Handbook

Visitation

Parents are welcome to visit UHCP at any time. Our main entrance will be locked for the safety of our children and you will need to ring the outdoor bell for assistance.

Parent Involvement

We welcome the addition of any talents, professions, or skills you would like to share with our children. Check with the Director to see how your experience can be brought into the classroom. CARI checks and fingerprinting required for volunteers.

Absences

Please call the office to report your child’s absence and notify us of any illness.

Photo Policy

The staff at UHCP may take photos for in house use only. Any photos used for media purposes will be with parental consent only. Parents are welcome to take photos during family events. Photos with children other than your own MAY NOT be posted on the internet in any format. This includes Facebook, You Tube and all other social networks.

Arrival and Departure

For the safety of all of our children the front parking lot has been designated for preschool parking. Please park in the Front parking lot only. Parents are asked to accompany their children up the front walk and into the building and to accompany them out to their cars in the same manner at dismissal. UHCP asks that you arrive on time for your child’s class, as late arrivals can be disruptive. It is important to your child and to us that you not be late picking your child up at dismissal. Please call the school if you will be late picking up your child.

Release Authorization

No child will be released to any persons other than the parent unless permission has been given to the Director by the parent. Please use the release authorization form provided. If the person picking up your child is unfamiliar to UHCP staff we ask that they show some form of ID. Please be sure to include your medical emergency contact person/persons on this list. If a parent has a restraining order prohibiting the other parent from picking up, visiting, or otherwise having contact with the child, we require that a copy of the signed order be kept in the child’s file. If a child is not picked up by the parent or persons so authorized to do so the child will remain in the care of the Director until the parent/authorized person is contacted.

Supplies and Equipment

Please send your child to school with a tote bag that they can readily open on their own. Please be sure that it is large enough to accommodate projects, notices, etc. Please discourage your child from bringing any toys from home except for toys that are needed in the very beginning of school to help ease your child’s transition to school. We cannot be responsible for toys brought from home. Toys brought in for show and tell will be placed in your child’s tote bag. NO GUNS, WAR TOYS, OR OTHER TOYS OF DESTRUCTION ARE ALLOWED.

Clothing

Please label all coats, totes, and any other items you send in with your child’s name. Please dress your child for play. Crafts, projects, and outdoor play can be messy. Clothing should be easy for children to handle when using the bathroom. For safety reasons we request that you do not send children to school in sandals or open shoes. Please provide one complete change of clothes for your child in case of soiling. This should include socks. We also request a large zip-lock bag in which to place soiled clothing. Children in diapers must have wipes and diapers packed in their tote and readily available.

Nutrition

UHCP provides a daily snack. We require that you inform us of any food related allergies that your child may have and we reserve the right to request that parents of children with allergies provide their own snack. No peanut products are allowed in the school.

Birthday Celebrations

Birthdays are very special and we want your child to enjoy their special day in school. At UHCP your child will take home a special book on their special day. We also will have special toys and activities from our birthday theme box. We do not celebrate with outside foods or goodie bags. Many children bring in their favorite book to share with the class or may even invite a special guest reader for that day. Please speak with the director or your child's teachers when making celebration arrangements.

Field Trips

Part of the curriculum at UHCP includes field trips. We will notify you in advance of any planned trip. Written permission slips must be returned prior to each trip. UHCP does not provide transportation for field trips. When a trip requires transportation, parents are required to transport their child or authorize another adult to do so.

Community Involvement

We include many opportunities for community involvement, including visits from the Police Department, Fire Department, Dentist and other community organizations. The intention is to familiarize and educate the children with situations that may affect their lives. Parents suggestions are always welcomed for ideas on outside programs.

Fund Raisers

UHCP will from time to time hold fund raiser activities. Fund raisers are strictly voluntary. No family is ever required to take part.

School Calendar

Our school calendar is included for your convenience. UHCP uses the Denville Township school calendar as a guideline for holiday closings.

Inclement Weather

UHCP may need to close due to inclement weather. In the event of a delayed opening UHCP will open at 10:00 and end at the regularly scheduled time. You will be notified of emergency closing or delayed opening due to weather conditions by a recorded message on the school answering machine. Please call the school at 973-361-5983. We will also post a notice on Cancellations.com

Discipline

We are committed to providing a supportive nurturing environment where children can learn and grow.

Our discipline policy is based on respect for children and is intended to help children to learn self-discipline and to foster self-esteem:

Discharge

The Director and staff will make every effort to assist each child in adjusting to our program. In the event that a child fails to adjust to the program or chronically displays disruptive behavior the Board of Directors of UHCP reserves the right to ask that the child be withdrawn. Parents will first be asked to conference with the Director. If we feel that it is in the best interest of a child we will suggest that the child be evaluated by a specialist. We will work together with the parents to secure the necessary observations and evaluations.

If events require that the child be dismissed written notification will be given to the parents.

Tuition

Tuition is an annual tuition and can be paid in 10 monthly installments for your convenience. The first installment is due at the time of registration. This will be held as a deposit and applied as your final installment. Installments are due by the fifth of each month from September through May.

If you prefer payments may be made quarterly or annually with no reduction in the total tuition. Payments are to be left in the tuition box in the Director’s office. Checks should be made out to Union Hill Church Preschool.

UHCP requires one month notice of withdrawal from the program. Failure to do will result in loss of the deposit installment payment. June is not a refundable month, May is the last month to apply your security deposit. Deposits are not refundable after May 1st for families enrolled to start in September of the same year. Registration fees are not refundable at any time. No credit on tuition is given for scheduled holidays, vacation periods, sickness, inclement weather, and emergency closing. The UHCP staff are held in high regard and are paid on holidays, inclement weather closings and for the month of June.

Union Hill Church provides limited scholarship to families in need when funding is available.

Delinquent Tuition Payment

If payment of tuition is in arrears for 60 days, The Board of Directors of UHCP reserves the right to remove this child /children from the preschool program. We understand that there may be unique circumstances and we will consider special situations on an individual basis. Returned check policy

UHCP reserves the right to charge a late fee of $10.00 per installment for tuition payments made after the 15th of each month.

Health and Safety

The health of your child is important and greatly affects their enjoyment of school activities. Upon enrollment, you must provide us with a completed health form signed by your health care provider. Please let us know of any medical conditions (asthma, diabetes, allergies, etc.) that may exist and please be sure that the Director knows what to do if a problem should occur. The Flu Vaccine is mandatory for all children enrolled along with an annual updated immunization record. The Annual Health Form and up to date immunizations are NJ State regulations. If your child's records are not in compliance he or she may be removed from the program.

Due to the severe nature of peanut allergies UHCP, to the best of our ability, maintains a peanut and nut free environment. We require that no peanut butter or peanut products be brought into the school.

UHCP administers medication or medical procedures only when medically necessary to prevent life threatening illness or injury. No medications will be administered without written authorization from both the parent and the child’s health care provider. All medication must be kept in its original container. All labels must include child’s name, the name of medication, expiration date of the medication, date it was prescribed or updated, and complete directions for administering. Parents must agree to provide oral and written instruction for administering medication or procedures to all staff members. UHCP will immediately notify parent of administration of medication or medical procedure and of any adverse effects that may have occurred.

No child will be allowed in school who has the illness or symptoms of the illness specified below unless written medical diagnosis from a health care provider indicates that the child poses no serious health risk to himself or to others. A parent will be called immediately to pick up their child if the child displays any of the following illness or symptoms while at school. A written statement from the health care provider must accompany the child’s return.

Acute pain or discomfort, vomiting, diarrhea, Bloody diarrhea, sore throat, severe coughing, yellow eyes or jaundiced skin, red eyes with discharge, difficult rapid breathing, stiff neck, mouth sores with drooling, and any of the following skin conditions; infected, weeping, or bleeding patches or lesions and or rashes associated with fever or behavioral changes.

Parents often enjoy visiting outside after pick up time while their children play. Parents are solely ponsible for their child's saftey at this time. Do not allow your children to climb in trees, on the playground fence, play with the garden rocks, run in the parking lot or be out of your vision. The UHCP and The UHPC are not responsible for any injuries or accidents when your child is in your care.

Communicable Diseases

Please inform us immediately if your child has contracted one of the communicable diseases listed below. No child who has contracted a Communicable Disease will be readmitted without a Health Care Provider’s note. Parents will be notified in writing if their child has been exposed to any of the following communicable disease:

*REPORTABLE DISEASES as required by N.J.A.C. 10:122-7.10(a)

In the event of a serious accident or illness the Director or acting Director will:

Emergency Treatment Permission is given when signing our application form.

Accidents or injuries not requiring medical treatment will be explained, to the parent, at the end of the session. Incidences of biting, head trauma, or bleeding will be immediately reported to parent by phone.

New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services Information to Parents

Under the provisions of the Manual of Requirements for Child Care centers (N.J.A.C.10:122) every licensed child care center in the State of New Jersey must provide parents of enrolled children with the following information:

UHCP is required by law to report any incidents or suspicions of possible child abuse and/or neglect by any parent, staff member, or any other adult. Reports will be made to the NJ Division of Youth and Family Services.

Any parent, or other adult, with reasonable cause to believe that a child has been subjected to abuse and/or neglect, hitting, corporal punishment, abusive language, ridicule, harsh, humiliating, or frightening treatment, or exploitation by a staff member, or any other adult, should contact the DYFS office of Child Abuse Control at 1-877-652-2873.

All such reports can be made anonymously.

UHCP is required to be licensed by the Bureau of Licensing, Division of Youth and Family Services and to comply with all applicable provisions of the Manual of Requirements for Child Care Centers. A copy of our current license is posted in the entrance hallway to the school. Parents may review our copy of this manual at any time by contacting the Director.

As a parent you have the right to review the Bureau’s Life/Safety and Program Inspection/Violation and Complaint Investigation Summary Report and any letters of enforcement or other actions taken against this school during the current licensing period. If, at any time, you feel that the school is in violation of or not meeting any of these requirements please feel free to discuss it with the Director or you may report it directly to the Bureau. The Director is always available to discuss any questions you may have regarding any of the school’s policies or procedures.

All parent volunteers that spend time in a classroom or have direct contact with the children must be fingerprinted and have a background check completed through the State of New Jersey. See the director for the necessary forms and procedures.

UHCP must have a policy regarding the release of children to parents or other adults authorized by parents to be responsible for the child. Our release policy is included in the Parent’s Handbook. Please be sure to inform us of any changes that need to be made to your release authorization form.

UHCP must have a policy regarding the management of communicable diseases and the dispensing of medication to children who attend our school. These policies are outlined in this handbook.

UHCP must cooperate with DYFS investigations. DYFS staff may interview both staff members and children.

UHCP must post its written policy on discipline. It is located in the entrance hallway of the school. This handbook includes a copy. We encourage you to discuss any questions you may have.

UHCP must post a listing or diagram of all areas approved for use by the children. Every room used by children at UHCP has direct access to the outdoors in the event of the need to evacuate the building.

UHCP must offer parents of enrolled children the opportunity to participate in and to observe activities at the school. We encourage parents to do so. Please feel free to discuss any ideas you may have with the Director or your child’s teacher.

UHCP must inform you that you have the right to visit and to observe at any time. We welcome you to do so.

UHCP must inform you, in advance, of any field trip and we must secure written permission from you for your child to attend.

UHCP is required to provide the following information on recalled children's products. We highly recommend checking the Consumer Product Safety Commission website frequently for updated recalls or call 1-800-242-5846 for more information.

In keeping with these requirements UHCP must secure every parent’s signature attesting to the receipt of this information.