New Bees Early Child Development Center
4253A Highway 101
Gearhart OR 97138
Parent Handbook			
Admin: info@newbeescdc.com	
	   503.717.2364
Director: Tiffany Wallin
      tiffwallin@newbeescdc.com
Operating Hours: 7:30am to 4:30pm

Engaged Educaring:  In Time, Not On Time
At New Bees, care and education are not mutually exclusive. Using the Educaring method, founded by Emmi Pikler & Magda Gerber, we can ensure that your child is provided with excellent care within an optimal learning environment. The care rooms are designed to provide premium opportunities for your child to explore and discover within their appropriate stages of learning and development.
We believe that the developmental stages of childhood are best embraced by a child who is ready to master them. While our caregivers are ever mindful of “ages and stages”, we allow developmental milestones to be child-led. Infants, toddlers and preschool children are encouraged to follow their own path of growth and discovery without having to adhere to a strict schedule of milestone achievements. 
The Educaring methodology dictates that the child is trusted to achieve developmental milestones in time, not on time. The environment and fully engaged caregivers encourage these achievements along with trust and respect for the child’s abilities.

The Bumble Bees Preschool Room
The preschool follows the Montessori method and curriculum. Pre-K and preschool students learn within six areas of exploration within the classroom. **School-age children enrolled within the after school program may also explore these areas.

★	Practical Life
○	Hand-eye coordination is the first of many steps to independence. Children exercise manual dexterity by moving beads or water between cups, glasses or bowls. Cleaning and self care tasks like face washing and buttoning clothes are also emphasized.
★	Sensorial
○	Sensorial education contains lessons for the five senses and lessons to identify colors and shapes. 
★	Mathematics
○	Children start by identifying quantities of various objects like rods or beads before learning numeral values of 1, 2 and 3. From there, a child can explore values beyond 100,000 & even one million.
★	Language
○	Little fingers practice writing in sand or even shaving cream while pinning and paper clip exercises strengthen muscles in preparation to grip a pencil. Our preschool curriculum uses phonetic & whole language systems for reading education.
★	Botany/Zoology
○	Yes, we even teach the birds and the bees! Plants, too!
★	Geography/History
○	Starting with the L.A.W. lessons of land, water, & air, children are then encouraged to explore more complex land and water masses like lakes, oceans and isthmuses…or is it isthmi?

Discipline
Educaring and Montessori models revolve around child-led activities that are closely monitored by an adult. It is typical to assume that since a child initiates learning activities, then he/she is in complete control of those activities. An adult is always at hand to ensure that all learning materials are used appropriately. Socialization between children and other adults is meant to always be respectful and safe. 
Hitting and biting are not allowed although these actions are certainly not atypical of how a child would react to a stressful situation. If a child is persistently performing these actions, then the parent/guardian will be contacted and asked to attend a planning session with the relevant caregiver in order to address the behavior. Specialists from NWRESD may be contacted in order to perform assessments if parent consent is given.
If a child strikes or bites a caregiver or another child on multiple occasions, parents may be contacted for early pick up if redirecting efforts are not successful.
During any socializing lesson in which a child becomes angry or upset, then the emotional state of the child is verbally recognized by the caregiver and appropriate intervention is performed. We never employ swatting, yelling or isolating a child at such times.
Special Needs and Learning Disabilities
New Bees works closely with NWRESD to provide and accommodate children with learning disabilities and special needs. While we recognize the need for individual support for children with disabilities and special needs, please be aware that staff training and education may limit a child’s access to specialized support. We will work to provide as much adult assistance as possible however it may be determined that a child may better thrive in a specialized environment outside of the care center.
Full Time & Part Time Care
Full time enrollment encompasses care given for more than six hours per day, Monday through Friday. Full Day care is given for more than six hours per day for any amount of days in which the center is in operation, however a child is still considered to be enrolled on a part time basis if he/she/they are enrolled for less than five days per week.
Half Day care enrollment encompasses two through five days of the week in which care is given for five hours or less.  Half Day schedules run from 7:30am to 12:00pm or 12:00pm to 4:30pm. Parents can contact the front office to inquire about exceptions to these time slots.
Drop In Care
Drop In Care is defined as care provided under 4 hours and is subject to unavailability based on the number of open spots and staffing. A child may only be admitted for drop in care if the time slot allows for him/her to reside in the care room with his/her own stable group.
Enrollment & Immunization
An enrollment application must be on file in order for a child to receive care. No payments for care will be accepted without an enrollment application on file. Parents must include contact information for all adults responsible for drop off and pick up as well as any information regarding allergies or specialized medications on their child’s brightwheel profile.
Updated proof of immunization is required for enrollment including MMR.

**Please note this requirement for MMR vaccination is predicated on the safety and general health of the child and adult population at New Bees. Denial of enrollment due to lack of immunization is not determined based upon the religious or cultural standing of any one individual, family or group.
Arrival & Departure
The center opens at 7:30am and closes at 4:30pm.  
Using the brightwheel app, parents/guardians check children into and out of the center using the QR code posted in the front lobby and in each care room.  Parents are to use the app to scan the QR code and then input the assigned four digit code used for check in and check out. Parents/guardians are allowed to escort children into the care rooms while wearing a face mask or face shield. If parents/guardians do not wish to wear facial protection, then they must remain outside of the building until children can be escorted to the care room by a staff member. 
All adults dropping off must please always remain in attendance until the child has been checked in. Parents may not leave a child unattended inside the front office, staff room, or any unassigned room. Parents may not allow a child to stand or walk in the parking lot unattended. 
When picking a child up, adults should be ready to present a picture ID if they are recorded as an approved pick up in a child’s brightwheel profile. If an unauthorized adult arrives for pick up, any authorized parent/guardian/emergency contact will be contacted by phone.
Late Pick Up & Fees
If a child receives care after operating hours then an hourly charge of $15 will be billed to your credit/debit card. For consistent late pick up that is not authorized by the owner or another member of New Bees, a child may then be dropped from the attendance roster and unenrolled from care.
Meals
Breakfast, lunch & two snacks are served throughout the day. Please see the posted schedule for meal times in your child’s home care room or on our website, www.newbeescdc.com. If a child has food allergies, please note any medications or food restrictions in their brightwheel profile. If a parent/guardian wishes to substitute any of the meals served, then a replacement meal must be provided from home in a sealable lunch box labeled with the child’s name.
Infants under the age of one are served either breast milk or formula provided by the parent/guardian. Solid foods are only served to infants who can sit up without support from adult caregivers or from furniture. Once an infant can safely ingest solid foods, parents/guardians may provide solid food that may be served at each feeding time or choose to allow service from the center’s infant menu. Please note solid food should not replace breast milk or formula until after an infant has reached 12 months of age. 
All foods & beverages are kept refrigerated on site at New Bees.
Tummy Time
For tummy time, infants are not placed on their stomach upon the floor by caregivers. They are held prone over an adult’s leg or over an adult’s shoulder while the adult is securely seated. This is to ensure that an infant does not inhale or make facial contact with any fluid that may be spit up onto the floor. 
Floor time upon the stomach is allowed to any infant who has achieved the ability to roll onto his stomach without adult assistance. Part of a caregiver’s role in the Educaring method is to observe an infant performing transitional positions that are necessary for an infant to develop strong posture and muscle coordination. The caregiver is responsible for observing and notating the infant’s progression through the various positions that will ultimately lead to the infant rolling over and pushing up with the arms.
Restrictable Illnesses
Parents/guardians will be contacted for immediate pick up or denied care services if a child exhibits any of the following symptoms:

●	Fever of 100+ degrees
●	Unusual cough
●	Shortness of breath
●	Sore throat
●	Loss of taste or smell
●	Diarrhea
●	Yellow skin/eye color
●	Nausea/vomiting
●	Severe cough/barking cough
●	Stiff neck/headache
●	Skin/eye lesions
●	Pink eye/opaque ocular discharge
●	Rashes (eczema/diaper rashes not included but a pediatrician note is required)
●	Lice/Nits
●	Weeping/pus filled sores
●	Difficulty breathing/wheezing
●	Severe pain
Should these symptoms arise while in the care center, a child will be isolated away from the main care rooms and a parent/guardian/emergency contact will be notified for immediate pick up. In cases of nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, infants and toddlers are required to be picked up after two incidents occurring within the same day. We recognize infants and toddlers have isolated incidents of these conditions and so we allow continued monitoring should cases of vomiting or diarrhea occur.
Medications
Please note the use of any prescription medication used by your child in their brightwheel profile. When providing any medication to be dispensed at our center, please use the original container and a small paper note, provided by New Bees, that includes the child’s name, instructions for administering, date and signature. 
Topical medications are used at New Bees for injuries like insect bites or skin abrasions. For infants, Aquaphor is used to reduce topical symptoms of eczema and used to reduce symptoms of contact dermatitis and diaper rash for infants and toddlers. Parents/guardians need to fill out  a release clause on the enrollment application stating permission to use topical medications.
Injuries
Permitted topical treatment is applied for abrasions and minor injuries along with appropriate bandaging. 
Broken bones, however unlikely, will result in contact of emergency/ambulance services followed by parent/guardian/emergency contact by phone. This response would follow any acute asthma attack or anaphylactic allergy reaction. 
All injuries including scrape, bruises, cuts, bite marks (including those sustained before a child enters care) are documented and require signature from a parent/guardian on forms provided within the front office. 
Diapers
New Bees uses the DYPER ® brand which provides eco-friendly diapers in sizes from 6 lbs to 28+lbs . To learn more about the DYPER brand, please visit www.getdyper.com. A $25/month charge is billed for use of all DYPER products at New Bees including Sense(™) moisture detection systems.
If families prefer to use a different diaper brand, labeled packs are to be provided New Bees caregivers for use at the care center. Please include the child’s name and weight on the outside packaging.
Between ages 4 months to 35 months, all children are diapered by caregivers that are registered with the Central Background Registry. Temporary staff/volunteers are not able to diaper children without supervision or background clearance. 
Changing stations are available for use in each infant room. Staff and infant hands are washed immediately following a diaper change with hypoallergenic soap and warm water. 
Walking infants and toddlers are changed while standing. 
Since diapering is a crucial caregiving act within the Educaring methodology, mobile infants and toddlers will be encouraged by staff to open and seal their own diapers. They will also be encouraged to use wipes, to properly dispose of used, closed diapers in sealed containers followed by hand washing. Infants and toddlers will never be asked to handle their own waste but caregivers will encourage children to use words or hand signs when a diaper needs changing. Infants and toddlers receive visual reinforcement of their own waste, meaning they will look at (but not touch!) the contents of their diaper to determine the appropriate words.
Bathing & Laundry
Infants are bathed only after having sustained a leaking diaper. A bathtub is kept on site where a baby would then be washed by a caregiver registered with the Central Background Registry.
Blankets are provided to all children over the age of 12 months. Sheets are provided to all infants sleeping within portable cribs and on nap mats for children over the age of 12 months. Parents may provide a sleep sack for infants enrolled into care at the center. New Bees is prohibited by law from placing a blanket into a crib where an infant sleeps.
Blankets and sheets are laundered on site in the event they become soiled. Blankets/sheets from home are returned at the end of the week to be laundered. 
Clothing is not laundered at New Bees.
“Snugglies” or stuffed animals are not to be brought into the center by a child, parent or guardian. Toys belonging to a child at home are not to be brought into the center.
Clothing
Clothing should be provided for a child to move comfortably indoors and outdoors. Keep in mind that materials like water, food, paint, chalk, sand, colored inks, shaving cream, worms, ants, beetles, dry leaves, mud and dirt are all deemed viable learning materials and every one of them will likely end up on your child’s clothing by the time he/she is picked up from care. The best option for clothing would be loose shirts, shorts or pants. Dresses for girls (especially infants) should not reach below the knees. 
Please make sure all clothing is weather appropriate. Open toed shoes are allowed so long as a child can comfortably wear them throughout work and play. Jewelry that can be easily removed is not recommended. As a means to prevent lice/nits, hats and head scarves are typically prohibited. Winter hats and head covers may be provided in a plastic or Ziploc bag and taken home at the end of each day.
Parents of infants and toddlers should provide a spare set of clothing to replace any that are soiled throughout the day. Soiled clothing is not laundered but will be placed in a sealed bag and returned at pick up.
Abuse/Neglect
All staff members are designated by the state as mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect. Oregon law requires that a phoned-in report be given to the Child Welfare Division any time that abuse or neglect is suspected and adequate evidence is obtained. Cases of abuse can be physical, sexual, mental or emotional in nature.
All child abuse cases are documented and filed with the enrollment file and then phoned in to the DHS Child Abuse Hotline. The phone number for the Child Abuse Hotline is 855.503.SAFE (7233).
Cultural Acknowledgement and Non-Discrimination
New Bees is prohibited from denying access to care on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender, religion, age or disability. To file a complaint of discrimination, please contact the Office of Child Care:
700 Summer St, NE #350, Salem OR 97301
503.947.1400
Lessons involving multicultural, geopolitical and religious backgrounds are given at New Bees. We proudly implement lessons of peace, understanding and open mindedness in regards to people of all different ethnicities, gender orientations, hairstyles, development milestones, special needs, learning disabilities, cultures and creeds. There is never any encouragement on the part of New Bees caregivers for any one child to feel shame or contempt for anyone’s individual background or to feel empowered to belittle other people for being different. 
Emergency Planning
To ensure the correct emergency procedures are followed, please be sure that all contact information is updated and kept current in your child’s brightwheel enrollment file. Toddler and Preschool rooms are evacuated to the north lot adjacent to the WindJammer Hotel. Infant rooms are evacuated to the south lot between New Bees and the (former) Yankee Trader, across from Gearhart Liquor.
Fire (or Gas Leak): children and staff will evacuate to adjacent lots and remain in place at a distance of 50 feet from the facility. The fire department will be contacted, followed by immediate contact of parent/guardian/emergency contact listed in the enrollment file. 
Earthquake: children and staff will evacuate to adjacent lots. Staff or owner will contact the city or Coast Guard to establish all clear for tsunami evacuation before returning to the building. A brightwheel message will follow suit to advise parents/guardians that an evacuation has taken place and that children are to be picked up or left in care at the center.
Tsunami: children and staff will evacuate to adjacent lots and remain in place at a distance of not more than 50 feet from the facility. 
A brightwheel message will be sent to parents/guardians/emergency contacts containing the address of the evacuation site and any relevant emergency phone numbers. Please note: staff vehicles and emergency service vehicles may be enlisted to provide ground transport of children. You may decide to provide an extra car seat for storage at New Bees in the event of such an emergency.
Extensive Building Damage: In the case of damage due to wind or flooding, children and staff will evacuate to the adjacent lot away from the damaged area. Emergency services will be contacted followed by parent/guardian/emergency contact via text message. Parents/guardians/emergency contact will be asked to pick up children and expect future closure of the care center until further notice.
Lockdown/Shelter in Place: gates/doors to all entrances/exits will be closed and locked. Staff and children will remain in place until police/emergency services arrive and give the all clear. To ensure safety for parents as well as staff and children, parents will be advised to cease or postpone attempts to pick up or drop off children until an all clear is given by police/emergency services on site.  Please do not attempt to pick up children during an active lockdown incident.
Loss of Power: All staff and students will remain in the care center unless temperatures become unsafe to do so. Loss of power and refrigeration will require New Bees staff to provide store-bought, freshly refrigerated foods for meals. Parents/guardians of infants under 24 months may be asked via text/email to provide new supplies of fresh breast milk or solid foods.
For a possible disruption of water service, New Bees staff may be required to provide store-bought, bottled water for diapering activities. Parents/guardians will be notified via text/email should such a disruption occur.
Payment 
All payments are made using the brightwheel app under the Billing tab. Full payment is expected at the time of invoices posting to brightwheel. 
New Bees allows 10 days for full payment of invoices after which late fees of $15 are implemented to the following invoice. If invoices remain unpaid after to consecutive months of care, a letter will be issued to parents/guardians followed by the immediate suspension of enrollment/attendance for the respective child.
Full payment is still expected in lieu of closures due to emergencies such as fire, earthquake, legal holidays, state mandate due to spread of COVID-19, or lack of adequate staffing due to illness amongst several staff members. Parents may contact the front office to discuss refund/reimbursement. 
Refund Policy
Refunds are issued via mailed check from New Bees or via reimbursement to the original payment debit/credit card used on the brightwheel Billing tab. 
Refunds are not issued for unplanned closures due to emergencies such as fire, earthquake, legal holidays, state mandate due to spread of COVID-19, and/or any event that prevents staff from maintaining sanitation requirements. Refunds are not issued in the event of a child being absent from the care center for an extended period of time. If a child is removed from care prior to the fulfillment of at least one month’s worth of service, then a refund may be issued for any amount applicable to the unused, working days for which care services are not to be utilized.
Families may request an extension of one month’s billing period in the event that closures prevent the utilization of care services for more than 24 hours. A billing cycle may be extended from anywhere between 1 to 10 days.
Subsidies
New Bees proudly accepts subsidy payments from DHS and the United States Coast Guard subsidy through MCCYN.
All subsidy recipients may check subsidy rates on our website: www.newbeescdc.com.
Any family using subsidy payments through DHS or USCG is responsible for submitting the parent amount designated to the appropriate full time/part time rate applied by the respective institution. Families must sign a statement acknowledging financial responsibility for parent fees prior to enrolling a child. Families must be currently enrolled in a respective subsidy program prior to enrolling a child. If a family chooses to enroll into a subsidy program while a child is enrolled, then enrollment will be suspended until a financial responsibility statement is read and signed and all required documentation from the subsidy institution is received and filed by the center’s office staff.
Closures
New Bees will close on major holidays listed on www.newbeescdc.com and in the event of a major emergency. Our care center is designed to support quarter/semester term scheduling and does not follow any specific district schedule. 
Individual care rooms may close in the event of an outbreak of COVID-19 or in the event that there are too few staff to cover all required shifts. Should a child/family have care withheld or delayed for more than 24 hours, then families may request an extension of the billing cycle beyond a standard 30 days.