Partnering with a team of experienced early childhood education professionals and having experience in the development and operation of child care centers; we have created a daily program that offers the best in educational curriculum. Enrichment activities that boost self-esteem will help young learners to build a foundation that sets the stage for educational success. We use Creative Curriculum to stimulate emerging skills in a developmentally appropriate fashion.  Our teachers use regular observation and assessment to insure that each child grows and develops at their own pace. Believing that language and math skills set the stage for learning and problem-solving, we begin stimulating both areas in a developmentally appropriate way, beginning with our youngest children.  From story time to center time, math and language are integrated throughout our children’s day. 

Daily Schedules

Children need boundaries and routines.  Our Daily schedules include blocks of time for large group participation, small group interaction, independent learning in learning centers, and outside exploration and play. In addition, each classroom has scheduled mealtimes, snack times and rest times.  Daily schedules are posted in each classroom.

 School Age Program

Jack and Jill Early Learning Center offers a program to fit the needs of working parents and children who require before and after school care.  Students participating in this program will be taken to and/or picked up from local schools.  Our after school age program was designed with the needs of the older child in mind.  We offer opportunities for active and quiet play, arts and crafts, games, outdoor recreation and special projects.  Additionally, a quiet area will be provided for children who need to work on homework, special studies or wish to do quiet reading.  Snacks will be provided for all students upon arrival from school. 

 Summer Camp

When school is out during the summer, Jack and Jill Early Learning Center will offer a full day summer camp for school-age children designed with age appropriate activities and fun filled field trips.  Detailed activity schedules will be available in the front office in the spring.

Arrivals and Departures

In order to maintain the safety and well being of the children in our care, we require that parents accompany their children into the facility.  We ask that parents notify the teacher in the classroom that the child is present.  Additionally parents must sign children in on the daily log provided for that purpose.  During the enrollment process the center director will give you instruction on how to sign in and out and will show you where the log is located.

At the end of the day children must be signed out when picked up by parents or authorized pickup person.  We ask that when picking up siblings, parents accompany their children through the building.  Persons under the age of eighteen are not permitted to pick up children from the center.

 Child Pickup

Children will be released only to the person who has signed the enrollment application or to other persons who have been authorized by the enrolling parent/guardian.  Children will only be released to persons who have a written authorization to do so.  This information will be kept on file at our facility.  Upon arrival those authorized persons will be asked to provide photo proof of identification (driver’s license, work photo ID, etc.).  Any authorized pick up person must sign the child out on the sign in/sign out log.  Parents will not be permitted to phone in authorizations for pick up under any circumstances.

 Late Pickup

We ask that all children are picked up in a timely manner each day.  We understand that from time to time things happen that make late pick up unavoidable. If you are going to be late picking up your child, please notify us immediately so that the staff is aware of the situation and can allay any concerns that your child might have.  If this situation should arise, please notify another adult, whose written authorization is on file, to pick up your child.  There is a fee for late pick up from our center (please refer to the Financial Agreement).

If a parent or authorized pick up person has not contacted us and a child is still at the center one hour after closing, the person in charge is authorized to notify the local authorities who will then assume custody of the child until the parent can be found.

 Hours of Operation

Jack and Jill Early Learning Center is open from 6:30am - 6:30pm Monday - Friday January through December. We are closed for six holidays through out the year.. 

Safety

The safety of your children is our primary concern.  The main door is a secure door with security code access  For additional security, surveillance cameras are located in all classrooms and playground areas.  All associates are required to attend seminars on Safety and Injury Control and Infectious Disease Recognition and Prevention.  Our staff receives CPR and First Aid training and is required to maintain their certification.  Every effort is made to insure the safety of all children in our care.

Accidents and Incidents Reports

We strive to provide a safe environment for children.  Precautions are taken to protect your child’s safety.  If an incident or injury occurs, first aid is administered by trained staff. An incident/accident form is filled out and a copy given to you.  The form gives information about the nature of the accident and actions that were taken.

 Emergency Medical Procedures

Children who require emergency medical attention while at Jack and Jill Early Learning Center will receive immediate attention from our staff who are trained in First Aid and CPR.  The person in charge will make the immediate decision as to whether or not further medical attention is necessary.  If a situation is not an emergency, you will be notified so that you can pick up your child for further medical treatment from your physician.  In the event that emergency medical treatment is necessary, your child will be transported to Gwinnett Medical Center or the facility that you have listed on your child’s emergency medical information.  You will be notified to meet your child and a member of our staff at that medical location.

 Medications

Medications, whether prescription or over the counter, will be administered only if the medication authorization form is filled out in its entirety.  All medications must be in the original container and prescriptions must have a label that includes the name of prescription, prescription number, child’s name and prescription dosage.  Siblings may not share prescriptions.  Medication must be left at the front office to be stored appropriately.  Medication may not be stored in the classroom.  All medications must be taken home each night.  Medications will not be administered if all requirements are not met.  Adverse reactions to medications will be recorded and parents will be notified. Medication will only be administered twice daily by the center director-- at 12:00 PM and 4:00 PM.

 Illness

To protect the health of all the children, we ask that you do not bring your child to our facility when ill.  If notified of illness, we ask that you make arrangements to immediately pick up your child.  Children will not be accepted nor allowed to remain at our facility if he/she has the equivalent of a one hundred and one (101) degree or higher temperature and/or other contagious symptoms, such as, but not limited to an unexplained rash, diarrhea, sore throat or vomiting.  Children will be readmitted to our facility according to the instructions of the posted contagious disease chart or with a doctor’s statement allowing readmission.  Should your child be exposed to a notifiable communicable disease notification will be posted. Children should be fever and symptom free without fever inhibiting medications for a minimum of 24 hours prior to returning to the child care center.

 Biting

On occasion young children will bite as a means of communication or out of frustration.  Our staff will make every attempt to avoid situations where biting could occur.  Classrooms with children who are teething will be provided with teething toys that help soothe gums and fill the biting need.  You will be informed if your child is bitten at school.  Staff will comfort all children who are bitten and will take steps to ensure that the situation will not occur again.  Should a child bite frequently staff will observe that child and track activity patterns that may contribute to the behavior.  Staff and parents will meet to develop a strategy to correct the biting behavior. 

 Discipline

Jack and Jill Early Learning Center believes in positive reinforcement of socially acceptable behavior.  As a part of that belief we strive to provide a loving, supportive environment that is conducive to positive behaviors and child-directed problem solving.

If situations occur that requires staff intervention we will use several techniques to handle problems as they arise.  Redirection is the most common method of intervention.  Children will be removed from the situation where conflict has occurred and given other activities to do that will redirect those energies in a more positive direction.  Another method used is the “time in” method where the teacher encourages the child to communicate and share his/her feelings while guiding and supporting the child through the situation.  Should an extreme situation occur where redirection or time in is not effective, staff will remove the child from the group to give them a few minutes to calm down and stabilize their emotions.   Staff will use this time away from the group to assist the child in sorting out those emotions and feelings that caused the disruption in the first place.

Any physical discipline or corporal punishment is not permitted at any time in our facility. 

 State Licensing

Jack and Jill Early Learning Center is licensed by Bright from the Start: Georgia Dept. of Early Care and Learning.  Our facility strictly complies with all state licensing rules and regulations.  Our licensing agency monitors our program and does yearly inspections to ensure compliance with all rules and policies.  We strictly support compliance with all licensing requirements in order to maintain the quality of services we offer to our families.  Our staff members are mandated reporters of child abuse and neglect, and we refer any suspected cases to Gwinnett County DFACS for investigation.

 Reporting Requirements

All staff and administrators of Jack and Jill Early Learning Center are mandated by law to report any suspected case of child abuse, exploitation, neglect or deprivation of any child in our care.  Persons who fail to report according to state regulations can be held accountable by law. 

 Special Needs

Jack and Jill Early Learning Center is committed to providing a facility that allows children with special needs to remain in a “natural setting” while receiving the extra care that they need.  Our staff and management are prepared to work with you to provide or locate the services that are necessary for you and your child.