Parent Handbook
PROGRAMME
Our programme is based on Te Whariki the early childhood curriculum from the Ministry of Education. We have also been inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach to teaching and learning. The programme is creative based, child centred and developmental. Our ongoing observation of the children enables us to plan a programme based on a child's interest and is designed to meet an individual's needs.
Our practices reflect and celebrate the multi cultural heritage of our community. We believe that early childhood education should facilitate the development of confidence, independence, and an interest in learning.
Play is central to children's development. It is their unique way of learning about the world and showing us what they already know. Carefully designed indoor and outdoor play are an integral part of the experiences we provide, giving opportunity for both structured and spontaneous play.
Routine is an important part of the structure of our day. It gives the children a sense of security and a sense of the passage of time, allowing them to develop independence.
ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE
Our centre is privately owned and operated by local parents. The owners have a strong commitment to the philosophies of the centre and a strong belief in Early Childhood Education .
Nurture Early Learning receives bulk funding from the Ministry of Education. This funding is used to provide a quality programme and environment for the children. The Education Review Office has reviewed our centre and this review is available on the notice board and at www.ero.govt.nz.
Copies of our centre policies are held at the Centre and are available for parent inspection. Parents are encouraged to contribute to all policy development.
PARENT INVOLVEMENT
We welcome parents into our centre at anytime. Parent participation sends a strong positive message to your child that you support them and are part of our care environment. A three-way relationship between parents, care givers and the child enhances the well being and learning of the children. Communication is a vital ingredient to the success of this partnership. We also hold regular educational and social parent evenings, and throughout the year hold parent teacher interviews.
HOURS
Children should be dropped off and collected within the Centre's operating hours. If you are unable to pick your child up on time please contact the Centre. This allows staff to allay your child's concerns and make plans for alternative supervision. A late fee will apply if your child is left at the Centre after closing time.
ORIENTATION
We recommend that parents and children visit our Centre prior to attending, to meet staff and familiarise themselves with our surroundings. This ensures a positive beginning.
We ensure that at least one staff member greets the child and creates a relationship with the family and the child. Detailed discussions on the child's development, behaviour, sleeping and eating requirements must be held upon enrolment.
DROPPING OFF AND COLLECTING YOUR CHILD To facilitate a good start to the day:
• Ensure that your child gets to our centre in good time, so that neither you or your child are stressed with haste.
• Acknowledge the teacher and exchange brief information, more detailed discussions should be planned for a more appropriate time.
• Sign in and out on tablet- This is a legal requirement by the Ministry of Education and it is also a safety requirement in case of an emergency evacuation in the Centre.
• Write details of any information the staff may need for the day for
example, health, medicine, or early pick up - in the book provided near the attendance register.
• Check the notice board on the window by the front door for important information.
• If your child would like to bring a special toy from home it may help them settle in. We cannot however take overall responsibility for these toy's.
• Say goodbye, and pass on a positive comment to your child.
Car seats can be left at our centre for your convenience and your children's safety. You are only permitted to park at the Centre in order to leave and collect your child.
Collecting your child:
• Acknowledge a staff member.
• Greet your child and admire and enjoy some of the work they have done during the day.
• Collect any masterpiece your child may have created during their day.
• Collect any belongings and have a safe journey home.
A responsible adult known to the Centre Manager and staff must bring children into our Centre. Only authorised persons (as indicated on the enrolment form) will be allowed to collect children from our Centre. Please notify the manager in writing of any changes to the adult collecting your child. An adult other than one known to the Centre requires photographic identification. Parents with custody orders must provide a copy to the Manager.
In the case of a non-custodial parent arriving to collect a child, the Manager will contact the police and provide the copy of the order for the police to enforce. A child will not be allowed to go home with a parent/guardian in contravention of a custody/court order held at the Centre. However, in the event of a non-custodial parent gaining access to a child, our Centre cannot be held liable.
CLOTHING
All clothing, shoes, cuddlies and bags must be clearly named. Because play and exploration can often be wet or messy, children should be dressed appropriately and a spare change of clothes should be packed every day. In winter, rain attire, gumboots and a warm hat are essential. In summer, sun-hats are to be provided for outdoor play and we recommend you apply sun block to your child before the start of the day, staff will apply additional sun block during the day.
WHAT TO BRING
Parents each day need to provide the following items in their child's named bag:
Under Two's
• Enough named nappies for the day.
• Milk/Formula in a named bottle (enough for the day).
• Complete set of spare clothes (enough for the day).
• Special items for sleep i.e. cuddly, toy, book etc.
• Sunhat / warm waterproof outside clothes in winter.
Over Two's
• Nappies (named) if still needed.
• Complete change of clothes (more when toilet training).
• Special items for sleep i.e. cuddly, toy, book etc.
• Sunhat / warm waterproof outside clothes in winter.
LOST PROPERTY
Our Centre there is a container for unnamed and lost property. It would be appreciated if parents could check this regularly as the amount builds up. Items that are still uncollected after three months are donated to a local charity.
STAFF
Nurture Early Learning is committed to staffing our Centre with highly skilled, passionate and caring teachers. Our Centre has fully qualified early childcare staff
and may also have some staff who are in training. All staff participate in ongoing professional development. As with all licensed early childhood centre's, our staff to child ratio is regulated by the Ministry of Education. The number of staff required to work with the children is 1 adult to 5 under 2 year old children and 1 adult to 10 over 2 year old children. We aim to provide a ratio that is always better than this.
From time to time, you will see new faces at our Centre. We have a roster of relief staff to help in the case of staff absence or just to give extra help. All staff are screened before participating in our daily activities and must adhere to our philosophy whilst at our Centre. From time to time early childhood teacher trainees will be at our centre as the practical component of their course. They will be supervised while at our centre and at no time will be left in charge of a group.
FEES
Please refer to the Fees Schedule that is attached to your child's enrolment form. Invoices are issued weekly. Fee must be paid one week in advance. Automatic payments are our preferred form of payment and we don't accept cash.
Our centre offers the Ministry of Education 20 hours subsidy to all 3 and 4 year old children who are eligible. You can discuss this with staff.
Work and Income may operate a subsidy for parents whose children attend the Centre. The subsidy is subject to an income qualification. Contact Work and Income for further information and forms. In this instance full payment of fees is the care giver's responsibility and will be required until a subsidy has been approved.
Fees will still be charged when your child is absent due to sickness or other reason. They will also be charged for enrolled days if they fall on a statutory holiday. This is because our centre still has to pay our staff. and other set rental outgoings.
After children have been enrolled in our centre for more than 6 months families are entitle to a 50% discount of their fees when their child will be absent from the centre for a consecutive period of 1 week or more. Two weeks notice of the absence must be given in written.
FOOD
Nurture Early Learning offers a unique concept of a separate dinning facility for children to eat their meals. We believe that this helps develop healthy eating habits, and encourages great social behaviour. This also enables Nurture to provide a hygienic meal space for the children.
Our full time centre-chef will design and provide healthy daily meals for your child that include morning tea, a hot lunch and afternoon tea. Our menu is written up on the blackboard in the kitchen each week. Every day your child will be offered fresh fruit and vegetables and encouraged to drink water to promote healthy eating habits. Mealtimes also provide opportunities to reinforce hygiene habits and promote good table manners and participation.
It is important that any food allergies be advised to staff so they can be posted in the kitchen and strictly followed. Please do not put food in your child's bag as there may be children who have allergies attending our Centre. If your child requires a bottle of milk/formula during the day, please provide a named and filled bottle, which will be stored in the refrigerator until needed.
TOILETING
Routine toileting times are provided before meals and naps to encourage good habits and independence in children who are ready. During toilet training, staff will endeavour to support efforts made at home. Please feel free to discuss any special needs with staff. Please make sure you send plenty of changes of clothes during this time, as a few accidents are unavoidable. Parents must supply sufficient named nappies for their child's day. All nappies must be disposable.
REST
Nurture Early Learning has separate sleep rooms attached to baby area. Your child will sleep in an allocated cot with their personal, named linen, which is laundered twice weekly. Older children are offered the opportunity to have a special time to relax or rest during the day; it enables them to gather their thoughts and strength for the rest of the day. It is our policy that if a child falls asleep, they are in need of a rest and will not be woken unless parents have requested otherwise. Some older children may not need sleep, but quiet activities will be available
EXCURSIONS / TRIPS
Excursions out of our Centre will be arranged from time to time as part of your child's experience. Parents are encouraged to be part of the outing when possible. Excursion slips outlining the trip, transport, cost and adult/child ratio will be given to all parents to complete prior to an outing. Children who are unable to attend the excursion will remain at our Centre with a trained staff member. Children may be taken on small walks out of the Centre. Approval for these is asked for when completing the enrolment form.
EMERGENCY AND EVACUATION PROCEDURES
In case of an unforeseen emergency situation, every effort will be made to contact parents to collect their child. If we are in a Centre Lockdown we will inform parents over our website, and parents are request to neither call or arrive at centre to collect their child. Regular fire drills are a legal requirement. If you are present at a fire drill, you are required by law to participate. Emergency evacuation plans are displayed in the Centre. Staff are familiar with evacuation procedures and policies.
Parents and visitors to the Centre will be asked to make themselves familiar with the evacuation plan. Regular emergency procedures give the children an opportunity to become familiar with the routine and planned evacuation.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
Our Centres Health and Safety policy is on display in our Centre. If parents have any concerns about a health or safety issue could they please raise it with the Manager. As an important part of your child's growth they will develop an awareness of their safety in play and personal safety with others.
CHILD HEALTH
We ask that any child who is unwell be kept at home so illness does not spread through our Centre. The Manager may at his/her discretion refuse to accept any child deemed unwell enough to attend our Centre. Children with severe coughs or colds, vomiting, diarrhoea, conjunctivitis, rashes or raised temperatures cannot be brought into our Centre. If symptoms develop during the day the parent will be contacted to arrange for immediate collection of their child.
A list of contagious conditions is on display at our centre outside the Managers office. Parents must make themselves familiar with this. Please remember that Vomiting and Diarrhoea can be a serious health risk to babies. Our Centre should be advised if the child has contracted a notifiable or infectious disease such as guardia, mumps, chickenpox etc. These children are required to be absent from our centre as per the communicable diseases chart which is on display in our Centre. We ask that children who have vomited or had diarrhoea are kept home for 48 hours after the last bout.
IMMUNISATION
We are required to keep an up-to-date Immunisation status of all children at our Centre. Please remember to bring your Well Child Book and a copy of your immunisation certificate with you when you enrol your child at the Centre. If your child is not immunised a letter confirming this needs to be attached to your enrolment form. In the case of an outbreak of such a disease a non immunised child will be asked to stay away from our Centre for the duration of the outbreak.
MEDICATION
Please advise the staff if your child is taking any medication. All medicines must be kept in the kitchen and the medicine book that is kept beside the sign in sheet must be filled in before we can administer any medication. Only medication that has a label stating your child's name and expiry date will be administered. We do not administer paracetamol unless prescribed by a doctor as it may mask a more serious illness.
The Centre keeps a first aid kit, which includes homeopathic medication for small incidents. Please advise the Manager if you would prefer these were not given to your child.
COMMUNICATION
Good communication all round is an essential component of a successful early childhood education experience
At Nurture Parents are kept informed of Centre activities through newsletters, notices posted on room doors. Important notices are placed on the main entrance door. Please make sure you look at the notice board every day.
Teachers monitor your child's progress and keep a portfolio and an online platform (Storypark) showing your child's development and what amazing activities they have been up to. Parents are invited to view their children's portfolio at anytime. If you would like a detailed discussion on your child's progress, we welcome such discussions. Please make an appointment with our Manager or check for an appropriate time on the parents notice board.
The following documentation is available in reception for your perusal.
Latest ERO report
Financial statements
Early childhood regulations 2018
Licensing criteria
Centre policy manual
Please let us know if your child is going to be absent from our Centre as we care about your children's welfare.
At least one week's notice must be given in writing if you wish to change your attendance days. Please ask the Manager for the appropriate form. Parents are invited to be part of the Centre policy review process, please make sure you are involved when the opportunity arises.
If you have any concerns or complaints relating to the operation of the Centre please refer the matter to:
Trudie Kroef
Nurture Early Learning
P O Box 10263,
Dominion Rd,
Auckland.
An important aspect to Nurture Early Learning is to create a sense of family and community within our centre. We therefore welcome grandparents, family or friends to join parents and visit the centre. Your participation in the Centre is welcomed and will help to ensure your family enjoys their early childhood experience.