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Hours of operation: Graceful Journey Learning Center is open Monday through Friday from 6:30am until 6:00pm. We are open year-round. Please notify the office if your child will be absent. All children must be dropped off no later than 9:00am.
Enrollment procedures: On the first day of attendance each child must have the following: A filled-out Enrollment Packet, an up-to-date immunization record, A Health Statement, signed by a physician within the last 12 months, A food/insect Allergy Emergency Plan, signed by a physician, if required, A TB skin test (if currently required by local health department.
Late pickup fees: Children must be picked up by 6:00 pm every day. Our license ends at 6:00 pm and we do not stay late. If you are not here on time, there will be a $2.00 per minute late fee charged to you. You must pay this fee when you arrive to pick your child up. We have the right to dismiss your child if you are always late picking them up.
Re-Enrollment Fee: Should your child drop out of enrollment and then re-enroll within a time frame of 4 weeks or less, you will be charged a re-enrollment fee of $75.
Refunds: If you are due a refund for any reason, you must wait 10 working days to receive it.
Holidays we honor: Good friday, Memorial day, Independence day, Labor day, Thanksgiving and the day after, Christmas and New Year’s, and Teacher inservice day. Any holiday falling on a Saturday will be observed on the Friday before. Any holiday falling on a Sunday will be observed on the Monday after the holiday. Graceful Journey may close a full week between Christmas and New Year. You will be notified in advance.
Dress code: Please send your child in clean and comfortably fitting clothes. Closed toe shoes are preferred. Please do not send your child wearing jewelry. This is dangerous if the jewelry falls off and becomes a choking hazard. Please make sure your child’s name is on all articles of clothing including hats, jackets, sweaters, and on backpacks. We are not responsible for soiled, torn, or lost clothes.
Rest Time: All children have a rest/quiet time every day. For all children 12 months through 5 years, parents must provide a waterproof mat no larger than the regular Kinder mats. Parents must also provide a small blanket and can bring a travel size pillow if your child would like one. The blanket and pillow must be brought home every Friday to be washed. The state does not allow nap mats with any tears on them. It is the parent’s responsibility to replace torn mats immediately.
Safe Sleep: Infants not yet able to turn over on their own must be placed in a face-up sleeping position in the infant’s own crib, unless you have a completed Sleep Exception Form that includes a signed statement from a health-care professional stating that a different sleep position for the child is medically necessary. All cribs must have a firm, flat mattress that snugly fits the crib, is waterproof, and that is specifically designed to use with that crib, all cribs must have sheets that fit snugly and do not present an entanglement problem. All cribs must also be completely bare. This means no blankets, toys, pillows, etc.
Parental Notification: Any time there is a change that will affect children at Graceful Journey, parents will be notified ahead of time.
Gang Free Zone: Under the Texas Penal Code, any area within 1000 feet of a childcare center is a gang-free zone, where criminal activity is subject to a harsher penalty.
Visiting Procedures: Graceful Journey Learning Center has an open-door policy. This means that parents may visit any time. However, your child will adjust more quickly if you drop them off, give them good-bye hugs and kisses and leave. We suggest that you do not visit during their rest time. Parents/Guardians are encouraged to participate in any or all activities. This includes but is not limited to holiday parties, birthdays, etc. Please let the director know if you would like to volunteer for special days, parties, etc.
Breast Feeding: Graceful Journey Learning Center has an open policy for breastfeeding mothers. We provide comfortable seating for mothers that breastfeed. As a parent, you have the right to breastfeed in our facility or provide breast milk for your child.
Car Seats: Any parent/guardian that brings a child into our facility in a car seat or carrier must remove the child themselves from the car seat or carrier. We do not have a lot of room to store these, so we encourage you not to leave them here during the day.
Curriculum: All classes will have a curriculum to follow, and teachers may supplement additional materials that coincide with the academic scope and or theme of the month. We help children develop Christian values to so we can help grow a community of responsible citizens through body, mind, and spirit.
Prohibited Outside Items: Please do not send expensive, irreplaceable items to the center. No jewelry, toys, candy, soda, money, etc.
Meals: Graceful Journey will provide a morning snack from 8:00 am until 9:00 am and PM Snack from 2:30 pm until 3:30 pm. We will not provide lunch. Parents are responsible for their child’s lunch every day. Please send your child’s lunch in a lunch kit with an ice pack and a thermos or drink of some kind (no soda please). We will heat your child’s lunch in a microwave if needed. Please put your child’s name on their lunch kit or lunch.
Water Activities: Children will occasionally participate in age-appropriate water activities at the facility, such as sprinklers, etc. This will be done with proper supervision and parent’s permission.
Transportation: Children will only be transported if there is a medical emergency. Parents will be notified immediately.
Threatening Conditions and Evacuation Information: In the event of severe weather conditions or a notice that the area must be evacuated due to dangerous weather, parents will be notified immediately to come and pick up their child/children. We will follow the Nederland Independent School District for severe weather closures.
Emergency Preparedness Plan: If Graceful Journey must evacuate the property due to an emergency, we will relocate across the street at the carwash. We will assemble in the far back corner of the property where it is safe and out of traffic. All parents will be notified immediately. Graceful Journey practices emergency drills with the children throughout the year. We must have a monthly fire drill, practice bad weather drills, and stranger danger drills 4 times per year.
Sunscreen and Mosquito Repellent: Graceful Journey will not provide sunscreen or mosquito repellent for any children. If you would like to have either of these things applied to your child, you must provide it, with your childs name on it, and a note stating when and where to apply, signed and dated by you.
Pest Control: A licensed pest control company does routine pest control.
Animals: If Graceful Journey must evacuate the property due to an emergency, we will relocate across the street at the carwash. We will assemble in the far back corner of the property where it is safe and out of traffic. All parents will be notified immediately. Graceful Journey practices emergency drills with the children throughout the year. We must have a monthly fire drill, practice bad weather drills, and stranger danger drills 4 times per year.
Immunization Requirements: Children must be current on their immunizations on the first day of attendance. If your child is not up to date due to an illness, a written document from a health care professional must be provided stating why they are behind and when they are scheduled for completion. If you choose not to vaccinate your child, we must have a notarized affidavit for exemption. You must use the form issued by the state and it must be turned in before your child’s first day of attendance. You can download this form at corequest.dshs.texas.gov. A tuberculosis skin test is not required for your child to attend our facility.
Medical Emergencies: A medical emergency form is mandatory for each child in the center. This includes a parent/guardian signature allowing medical attention for the child while they are in our care, plus the name, address, and phone number of the child’s physician, and parent’s choice of a hospital if needed. Please make sure all allergies (food, drugs, or chemicals) your child may have been listed on the enrollment form.
Communicable Diseases: Communicable diseases common to children are carefully watched for, including head lice, chicken pox, hand foot and mouth disease, etc. If there is an outbreak in the child’s class of any communicable illness or disease, parents will be informed so that children can be observed closely for symptoms.
Suspension and Exclusion: Behavior problems that are ongoing or extremely disruptive to the group may require a trip to the Director’s office, parental intervention at the time of the behavior, early pick up, temporary suspension or disenrollment. Decisions regarding the actions to take with a child who exhibits extreme behavior issues will be made at the discretion of the Director.
Minimum Standards and Licensing: Graceful Journey is licensed by the state of Texas. We have a copy of the Minimum Standard Rules for Licensed Child Care Centers available for you to view in our office. These are the minimum requirements, but we will always try to exceed these standards. A copy of the latest state inspection report is always posted in the lobby.
Social Media: We reserve the right to dismiss your child from Graceful Journey Learning Center if teachers or the center is slandered on any social media. If you have problems or concerns, please speak to the director. We want to be made aware so we can address the issue immediately.
Questions or Concerns: At Graceful Journey Learning Center, we will always strive to provide the highest quality of care possible. We want our parents/guardians to feel comfortable in bringing to our attention any lack in service, questions concerning our policies, or suggestions for improvements within our center. Please speak to the director. Teachers cannot properly lead their class and have a conference at the same time.
Employee Immunization: According to the local health department there are no immunizations required for staff that work in childcare. Therefore, Graceful Journey does not require our staff to be vaccinated to work in our center.
Screen Time: We cannot use screen time activities for a child under the age of two years. For children two years or older, screen time is limited.