Mission

WELCOME TO GROWING MINDS CHILDCARE!

Welcome to Growing Minds Childcare center, dedicated to the development of happy, healthy, well-adjusted children. My home includes infant massage and activities, Art, Science, Math Concepts, Language development, and Kindergarten readiness activities. I incorporate art, music, games for indoors and out, and much more to enrich my program of learning and fun. I am a licensed provider through the state of Colorado. My license is clearly posted in the living room.
Those who care for your children should be an extension of your home and philosophy of child rearing. I ask that you communicate your desired childcare needs and philosophy during the interview so there will be no misunderstanding of the care you expect for your children.
I would like to welcome you to our extended family. I hope that this handbook and accompanying forms will provide you with the basic understanding of who I am and what services are offered. Please read it carefully and refer to it if you have questions regarding policy, philosophy, or procedures. I suggest that you reread the handbook after your children have been in care for a month or so, when much of the information will seem more relevant.
The formative years of our children are most critical. My goal is to provide a quality setting that is both enriching and enjoyable. It is very important for the success of the children that we cooperate and share ideas to support their development.
I look forward to serving you and your children. If you have any questions that are not answered within this material, I will be glad to talk with you further.

Sincerely,
Cathy Moyer
Owner, Growing Minds Childcare

Information

GOALS AND STATEMENT OF PHILOSOPHY

Growing Minds Childcare FORBIDS DISCRIMINATION because of race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, sexual preference, or handicap.

I believe that children should be nurtured and loved. A number of studies have been conducted to determine if children who spend fifty hours or more in the care of someone other than a family member are enhanced or inhibited. The kind of care a child receives can have a profound effect upon the child. It is the goal of Growing Minds Childcare to provide a warm, loving, safe and stimulation environment to enhance the growth of the child.
Children should be given every opportunity to explore their world and to come to a realization of the wonder of it all. They need to learn responsibility for their actions and their words. They need help learning self-control and self-expression. They need help realizing that they can express their very strong emotions in the proper way and the proper time, whether negative or positive. Children should be taught limits and self-discipline, in a manner that encourages their own self-worth. Children should be allowed to march to their own drummer. They should come to realize that their own music is special, wonderful and worthy.
Growing Minds Childcare seeks through varied activities, self-direction and positive discipline, to help each child to become their own wonderful person. A person that is considerate to others, pleasant to be with, and well assured of their own value in their family, their Child Care Home and the world around them.

DAILY STRUTURE
• Adequate Child Care is defined as a safe and wholesome environment. This environment should be a loving, comforting, natural learning environment. It should enable the child to be happy, healthy, well adjusted, and developing a high self-esteem.
• The child will be served breakfast, lunch and snacks each day provided the child is in care when the meal is served. Nutritious, well-balanced meals will be served, offering the child a healthy variety. Each child will have access to milk/juice/water throughout the day.
• The child is involved in many different activities during the course of the day suitable for their developmental age on a group or individual basis. The activities may include arts and crafts, music and movement, reading, and structured and free playtime.
• The child will be allowed to watch a minimum amount of television. I try to emphasize programs with educational content, kindness to others, seasonal specials, and children’s classics.
• Your child will be taught and expected to use manners including thank you, please, I’m sorry, excuse me, etc. I encourage the same manners to be used at home as well.
• Each child will be kept as safe as possible including being properly restrained while riding in the car.
• I assume no responsibility for bumps and bruises that occur in the course of a normal childhood. This does not absolve the provider from any responsibility concerning abuse or neglect.
• Infants set their own schedules; however, I try to work with parents to abide by their schedules.

SAMPLE SCHEDULE
6:00-8:00 AM Drop off; Breakfast,
8:00 AM-9:00 AM Free play
9:00-10:00 AM Preschool Time, clean up
10:00-11:45 AM Free Play
11:45-12:00 AM Clean up, wash up for lunch
12:00-12:30 PM Lunch
12:30-1:00 PM Lunch clean up, Free play
1:00-3:00 PM Nap time/Quiet time
3:00-4:00 PM Free Play/Homework
4:00-5:00 PM Afternoon Snack, Free play
5:00 PM Clean up
5:00-6:00 PM Cartoons, Departure
Once a week, we make a craft. Tuesday is Book Day; your child is asked to bring a book from home to be read to all the other children. Every other week, we travel to another provider’s home for a professional Music Class offered through Rhythm and Rhyme Time. Friday’s Preschool activity is Show and Tell. Your child may bring an item from home to share for Show and Tell, but they must follow the sharing rules. If they are unable to share the item, please do not bring it. Help your child decide what they are going to say about their item, remind them who got it for them, when they got it, where they keep the item in their home, etc. Friday is also Pajama Day, your child come dressed in their jammies for the day. Please bring shoes however in case we have to leave the house.
Anyone needing care after 6:00 PM must make special arrangements with the provider AHEAD of time. Each child is expected to participate in clean up regardless of the time they are picked up!!

Products/Services

Fees and References

Registration Fee due at enrollment and annually on Sept 1st. $80/yr/child
Full time rates up to 50 hours/week - per child / (if infant) $140/ ($180)
Part time hourly drop-in rate- per child / (if infant) $5.00/hr. ($6.00/hr)
Part time daily drop-in rate- per child /(if infant) $40/day ($50)
Full time daily contracted rate- (in the case of my day off) 1/5 of weekly rate