Admissions

Small Wonders Academy is open Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. We are closed on the following holidays and staff in-service days: New Year’s Day President’s Day Good Friday Memorial Day Independence Day Friday before Labor Day Labor Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Eve at 1:00 p.m. Christmas Day We occasionally must close for severe weather. When Small Wonders is closed, closes early or delayed during normal business hours, tuition will not be refunded for any of the hours or days.

We are registered on WGAL.COM, under Small Wonders Academy – Lititz. Make sure you look up the full name because there are a few other ‘Small Wonders’ options on the list for Pennsylvania. You can SIGN-UP for the WGAL direct email alerts SPECIFICALLY for Small Wonders Academy. WEB: http://www.wgal.com/weather/closingssignup SELECT: Small Wonders Academy – Lititz

As per state regulations a health appraisal and current immunization records must be provided upon enrollment and according to the schedule for routine health, if they are not kept up to date, your child may be discharged from the program.

The state requires each child to have 2 full spare outfits at the center at all times. Please make sure that your child has 2 weather and age appropriate outfits in his or her cubby and replaced when used. Also, if your child uses diapers or wipes they must be kept stocked. A fee will be applied to your account if we have to use center diapers or wipes, or clothing that is not returned.

We follow the child care nutrition guidelines recommended by the USDA CACFP (Child and Adult Care Food Program) for the foods we serve. Our menu is carefully planned to follow child care nutrition guidelines at every meal. Menus are rotated on a three-week basis to provide the children with a balance of variety and familiarity. We also provide infant formula and food. Breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack is provided for no additional charge. If your child requires a meal other than that which is posted, please feel free to send a substitute meal. We serve low fat (1%) milk to children ages 2 years and older, and whole milk to children under 2 years of age. We are a peanut free center and have students with a severe peanut allergy. Please do not send your child with any food items containing peanuts. We strongly discourage meal items or snacks that are high in sugar. If it becomes an ongoing issue then we may have to implement that no outside food may be brought into the center individually and/or center-wide.

The weekly tuition payment is due on the Friday preceding the week for which service is rendered. Families from whom payments are received after 6 p.m. on Friday will be charged a late payment fee of $20 per day until the account is paid in full. Small Wonders Academy is unable to provide care for children for whom tuition is not paid. A delinquent account will result in termination of services. Families that receive ELRC benefits are responsible for paying the full tuition and/or any days that are not covered or paid for by the ELRC. Full day tuition fees include a maximum of 10 hours per day. Half day tuition fees for school age children include a maximum of 5 hours per day. Contracted schedules are set upon enrollment. Parents must adhere to their contracted schedule so that appropriate staff coverage can be maintained. If parents arrive before their contracted drop-off time the parent may be asked to stay if we do not have the appropriate coverage at that time. An additional fee of $10 will be charged for every 30 minutes attended beyond the contracted hours. School Age Summer Camp Program requires an additional Activity Fee and is non-refundable. During the school year, additional tuition will be charged if school age children attend extra hours or days because of school district closing and/or delays. When two or more children from the same family are enrolled for 5 full days per week, a $20.00 sibling discount will be applied to the oldest child’s tuition payment per week. Please obtain a receipt for any cash payment at the time the payment is rendered. Small Wonders will not be responsible for cash placed in the tuition box. Checks should be made payable to “Small Wonders Academy.” There is a $35 penalty for checks returned unpaid by the bank. Two returned checks will result in your account being placed on a permanent “cash only” status. The Academy shall make every reasonable effort to remain open in inclement weather. Parents are to notify the Director when children will be absent from the center. Full tuition payment is due and non-refundable regardless of child’s absenteeism, illness, holidays, school closings, inclement weather or “Acts of God” or for any other reason.

A full-time schedule is 4 or 5 full days per week and up to 10 hours per day. A part-time schedule is 2 or 3 full days per week and up to 10 hours per day. School age children are considered part-time and may attend extra hours or days, for an additional fee, due to school district closing and/or delays. You may change your schedule to another permanent schedule with a two week notice and dependent upon availability. Part-time, 2 or 3 day, schedules are limited and based upon availability. If the student is absent for any reason on one or more of the appointed days, another day cannot be substituted.

We encourage that children arrive in class by 9:00am in order to derive the maximum benefit from their educational experience. We begin our day promptly at 9:00am. When children arrive late, they miss out on early morning activities and it’s harder for them to acclimate and join in the routine of our day. Any child who arrives later than 10:00am must provide a doctor’s note or receive special permission in advance from the director or office management. If your schedule requires a consistent late arrival, please see the office to make a special arrangement.

We believe that all children are individually special and it is our pleasure to help your child to grow intellectually, socially and emotionally. We strongly encourage open communication and we will inform you as to your child’s progress. If your child exhibits any dangerous or harmful behavior and we are concerned for the safety of your child and/or the other children or staff, we may have to dismiss your child immediately from Small Wonders Academy. If your child requires one on one attention or has a serious health condition requiring special medical care or medicine that we cannot reasonably accommodate, Small Wonders Academy reserves the right not to admit or to dismiss your child from the Academy.

The Academy requires a two week (calendar week, Monday through Friday) written notice of withdrawal. A verbal notice does not fulfill this requirement. If this required notice is not provided, the two-week tuition fee will be charged regardless of child being present or not and any deposit will be forfeited. Any balance on the account must be paid prior to the child’s withdrawal date. If not paid in full upon withdrawal, the account will be turned over to a collection agency.

Small Wonders Academy closes at 6:00 p.m. A fee will be charged for any child not picked up by the school’s designated closing time. The late fee charged will be $2.00 per minute for the first 15 minutes with an additional charge of $50.00 for every 15 minutes after 6:15 p.m. Fees for late pickups must be paid immediately. If not paid immediately, the child will not be readmitted to the program until these charges are paid in full. Consistent lateness (two or more late pickups within a one-month period) may result in the child’s dismissal from the Academy.

Parents are welcome to come and go as they please, while their child is in attendance. We make every effort to maintain a safe and secure environment for your child at all times. This includes using caution when opening the front security door. Many times, we do not know the person coming in behind us and although he or she is usually a parent they could also be an unauthorized person trying to get in. We would like to believe that this would never happen but we must be cautious and prepared if a situation were to arise. For the safety of the children and staff, do not hold the door open for the person behind you.

The parent of a child in care is offered free access to their child's classroom, without prior notice, whenever their child is in attendance. If your child is the subject of a court order (i.e., Custody Order, Restraining Order or Protection from Abuse Order, etc.), Small Wonders must receive a certified copy of the most recent order and its amendments. Small Wonders cannot limit the access of a parent or guardian without a court order present in the child's confidential file.

When picking up your child, please follow these rules: 1. Enter the building by the front door, even if your child is on the playground. 2. Once your child is in your care, please keep them in your sight and under control. Do not allow them to run through the center unattended or to exit the building without you. 3. Once your child is with you, we can no longer supervise their activity, so please be careful especially in the parking lot.

Your child will only be released to the person/people you have designated as pick-up people on the emergency contact form. If the staff member releasing your child has not met or does not recognize the pick-up person, they will be required to show photo identification. On a rare occasion if you need to have your child picked up by a person not on your designated pick-up list then the following conditions must be met in order for us to release your child to that person. The Director must be notified in advance of the pick-up, that you are authorizing someone whom is not on your pick-up list to pick up your child. If you request this by phone, be prepared to receive a return phone call on the cell phone or work number that we have on file to verify the information. At the time of notification, you will need to give us the authorized individual's full name, the address that is on their photo identification, and his/her approximate time of arrival so we can then notify the staff. The authorized individual must show photo identification while picking up. The authorized individual will be responsible for signing your child out of the building.

Parent cooperation in keeping a child home when he/she has symptoms of illness is essential in order to maintain proper healthy environment for children and educators, and will help cut down the spread of illness throughout the school. Children who are ill cannot be appropriately cared for in a childcare setting. We understand that it may be difficult to make alternate arrangements when a child may be too ill to attend the program. By maintaining a healthy environment and reasonable health policies, all of our children will benefit in the long run. The Center will err on the side of safety when making health decision and ask for your tolerance and understanding. Please see below for a few important reminders, as well as, our full health and wellness policy. Reminders: Please do not give your child fever reducing medication and send them to daycare. If your child has a fever there is a cause. Many illnesses and contagious diseases start with a low-grade fever. If your child is ill and will not be in attendance, please inform the director of the nature of the illness, particularly if it is contagious. We appreciate your cooperation so that we are able to promptly respond, to minimize the spread of contagious diseases. If your child is taking any medication at home, prescription or OTC, it is important that you inform the teacher of the medication and dosage. If your child has a medical emergency it is important for us to be aware of any current medications or health concerns so that we can relay that information to the EMS. Health & Wellness Policy Medical Documentation As per state regulations a health appraisal and current immunization records must be provided upon enrollment. Health assessments must be conducted according to the schedule for routine health. If health assessments are not kept up to date, your child may be discharged from the program. Medication Policy Small Wonders Academy Staff will not be responsible for administration of any medication to any child, either prescription or over-the-counter with the following exception. Prescription medicine may be administered in an emergency situation to treat a life-threatening condition as long as all requirements of PA Code 3270.133 are met. We act in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other applicable federal, state or local laws pertaining to the provision of services to children with disabilities. Our goal is to meet the individual needs of the child within the structure of our program, while maintaining a healthy and safe environment for all the children and staff. We will make reasonable accommodations to afford children with disabilities full and equal enjoyment of our programs and services in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs. We will make no assumptions concerning any individual’s abilities or disabilities and will make an individual assessment to determine if we can meet each child’s need in our group childcare setting. School employees who administer the medication in accordance with authorized physician instructions/or parent/guardian instructions and Small Wonders Academy policy shall not be liable for damages resulting from adverse reactions. In the event of adverse reaction, the student will be treated according to standard emergency care guidelines. Illness/Sick Policy Parent cooperation in keeping a child at home when he/she has symptoms of illness is essential in order to maintain a proper healthy environment for educators and children. A child must be kept home when he/she exhibits any symptoms of illness, this is essential in order to maintain a healthy environment for children and educators. If a child has experienced or is showing any symptoms of illness or a temperature of 101 degrees or higher, upon his/her arrival or ANY time within 24 hours prior to attendance, they will not be allowed to attend child care and must be free of all symptoms of illness for 24 hours before returning. A child must be fever free and without fever-reducing medication for 24hours. The school may make exceptions only if a licensed physician has seen the child that day and provides, in writing, that there is no health risk to the child or others. Children may not attend school if they exhibit any of the following symptoms: Temperature of 101 degrees or higher Contagious diseases, viral and/or bacterial infections (ie: chicken pox, pink eye, strep throat) A child with chicken pox is not able to return to school until all sores are scabbed over. A child is not able to return until 24 hours of medication has been administered or within physician’s permission. Episodes of diarrhea (You will be called to come pick up if two episodes occur at school) Vomiting Severe Coughing (high pitched) or sore throat Difficulties breathing (wheezing, severe nasal congestion) Continual bodily discharge of any kind Head Lice (Must receive treatment and be free of crawling lice before return to child care) If a child becomes ill during the day, a parent will be notified immediately. We require that you arrive within one hour of notification to pick up your child. If you cannot pick up your child your emergency contacts will be called. If a child is sent home, they must be free from any of the above symptoms for 24 hours. A child must be fever free and without fever-reducing medication for 24hours. If a child has been administered any medication, they may not attend for 24 hours after the first dose. A child sent home two consecutive days may not return without a doctor’s note. Children will be admitted into the school’s attendance at the school’s discretion, with or without a physician’s note/opinion. Parents are reminded to notify the school within 24 hours if a child or family member develops a known or suspected communicable disease. All parents will be informed if a communicable disease is reported. Small Wonders Academy follows the communicable disease reporting guidelines as established by the State Department of Health. Examples of "reportable diseases" include, but are not limited to: Chicken Pox Whooping Cough Tuberculosis Measles German Measles Spinal Meningitis Salmonellosis Mononucleosis Giardiasis Mumps Hepatitis A Shigellosis Accidents and Injuries If a minor injury (i.e., scrape, scratch) occurs during your child's daily activities, the parent will receive an Accident Report from the supervising teacher. Our staff is certified in First Aid and CPR. If the injury is of a more serious nature, the parent will receive a phone call at the time of the injury, and a joint course of action will be decided. In the event of a serious emergency, the school will secure immediate medical attention as needed and serving the best interest of your child. Every effort will be made to contact parents, guardians, or authorized family members or friends. Parents and/or guardians assume any and all expenses incurred in obtaining medical attention for the child. Staff is not to transport children in personal vehicles in an event of a medical emergency. It is extremely important that emergency contact information is up-to-date. A child cannot be transported for care, or receive emergency care at the school, unless the waivers for emergency care have been signed. These waivers are included in the enrollment packet and updated by the parent or guardian every 6 months at minimum and every time a change is needed.

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