Kessel Kids CcLc is licensed for 137 children ages six weeks to twelve years of age. Provider-to-Child Ratios must be maintained at all times. This guidance is provided to support childcare teachers with maintaining a safe childcare environment. HHS provides guidance for classroom ratios. However, at this center, ratios are based on what children need in order to have a reasonable amount of quality care, therefore, there will be additional staff scheduled when deemed necessary.
Persons counted as part of the staff ratio shall meet the following requirements:
- Be 16 years of age however, may not be the sole provider on the premises of a the child care facility
- At least one staff person on duty in the center when are present and present on field trips shall be over the age of 18
- If staff persons under the age of 18 are providing child care services without an adult, they shall only provide care to school aged children
The staff-to-child ratio shall be as follows:
- Two weeks to two years | One to every 4 children
- Two years | One to every 6 children
- Three years | One to every 8 children
- Four years | One to every 12 children
- Five year to ten 10 years | One to every 15 children
- Ten years and over | One to every 20 children
Combinations of age groupings for children four years of age and older may be allowed and may have staff ratio determined on the age of the majority of the children in the group.
Combinations of age groupings for children between 18 months and 3 years of age may be combined, if appropriate to the developmental needs of the child. If a child under 2 years is combined, the staff ratio of 1 to 7 shall be maintained, otherwise staff ratio may be determined by the age of the majority of children in the group.
Every child-occupied program room shall have supervision present in the room. Brief absences of a staff member may be allowed for no more than five minutes when another staff member is present.
During nap time, at least one staff shall be present in every room where children are resting. Staff ratio requirements may be reduced to one staff per room where children are resting staff ratio coverage can be maintained in the center. The staff ratio shall always be maintained in the infant area.
For a period of two hours or less at the beginning and end of the center’s hours of operation, one staff may care for seven or fewer children, provided no more than four of the children are under the age of two years and there are no more than seven children in the center.
The ratio of school-age children may be exceeded for a period of no more than four hours during a day when school classes start late or are dismissed early or canceled due to inclement weather or structural damage provided the children are already enrolled at the center and the center does not exceed the licensed capacity.
Infants’ area shall be provided properly and safely equipped for the use of infants free from the intrusion of children two years of age and older. Upon recommendation of a child’s physician or the area education agency serving the child, a child who is two years of age or older with a disability that results in significant developmental delays in physical and cognitive functioning who does not pose a threat to the safety of the infants may, if appropriate and for a limited time approved by the department, remain in the infant area.
Active supervision is made a priority at Kessel Kids CcLc in efforts to create a safe environment and prevent unnecessary injury. Children should be seen and heard at all times. Provider positioning must allow movement to interact and supervise all children throughout the classroom. Providers use name-to-face recognition by visually identifying each child and periodically performing classroom counts to ensure children remain present and within view. Providers are encouraged to continuously converse about their actions and intentions in regard to placement in the classroom to prevent the creation of unsupervised space.
Classroom provider to child ratio must be maintained at all times both indoors and outdoors at the center. Cell phone usage is prohibited while providers are considered within ratio at the center. If and when a provider is in need of leaving the classroom at any time, he or she must utilize the walkie-talkie to request a floater or administrative support to take his or her position.
When outdoors on the playground, one provider from each classroom must utilize a yellow vest to indicate he or she is responsible for floating around the play area. Providers are encouraged to switch vest usage to rotate providers who are actively moving with those who may remain more stationary. When supervising an area in which multiple classrooms are utilizing, providers are responsible for all children within their view, not just children associated with their own classrooms.
If and when the center would take a field trip off site in which a body of water is located, providers must maintain touch-supervision. Field trips of this sort, would only be taken if the location was developmentally appropriate for the age of the child. Water play at the center which may include water tables, slip-and-slides and sprinklers usage requires touch-supervision. Trips to the Cresco Fitness Center Pool (CFC) will include certified lifeguards from the CFC, extra staffing from Kessel Kids CcLc and the minimization of pool space to allow for the maintenance touch-supervision.
Kessel Kids CcLc utilizes Procare as our childcare management system. Parents are able to track their child(ren) attendance and activity through the application system. Parents utilize a QR code to check their children in and out of the center. Billing is also completed using Procare software. If parents do not have access to the app on a phone or tablet, the center will provide a written record of the child’s day.
Parents will be responsible for signing their child in and out utilizing a smartphone or tablet available at the front desk. Repeatedly forgetting to sign a child in and out may result in a convenience fee. Procare is utilized for parent communication as well as billing purposes, therefore, active usage of the app is vital in center operations.
Parents are encouraged to take the time to greet their child’s teacher and communicate with the teachers at the beginning and the end of the day. We acknowledge parent(s)/ guardians are busy in our fast paced society, however, in order to provide the best possible care for a child, two way communication needs to take place. The Procare App allows parents a secondary option for communication as pick and drop off times can be rushed at times. It is important that a parent communicates to a teacher any circumstances that may impact a child’s general disposition during the day such as a family death, illness, upcoming vacation, etc. or notes any situation that may have resulted in an injury to the child. This will support classroom teachers with providing the best care possible for the child. Any changes in schedule should also be communicated to the child’s teacher in advance.
Upon daily arrival, each child will be observed by the caregiver for signs of illness or injury. An attendance/symptom record will be maintained within the classroom to identify patterns of attendance or illness. Caregivers will also note any markings, accidents or injuries that occurred outside of care.
All guests are required to check in at the front desk before entering the facility. Guests need to provide their time in and out of the center, contact number and purpose of visit. They will be requested to wear a visitor badge. Please be aware that proper identification may be required before a child will be released from the center.
Upon admission, the parent(s)/ legal guardian provides the center with a list of individuals who may pick up their children. Children will not be released to individuals not on the list.
In cases of divorce, it is important that the registering parent indicates on the Pick-Up Permission Form who has custody of the child and provides the center with a copy of the divorce decree to know custodial issues. If a custodial parent shows up at the center to pick up their child we need legal documentation to enforce that the child may not be picked up by this individual. If no documentation is provided and the other parent shows up we cannot hold a child. The custodial parent will be notified that the other parent arrived at the center and has intentions of picking up the child.
It is the parent’s responsibility to inform teachers of any changes of schedule. We request parents complete monthly schedules available at the front desk and return to their child’s teacher prior to the upcoming month if the parent(s)/ legal guardian works hours that vary. Our staffing patterns depend on the staff-to-child ratios, therefore, it is important we know who plans on attending each day so we have enough staff on hand to accommodate the needs of the children. We understand that there are places of employment that require flexibility and parent(s)/ legal guardians often change plans to better accommodate their needs and schedules. We are willing to accommodate parent(s)/ legal guardians who work such schedules and allow flexibility for daily lives, however, we need to be in accordance with the ratio standards set by HHS and also be cost efficient with staffing. We ask that parents do the best they can to communicate what they know about their schedules and any changes that may take place.
- New Years Day
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas Eve Day
- Christmas Day
Child care assistance is available through HHS for families meeting income guidelines. You may contact HHS at 866-448-4605 to inquire about qualifications or talk to the director to assist you with determining if you may be eligible for child care assistance. The Promise Jobs program is also available for low income families with a parent attending school to achieve employment. Information regarding program guidelines are available at the center or through contacting HHS.
All families will be expected to communicate their schedules to their child’s teacher(s) on a weekly basis. Schedules can be modified with adequate notice without additional fees. Drop-in care requires a family to contact the center to ensure a spot is available before drop-off. The center operates based on a staff to child ratio, therefore, it is important to communicate changes as far in advance as one can. We understand things can change quickly and we will accommodate for these changes as long as a child’s attendance does not impact the center’s ability to add a child that would more consistently fill the slot.
Kessel Kids CcLc hours are from 5:00am to 6:00pm. There will be a $10.00 fee per child charge for every fifteen minutes that your child is at the center after 6:00pm in absence of a convenience call reporting a late pick up. This is in addition to the regular hourly charge. Please contact the center if you are running late and will be unable to pick up your child at the regularly scheduled time. We understand life occasionally happens. Repeated tardiness to pick up a child may result in dismissal from the program.
A two week notice is requested before termination of services. The family is responsible for paying the fee if the child does not attend the program during these two weeks.
Howard Winneshiek Community School District is the owner of the Early Childhood Development Center. It is the responsibility of all children and staff to assure that the facility and materials within the building are cared for properly. In accordance with the Elementary School Parent-Teacher Handbook, “anyone who defaces or deliberately destroys school property will be required to pay off the damage and may be subject to further disciplinary action.”
Center Etiquette
Kessel Kids CcLc does not promote the use of employees as private, personal baby-sitters. If a provider from the facility does baby-sit personally for a family, Kessel Kids CcLc is not responsible or liable for the employee during this time.
Gifts may cause turmoil and competition between staff, families and/or children. Home-made items and group gifts for classrooms are encouraged. Please be mindful that each and every child and co-worker contribute to the center’s success in his or her own way. Expressing appreciation is always welcome.
Invitations to personal parties need to be handled from home rather than at the child care center unless the invitations are being distributed to every child within the classroom. We encourage an environment of acceptance and inclusion. We want every child to feel as if they are part of the program.
Traditional and non-traditional holidays are celebrated at Kessel Kids CcLc. If a family prefers that their child not celebrate the holiday, alternative arrangements will be made for the child so they can remain in care at the center. Kessel Kids CcLc will also periodically recognize days of the month set aside to honor other person(s), places or things. Providers will post planned celebrations in advance to allow a notice to families who may prefer their children do not participate.
Items brought from home can create difficulties with sharing and also put a child’s possessions at risk for being lost or stolen. We suggest that items are not brought from home. The center provides a variety of toys and learning materials for children to utilize during the day. If items are brought from home due to special occasions, we ask that the items are clearly marked with the child’s name. Kessel Kids CcLc is not responsible for lost or misplaced items a child brings from home.