It is a Community Care Licensing requirement that your child be signed in and out by you, or by your written, authorized representative (an adult 18 years or over), every day he or she is in attendance. (101229.1 DSS/CCL) Please sign in AND out daily with a legible, full signature with first and last name; do not use initials.
- DSS/CCL requires you to remain with your child at drop off, so do not allow your child to enter the classroom unaccompanied. (101226.1 1 a, b DSS/CCL)
- Anyone dropping off your children must wait until the teacher or staff member has conducted a complete daily health check before leaving the child. (101226.1 A DSS/CCL)
- The WVC-CDC staff will only release a child to a person indicated on the emergency card. A picture identification is required if the person is unknown to the teacher or WVC-CDC representative, even if they have picked up the child previously.
- The WVC-CDC staff will only release a child to a person indicated on the emergency card. A picture identification is required if the person is unknown to the teacher or WVC-CDC representative, even if they have picked up the child previously.
Children are expected to arrive between 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM. Children do best with a consistent schedule and predictable day. If you are not able to arrive by 9:30 AM, please contact the program director, or your child’s master teacher.
Sometimes children need to go to doctor appointments in the mornings/afternoons. Please let a master teacher know ahead of time that your child has an appointment and will be out of the classroom. If your child has a doctor’s appointment and would like lunch, please arrive no later than 12 noon. If you cannot make it back from the appointment by 12:00 PM, please feed your child before they return to the WVC-CDC. Afternoon snack is served between 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM. If you pick up your child earlier than 2:30 PM, they will not receive and afternoon snack.
Families are expected to adhere to their contracted hours. Children are to be picked up by or before contracted time. Late pick up fees will be charged if families are not abiding to contracted hours and/or picking up after 5:30 PM. Fees and are due within a week of occurrence.
If a child is going to be absent, please email or call your child’s master teacher before 9:00 AM to give the reason and the approximate length of the absence. Notify a master teacher immediately if your child comes down with a contagious illness so the WVC-CDC staff can respond proactively to prevent its spread and to post exposure notices as required by the Department of Community Care Licensing (if applicable).
Additional Absence Policy for certified families receiving childcare tuition assistance is explained on in the Supplemental Section.
Parents are required to fill out an emergency form, medical release form, and family plan for disasters prior to the first day of attendance. It is the parents’ responsibility to keep these forms current. The WVC-CDC staff will care for minor cuts and scrapes at the center. Parents receive an incident form documenting the injury and treatment. If a more serious injury occurs, parents are notified at once. If necessary, the authorized persons and/or specific directions designated on the emergency card will be followed. Otherwise, the child will be taken to the Student Health Center on campus and appropriate emergency medical treatment services and procedures will be followed as deemed necessary.
The teachers will respond to an emergency on campus or in the community such as fire, floods, and earthquake, as specified in the WVMCC District emergency handbook. If necessary, children will be evacuated to the parking lot adjacent to the center. Emergency food and water are stored on campus. Teachers will remain with the children as long as necessary. Children will be released only to authorized persons whose names are on the emergency forms.
Nutrition
The WVC-CDC serves nutritious, culturally, and developmentally appropriate meals. Children receive a morning snack, lunch served with milk, and an afternoon snack. Weekly lunch and snack menus are posted at the gate each week. The Center participates in the California State Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and is subject to California State monitoring for the compliance to the regulations.
Food Allergies/Exemptions
Special food requirements or food allergies must be identified during enrollment. Parents must obtain written information from the child’s physician about the food allergies. Specific written instructions are to be included on the enrollment forms and discussed with center staff. Parents may need to supply food items for their child if the WVC-CDC is unable to meet the special food requirements.
Your child’s tuition is based on a monthly fee. There are no credits for vacation or other absences. Families will be required to update their Contract Hours and Tuition Agreement and Meal Benefit Form every year in October. Please refer to the Tuition Schedule and Information in the Appendix of this Handbook for additional details.
Refund Policies
Once payment has been made no refunds will be made unless approved by the program director.
- Monthly tuition payments are due on the first of each month and late if received after the fifth of each month.
- •We accept personal checks, cashier checks and credit cards. NOTE – a 2.85% additional surcharge is added to all credit card payments.
- Make checks payable to: West Valley College CDC and write your child’s name on the memo line. Give checks each month to the master teacher at the front gate.
- We strongly encourage you to sign up with your bank or credit union, through their online banking system, to have a paper check automatically sent each month. It’s easy and free and allows you to pay your tuition stress free each month.
- Tuition fees are not subject to pro-ration for illness, holidays, or emergency closure of our childcare program.
- If your tuition payment is delinquent by 30 days, childcare services may be terminated. If you cannot pay your monthly tuition for any reason, contact the program director and an alternative payment plan will be implemented on a case-by-case basis.
- Monthly family fees* are due on the first of each month and late if received after the fifth of each month.
- We accept personal checks, cashier checks and credit card payments. NOTE – a 2.85% additional surcharge is added to all credit card payments.
- Make checks payable to: West Valley College CDC and write your child’s name on the memo line. Give checks to the master teacher at the gate each month.
- We strongly encourage you to sign up with your bank or credit union, through their online banking system, to have a paper check automatically sent each month. It’s easy and free and allows you to pay your tuition stress free each month.
- Family fees are not subject to pro-ration for illness, holidays, or emergency closure of our childcare program.
- If you cannot pay your family fee for any reason, contact the program director and an alternative payment plan will be implemented on a case-by-case basis.
* Family fees have been waived for the 2022-2023 fiscal year.
Each October, parents will receive the following new documents that must be signed and returned within one week:
- Parent Handbook/Parent Handbook Signature Page
- Admissions Agreement*
- Meal Benefit Form
- Admission Agreements - will also be updated throughout the year for families that change their contracted hours/days at the WVCC-CDC
Families enrolled in our subsidy program are required to recertify after 12 months of services. During this recertification you will be required to provide documentation to verify your eligibility and need.
We require a 30-day written/email notice for withdrawal from the program. Please contact the program director as soon as you know you will be withdrawing your child from the WVC-CDC. Tuition will be prorated if withdrawal occurs in the middle of a month.
The WVC-CDC reserves the right to withdraw services for the following, but not limited to, reasons:
- Failure to adhere to all WVC-CDC policies and procedures or comply with community care licensing requirements.
- Failure to submit required documents.
- Failure to pay family fees and/or other fees in a timely manner.
- A family or family member exhibits inappropriate or threatening conduct towards the staff and/or the children. This will result in an immediate termination.
- A child constitutes a safety or legal hazard to themself, or other children, staff, or the program in general. This behavior will result in an immediate conference with the child’s teacher and the director.
- In the event that the WVC-CDC should decide that our program is not appropriate for the child or fit the needs of the family.
We ask parents to abstain from cell phone use while dropping off or picking up their child. Your child needs your undivided attention when saying good-bye to you. And they need your full attention when greeting you at the end of their day. Please give your child the respect of putting them first – phone second.
For privacy reasons, we ask that parents only take pictures of their own children at the WVC-CDC.
Student Teachers are not allowed to use cell phones during their paid time with children. Master teachers may use their phones to photograph children - but only for documentation purposes. Master teachers may also use their phones to email and text parents when necessary.
While COVID restrictions are in place, parents will drop-off/pick-up their children at entrance gate. Parents will not be allowed into the classroom at this time.
For newly enrolled children, we will ask you to make an appointment with the program director to visit the school with your child for a one-hour block of time. When you stay at your child’s school, it shows your child that you like being at the WVC-CDC and feel comfortable with the school, the teachers, and the children. This aids tremendously with transitioning your child into the program. During your visit, you will spend time getting to know your child’s teachers, classmates, and the morning routine. Your child’s classroom teachers will work with you and your child to make separating for the first time easy and predictable.
Formal parent-teacher conferences are scheduled in the Fall and Spring of each school year. These meetings can take place on Zoom – or a socially distanced, outside, in-person meeting. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to make an appointment with the master teachers or the program director. We look forward to meeting with you.
