Mission

 

We are committed to partnering with families on our mission, to lead the children’s path to a higher and brighter future with quality care, love, and endless possibilities. Our goal is to provide excellence in our program. Infinite Scholars Home Daycare is your child’s home away from home.

 

Vision

 

Our vision is that every child will learn and develop beyond their own limits with high quality care and nurturing love. We believe at Infinite Scholars Home Daycare your child will develop academically, emotionally, and socially.

The children will succeed to infinity and beyond.

 

Motto

 

 “Train up a child in the way that they should go, and when they are old, they will not depart from it”

Proverbs 22:6

 

Intention of Handbook

 

The intention of this handbook is to provide you the Parent/Guardian, with as much information as possible about our daily operations and policies. We want to give our families the highest quality care for all children. Our goal is to establish a clear line of communication with our families.

 

Introduction of Owner

 

Mrs. Josie Cornelius is the Owner/Director/Founder of Infinite Scholars Home Daycare. Mrs. Josie began her journey in the childcare field in 2007, during her senior year of high school. She currently is First Aid/CPR certified. She is certified with the 45 required DCF childcare hours as well as a Staff credential. Mrs. Josie also has an associate degree in Early childhood Education. Mrs. Josie conducts many in-service trainings yearly. Children are her passion.

Mrs. Josie loves working with children.

 

Objectives

 

• To provide a safe, nurturing environment where children can develop

• To provide a home-away-from-home environment

• A stimulating setting where children can play and learn

• To teach each child so he/she may experience challenges and successes

• To provide opportunity and activities for all developmental domains.

 

License

 

Infinite Scholars Home Daycare is Registered with the Florida Department of Children and Families. Registration # R09OR0241.

Infinite Scholars Home Daycare is licensed to have children 10 at a time in care.

 

Disclaimer

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NO enrolled child or their families will be discriminated against or based on age, race, color, sex, creed, disability, national origin, or ancestry.

 

Open Door Policy/ Communication

 

We carry an open-door policy here at Infinite Scholars Home Daycare. You may stop by at anytime to observe your child (within a 30-minute period) unless a court order is in place, then access would be restricted. Just a reminder that visitors have an impact on the child’s behavior, and they may act up while you are present. Also, if your child is having separation anxiety, it may be difficult for them when you leave. If at any time, you have questions, comments, or concerns please feel free to contact us via phone, text, or email. If needed, you may schedule an appointment to have a conference.

 

Special Needs

 

We do our best to accommodate children with special needs. Please inform us of any/all special needs at the time of enrollment so that we can determine if the special needs can be met, and quality care can be provided.

 

Respect

 

At Infinite Scholars, we do not condone disrespect to or from parents or children of any form. We wish to provide a safe, loving, ad nurturing place for the children in our care. Children lead by example and if they see that you are disrespectful, then they too will show disrespectful behavior.

 

Supervision

 

At no time will a child be left unattended, including naptime. If a child becomes ill, they may be separated a small distance from the other children. Children may not be dropped off outside and sent inside alone. At pickup time, the parent/guardian is asked to contact the owner/person in charge before departing with the child, for which then we are no longer responsible for your child.

 

Child abuse reporting

 

As childcare providers and caregivers, we are mandated reporters. We are mandated to report child abuse or any suspicions of child abuse. If we have suspicions that a child is being abused or neglected, we will make a report to the local children’s service agency (Department of children and Families-DCF).

Your child can be questioned by child protective services at any time

 without your consent.

Safety of children is our primary concern.

 

Photography

 

Throughout the day at Infinite Scholars, we take pictures of the children learning and playing. We display pictures around the class, create projects, as well as post on social media. During enrollment you are asked to complete the

 “Authorization to photograph” and “Social media Authorization” forms.

In the event you do NOT want your child to be photographed or recorded, you will complete the “Refusal to photograph “form to be placed in your child’s file. your child will not be photographed for any purposes, apart from medical emergencies.

Photographs/videos will not be taken or posted of your child without signed documentation.

 

Admissions/Enrollment

 

A child is actively enrolled into the program starting on their first day of attendance. For the child to be enrolled into the program, prior to the first day of attendance the following documents must be completed and submitted:

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*Enrollment Form

*Immunization Record

*Physical Form

* Contract (Parent/Provider)

*Emergency Release From

*Authorized Pick-up Form

*Influenza Form

*Distracted Adult Form

*FCCH Checklist Receipt

*Permission to Photograph Form

*Social Media Form

*Authorization for medication (If applicable)

*Meal Form (If applicable)

*Registration Fee must be paid ($50)

*Signed Handbook Receipt

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Hours of Operations

The hours of operations for Infinite Scholars Home Daycare are

Monday through Friday

7am-5:30pm

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***Cut off time for drop off is 9:00am***

 

Holidays/Closings/Vacations

 

Infinite Scholars Home Daycare is closed the following 12 Holidays:

                             New Year’s Day             Martin Luther King Day

                             Good Friday                   Memorial Day

                             Juneteenth                      Fourth of July

                             Labor Day                      Thanksgiving

                   Day After Thanksgiving           Christmas Eve

                             Christmas Day                New Year’s Eve

*Infinite Scholars Home Daycare will take the Friday or Monday off

in observance of a holiday.

 

*Infinite Scholars Home Daycare will take 7 personal days each year. Families will be notified in advance.

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*Infinite Scholars Home Daycare will take 1-week unpaid vacation each year. Families will be notified in advance.

 

*Each family is entitled to ONE WEEK free vacation a year. We ask that

we are notified at least 2 weeks in advance.

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*Closing to unforeseen circumstances: As you are aware, unexpected situations can happen. We at Infinite Scholars Home Daycare will try our best to provide daily service to your family as best as we can. In the event, the site needs to be closed, we will notify you as soon as possible.

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*It is the Parents Responsibility to find backup care for their child in the

Event, the site is to be closed.

 

Fees/Discounts

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*Payments are made on a Prepaid Basis*

**Tuition fee is based on spot in program not attendance**

 

Registration Fee: $50 Annually

Holding Fee: 25% each week holding fee (from date of enrollment to secure spot)

 

Infants: $150/week

Toddlers: $150/week

Two Year Old’s: $140/week

Three Year Old’s: $130/week

Four Year old’s: $125/week

School Age (Parent Drop off): $75/week or $125/week (All Day)

Daily Drop-in: $50/day (If care is available)

 

**Fees are Non-refundable**

 

*Late Fee: $1/min AFTER 5:30pm

*$20 Late payment fee if not paid by 5:30pm Monday, your child will not be able to return next day or until paid in full.

 

*Please let us know in advance if there will be a change

in your child’s attendance*

 

Discounts:

 

10% Sibling discount

5% Monthly discount (if paid on the 1st of the month)

 

Payments

 

*Payments will primarily be made through our management software Procare*

*Forms of Payment are also accepted via cash, Money Order, and Cashapp*

Money Order: Infinite Scholars Learning Academy

Cashapp: $InfiniteScholars

**Payments are due on Fridays or by Drop off Monday morning

OR

the first day of care for the week**

 

*No roll over payments allowed*

*Late fees will automatically be added to your regular childcare fees*

*Late Pick up is not a normal program option and will only be considered as an exceptional occurrence*

*We do not offer half day rates/discounts for child picked up early*

*Holidays are counted in tuition Fee*

*In the event of an illness, payment is due on the day of return of the

current week. If child does not attend the current week,

Tuition for current week (Absent week) is due upon return*

*We reserve the right to consider a discount, credit, or rate adjustment made to your account for certain emergencies or illnesses.

 

Referrals

 

You can Receive $50 credit to your account after 90 days of a new child being enrolled full time. You are eligible to get a referral credit for each new child you refer to Infinite Scholars.

 

NSF Fee

 

*There will be a $35 non-Sufficient fund fee charged to your account in the event the payment does not follow through and credit to your account.

*After the first NSF fee is charged, the parent will only be able to make payments via cash and money order from that point.

 

Legal Fees

 

In the event, you as the parent have a balance and/or refuse to pay. Infinite Scholars and the owner will act and proceed to small claims court. You will also be responsible for any legal fees in addition to fees owed. As the parent/guardian the balance will also be submitted to collection agencies.

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Withdraw/Termination Notice

 

In the event you would like to withdraw your child from Infinite Scholars, we request a two weeks’ notice from your child’s last date. In the event your child does not attend the remaining two weeks, payment is still required. Any unpaid dues will fall under legal action and/or collections.

 

In the event of termination, Infinite Scholars reserves the right to terminate immediately, or at any time for but not limited to:

1.Failure to pay fees on time

2.Failure to comply with policies

3.Lack of parental cooperation, communication, or respect for the business or my family.

4.Child’s excessive negative behavior.

 

*We will collaborate with you and your child as much as possible but ultimately, we cannot put the business, the other children in our care or our family in a compromising situation.

 

Arrival and Departure

 

*Cut off time for drop off is 9:00am*

(With the exception of doctor appointments with notice)

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*During arrival, the parent/guardian is responsible for walking your child completely inside of the building. It is the parent/guardian’s responsibility to sign the child in it is also the responsibility of the parent/guardian to share any essential information regarding the child at drop off.

*In the event “Procare” (our school’s management software is down, the parent/guardian will have to sign the child in via the sign in/out sheet.

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***Infinite Scholars assumes full responsibility of your child

once they are signed in until they are signed out***

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**Anyone other than the parent/guardian must be on the Authorized pickup List to sign the child out of our care**

 

*During departure, the parent/guardian or authorized pick-up person is responsible for signing the child out before leaving the premises. The parent/guardian or authorized pick-up person must physically take the child from our care. The child WILL NOT be allowed to exit the building on their own.

 

*In the event a person that is not on the authorized pick-up list or emergency release form, you must notify us in advance in writing. Your child will not be released without prior written authorization and identification. Please notify the authorized pick-up persons of our policy.

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*If your child has not been picked up after closing and we have not heard from you, attempts will be made to contact you, as well as contacts on the emergency release form and Authorized pick-up list. After 1 hour of no contact and/or pickup, we will call the local authorities.

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Supplied By Parents

 

 Parents are responsible for bringing the following:

       Bottles               Formula/Breastmilk

 Diapers                        Wipes

         Blanket               Change of Clothes

 

Donations

*Infinite Scholars is open to accepting any donations such as, extra clothing, supplies, learning materials, and snacks (if they are closed packaged items and enough for everyone)

 

Personal Belongings

 

*Please dress your child in comfortable and appropriate clothing.

*Parents are responsible to bring extra clothing.

*Please label ALL your child’s Belongings

*Encourage your child to be responsible for their personal belongings.

*Please do not bring personal belongings such as toys/electronics unless approved by director, with the exception of show and tell day.

*If items are brought to school, they will be placed in their cubby upon arrival.

**Infinite Scholars is NOT responsible for replacing lost or broken Items**

 

Meals and Snacks

 

*Breakfast, Lunch, and snacks are provided by Infinite Scholars

*All children will be served the meals; all children will be offered the choice whether they want to eat or not.

*No outside food allowed

*We do not serve fish, pork, or peanut products at Infinite Scholars Home Daycare

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Breakfast is served: 7:00am-8:45am

Lunch is served: 11:00am-11:45ram

Snack is served: 2:30pm-3:30pm

 

Allergies

 

*If your child has an allergy, please let us know. *

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Administration of Medications

 

*In the event, your child needs to be administered medication, please notify us in advance with a doctor’s note if required. Medication will be administered only with a written authorization form completed and signed by parent/legal guardian. Medication must be in original container with child’s name clearly marked on the container. Medication will only be administered to the child whom name is on the container. In the event, more than one child in the family needs the medication, it should originally state both names separately on the bottle. It is the parent’s responsibility to transport the medication to and from school daily.

*In the event staff notices any type of adverse reaction to any of the medication or your child has any type of allergic reaction to food or insects, you will be notified as soon as possible, as well as a staff member completing an incident form for you to sign and receive a copy.’

*Medications such as Diaper rash cream, ointment, drops, orals, or prescription medications need form filled out

**Fever reducer medication will not be administered**

 

 

Daily Health checks/Incident

 

*Staff will conduct daily health checks when your child arrives to school. In the event there is a symptom or concern, it will be documented you will be contacted if needed.

*In the event your child is ill, or a symptom develops or is present you will be asked to have your child picked up.

*As you are aware, accidents/incidents can happen during play and learning. In the event, a situation happens, an accident/incident report will be filled out and you will be contacted if needed.

 

 

Illness guidelines

 

*Promoting good health and safety is our goal at Infinite Scholars. To prevent the spread of childhood diseases and illnesses, please DO NOT bring your child that is ill to school. Each child is required by the state of Florida to have on file, a health statement signed by a doctor such as an annual physical and all immunizations up to date. Your child will not be able to attend school if their physical and/or immunization record is expired.

     We require children to have all immunizations to attend Infinite Scholars.

**if Your child comes down with a communicable disease, you need to notify us right away and in turn we must notify the other parents and the Orange County Health Department. Children with a contagious illness WILL NOT be allowed to school until they are properly medicated and symptom free for 24 hours.

 

Infinite Scholars will not exclude any of the Following:

1.Fever of 101.4 or higher

2.Diarrhea (2 or more in the current day)

3.Vomiting (2 or more in the current day)

4. Draining rash or open draining sores anywhere on body

5. Lice or Nits

6. Eye Drainage, Pink eye or Any eye infection

7. Excessive green or Yellow Nasal Discharge

8. Excessive Severe cough or sore throat.

 

*In the event your child becomes ill during the day, you will be called to pick up immediately.

 

*Before returning to school, the MUST be free of ALL symptoms for at least 24 hours.

 

*In the event a doctor’s note is requested, you must bring a doctor’s note upon return.

 

 

 

Photography

 

Throughout the day at Infinite Scholars, we take pictures of the children learning and playing. We display pictures around the class, create projects, as well as post on social media. During enrollment you are asked to complete the “Authorization to photograph” and “Social media Authorization” forms.

In the event you do NOT want your child to be photographed or recorded, you will complete the “Refusal to photograph “form to be placed in your child’s file. Your child will not be photographed for any purposes, with the exception of medical emergencies.

Photographs/videos will not be taken or posted of your child without signed documentation.

 

Naptime

 

*All children are to lie down on for a rest period in the afternoon. If your child has a special blanket or stuffed animal that he/she sleeps with, please send it along.

*We ask that you do not drop off between 12:00pm-2:30pm due to

children resting. We do not want to disturb their rest.

 

Guidance and management

 

We are committed to providing positive guidance to your little one. our goal I to enhance the children’s self-esteem, therefor we do not condone negative behavior towards each other. We guide the children and use developmentally appropriate techniques to redirect inappropriate behaviors. The following behaviors are taught and reinforced constantly:

*Every child should respect the body space of others. No hitting, shoving, biting, tripping, or pinching is allowed.

*Everyone helps clean up after eating. We clean up one activity before starting another.

*Guns or other war like toys may not be brought or constructed.

*We encourage politeness in interaction especially in the use of “please and thank you”

 

 

Discipline policy

 

Infinite Scholars uses redirection to encourage children to make better choices, as well as reinforce through praise and encouragement. At Infinite Scholars, we do not inflict corporal/physical punishment. Neither food nor sleep will ever be wit held from the child as a means of punishment. We will display positive reinforcement.

Our goal is to correct repeated negative behavior. In the event needed, we use the following methods of discipline:

*Encourage children to solve problems themselves

*Intervention and discussion

*Redirection (to another area)

*Give the child time to take a break in our safe area to calm down.

*If the problem persists, we will notify the parent about the situation. If the problem continues, the child may be dismissed from the program.

 

Biting

 

Biting is a normal stage of development that is common among infants and toddlers and sometimes even among preschoolers. It is something that most young children will try at least once. When biting happens, our response will be to care for and help the child that was bitten, as well as help the biter learn a more appropriate behavior.

Our focus will not be on punishment for biting but to address the reason behind the biting and effective behaviors.

Supervision and prevention will be the number 1 way we help change the behavior.

In the event of a biting incident, a form will be completed for the parent to sign. If the biting behavior continues, we will have the child shadow the teacher. If the behavior continues, the parent will be notified. The goal is to come together for a solution. For safety measures, excessive biting may result is grounds for dismissal from the program.

 

Potty training

 

We strive to support you and your child through their potty-training process. There are some key signs to look for before we can help your potty train your child at Infinite Scholars. The key signs of readiness for potty training include:

*The child can pull down and up their pants and underwear on their own or with little or no assistance.

*The child’s diaper/pull-up is dry after nap and for extended periods during the day.

*They can tell us when they need to go.

 

We request that you work with your child at home for at least two weeks prior to starting the potty-training process at school.

*During the potty-training process, we ask that you bring extra clothing and remove soiled clothing daily. If we run out of clean garments, then you will have to be contacted during the day for you to provide them.

 

Transportation/Field Trips

 

By signing the handbook, contract, and enrollment form, you are giving your child permission to be transported as needed in case of emergency and allowing them to participate in all activities at Infinite Scholars whether on or off premises.

*Field trip forms for activities will be filled out in advance.