FAQ

Dear Parents,
Welcome to Giraffe Laugh Early Learning Center.  You have made a quality choice for your child and we welcome you to our center.  Please keep us informed of how we can meet yours and your child’s needs while they are in our care.  Communication is very important to us and a vital part of your child’s success and comfort in our center.  Thank you for choosing one of our Giraffe Laugh Early Learning Centers!!

PURPOSE & GOALS:
Giraffe Laugh is a non-profit, Idaho Corporation dedicated to providing quality, affordable childcare to all families regardless of their ability to pay for that care with an emphasis on parent education.  The Board of Directors is made up of non-parent community members and Giraffe Laugh parents that represent families from all income levels and childcare for their children.  Drop-in care is available as well.

The 9th street center provides care for up to 36 children at a time and will provide care for children ages six weeks to six years. Our 12th Street location cares for up to 64 children ages six weeks to six years. We do not transport school age children to any schools other than Longfellow (GL1), directly across from our 9th street location.  Garfield Elementary will transport school age children to and from our 12th street location by bus. (GL2)

The center and its staff does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, income, religion, sex, nationality, disabilities, non-disabilities, age, appearance & family status.

REGISTRATION AND FEES:
To enroll your child you must complete a registration form and provide immunization records.  Your child must be fully immunized and/or up to date on their immunizations in order for us to begin and continue caring for your child.  A non-refundable fee of $30 will be charged at the time of enrollment.  This is an annual fee that is renewed each September.  The amount is pro-rated depending on the month you begin.  The fee covers all children in the same family.

Part-time and drop-in fees are based on the number of hours a child is scheduled to be in the center.  Families will be charged for all time scheduled regardless of whether or not they use those hours.  Full-time rates are for children attending 5 days per week or for 25 hours of more.  Scholarships are available for low-income families.  If you feel you may qualify for a reduced rate, please speak to the Executive Director or either of the Site Directors at our sites.

Drop in care is unique in that parents may call in at any time and request a spot for their child.  If we have an opening, we will accommodate your child and put them on the schedule.  If we do not have an opening, we will put them on a waiting list and notify the parent as a soon as possible if the schedule opens up.  If we do schedule a child, it is expected that the spot be paid for whether or not the child attends.  With adequate notice this charge will be suspended.   This differs from part-time care in that we will reserve the requested time for part-timers and parents will never need to call in to see if that time is available.  They may, however call in to request additional time whenever necessary or desired and we will accommodate them if space is available

WHEN IS PAYMENT EXPECTED?:
Payment is expected at the beginning of each month for all parents with reserved space.  Payment in full is expected by the 15th of the month.  Part time parents are charged according to how many hours they have reserved for their child, times the rate under the income category that they fall under.  This amount is multiplied by 52 weeks and divided by 12 to come up with a monthly rate.  Accounts must be paid in full by the end of each month for your child to continue care the following month unless arrangements have been made in advance.

Scholarships are available to families who meet income guidelines, so please contact office personnel for more information about scholarships.  If you have an emergency request for anything beyond the normal amount charged at each income level, please obtain the Request for Emergency Funds Form from the office and submit it immediately.

Recipients of the Idaho Child Care Program are expected to make payments that are equal to the approximate co-pay.  If you need assistance with your co-pay, please contact office personnel for more information on ways we can assist you.

If for any reason you cannot follow these policies, please contact the Director to make satisfactory arrangements for payment.

VACATIONS, SICK DAYS & CANCELLATIONS:
We staff according to our daily schedule that indicates how many staff members are needed.  We maintain a low ratio and a high quality of childcare, therefore, it is important for us to know when children will or will not be present.  We also have a drop-in service that many people utilize.  When your child is not going to be with us it is important that you let us know so that we can call people on our waiting list who need our services.

When your child is ill or you will be on vacation, please let us know as soon as possible.  If your child is scheduled full-time you will be granted two vacation weeks per year.  This may be used when your child is ill or for actual vacation time.  After your 10 days are used for the year all other absences are expected to be paid in full.  If your child is scheduled part-time you may also receive two weeks credit for your normal amount of hours scheduled during a week.  For example:  If your child attends Giraffe Laugh three mornings a week for a total of 10 hours.  Your two weeks equals, six of their normal days or 20 hours.

There will be no “cashing in” at the end of the year or carryover from year to year.  The year refers to a calendar year, January 1-December 31.

If you will be more than 30 minutes late, please call us; otherwise, your child’s name will be removed from the schedule for that day.  We appreciate your cooperation with this request as it allows us to schedule staff properly as well as accept drop-in children.

SCHEDULING:
Giraffe Laugh is open from 7:30-5:30, Monday-Friday. Drop-in reservations must be made for a minimum of one hour and can be made by calling 342-1239 (GL1); or 424-3387 (GL2).  We will hold a reservation for 30 minutes after your expected time of arrival.  If you need full-time or permanent part-time care, please let us know and your child will be scheduled as soon as space is available.  We encourage you to call us last minute as well as scheduling in advance for drop-in.

WHAT WILL MY CHILD NEED TO BRING?
We hope that your child’s transition from home to school is a smooth one and we are accustomed to children bringing in support items from home to make this transition easier.  PLEASE label all items that your child brings and wears to Giraffe Laugh, as it is difficult to distinguish the belongings of all of our children by memory only.

We caution parents that if your child wishes to bring in a toy to share that we will not be responsible for its loss or damage.  We understand that it may make it easier for parents in the morning not to have a battle about “toys from home”.  We also recognize that there is value to bringing ones toys from home and to sharing them with others.  However we also feel that the concept of sharing is often better learned with the neutral toys at Giraffe Laugh, therefore we discourage this practice as much as possible.  The preschool programs both have share days so talk to your child’s teacher about what day that is.

INFANTS: Parents will need to provide bottles, diapers, wipes and breast milk for their infant.  If you are not nursing Giraffe Laugh will provide formula based on the guidelines of The Child and Adult Care Food Program via the Department of Education.  We will provide baby food and snacks for your baby.  All baby foods are served as a single item only.  There are no mixed meals so you know exactly what your child is eating.  When you and the teacher decide it’s time to eat table food, it is provided for breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack.

TODDLERS: Tot’s will need diapers, wipes and comfort items that they are attached to as well as outdoor clothing, shoes and coats as needed.   Breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack are provided that adhere to the Child and Adult Care Food Program via the Department of Education.  Your child will receive whole milk until they are two, then they will be served 1% milk.  All foods served are listed on the food pyramid and include a grain, vegetable, fruit, protein source, and dairy product.

PRE-SCHOOLERS: Preschoolers need to bring appropriate clothing for outdoor play, coats, shoes, a change of clothing and a well rested body. Both centers provide a breakfast, lunch and snack as described above in the toddler section.  It is common for preschoolers to decrease food intake so don’t worry if they suddenly don’t care for the same foods or won’t try new items.  This is normal.  We simply keep trying by serving things over and over and often they move beyond pickiness before you know it!  No food is forced on the children as we eat family style and children are able to help themselves to things they like.  Since it is all healthy food we know they are getting food that is good for them.

TELL ME MORE ABOUT MEALS?  WHAT ABOUT BIRTHDAYS?
A healthy USDA approved breakfast is provided at 8:30 a.m. at both centers; a healthy USDA approved lunch is provided at 11:30 at both centers and both centers provide a healthy afternoon snack at 2:30 p.m.

Parents can bring snack for their child’s class anytime they wish, especially for holidays and birthdays.  We are always happy to take part in birthday celebrations and feel this is an important part of sharing the growing up process with friends.  Some of you would like to celebrate at the center so we can plan for your child’s special day.  If preschoolers would like to schedule a special outing, please notify us in advance to see if arrangements can be made to schedule a field trip.  The parent will be expected to assist with the trip.

In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.  To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800)795-3272 or (202)720-6382 (TTY).  “USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer”

WHAT IF MY CHILD IS NOT POTTY TRAINED?
We are happy to assist you when you feel your child is ready for potty training.  We advise you to wait until they are having a lot of success at home then we ask you to provide plenty of changes of clothes.  We do not recommend pull-ups (except perhaps at nap time) as they do not provide the same awareness of wetness that training pants or underwear do.  We do not shame, scold, or otherwise embarrass the child when they have accidents.  Accidents are to be expected and a part of the learning process.  If it appears your child is having little success at the center we may request that he/she returns to diapers (or pull-ups) until they feel more confident using the potty at school.  We treat accidents in a matter-of-fact way and often allow the child to change their own clothing, making the process a tedious one that takes away from their playtime, therefore, reinforcing the benefits of using the potty!!

HOW CAN I BE INVOLVED AS A PARENT & CAN I VISIT MY CHILD?
We WELCOME and EXPECT parent involvement in several ways at Giraffe Laugh Early Learning Centers.  There are many regularly scheduled events that parents and other family members, i.e. siblings, grandparents, etc. may attend.  (Also see field trips) We ask all families to contribute 20 hours of volunteer time each year.  We feel it is vital to your child’s success at our school to see you involved and a part of such an important part of their day. You can also ask other family members, neighbors, friends, or professionals to help in some way and this will go toward your child’s 20 hours.  There is a contest each year and the family with the most hours gets a free week of childcare equivalent to their normal schedule!

When you enter GL 1, the cubby area has two bulletin boards; the entrance of Giraffe Laugh 2 also has a bulletin board by the sign in sheets; designed specifically for parents.  Each month the boards are updated to include activities that are going on that you can be part of.  These activities do not always require that you be here during the day or require that you miss work.  Please look carefully for ways that you can become involved and if you have an idea of your own, PLEASE tell us…we want you to be a part of your child’s education more than anyone else in the world!  ALSO please read the monthly newsletter regularly, as it always has something for volunteers to do, including, but not limited to things like becoming a Board Member, helping in the classroom, going of field trips, painting, cleaning, repairing, helping with events, and more.  It is important to write down your hours in the volunteer book, as there are incentives for parents throughout the year.

We encourage parents to visit and stay at the center for as many times as needed before you leave your child for the first day.  This will increase both you and your child’s comfort level and familiarize you both with routines.

Parents are welcome to join their child for lunch or breastfeeding or any other time of the day.  We only ask that if you tell your child you will come during the day, that you do, and you not arrive at nap time (12:30 pm.).  It is more difficult for children to separate from parents when they are tired.

DOES GIRAFFE LAUGH TAKE FIELD TRIPS?
There are a few annual trips that are standard for us such as the annual Halloween Parade, a trip to the Pumpkin Patch and a trip to the Zoo.  Most field trips will be announced in advance in the newsletter but occasionally an opportunity will arise last minute that is too good to pass up.  Giraffe Laugh does not have a vehicle for field trips therefore we rely on parents to provide transportation to and from field trips and to act as chaperons.  If your child is required to use a car seat, please label it and leave it at the center for field trip day.  Children must be 7 years or 70 lbs. to be out of a car seat.  Seatbelts are always used on all children.  There is sometimes a minimal cost for these field trips, if this should be a burden, please notify the Executive Director or one of the Assistant Directors at either center and scholarships are available.  If you are able to pay for someone who cannot, please also notify the director.  No child will be unable to attend a field trip due to inability to pay.

HOW ELSE CAN I BE INVOLVED IN CENTER ACTIVITIES?
Because we are a non-profit corporation a portion of our annual budget is generated through fundraising activities and events.  If you have ideas, resources and/or the time to help in this area, we are more than happy to utilize your expertise.  Occasionally, there are projects that we cannot hire “professionals” to do, therefore, we look to the parents to assist us with special projects such as yard improvements, playground equipment  improvements, building improvements, etc.  If you have any special skills that you are willing to share, we are always anxious to use your skills!!

PRE-SCHOOL HOURS AND PROGRAM:
Our primary goal is preparing children for kindergarten! Our focus is literacy, math and science.  Children will gain necessary skills for kindergarten preparedness including:  math: recognizing numerals, adding using concrete materials and so on.   Building on literacy means they learn sounds, symbols, sense of story, etc. Additionally, books, puzzles and writing materials are always available, and guided art experiences are provided for creativity and expression.  Elements of nature are explored and the basic skills of a scientist, observing, predicting and hypothesizing are all a part of learning to love learning!

The pre-school hours are form 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  Your child will need to be on time.  Pre-school is very child oriented and child led.  It involves established curriculum for each week coupled with a flexibility to allow for the children’s own curiosity and the development of the interests surrounding the themes.  Breakfast is followed by circle time, activity time, clean-up time, outdoor time, lunchtime then free playtime.  Our emphasis is on hands-on activities and experimentation rather than worksheets and pre-cut art projects therefore your child may not always come home with a lot of artwork.  They will, however, come home with thoughts, ideas and experiences that build on previous and future learning.

HOW ARE ILLNESSES HANDLED?
An ongoing screening is conducted throughout the day in order to determine the health of each child.  Children will be isolated and asked to be removed form the center if the following conditions exist:  A fever of 101 or more (fever is a sign of infection not teething!!)  A greenish or yellow discharge from the nose or ears, any discharge from the eyes, any child with strange bumps or a rash, a child who is vomiting or has diarrhea, any child with a continual cough and any child with any communicable disease that require they be out of a childcare center for an amount of time determined by the health department. (See our posted guidelines)

If your child had a fever, they must be FEVER FREE FOR A 24-HOUR PERIOD before returning to childcare!!  If they have symptoms that persist, they may return after being on antibiotics for 24 hours and remaining fever free.  Occasionally a note from a doctor may be requested in order for your child to return to school.

WHAT IF MY CHILD NEEDS MEDICATION?
If your child needs medication during their stay at Giraffe Laugh, parents will need to write permission for them to receive the medicine on a permission slip.  Medicine permission slips can be obtained from your child’s teacher.  Please indicate the medication name, dosage and the time to be given.  You may request from your pharmacist a container for the childcare and they will give you one for home and one for school.  This way you don’t have to remember to take the medication home each evening and it ensures your child’s medicine is always available to help speed their recovery.  DO NOT LEAVE MEDICINE IN YOUR CHILD’S BAG where another child might find it!  Please always give it to a teacher to put in a safe place.

Non-prescription drugs must also be written down for us to administer them to your child.

HOW ARE ACCIDENTS HANDLED?
All staff is required to have current CPR and 1st Aid certification.  In the case of serious accident or injury we will make every effort to contact the child’s parents first.  It is very important to have someone else we can contact in the case of emergency with current phone numbers on your registration form.  It is also important for you to leave the number where you can be reached today on the daily sign-in sheet.  If an adult is not available outside of the center to care for the child, the child’s doctor or an ambulance may be called if necessary.  If needed we will transport your child to the hospital of your choice or the nearest hospital (St. Luke’s RMC) if you have not indicated a choice in your paperwork.

HOW DO I KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING AT GIRAFFE LAUGH?
A Parent Newsletter is published monthly to inform parents about upcoming events and information.  Sometimes we cannot anticipate all information in advance so please pay close attention to notes on the entrance door or by the sign in sheet.  Additionally, we will put notices of importance in your mailbox as well.

Please also connect with us on our Fan Page on Facebook or through Twitter or MySpace.  Whatever social network you use, you can find us there.  We will also do quarterly postings on our website to keep parents informed.  We may from time to time send you email notices as well about things coming up soon.

GL holds annual parent/teacher conferences in the fall to connect with parents regarding each child’s development and progress in our school.  Many times are available to parents so please try to make it to this important informational meeting about your special child!

In regard to your child’s day and/or progress please feel free to contact the Director and to talk to your child’s teacher personally to get the information you need.  We appreciate your input and it helps us to better understand your child’s needs.  Please keep us informed of how we can better be of service to you and your child. If you are unhappy with your childcare please tell us, if you are happy with your childcare, please tell a friend!

LICENSING AND STAFFING:
Giraffe Laugh Early Learning Centers are licensed by the City of Boise.  GL operates to meet or exceed all regulations regarding adult/child ratios, health and safety precautions, procedure, nutrition, and record keeping.  We meet all guidelines established by the Idaho Child Care Program and accept clients on this program.

All Giraffe Laugh staff members are licensed by the City of Boise as Child Care Providers.  All have been finger printed and had a background check.  At all times a staff member is present who has been trained in first aid and CPR.  All staff regularly participate in in-service training and have access to current literature and training related to children.

We ask that all teachers enroll in the Professional Development program IdahoSTARS and support furthering the education and level of professionalism of the wonderful people who shape the lives of children on a daily basis.

PARENTING CLASSES:
Parenting classes are available to all parents on occasion.  Most are at no charge to the parents.  All parents are encouraged to attend as many courses as possible.  Parents who take advantage of our scholarships are required to attend at least one class per series when offered at the center as a requirement of our grant.  You will be informed of classes scheduled in our monthly newsletter.

WHAT IS GIRAFFE LAUGH’S DISCIPLINE PHILOSOPHY?
When unacceptable behavior occurs, the child is spoken to gently but firmly regarding the inappropriate behavior.  Desirable alternative behaviors are taught as they are offered to the child as options for appropriate behavior.  Redirection of activity is also used when possible.  For more serious or continuing misbehavior, a child may be removed from the group for a brief time-away period.  If this occurs the child has the opportunity to do a quite, solitary activity such as reading a book or doing a puzzle, in this way it allows the child to be separate from their classmates and to be successful in an activity before returning to the group.  A lot of conflict resolution and language building occurs to help children with the nuances of social skills while building the vocabulary that is key to positive interactions with one another.

Our focus is on positive behaviors and when a negative behavior arises that does not require attention our disciplinary response is on the behavior rather than the child.  Words are chosen carefully and a positive tone of voice is used in order to help the child feel confident and reassured rather than guilty and ashamed.

When a parent arrives we will always focus on the positive aspects of your child’s day especially if the child is within earshot.  This reinforces the concept that adults will focus on appropriate behavior as opposed to negative.  Please do not attempt to discuss inappropriate behaviors with your child present.  Choose a time when your child is busy with others or talk to your child’s teacher over the phone.  It is very normal for preschool children to exhibit “socially unacceptable behaviors”.  Please don’t be alarmed or give undue attention to negative actions.  Most negative behaviors are developmentally appropriate and will be outgrown or replaced with appropriate behavior under gentle guidance from teachers at school and parents at home.

WHAT DAYS DOES GIRAFFE LAUGH CLOSE?
GL is closed during the following holidays: (You may opt to use your credits for these days by simply leaving a note with your payment requesting a credit from the bookkeeper) Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, & the day after, Christmas day and New Years Day.  Giraffe Laugh closes at 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve and New Years eve. If the holiday mentioned occurs on a weekend, the center will be closed either the Friday before or Monday after the holiday.  This will be announced on the relevant years with plenty of advance notice.

CONGRATULATIONS!!
You, like many other parents, have chosen a quality Early Childhood center for your child and we congratulate you on your choice!  Please keep us informed of how we can continue caring for you and yours and how we can address your concerns and cares for your family.