2026-2027 Half Day Preschool Parent Handbook

inclusion policy 

Rockford Preschool and Child Care Services is non-sectarian and non-discriminatory. Children between the ages of three and five years are eligible to enroll. Every child is accepted on a six-week trial basis. We will make every effort to accommodate students with special health, social, emotional, cognitive, or physical needs. If it seems that the student is not developing or advancing forward, parents will be notified, and a meeting will be set to discuss the situation. If staff or parents feel that further evaluation and/or input is needed, parents will be directed to contact Rockford Public School’s Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) department to begin an observation and evaluation process. 

If the child is withdrawn at the request of Rockford Preschool and Child Care Services, all unused pre-paid tuition will be refunded. Arrangements for tuition reimbursement due to a move, transfer or prolonged illness will be handled on an individual basis. 

Children are not discriminated against due to race, religion, family background or culture. Teachers provide both boys and girls with equal opportunities to participate in all activities. We believe that all children deserve an early childhood education that is responsive to their family structure and racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. Our staff will support and incorporate the diverse cultural values of our families, always speaking positively about each student’s background and family.

discipline policy

The emphasis of our discipline policy is to assist a child in learning to develop inner control of his/her own behavior. Children are disciplined in a positive manner at Rockford Preschool. We encourage the development of self-direction and cooperation. Expectations and routines are explained and practiced at the beginning of the year. We encourage positive behaviors by providing a variety of developmentally appropriate activities for children. When children are busy and challenged, they usually do not display undesirable behaviors. We are careful to let the child know that it is the behavior that is unacceptable, not the child. If the child’s behavior is unacceptable, the child will be redirected to a different activity. Appropriate strategies will be implemented to help the child and adjust their behavior. In cases in which a child displays a repeated problem behavior and is not showing progress toward improving the behavior, we will notify parents. If it becomes apparent that the child is not ready for this kind of environment, we reserve the right to ask the parent to find other childcare. A child might have to be dismissed sooner if he/she is jeopardizing the safety of anyone. If we feel the program is not meeting the needs of the child or if the child is not fitting into the group, we will contact the parents and try to work out the problem. If after two conferences and follow up periods, it is apparent that the child is not going to fit into the group we reserve the right to give the parent a two-week notice of termination of services.

health care policy

The health and safety of the children and staff is a top priority for our program. Rules have been established to help keep everyone safe and healthy. Parents will be contacted in the event that a child falls ill, is involved in an accident or injury, or requires emergency care. Children who become ill at the center are put on a cot to rest in the Child Care office within sight or sound of a Child Care office staff member until a parent can arrive within one hour to take the child home. If parents are unavailable, persons indicated on the emergency card will be notified. In the event none of the above can be reached and it is an extreme situation, the child will be taken to the hospital listed on the child’s information sheet. The parent or guardian will be responsible for any incurred expenses. All serious injuries requiring medical attention are immediately reported to the office of Child Care Licensing.

Procedures are in place to stop the spread of infectious disease and information is given to parents to inform them about certain common illnesses, how to detect them, and how to stop them from spreading. Parents will be notified if a communicable disease has been reported in your child’s classroom. The notification will provide the name of the illness, signs & symptoms, incubation period and when an affected child can return to the center. If your child is ill, please contact the Child Care office with your child’s symptoms and/or diagnoses, as we report all illnesses to the Kent County Health Department. Please contact the Preschool and Child Care Services office with any confirmed cases of communicable diseases, i.e., strep throat, pink eye, flu, head lice, etc.

If your child has a temperature of 100.4 or higher, has thrown up, or has diarrhea in the last 24 hours, they cannot be brought to the center. Your child must be fever free without fever reducing medication or on antibiotics for at least 24 hours before they can return to the center. Coughing should be treated as contagious, and the child needs to recuperate at home. A rash is also cause to keep the child from the center. A child with a rash cannot attend without a doctor’s note saying the rash is not contagious. If your child attends our program, then they are well enough to participate in all indoor/outdoor activities.

Children’s Health Records and Immunizations

Children must have a current Health Appraisal signed by a physician (or P.A.) on file before they can attend the program. Immunizations must be up-to-date within 30 days of the start of school. If you chose to waive your child’s immunizations, you must make an appointment at a Kent County Health Department Immunization Clinic to speak with a nurse. The Child Care office must receive a certified waiver from the Health Department before a child can attend our program.

Allergies

In the case of an air-borne and/or seasonal allergy, parents will be asked to fill out a form so that medication can be administered to that child if necessary. In the case of a food allergy, the parent will indicate which food(s) the child is allergic to, which will be noted on the Child Information Card. Parents will also fill out an “Allergy Alert”form outlining the procedure to follow in case the child should ingest that food. All staff will be alerted to any food allergies and the child’s picture and allergy information will be posted in the classroom, the kitchen, and the office. Substitute teachers will be given this information as well.

Staff Health Care and Training

Staff is encouraged to have the Hep. B series of shots and have up-to-date immunizations. All staff is trained in CPR for children and pediatric first aid and blood-borne pathogens. For children with special needs, parents will be asked who may have access to the information about those needs. If a child requires an epi-pen or other special equipment the district nurse will train the staff on its use.

No Smoking or Vaping

Please be aware there is no smoking or vaping allowed on Rockford Public schools property.

Medication

All medication must be signed in on the Medication Permission form in the front office. It must be in the original prescription bottle and have a pharmaceutical label providing the following information: Name, Date, Dosage and Instructions for administering the medication. Staff may administer medications with written permission from a parent or guardian. Instructions from a licensed health care provider must be included. Staff will be trained in administration of medication. Two staff members will verify and witness that the correct child receives the right medication, the correct dosage, and the correct time and method. Documentation of each procedure is kept on file.

safety

Safety is our number one priority. We want your child to grow, explore and learn new things through active involvement, but we also want your child to be safe. The children are continually watched by staff while inside and outside to be sure they are engaged in safe play. All classroom doors are locked during class time. 

All supervised volunteers shall receive a public sex offender registry (PSOR) clearance before having any contact with a child. A copy of this clearance will be kept on file at the center. Any individual registered on the PSOR is prohibited from having contact with any child in care.

We have emergency procedures for fire and tornado. We practice fire and tornado drills throughout the year. If a severe weather alert is issued, we will remain inside the center. We also have a Lockdown Procedure that is practiced twice a year. Lockdown deals with security and unknown, possibly dangerous situations. If there is an actual lockdown, the district security department and/or local law enforcement would take charge and give us direction on how to proceed.

weather policy

The children go outside to play throughout the day. We go outside unless the weather is too cold, too hot or rainy. If the weather prohibits us from going outside, we have use of the gym for gross motor activities. If the wind chill or actual temperature is 10 degrees or lower, we stay inside. If the heat index/temperature exceeds 85 degrees, we stay inside or have quiet activities in a shaded area.

If Rockford Public schools are cancelled due to weather, we are closed. The information is normally available on the major local TV and radio stations, as well as the district web site: Rockford Public Schools.

We recommend signing up for text alerts directly from the district site: Sign Up For RPS Alerts

If there is a morning delay of Rockford Public Schools, all Preschools, with the exception of Child Development Lab (CDL), will start as scheduled. In the event of a morning delay, the AM session of CDL will be cancelled.