FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
- What is the teacher/child ratio?
- What is your policy on discipline? What type of disciplining is used?
- What are the qualifications, education of the teachers? Are they certified in CPR & First Aid? How long have they been there?
- What are your prices? Are hourly rates available? Does the tuition price include busing?
- What are the ages of the children in attendance? What are the hours of operation?
- Is the play yard supervised?
- What do I need to bring on my first day of school?
- Do we care for contagiously ill children? What if my child becomes ill during the day?
- Can parents visit anytime?
- Is a hot lunch served?
- Is there something wrong if my child doesn't immediately adjust to Day Care?
- Are we open during Easter and Christmas breaks?
- What type of program is offered for the preschool children?
- Does my child have show and tell time?
- Is there a program provided for the grade school children?
- Does the program allow for children to do their homework?
- Do the children go on field trips?
- Are the bathrooms supervised?
- Who gets to use the swimming pools and are swimming lessons offered?
- Is your website secure? Do the parents get a password?
- Are children monitored while they are on the internet?
- What is your pick up policy?
- How often do the children eat and drink?
- Can my child bring his/her own snacks/lunch?
- Can we give over the counter medication?
- Do you potty train?
- Do you provide pull-ups?
- What public schools do you bus to?
- Do you provide busing service from my home for my grade school child if I’m in your local area?
- What holidays do you observe and close for?
- Do you provide service on the weekends?
- What form of payment do you accept for tuition?
- Do you offer vacation, if so how much and when?
- If a scheduled day lands on a holiday, can we come another day?
- Why do parents have to pay for closed Holidays?
- What happens when my child is sick, do I still pay?
What is the teacher/child ratio?
Child care centers in California are required to follow regulations set forth under Title 22. Dept of Social Services, Health & Welfare. Under these regulations the teacher/child ratio requires 1 to 12 for preschool children and 1 to 14 for school age children. Kids Kare Schools abides by all State Regulations. We do run smaller classes for the 2-year old children who are being potty-trained, usually 1 to 6.
What is your policy on discipline? What type of disciplining is used?
Kids Kare Schools strictly forbids any form of corporal punishment including verbal abuse of any child. We do use redirection or time-out depending on the age of the child and the situation.
Teachers are required to have 12 units in Early Childhood Education, while Directors are required to have 15 units including 3 units in Administration of a Daycare. We require staff to have certification in CPR and First Aid. All staff are required to be fingerprinted with the State of California and cleared through the Child Abuse index check. We look for teachers who have experience with children. Most of our staff have been with us for a number of years. We also employ many college students who are majoring in teaching.
What are your prices? Are hourly rates available? Does the tuition price include busing?
Our rates are charged weekly. There are currently no hourly rates available. All grade school rates include busing to and from public schools. Each center's Director has their individual rates available upon request.
What are the ages of the children in attendance? What are the hours of operation?
We accept children ages 18 months through 12 years. We are open from 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in Fresno and Clovis. Our Madera center is open from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m
Children are supervised in all areas of the center at all times.
What do I need to bring on my first day of school?
Preschool children will need a blanket for nap time and a change of clothes to keep at school. Make certain all of your child's personal belongings are labeled, including their coats and sweaters. Your child will be assigned their own cubby box and you will be shown where you can store their belongings. For sanitary reasons, we suggest you take your child's blanket home for laundering on a regular basis. Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated.
Do we care for contagiously ill children? What if my child becomes ill during the day?
We are not licensed to care for ill children, nor are we physically able to accommodate them. If a child becomes ill during the day, we isolate them and call the parent immediately to pick them up from the center.
We have an open door policy and encourage parents to visit at anytime.
We provide a hot, nutritious lunch daily following the State nutrition guidelines. Breakfast is served each morning until 9:00 a.m. and a snack is provided each afternoon. Please check the menus for the daily meal offerings.
Is there something wrong if my child doesn't immediately adjust to Day Care?
Each child adjusts differently to starting Day Care. Though usually this transition period is brief, in some instances it can last a few weeks. Your child may be fine at first, then regress a few weeks later. This is all very normal. Our Staff will help you through this transition with a lot of TLC and reassurance Mommy or Daddy will return soon. If you find your child is having a lot of separation anxiety in the morning, it may help if you depart promptly after bringing your child into the center. Remember we are only a phone call away and you are welcome to call at anytime to check on your child.
Are we open during Easter and Christmas breaks?
Kids Kare Schools are open year round including Easter and Christmas breaks. We do observe all major holidays: New Years Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and Christmas Day.
What type of program is offered for the preschool children?
Our preschool program is a Kindergarten Readiness program developed by our Curriculum Coordinator entitled “Fun While Learning”. This program stresses colors, numbers and letters, with emphasis on our phonics program, which includes beginning reading and writing skills. Nature, science, history and cultures are explored, as well as music, arts, and crafts. Our program is presented through visual aides, flannel boards, stories and poems, puppets, books, pictures, discussions and daily hands on computer lab. We incorporate field trips to local points of interest to correspond with our studies.
Does my child have show and tell time?
We allow your child to bring something from home that pertains to the weekly theme or letter of the week to place in our Alphabet jar. You can check with the center to find out the weekly theme or refer to the monthly newsletter.
Is there a program provided for the grade school children?
At Kids Kare Schools we believe the children deserve to have fun after school, therefore, we offer a relaxing environment with activities such as foosball, air hockey, pool tables, and an entertainment area with HD TV, surround sound, DVD’s, computers, Nintendo, X-Box, and karaoke machines. The children have the option to participate in planned educational activities if they choose.
Does the program allow for children to do their homework?
We offer a Homework Club for children immediately after returning from school. Parents can sign their children up for this club with the Head Teacher.
Do the children go on field trips?
Yes, the Preschool children go on monthly field trips. Field trip information is posted in our monthly newsletter in the centers, and will be available on our website. Grade School children go on field trips during our Summer Blast program and on extended vacation periods during the school year.
Safety is an important issue with Kids Kare Schools as well as the children’s privacy as they get older. The Preschool children are supervised at all times. The grade school children are given their privacy, but we do monitor their usage.
Who gets to use the swimming pools and are swimming lessons offered?
The Grade school children who are competent swimmers are allowed to use the pools. We do not offer lessons as we do not have the qualified staff to offer this service.
Is your website secure? Do the parents get a password?
All sensitive areas containing pictures of students are secure. A password is issued each month to parents through the e-mail address you provide to insure the integrity of our system.
Are children monitored while they are on the internet?
Before a child is allowed access to the internet, they must review our rules for usage with their parent. A teacher is stationed to monitor computer use.
Part of the enrollment process includes having the parent fill out emergency information, including who you authorize to pick up your child/children from our center. This list is referred to when someone other than the parent comes to pick up the child. It is our practice to ask for identification from any adult we do not recognize who comes into pick up a child.
How often do the children eat and drink?
The children are given breakfast between 8:00 am and 9:00 am for Preschool and 7:30 to 8:00 for Grade school children. Lunch is between 11:30 and 12:30. Afternoon snack is at 3:15 for Preschool and 3:30 for Grade school. The children have access to drinking fountains both inside and outside.
Can my child bring his/her own snacks/lunch?
We allow this for special dietary needs only.
Can we give over the counter medication?
We do not administer medications to children in our care.
Yes, for an additional weekly fee.
We ask you to provide them for your child, however, we do have extras that we will provide for a fee.
What public schools do you bus to?
Please check with each center to find out the current schools they provide busing to or you can check under each center location on the website.
Do you provide busing service from my home for my grade school child if I’m in your local area?
No.
What holidays do you observe and close for?
We are closed on New Years Day, Martin Luther King Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the Friday After, and Christmas Day.
Do you provide service on the weekends?
No.
What form of payment do you accept for tuition?
You may pay your tuition with a personal check, money order, or debit cards.
Do you offer vacation, if so how much and when?
We offer a one week vacation credit after you are enrolled for six months and each six months after, to a maximum of two weeks credit per year. You may wait until you have accrued two weeks and use two weeks at one time.
If a scheduled day lands on a holiday, can we come another day?
No. Our teacher/child ratio is based on the days you are enrolled.
Why do parents have to pay for closed Holidays?
We bill on a weekly basis, not on daily attendance. We take all of the holidays into consideration when we calculate our weekly rates.
What happens when my child is sick, do I still pay?
When your child is absent for one week, we will absorb half the cost and credit your account with 50% of the normal charge. Our expense for teachers still continues even if your child does not attend.
