Sandhills Children’s CenterSandhills Children’s Center“ “ Opening Doors for Children”Opening Doors for Children”

A Quality Early Childhood Educational A Quality Early Childhood Educational Program Program

Sandhills Children’s Center Mission and Values

Mission: To provide services of the highest quality for children with and without special developmental needs, ages birth through five.

Values: C ommitted to Quality Services for Children

H ighest Professional Standards

I ntegrity

L oving and Nurturing

D edicated to the Family

Sandhills Children’s Center

• History• Board Membership• Program Statistics • Agency Involvement and Budget• Community Involvement

– Educational and Clinical Training Site for universities and community colleges, Moore County Schools- work experiences for child care classes and , Eagle Scout projects, Volunteers, Business volunteers, Southern Pines All American

City 2012, United Way, and Community Service.

Sandhills Children’s Center webpage Parental Involvement- feedback form

State of North Carolina

Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Department of Public Instruction

(DPI)

Division of MentalHealth, Developmental

Disabilities & Substance Abuse

Services (MH/DD/SAS)

Division of Child Development (DCDEE)

Child Care License5-Star

Sandhills Center for MH/DD/SAS

3-5Developmental

Day Funding

Contract with Sandhills Children’s Center for state

funding of developmental day services to 3-5 year-old children

MooreCountySchools

RichmondCountySchools

Contract withSandhills Children’s Center

For 3-5 year-oldpreschool services

Moore andRichmond

County Departments of Social Services

(DSS)Subsidized Care

Division of Public Health (DPH)

Child and Adult Care Food Program

(CACFP) (Food Service

Reimbursement)

Division ofMedical Assistance

(DMA)(Medicaid Reimbursement)

0-5 Services

NCPartnershipfor Children

(NCPC)Smart Start

Funding

Children’s Developmental Services Agency (CDSA)

Preferred ProviderContract With

Sandhills Children’s Centerfor state funding

of intervention servicesto 0-2 year-old children

09/2011

Parental Involvement in Center Events

Sign up in Classrooms and Front Desk for Parent Association and Upcoming Events

Please make sure all teachers have your email address.

Sandhills Children’s Center Offers Quality Early Childhood Programs

• Partnership with families is key to student growth

• Personalized attention from our highly trained staff in an inclusive educational play-based environment

• Engaging interactions.• Responsive and predictable environment.• Many opportunities for learning.• Teaching that is matched to the child and

activity.• Language and literacy-rich environment.• Developmentally appropriate

materials, activities, and interactions.• Safe and hygienic practices.• Appropriate levels of child guidance.

SCC Educational program includes• State recognized model developmental day program• 5 Star License Child Care (which is highest quality) since

beginning of star system. 2012-2013 will be renewal of license.

• Customized educational service with physical, occupational and speech therapies

• Quality Educational Staff- Educational Specialists with 4 year degrees in Birth - Kindergarten and support staff with 2 year degrees

• Staff utilize the research based curriculums: Creative Curriculum for Infant and Toddlers or Preschool; North Carolina Foundations for Infants/Toddlers or Preschoolers and North Carolina Guide for the Early Years

• Community field trips for children ages 3 through 5 years old.• Transportation for children with special needs if needed to

access the educational and therapeutic services Family Support Services• Personalized and Direct hands-on floor time

interventions with children

Integrated Therapy within Inclusive Settings

– Teaches acceptance, diversity, empathy and patience

– Peer models act as facilitators and leaders of the educational day

– Reduction of interruptions within the routines of the day

– Embedding therapy interventions within

classroom routines

Developmental, Individualized, Relationship Based (DIR) “Floor time”

• Sandhills Children’s Center has adopted the theoretical work of child psychiatrist, the late Stanley Greenspan, MD based on neuro-biological findings.

• Research Interventions: Shown to be a positive intervention for all children with special needs.

• DIR® approach is designed to ‘woo’ in order to increase socialization, improve language and increase learning interactions.

• Joint attention and the promotion of interaction are the main focus of the DIR model, often commonly referred to as “Floor time.”

DIR® is:

• Developmental, Individualized and Relationship-based

• Intensive engagement • Child centered –meet them

where they are at in their comfort zone and take them where they need to go

• Emphasis on “affect” to increase emotional connections to other areas of the brain

“Just Right”

The Role of the Staff• Talk often, use varied language

(verbal and nonverbal).• Be an interactive partner• Build relationships• Be responsive to children(doesn’t

mean you are spoiling them)

Staff Roles• Provide many

opportunities for play and exploration.

• Avoid interrupting when a child is engaged

• Talk to children during routine-based interventions

• Read, sing use finger-plays and social games.

Promoting Social Emotional Development of Infants and Young Children

“Positive Behavior Support”

Suggestions• We encourage all parents to bring

forward their suggestions and good ideas about how SCC can improve the educational program.

• Please let us know when you encounter an act of kindness that goes “above and beyond” so we can recognize that staff, child or parent.

Policies and Procedures Overview

• Sanitation – communicable diseases can be prevented through appropriate hygiene, sanitation and disinfecting methods.

• Sanitation and exclusion of children when ill is important due to the medically fragile children with compromised immune systems that we serve.

Hand washing is key!

All Adults and Children must wash their hands upon entering each classroom.

Medication & Administration• Medications to be given at home if at all possible.

Medication administration allowed only by staff trained by Child Care Health Nurse.

• Medication will be administered only if the parent or legal guardian has provided written, signed and dated consent. All medications must be in original containers. We can only administer as prescribed.

• Authorization must include: child’s first and last name, name of medication , time the medication should be given and how often; criteria for the administration of the medication; how much to be given ; manner in which the medication shall be administered (oral, topical, injection), medical conditions or possible allergic reactions and length of time the authorization is valid, if less than six months .

• Medications locked in cabinets exception during administration this includes chap stick, sun block and diaper rash cream.

• Medications in separate bottle for home administration and school administration. Pharmacist can separate

for parents when requested.

Exclusion• Sandhills Children’s Center wants to protect each child

attending the center. We know each child’s typical behavior and look at the whole child before making exclusion decisions such as child able to participate in the educational program.

• We provide a “Courtesy” call to parents when children are showing signs of discomfort or potential illness.

• Typical reasons for exclusion include: temperature over 100 degrees, uncontrolled diarrhea, vomiting and rash with fever or behavior change. Exclusion depends on the illness.

• Exclusion when infectious illness are suspected. We are not pediatricians and can only ask parents to have child checked due to symptoms. We must exclude until a doctor has determined the illness to be non-infectious.

• Communication with Educational Specialists and / or Director is key in keeping children, staff and other adults free of illness.

Inclement Weather & Appropriate Clothing

• Sandhills Children’s Center Administration will make the decision about school closures during inclement weather. Posting of closings will be on WRAL-5 and WTVD - 11 and local radio stations.

• Outdoor Play and Clothing- we are required to go out everyday weather permitting. Please make sure children have rain clothing, tennis shoes for outdoor play and warm and/or cool clothes for outdoors.

Attendance• Attendance is very important to each child’s

educational growth. Please contact Educational Specialist when child will be out to inform them of the reason.

-Educational program begins at 9:00 am -Breakfast is served before 9:00 am

• Please help the classroom routines by bringing children before the educational day begins. This helps to eliminate interruptions in the program. We want to greet each child and family when they enter and this is difficult when educational day has started.

Classroom and Curriculum Expectations by

Educational Specialists

Classroom and Curriculum Expectations

• Parents are dismissed to visit in child’s classroom for brief presentation by Educational Specialist.

• Will offer 2 – 15 minute sessions for parents to visit another classroom if multiple children in center. Will notify over page system to end first session and end of program for evening.

– Thank you for attending our parent night.

•

“Any child can grow up to be special;

but what a miracle to grow up to be ordinary.”