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Trial Period

It is a difficult decision for a parent to find a great child care setting for their child(ren). The decision is usually made by meeting for only one hour or so with your prospective child care provider and maybe followed up with some phone calls to references given at the interview. It is a tough choice to make based on this limited time you spend with a person. After all this is a person that may be spending more waking time with your child(ren) during the day than you will. This is the reason I have implemented this policy. Upon signing up for care with Chrystal’s Dayhome there will be a one month trial period. In this time either myself (the child care provider) or the parent/guardian can give 24 hour notice that the Dayhome is not a good fit. Upon termination during this one month period the parent/guardian will be reimbursed on a prorated basis of monies owed for the remainder of the month not used. After one month of child care has passed, a minimum of two week notice must be given by the parent/guardian and Chrystal’s Dayhome must give one month notice as per the “Termination of Care” policy.

Part Time Care

You know your child best. It is my experience that children are happiest when they have a routine. If you are considering part time care it is easier for your child to adjust to a new child care setting if they are in care consecutive days. Depending how easy going your child is we can change the schedule after 2-4 weeks. So for example if you needed child care three days a week I would suggest Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to start off rather than Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Dayhome Space

I expect children and parents to treat my home with respect during pick up and drop off times and during their time in my dayhome. Although my main playroom is in my basement we will use the whole house to operate the dayhome. Children will have their own rooms to nap and we will eat in the kitchen on the main floor. However I expect some boundaries. My home is open to you and your children but we are living there and would like children in care to stay with us as a group and parents pick up in an orderly fashion. I have had past experiences with children and parents wandering my home in places they have no need to be. Please treat my home with the same respect you would like me to show if I were visiting you in your home

Hours of Care

When you start care you will be asked to state the times you will drop-off and pick-up your child. These are your agreed contracted hours and should include your regular working hours plus travel time. My standard fee applies to families seeking 10 hours of care per day. If you are looking for care for more than 10 hours I charge an extra $50 per month as per the extended fee. My hourly rate will apply for those looking for part time care. The daily rate is charged and then the hourly rate applied should there be more than 10 hours of care required. Please note I will not contract children in my care for more than 10 hours per day. Should you be late I request you inform me immediately (a phone call just takes a minute). I charge $12.00/hour ($3/15 minutes) you are late. Please discuss it with me if you need to change your contracted hours.

Fees

There is a $100 deposit/registration fee. This is returned if all fees are paid on time and in full upon termination of care. Payment is due in advance to care provided. You will have the option to pay for the month in full on the first day of the month or divide your payment in two and pay half on the first day of the month and the remainder owed for the month on the 15th. Please let me know upon signing up for care what option works best for you and your family. If payment is late there will be additional charges included in your monthly fee. I accept etransfer, cheque or cash as payment.

Holding Fee

For those families looking for care a couple months in advance I offer a holding fee of $100 per month per child. This fee is deducted from the first month child care would begin. For example parents decide they want to look for child care to start in June and they find I have an opening and decide to take a spot I have open in May. They would then pay $100 (plus the registration/deposit) in May and then when care begins in June they would pay $800 rather than $900 for that first month. I will only hold an opening for up to three months in advance. Should you, as the parent, decide to go with another child care provider during this time only the $100 deposit/registration fee will be returned. I will issue a tax reciept for the holding fee paid.

Guidance

Children will be treated with kindness, consideration and respect at all times. I will work on solutions together with children, offer choices, encourage and acknowledge positive behaviour. When inappropiate behaviours do occur the goal is to guide the child so that they become aware of what behaviours are expected and teach them effective and positive ways to resolve conflicts. Strategies include: kneeling down to the child’s level, making eye contact, redirecting the child to a different activity, helping the child identify their feelings and expressing them using words. I will also use role modeling, coaching, state expectations and limits clearly using a positive calm voice. I will involve older children in the decision making process whenever I can. Together we can determine which behaviours are expected and which are unexpected and come up with natural or logical consequences that happen when an unexpected behaviour occurs.

Drop-In Care

Many parents, especially those placing children in care for the first time, like to try out their child in care before they start their child permanently in the dayhome. Others just need a place to bring their child(ren) a couple times a month when friends or relatives are unavailable to look after their child. I do accept children on a drop-in basis. I charge $12 per hour of care. I do ask to meet you and your child(ren) before care is needed. Drop-in is based on availability. On any given day it is not guaranteed there will be a spot for your child(ren). I do ask you adhere to the same courtesies as families registered in the dayhome (calling me at least the day before to let me know when you will be dropping off your child, letting me know when you will be back to pick up your child, showing up on time for drop off and pick up etc). Since I do my meal preparation prior to the children arriving (sometimes the night before or in the morning, depending when the first child is dropped off) it is much appreciated that parents inform me that their child will not require care for the day. IF DROP-IN CARE IS NOT REQUIRED YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED. However, if these courtesies cannot be followed my drop in rates will as a result increase. Please inquire further.

Absences

Parents must call before their drop-off time (that morning or the night before) and notify me that their child will not be attending that day for whatever reason. No refunds for an absence.

Snow Days

On days where the weather conditions are terrible and you decide you are not going to need care for your child I must be notified the morning of. I will still be open so there is no refund for bad weather days.

Drop-Off and Pick-Up

Children must be dropped off and picked up by one of their parents or an alternate caregiver. If the individual is not a parent I will require them to show picture ID prior to the release of your child/children. Please inform me if someone other than you, the parent(s), will be picking up your child.

I will not have children picked up or dropped off during nap/quiet time. This is disruptive to the children who are napping. If you are planning on picking up your child early please try to come outside these hours.

Outdoor Play Policy

I will provide children in my care with a minimum of 30 minutes of outdoor activities per day. Each day children need to have adequate clothing depending on the weather (i.e. winter - warm jacket, mittens, snow pants or snow suit, winter boots and warm hat). I will not take children outside if I have a child under 2 years in my care if it is below - 20C/or if all children are over the age of 3 years if its -30C. We will also not go outdoors if there is heavy rain, blizzard, hail, high wind or tornadoes warnings or poor air quality due to smoke from forest fires.

Illnesses

Children with a contagious illness should not be taken to the dayhome. When a child is showing these signs and symptoms below please keep your child at home or arrange for your own alternate care.

1. Cold accompanied by runny nose and coughing (sniffles are ok)

2. Any contagious disease.

3. High fever during the previous 24 hours

4. Diarrhea and/or vomiting during the previous 24 hours

5. Unexplained Rash

6. If your child requires more care and attention than can be provided, compromising the care of other children in the dayhome.

7. Child displays or has an illness or symptom the provider knows or believes may indicate that the child poses a health risk to others in the Dayhome.

If symptoms appear while children are present parent/guardian will be contacted immediately and I will expect the child to be picked up as soon as possible.

This is a safeguard; I don't want all the kids sick....please keep children home if they are ill.

In addition I will ask children to return home if I believe they still pose a health threat to others. Please give children time to get well before returning. (i.e. symptom free in the last 24 hours or parent provides a doctor’s note)

There is no reduction in fees when your child is absent from the dayhome due to illness.

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Medical Conditions/Allergies

I must be notified of any health concerns or allergies regarding your child(ren). It is safer for all parties involved.

If there are specific food allergies I ask parents to supply all food for their Child(ren) to eat.

If your child requires prescription or non-prescription medication I will need your written permission to administer as well as a doctor’s note (the label on the bottle of a prescribed medication is considered a doctors note)

Please note this is a nut friendly dayhome.

In Case of Emergency

In the rare case that there would be an emergency such as fire, flood, etc. the children will be brought to a designated home on the street or if this is not safe they will be brought Sarah Thompson School. or the Field House. In any case parents will be immediately notified.

Visitation/Communication

Chrystal's Dayhome has an open door policy. Feel free to drop in anytime during the care of your child(ren) to check in.

Let me know what information you want to know about the daily activities of your child. If you would like to know meals and snacks and diaper changes I would be happy to provide a summary of our day.

Please bring any issues you have with the dayhome, me (the provider), or the other children to my attention and I will try my best to resolve the issue with you. I will bring any issues or concerns I have about your child(ren) to you immediately.

Visitors

I will ALWAYS let you know if there will be any other people in the house other than my children, my husband or myself during the time your child is in my care.

I occasionally have family stay at the house for a week or so. I will try to give parents at least two weeks notice in regards to visitors staying at the house.

At times I can only schedule interviews with prospective parents looking for care, during the day when the other children are here. If this is the case I will always let you know either the morning you drop off your child(ren) or as soon as the appointment is made (if your children are already here when the appointment is made, I will phone you and let you know).

Personal Belongings

Children can bring the occasional books, toys or other items from home that can be shared with the other kids. Things belonging to the child(ren) that come to the dayhome are the child's responsibility. If sharing becomes an issue, the item will be put away for the remainder of the day to be taken home at the end of the

day.

Clothing

We can get messy! Please bring an extra set of clothing. This can be brought daily or stored at the dayhome. Also supply clothing appropriate for the weather (i.e. hat, mitts for the cold weather and sun screen, sun hat on warm days).

If your child(ren) are in diapers I will also require a supply of these.

Discipline

Children will NEVER be hit, slapped, pinched, shaken or yelled at. There will be NO humiliation or shame towards the children and they will NEVER hear profanity in anger.

For children 3 and up I have a reward chart for good behaviour when children follow the rules they receive a small prize at the end of the day.

I deal with bad behaviour from children by re-direction and/or time-outs. If the behaviour is recurring parents will be notified.

Holidays/Vacation

There is no reduction in fees unless the whole month is taken off.

I will have a minimum of 2 weeks of paid vacation per year. I will let you know when I will take holidays at least 30 days before I do. Generally I take the week of Christmas off and two weeks sometime over the summer. I will reimburse parents on a prorated basis should I take more than two weeks off in the year.

Statutory Holidays

I will be closed most Statutory Holidays. I have provided a current list of Statutory Holidays on this website. You can find the Stat. Holidays tab in the menu. I can also provide a paper copy of this annually. If I am open there will be an additional fee of $30 for that day of care.

Signing Up For Care

Regardless if you are interested in drop-in care for a one time visit or signing up for full or part time care I must meet at least one parent or guardian of the child(ren) needing care, as well as all children that will require care prior to the start of care. Some families like to do all of this at once during the interview, others prefer the children come for a visit with the parents after the parent has met with me. Meeting everyone is beneficial for all parties involved. The children know who will potentially be looking after them and know what the home looks like, as well as the kinds of toys available to play with. Parents have an idea of what the provider (me) is like. I have a chance to meet everyone face to face. After the meeting I encourage all parents to look at and interview other dayhomes (so they have something to compare to). Then if we both agree the needs of the child(ren) can be met at this particular dayhome,I have a package that needs to be filled out and the registration fee could be paid at that time.

Termination of Care

Notice of termination of care must be given in writing. I can be told over the phone but I have a written form that must be signed within 48 hours of verbal notice given.

Chrystal’s Dayhome will give the parent/guardian one month notice of termination of care.

Chrystal’s Dayhome asked you the parent to give at least TWO WEEKS notice that child care is no longer needed. Failure to do so may result in lost monies. Upon notice of termination, all child care fees outstanding are to be paid in full within seven days of notice given.

Upon termination of care the $100 registration fee will be returned to the parent once all child care fees have been paid in full and providing all other monies owed for child care have been paid.

Caregivers and children who cannot adhere to the policies outlined here may be subject to termination of care without notice.

Toddler Property Laws

If I want it, it’s mine.

If it looks just like mine, it’s mine.

If I give it to you and change my mind later, it’s mine.

If I can take it from you, it’s mine

If I had it a little while ago, it’s mine.

If it’s mine it will never belong to anybody else, no matter what.

If I’m doing or building something, ALL the pieces are mine.

Author Unknown

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We found Chrystal through a friend and she happened to have a space open for our son. She provided care for about a year before we had our second child. We continued to bring our son periodically until Chrystal moved. It was out of our way to continue care with Chrystal so we chose to use family for our childcare needs until maternity leave was over. When it came time to find a new dayhome we interviewed many providers. We didn't realize how lucky we were to have Chrystal look after our son. She not only fed him and offered him play time but there were a lot of educational activities. Chrystal runs her dayhome a lot like a preschool, finding unique ways to engage children so they learn what they need to succeed in Kindergarten and beyond. We didn’t realize the gem we found in her dayhome. If you are fortunate enough to find space in her dayhome definitely check it out.

EB Dad

A Preschool Dayhome

I am a mom and a nurse. With my schedule It’s hard to see my kids during their waking hours. Once we established a routine at the dayhome, Chrystal was very flexible on drop off and pick up times for my kids. This allowed me to have time with them when I could. Chrystal was very understanding. The kids loved going to her home and would ask every morning if it was a day at Chrystal’s.

Shiftwork Momma

Loved the flexibility

Our 2 year old was in Chrystal’s care for a little more than a year. We were planning to have our younger son join her in the dayhome when she told us of her plans of moving. Our daughter had many struggles with boundaries. Chrystal was amazing at redirection and reminding our daughter to take turns and use her gentle hands. She was so patient. This phase lasted quite a while for our daughter but Chrystal troubleshooted along with us. Our little girl is a better person because of the patience and perseverance of Chrystal. Thank you! We hope we can find another provider like you!

KaDiRi

Patient

My son was in Chrystal’s care for two years. We were disappointed to learn Chrystal was moving and we were not able to bring our youngest to her dayhome. Chrystal provided wonderful meals made with whole foods. Many of the Dayhomes we looked at served food that was processed and that was not something we wanted our son to eat. Chrystal also provided us with a record of what our son was up to all day. The activities he did, how long he slept, what he ate. Chrystal was wonderful in supporting our potty training efforts at home. Having three boys of her own she had lots of suggestions on what could work for our boy. She was true to her promise of going outside each day. My son loves to play outside and honestly he gets a little rambunctious if he is not able to. Chrystal ensured this happened. Thanks for running a great dayhome, we will miss you.. Good Luck!

D Re

I had two children in Chrystal’s care, a 6 year old and an 8 year old. My oldest began care in Kindergarten and was in care for 3 ½ years. My youngest was in her care for a year. Chrystal ensured they arrived at school promptly and were always picked up on time. My girls enjoyed playing “big sister” to the younger kids in care and Chrystal allowed them to lead crafts and games if they wanted to. She was very good at coming up with activities that challenged my girls on days where there was no school. The activities were frequently open ended so that younger kids could participate if they chose to…or just watch. My girls speak fondly of all the crafts Chrystal planned and did with them. She is a wonderful dayhome provider and I would recommend her to anyone looking for care. We were sad to learn she was moving. We will miss you!

SB

Happy Mom

My 2 year old daughter was cared for by Chrystal for almost a year before we left her care. She would ask every morning (even on weekends) “Can I go see my friends at Chrystal’s?” She also went through a phase of having daily tantrums and Chrystal was very patient and helped us work through different ideas. We got through this phase together. Thanks for being there for our little girl.

Wendy

Patient

My 1 year old daughter had so much fun at Chrystal’s Dayhome. We were sad to say goodbye but had to move out of province. Thank you for caring for her, teaching her, and playing with her. THank you for giving us, her parents, peace of mind everyday knowing she was in a great environment. We will miss EVERYONE at your dayhome!

Tanya

Thank you

I had to go out of town for two weeks. I was going overseas into a different time zone. Chrystal offered to support my 4 year old in contacting me via Skype while I was away. We Skyped 3 or 4 times during that time. This was very generous of her as I would have had to do it later in the evening and that would have been the middle of the night where I was!It was very hard to be away from my little girl so long but Chrystal made it a little bit easier. My daughter has been in Chrystal’s care since she was 10 months old. Chrystal has been absolutely amazing with her supporting her every step of the way from her shaky start of crying a good 2 hours after drop off, learning to use the toilet and now learning to write her name. It’s amazing how quickly children master things. Chrystal has been so supportive in every stage.

Julianna

In it for the long haul

What I liked about this dayhome the most at first were the low ratios. My little girl got more 1-1 time with Chrystal. At her time of care Chrystal had a part-time child and a full-time child so there were days that they did “big kid” activities when the youngest wasn't there. I know my little girl loved to be included in the big kid stuff even though she was only 2 years old at the time. The other thing we grew to love was the friendship that blossomed between my daughter and the other 4 year old girl in Chrystal’s care. My daughter was in Chrystal’s care for 6 months and those two became so close they called one another sisters. It was amazing how Chrystal supported this friendship and allowed the girls to “do their own thing” just them while occupying the other children so the could have that “girl time.”

Claire

First Best Friend

We had our 2 year old son in Chrystal’s care for a few months. He was excited every morning to go see all his friends at the dayhome. I fact he loved coming so much he would ask to go every morning as soon as he woke up…even on weekends! It made us feel so good that we picked such an awesome dayhome where our little guy was loved not only by the other children but Chrystal as well! Thanks for everything!

Cara

LOVE this Dayhome

My 7 year old loved coming to Chrystal’s Dayhome. Being the oldest child in her care, Chrystal gave her certain duties to help out the younger children. She really loved the extra responsibility. She also liked to teach the younger kids songs and stories she would learn at school. Playing teacher became her favorite game.

Tammi

Happy Mom

Our 1 year old had a shaky start with Chrystal. She had a very hard time adjusting to the new situation and environment. Chrystal was very patient with her. Now when I come to drop her off there are no more tears of sadness, she actually reaches for Chrystal. At the end of the day she is all smiles when I come to get her…she is even hesitant to leave. Our little girl loves coming to this dayhome. Thanks!

Mel

Mom

My 1 ½ year old was in Chrystal’s care for about 3 months. She was very attentive to his needs and he loved coming. Sure there were days (especially at the start of care)where he wouldn’t want me to leave but Chrystal would offer him a toy or book and he would go off and play. There were other days he would literally push me out and close the door on me! To me that says he really liked to be there and reassured me that he was in good hands.

Danielle

Very pleased with this dayhome

At home we speak German. My 2 ½ year old son picked up so many new English words in the first few weeks into care. Chrystal sings lots of different songs and has many books to read. Chrystal spends lots of 1 to 1 time with my son. It is his favorite place to go ( and that includes indoor play places and the swimming pool!).

Anne

Storytime Daily…no kidding

My three year old was very sick when she was younger so my husband and I were apprehensive about leaving her in the care of someone else. Chrystal phoned us frequently for the first couple days to reassure us our daughter was having fun and experiencing little anxiety. She still asks for her macaroni and cheese the way Chrystal made it.

Cindy

Apprehensive then Reassured Thank You

My 2 year old absolutely loved coming to Chrystal’s Dayhome. She was only there for a short time but all she did was talk about going back. Chrystal kept her busy and happy. When I went to pick up my daughter at the end of the day it was nice to see her playing, not parked in front of the tv. Thanks

Amanda

Satisfied Mom

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