Introduction

Today Care Children's Center is a child care center providing temporary care for the children of Regions Financial associates.  Care may also be provided for employees who are grandparents or foster parents with legal custody of a child.  Proof of custody is required. The Alabama Department of Human Resources licenses Today Care Children's Center.  The types of care offered and descriptions are as follows:

Back-up Care – for days when your regular child care arrangements are not available.  For example: school holidays, teacher in-service days, or your nanny is ill.  Employees are allowed 50 days per year to use at their discretion.  Back-up care may only be scheduled for 15 continuous days. After 15 days of consecutive care, a break of no less than 5 business days must be observed. Only 15 days of back up care can be scheduled at a time. Back-up care is $10 per day per child.  Payment is due upon drop-o
Back up days for infants, toddlers and preschoolers may be cancelled at no charge with 24 hours notice.  However, if you make a reservation and fail to cancel with at least 24 hours notice, you will be charged.  School holidays and summer programs for school age children require a week’s cancellation notice.

Transition Care – is for moms returning from maternity leave, or who have recently adopted a child.  Transition care is available for up to 24 weeks upon your return to work. Transition care is $20 per day/$100 a week per child.  Payment is due upon drop-off.  When you call to make arrangements for transition care, you may choose to reserve a space for two to five days per week.

During transition care, your child is guaranteed a space for a maximum of 24 weeks.  For this reason, you are financially responsible for all days you reserve for your child.  There are no credits for days missed such as illness, vacation or other reasons.

50 back up care days are available when your transition care ends. A minimum of five business days must elapse between the end of transition care and the time when back up days are available for use.  Transition babies receive priority for scheduling spaces.

A team made up of child development specialists and experienced child care providers will provide the comprehensive care your child needs. In transition care, care will be individualized to meet your child’s needs.  It includes a comfortable area for mothers who choose to nurse their infant. The back-up program is based upon using creativity and imagination to stimulate and teach inside the normal developmental curriculum.  Your child will have the opportunity to paint, draw, build with blocks, play a board game, or even perfect their computer skills.  Children will also have the opportunity to play outdoors.

Admissions

Today Care Children's Center admits children without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin or ancestry.  We do not discriminate on the basis of special needs, as long as we are able to provide a safe, supportive environment for your child.

Our hours of operation are 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. 

The center is closed the following days:

New Year’s Day            Memorial Day            Columbus Day        Christmas Day
MLK Day                         Fourth of July             Veteran’s Day
President’s Day             Labor Day                  Thanksgiving
                           
Reservations must be made in advance.  Reservations can be made the morning of (space permitting) or up to 90 days in advance.  Please make a reservation as soon as you feel you will need care for your child.

Reservations can be made 24 hours a day by calling 988-4017.  We will check our voicemail Monday through Friday at 6:30am. If you make a reservation and do not show or cancel within 24 hours prior to your reservation, you will be charged.  School Age reservations for school holidays and summer require a cancellation notice of one week.

Parents are encouraged to bring their children to visit prior to admission to familiarize them with the center and meet our staff.  Preliminary paperwork can also be completed at the time of the pre-admission visit.  If a pre-admission visit is not possible, we will be happy to familiarize you with our program and center when you arrive with your child.

Back-up care may be used for 50 days per year with a maximum of 15 continuous days.  A break of no less than five business days must be observed after 15 days of consecutive use. Days may not be bought, sold, donated or shared between employees.  The 50 days allowed to each employee does not include transition care.

Prior to admission, Today Care Children's Center must have:
A completed State of Alabama DHR-CDC-739 pre-admission form
A Blue Card (Current immunization record that is on the state seal.  Parents must provide updated immunization records as needed)
Physician’s name, address and phone number
Dentist’s name, address and phone number
Medical insurance name and policy number
Emergency contact names and at least two phone numbers (these contacts need to be other than parent/legal guardian)
Security blanket, pillow or pacifiers

Payment is expected upon arrival at the center.  If you accrue a balance due, your child will not be able to use the center again until the balance is paid.

Registration forms may be picked up at the center or obtained by calling the center at 988-4017. Forms may be returned by fax to 988-5062.

Checking In/Out

Each parent will be required to provide a completed registration form, and provide an immunization record upon or before arrival.  Once at the center, parents will be required to fill out a Daily Admission form and  a Permission to Administer Medication form (if necessary). If your child has a special need or developmental delay you will be asked to fill out a Special Care From so that our staff can fully meet your child’s needs.

All forms must be complete including a Daily Admission form before you may leave your child. 

At discharge, the caregiver will go over the daily report with the parent, and the parent will receive a copy if they would like one.  Parents will be required to sign their child out before leaving the center.

We appreciate timely pick-up of your child before the center closes.  However, if a parent or other authorized person arrives after 6:30 p.m., there is a $1.00 per minute late fee with a minimum of $5.00 being paid.  Payment is expected before leaving the center.

Admission Checklist

Pre-Admission Registration Form – State of Alabama DHR-CDC-739
Immunization Record (blue card)
Payment by cash, check, credit card or flexible spending deduction
Medications – in original containers with dosing for the appropriate age of the child
Disposable diapers and wipes
Baby food and formula or expressed breast milk
Change of clothes
Parent acknowledgement of receiving and reading Parent Handbook

Please label each item that belongs to your child.

Confidentiality:

Children’s Files are kept confidential and are only accessible to program management and your child’s Teacher.  Files are maintained in a locked cabinet and are inaccessible to the general public

Fees

The cost of care is $10.00 per day per child for back-up care.  Transition care is $20.00 per day. There is no charge if your child is at the center less than 1 hour.
 
Payment by check, cash, credit card, or flex-spending card is required at the time of service.  Any usage of the center will count as a full day and will count toward your 50 day allowance.  If a balance is not paid and/or payment arrangements are not made with the center director, your child will not be able to use the center until the account balance is paid or payment arrangements are made with the Center Director.

A fee equal to one day of back up care may be requested to hold your reservation for new enrollees.

Lunch is provided by TodayCare for a charge of $5.00 per meal.  If you choose not to order lunch through TodayCare for your child, you must send a sack lunch for your child. There will be a monthly lunch menu posted at the center. 

Supervision

No child will be left unsupervised while at the center.  The ratio of caregivers to children is as follows: 

Ages of Children	Staff/Child Ratio
6 weeks – 12 months	1:4
12 months – 30 months	1:5
30 months - 5 years	1:9
5 years – 12 years	1:12

The caregiver will update you as needed about your child’s well being.  Parents are welcome to call at any time to check on their child.  Parents may also drop by to see how their child is doing, or have lunch with him or her if desired.

A daily form will be completed throughout the day and will include information about your child’s activities, rest, diet, medications, etc.  Parents will receive a copy of the completed form at the end of each day.

Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect

Children need a safe, nurturing environment to grow and learn, and they need to feel loved by their caregivers.
Today Care Children’s Centers has a commitment to provide an environment that encourages your child’s growth and learning.  Should you have difficulty providing for your child’s emotional or physical needs, you are encouraged to ask for help.  Our staff can help you find a community resource which can offer assistance.

In the rare instance that we feel that your child’s needs are consistently not being met, our staff will work with you to identify your child’s needs and assist you in meeting those needs. If you are temporarily unable or unwilling to meet your child’s minimal needs, our staff is mandated by Alabama law to file a report with the Alabama Department of Human Resources, Child Abuse and Neglect Unit.  It then becomes the role of the State of Alabama to work with your family to insure that your child’s needs are being met.

Discipline/Positive Guidance

Caregivers at Today Care Children's Center are trained in child development and in positive methods of discipline.  They use appropriate guidance, redirection, and set clear-cut limits appropriate to the child’s age and developmental level.

Aggressive physical behavior toward staff or other children is unacceptable.  To protect all of the children and encourage more acceptable behavior, caregivers will intervene immediately when a child becomes aggressive.  For acts of aggression such as hitting or biting, the children involved will be separated.  Care and comfort will be given to the injured child.  If a child is bitten or injured the parent will be notified.

Because early childhood facilities are included in the definition of public accommodations under Title III of the ADA, we will follow all parts of the ADA law.  However, children who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of others will be excluded from care.

We will document how often any unusual behavior occurs and any steps taken by the staff to deal with the behavior.  Behaviors which are developmentally appropriate for the age and stage of development are not considered a “direct threat.”  Example:  A 2-year old who has bitten another child several times does not qualify as a direct threat, because biting is not developmentally unusual for a 2 year old child.  However, an older child with a disability who bites, hits, or is otherwise aggressive to staff and children might be covered under this provision.

Our approach to guidance and discipline is to promote a sense of independence, autonomy and self-esteem while maintaining the control necessary for a safe and non-threatening environment.  The basis of this control is a secure, orderly, developmentally appropriate, caring environment.  This environment allows children to experiment and test their own behavior within clearly defined limits.

When needed, staff will use a variety of methods to teach children self-control and how to express their feelings in acceptable ways.  These include redirecting children to acceptable activities, using logical consequences to help children be responsible for their actions, using firm words and tones to help children understand how someone feels, and modeling acceptable ways to express negative feelings.

Each child in the center is special, with individual needs that require careful attention.  Today Care Children's Center will make reasonable accommodations for children with special needs.  We suggest enrolling your child on a trial basis to determine if care at Today Care Children's Center is the best environment for your child. While our goal is to reasonably accommodate all children into the program, any child who poses a “direct threat” or is likely to cause or continue to cause significant harm to them, other children and/or staff, will be asked to not return to the program.

Caregivers are not permitted to use any form of physical and/or negative discipline such as; corporal punishment, threat of or withdrawal of food, or restriction of rest or bathroom opportunities.  Additionally, any use of negative language such as yelling, belittling, threats or rejection is not permitted.

Care of Children

When a parent arrives at Today Care Children's Center, they will be greeted in the reception area for check-in.  Once paper work is completed, your child will be escorted to a care room.   A care plan will be developed according to your child’s age, ability, and activity level, and activities will be provided that are age appropriate. 

If your child becomes ill while attending the center you will be notified immediately and required to pick your child up.

Resolving Parent Concerns

Just as teachers are encouraged to discuss concerns with parents, parents are encouraged to ask their child’s teachers any questions they may have about their child’s care at the Center.  It is important for parents to clear up any questions or misunderstandings quickly.  Open communication between staff and parents is vital to the smooth operation of the Center.  We are committed to the satisfactory resolution of parents’ concerns.

Ongoing communication between staff and parents is vital to the smooth running of the center.  Our staff is committed to resolving your concerns. 

Exclusion Criteria

Exclusion of children will occur if a child becomes ill while at the center.  Your child may be sent home for any of the following reasons:
Fever above 101 degrees
Diarrhea (2 or more)
Vomiting, three or more times
Undiagnosed or contagious rash
Severe wheezing
Difficulty breathing
Requires inhaler or nebulizer treatment for more than every four hours
Uncontrolled coughing
Persistent or excessive crying
Unusual drowsiness
Complaining of severe pain
Contagious stages of pertussis, measles, mumps, chicken pox, rubella or diphtheria
Unable to play
Other conditions as identified by the center director

If your child becomes will while at the center, you will be called and asked to pick up your child.  If the parent or legal guardian cannot be reached, an emergency contact person, designated by you, will be called and your child’s pediatrician may be notified.  Your child will be transported to the hospital, if required, due to severe illness or injury.

Parents are required to inform TodayCare of reportable communicable diseases.  TodayCare will notify public health authorities as well as the parents of other children who may have been exposed to your child. Your family’s identity will be kept confidential.

Health Consultation

All policies and procedures adopted by TodayCare are reviewed and approved by our Director of Medical Affairs and our Corporate Medical Advisory Committee.  TodayCare works in tandem with pediatricians, pediatric sub-specialists, the Department of Human Resources and the Jefferson County Health Department.

Medications

Parents will indicate any medications to be given on the Authorization to Administer Medication form. An Authorization to Administer Medication form must be filled out and signed each day that medication is needed.   The Center Director or Assistant Director will document time and dosage given on the form.

The Center Director or Assistant Director will administer medications as directed by parents or legal guardians.  Directions must meet normal guidelines for the medication.  Prescription medications must be provided in the original prescription container and include the child’s name, date of prescription, dose, frequency, route of administration and expiration date.  Non-prescription medications must be provided in the original container and may not be expired.  Dosing will be as prescribed by the physician or as listed on the manufacturers label for over the counter medication, regardless of parental instructions or permission. If your over the counter medicine states under 2 consult a physician, we would need proper dosing from the doctor on a script pad.  It can be faxed directly to us at 988-5062.  We must have this in order to administer the medication if your child is under 2 years of age. This is per new Alabama Law 538 November, 2004.

Parents are expected to provide all medications to be given at center.  They must be in original containers with appropriate dosing information for the age of the child.

Emergency Plan

Today Care Children's Center is prepared to care for children in the event of an emergency.  The center director has emergency phone numbers by all phones.  First Aid supplies are in each room and the center is stocked with a comprehensive first aid kit.  The staff is Red Cross certified in CPR as well as First Aid.

In the event of a life threatening illness or injury, “911” will be called to alert Emergency Medical Transport Services.  The center director will phone the parent.  The emergency facility designated by our center is The Children’s Hospital.  A staff member will accompany and remain with the child until the parent or legal guardian can assume responsibility.

Evacuation Plan

A detailed evacuation plan is posted at each exit door.  Evacuation drills are performed monthly. For any emergency, such as a fire, that would prevent us from remaining in the center, the staff and children will be evacuated to the far corner of the front parking lot, and if needed transported to the Riverchase South Building cafeteria on the second floor.

In the event of a tornado or an emergency that would prevent us from leaving the building, the children and staff will move to the main hallway of the building.  Should emergency conditions prevent a parent from retrieving their child, the child will be cared for as long as necessary by staff members using emergency provisions located in the center.

In the event of severe weather such as snow, the center director, in coordination with Regions Financial, may decide to close for the day.  Parents will be notified if their child has already been admitted to the center.  Posting of Today Care Children's Center closings will be included on the local television network news as well as on the voice mail system on number (205) 988-4017.

Security and Authorized Caregivers

Each parent or designee will be required to sign their child in and out of the center. 

When someone other than a parent arrives to pick up a child, the staff will:

Confirm whether authorization to pick up your child was noted on the registration form
Require the individual to provide photo identification

In the event of parents separating or divorcing, both parents will be entitled to pick up their child (or children) unless otherwise specified by a court order.  A copy of the court order must be provided to the center. 

Any person who appears to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol and attempts to pick up a child will be prohibited from taking the child from the center.  The proper authorities will be contacted.

Sanitation and Hygiene

All center caregiver’s strict procedures for hand washing, diapering and cleaning up spills of any type of body fluids.  These procedures are reviewed continuously throughout the year.

 will follow “standard precautions” as recommended by the Center for Disease Control. All center caregivers will follow strict procedures for hand washing, diapering, and cleaning up spills of any type of body fluids.  These procedures will be reviewed continuously throughout the year.

Care rooms will be cleaned and disinfected daily. All toys handled by children will be sanitized after use or, if unable to be sanitized, removed from use for at least 48 hours.  Cloth toys and other toys used by children who are still mouthing them will be limited to use by only one child and cleaned and disinfected after each use. 

Smocks will be worn by caregivers.  Smocks that become soiled with potentially contaminated fluids will be changed.  Smocks will be washed daily.

Our staff is CPR and pediatric first aide trained and follows “standard precautions” as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control.

Meals and Snacks

You may choose to order your child a hot lunch through the ROC. Menus will be posted at the center and on the website as well.  Lunch will consist of a meat, 2 veggies, a starch and milk.  The fee for lunch is $5 per child and is due at the time of drop off, NO EXCEPTIONS!  If you choose not to order lunch through TodayCare for your child, you must send a sack lunch from home.  Lunch orders have to be made by 8:30 a.m.  However, if you drop off your child after 8:30 a.m. you will need to provide lunch for your child from home. All foods must meet DHR guidelines for child care centers.

We do not have microwaves in each classroom, so please send lunches which do not require heating.   Left over food, which has been opened, will be discarded.  Non open cans or jars may be sent for your child to the center.  Please label bottles as needed.  Formula must be provided by parents, and bottles must be made up prior to your arrival at the center. Center staff will not prepare formula. 

Expressed breast milk may be brought from home if frozen or kept cold during transit. We will not microwave breast milk.  It will be heated using the crock pot and it will not be re-heated.

Mother’s Room

Breast feeding mothers are welcome and encouraged to come into the center to nurse.  A quiet, private area is provided.

Sleeping

Cribs for babies and cots for older children are provided by the center.  Children can go to their assigned cot and lay down anytime they feel a need to rest.  There will be a designated rest time after lunch for all children.  Older children will have a rest time that will give younger children the opportunity to sleep.  After this initial time they may read, work on homework or pursue any other quiet activity.  Sheets, blankets and pillows are provided by the center.  Your child may bring security items from home if needed.  Please label these items.

Smoking, Prohibited Substances and Guns

The use of tobacco in any form, alcohol, or illegal drugs is prohibited on the facility premises at all times.  Signs to this effect are posted.  No guns or other lethal weapons will be in the center at any time.

Toys and Games

Children will not be able to bring any toys, videos, hand-held game boys, or other items from home that can be lost or misplaced.  If valuable items are brought to the center, Today Care will not accept responsibility if they are lost, misplaced or taken home by someone else. 

Parent Support Committee

The primary purpose of the Parent committee is to provide support and suggestions to the Center Director and  Today Care Management team regarding

policies at center (existing and proposed)
need for additional services or programs
changes to the facility
need for additional equipment
risk management issues

The Parent Support Committee does not have the authority to make policy decisions and is not responsible for the program/administrative functions of the center.  All functions and program undertaken by the committee shall be submitted to the Director.

The Parent Support Committee will be composed of 12 to 15 members.  Members of the committee will include parents whose children are currently using the center.  The committee will stay intact for one year.  At the end of each year, all parents will be solicited to become members of the committee.  If more parents respond, any parent who is not on the most current committee will be placed on a waiting list for the following year.  Each committee member will be asked to complete an information form.  Our goal is for several parents to have an opportunity to participate.  All parents will be invited to events, parent meetings and seminars.  In addition to parents, the Today Care Vice President of Operations and client liaison will be invited to participate and serve as a resource to the committee.  The liaison will serve as an at-large committee member.

Meetings will be held quarterly with the first meeting to be held in February.  Any additional meetings or events will be determined by the committee and announced to all families.