at daycare?
If a child becomes ill at school, we
will make him or her as comfortable as
we can until the parent is contacted and
is able to pick up the child.
4.
What is your policy for
handling falls or incidents?
If a child is injured at Almost
Home, our injury policy reflects that a
parent will be notified as soon as
possible. We can apply ice to bumps or
wash open cuts with soap and water and
apply bandages.
5.
Are immunizations required?
According to
State of Wisconsin regulations,
we will follow an
immunization
schedule. If a parent chooses
not to have his or her child immunized,
they must have the immunization release
form signed and dated
by the child’s physician.
6.
How do you discipline the
children?
When a child “makes a bad choice,”
we first try to redirect the child to a
different activity. If the child
continues and is three years of age or
older, we will put the child in a
timeout. The child may only be in a
timeout for 1 minute per year of their
age (for example, a three-year-old
receives 3 minutes). If the child is
under the age of three and redirection
has not worked, we will put him or her
at the table in the classroom and give
him an activity to do alone until they
are ready to make good choices again.
7.
Are there restrictions on who
may pick up my child?
We ask that parents list individuals
other than themselves who are able to
pick up their child on our
registration
form. If you know in advance
that you are unable to pick up your
child and will be sending someone else,
we ask that you send a written
notification of who will pick up your
child and on what day. If an emergency
occurs, please call the center to let
them know who will be picking up your
child. In either case, a picture I.D.
will be required for the person to pick
up your child.
Staff
training and facility licensing
1.
Are you licensed and
accredited?
Almost Home is a
State of Wisconsin licensed daycare
facility.
2.
How long has your facility
been providing daycare?
The director, Lisa Busalacchi, has
directed the facility for 8 years. She
purchased the Oconomowoc daycare in
April 2002, which is now known as Almost
Home Child Development Center, LLC.
3.
What is the caregiver to child
ratio?
Each age group has a specific ratio
we follow that meets
State of Wisconsin guidelines
for a licensed facility:
Teacher to child ratio
Age
1 : 4
6
weeks to 2 years
1 : 6
2
years to 2 ˝ years
1 : 8
2 ˝
to 3 years
1 : 10
3
years
1 : 13
4
and 5 years
1 : 17
School age
4.
Does your staff have training
in early childhood development?
We follow the
State of Wisconsin requirements
of two 40-hour early childhood classes
for our teachers. And if the teacher is
working with infants and toddlers, he or
she takes an additional 15-hour class.
5.
Are teachers trained in first
aid and CPR?
All of Almost Home’s teachers have
first aid and CPR training every two
years.
6.
What is your staff turnover?
Our most valued asset at Almost Home
is our low staff turnover. Many of the
current staff stayed on when the center
changed owners three years ago, and are
still working with Almost Home.
7.
Are background checks
completed on staff members?
The
State of Wisconsin background check
policy protects your
child by requiring licensed daycare
centers, such as Almost Home, to perform
a background check through the state on
all employees.
Registration and fees
1.
How do I register my child?
Once you have decided on Almost Home
as the childcare center that best fits
your needs and the needs of your child
or children, you simply need to complete
our blue
registration form and submit
it with the registration fee of $45 for
one child or $60 for a family with more
than one child.
2.
What are your daycare fees?
Our fees include a one-time
registration fee and a weekly tuition
based on age and length of time at the
center. Visit our
tuition page for current
pricing.
3.
Do you have a list of
references that I can call?
We have a list of parents who you
can contact for a reference. Please call
us at 262-569-5655 for contact names and
phone numbers. Also visit our
references page to read
testimonials from some of our parents.
4.
I only need childcare 2 days
of the week. Is that possible?
We gladly accommodate part-time
schedules based on availability. We only
require a two-day minimum per week.
5.
If my child attends daycare
part-time, do I need a set schedule?
We do prefer a set schedule, but if
you have a job that has a fluctuating
schedule and are able to give your
schedule to us one month in advance, we
will work with you to the best of our
ability.
6.
Is there a reduction in fees
if my child takes vacation?
We do give each family one week of
vacation credit per year. Our calendar
year runs from September 1 to August 31.
If you are signed up to attend Almost
Home three days per week, you are
entitled to three vacation days per
year. The days may be used all at once
or as separate days. Unused vacation
days are not carried over from one year
to the next.
7.
I am pregnant. How do I
reserve a space for my infant?
If you currently have a child
enrolled at Almost Home and become
pregnant, simply fill out a
registration form and pay the
difference between the single child and
family registration fee of $15. This
will reserve a spot for the baby when
mom and dad are ready to go back to
work.
If you are new to Almost Home, call us
to inquire about availability for your
expected due date. If we have
availability for your date, drop off or
mail your completed
registration form with the
registration fee.
If you are considering Almost Home
for your child, call us at our
Oconomowoc daycare center at
262-569-5655 for availability. |
