FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Much of our family communication is done electronically through daily, weekly and monthly updates. The ImagiNation Learning website, Yahoo Groups, daily emails and weekly newsletters are our most common tools of communication.

We maintain an Open-Door Policy at all times. Feel free to come in and visit your child at any time. You may share lunch time with your child in class, read a book to a group during circle time, play a game of tag on the playground, or just enjoy one of our many family events at the center.

Family participation is a very important part of our program. Our Helping Hands Points Program is designed to encourage families to volunteer time, talents and skills in a number of ways. Families may choose to chaperone on fieldtrips, share a special story during circle time, implement a theme related activity, support the center operations through handyman tasks and IT applications, or contribute monetarily by purchasing a special item on the classroom wish lists.

In order to meet various child care needs of our families, ImagiNation Learning Center offers not only full-time but also partial week programs and drop-in care.

All families that are not participating in Tuition Express as the Center’s standard means of payment must pay a Security Deposit in the amount of one semi-monthly tuition rate.

Following state licensing regulations we will provide approximately 1-2 hours of outside play each day except in inclement weather. We ask parents to dress their children appropriately so that they can enjoy being outside in many different weather conditions.

Teachers will release a child only to family members and other adults specifically authorized by the family. In case you assign someone to pick up your child that is not listed on the Emergency Contact Card, you must authorize the pick-up in writing. Anyone picking a child up for the first time will be asked for a photo ID.

State regulations require each child that is in a child care setting for four or more hours have a rest time. Usually, young children are ready to take a nap after a morning of stimulating play and continuous activity. We further encourage rest by playing soft music, gently rubbing a child’s back or sitting close to the child who is restless and has a difficult time relaxing.

For an additional fee, field trips may be organized for children enrolled in our twos through kindergarten programs, but attendance remains optional. One of our all-time favorite outings is the visit to the Pumpkin Patch in October. We hire a bus for transportation of the children and ask for lots of parent volunteers to make this special trip a safe and memorable event.

TV and video viewing is not part of our regular schedule or curriculum. On rare occasions we may provide the opportunity for children to watch a short program. Prior to viewing the show, the center management will determine that the program is developmentally appropriate.

ImagiNation Learning Center will provide a morning snack, lunch, and afternoon snack. Breakfast may be brought from home between 6:30am and 8:00am. Children with allergies, medical or religious reasons may bring their own meals as long as they do not contain tree or peanuts. Due to the unique feeding needs of infants, families are responsible for providing all food for infants younger than one year of age and/or until they are able to eat regular table food.

We offer tuition discounts to families with more than one child enrolled full time at the Center. Families with two children enrolled full time at ImagiNation Learning are eligible for a 10% tuition discount applied to the child with the lower tuition rate. Families with three or more children enrolled at full time are eligible for a 50% tuition discount applied to the oldest sibling. Employees of Quest Diagnostics are eligible for a corporate discount. Please see center management for applicable tuition rates.

All children must be picked up no later than 6:30 p.m. There is a five minute grace period that may be used on rare occasions only. Anyone arriving after 6:35 p.m. will be charged a Late Pick-up Fee of $20.00 for the first 15 minutes beyond 6:30 p.m. For each 5 minute increment beyond 6:45 p.m. you will be assessed an additional $10.00.

Upon notification of a child’s illness at the Center, families must pick up the child within one hour. Illnesses necessitating parent notification and temporary removal from the center include: fever, loose stool, vomiting, lung congestion, and infectious diseases. ImagiNation Learning Center follows the Health Department’s guidelines for exclusion of sick children.

When a child receives an injury, staff will comfort the child and give appropriate treatment. Depending on the circumstances and severity of the injury, families will be notified either by phone or when the child is picked up. The incident will be documented on a report to be signed by a parent.

Young children who are unable to communicate their feelings with words may bite other children. Though staff will make every reasonable effort to prevent this from happening, your child may at some point be bitten or bite another child. If a child continues to bite other children, we will schedule a conference with the family to determine why the biting continues and to develop a plan to address the problem.

When your child is accepted into ImagiNation Learning Center, a space is reserved and fees are due as long as the child is enrolled. Fees are not refundable when children are kept at home because of vacations, illness, holidays, or emergency closings of the school.

We charge a registration fee at the time of enrollment and every July thereafter. The fee includes an ImagiNation Learning Center T-shirt and Tote for every child.

Families are responsible for providing diapers as well as wipes. Due to the unique feeding needs of infants, families are responsible for providing all food for infants younger than one year of age and/or until they are able to eat regular table food.

Positive guidance techniques establish consistent, age appropriate limits that help our children function in their world and develop a sense of independence, social competence, confidence and responsibility. We encourage children to use their words to solve conflicts, if at all possible. Otherwise, we facilitate the resolution by using a variety of techniques, such as distraction, redirection, and discussion as appropriate for the child’s age and conflict situation.

Our centers are closed in observance of the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and following Friday, and Christmas Day.

Our centers are open Monday through Friday from 6:30am until 6:30pm.

The majority of our staff is certified. While we recognize the challenges of achieving 100% first aid and CPR certification for all of our staff, this is always our goal. Certification renewal training is a mandatory part of our professional development program.

All teachers employed by ImagiNation Learning Center must meet state licensing requirements in education and experience. Furthermore, we continuously strive to maintain high quality staff by searching and hiring teachers that exceed those requirements. The majority of our lead teachers have four year degrees and/or extensive experience in the field of early childhood education.