This document provides information for families about Bloom Early Learning Center's policies and procedures. It outlines the center's hours of operation, calendar of closings, educational philosophy focusing on inclusion and respect for diversity. It also includes details about the curriculum used, assessment of children's progress, staff qualifications, daily schedules for different age groups, and policies around inclusion of children with special needs and discipline.

1. Family Handbook
Bloom Early LearningBloom Early LearningBloom Early Learning
Blossoming bright minds!Blossoming bright minds!Blossoming bright minds!
2015-2016

2. Bloom Early Learning 2015-2016 Calendar
Hours: 7:00AM-6:00PM
Center Closings:
Wednesday-Friday August 5-7, 2015: Room Transition & In-service
Monday September 7, 2015: Labor Day
Friday October 30, 2015: In-service
Wednesday-Friday November 25-27, 2015: Thanksgiving Break
December 21, 2015 - January 1, 2016: Winter Break
Monday January 18, 2016: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Friday January 29, 2016: In-service
Friday April 29, 2016: In-service
Monday May 30, 2016: Memorial Day
Monday July 4, 2016: Independence Day

3. Welcome to Bloom Early Learning!
Educational Philosophy
Our center welcomes families and children of all backgrounds and abilities
into our play-based and relationship-based environment. In order to promote the
learning and development of our students we believe that each child is a unique
individual that needs a welcoming and secure educational environment that will
provide the best atmosphere for each child's individual learning needs. Our center
was designed with the idea of creating an environment that promotes inclusion
and allows students to develop a deep love and respect for themselves, others, and
their environment through the play and interactions that occur with their
environment, peers, and caregivers.
In our center:
 We value diversity and the uniqueness of each individual child and family
 We acknowledge that not one child is alike and differing needs and abilities need
to be supported
 We promote an environment that ensures our students feel loved, included, and
respected as individuals
 We foster children’s social/emotional, cognitive, and physical development in
each stage of their life through developmentally appropriate practices

4. Continuity of Care
At Bloom Early Learning we incorporate the Continuity of Care model
into our program. Continuity of Care allows children and their caregiver to
remain together for extended periods of time. While at our center we
practice Continuity of Care by having the children and their caregivers
remain together from infancy through the age of three. As new children join
our program they will remain with the same classroom peers and caregivers
until they transition into preschool at age three. Bloom Early Learning proudly
practices Continuity of Care in our center in order to to support the
formation of intimate relationships among caregivers, children, and their
families. Having these close relationships among our centers caregivers,
children, and teachers allows for the development of strong relationships and
trust. Continuity of Care promotes intimate relationships that provide
another resource for the development of learning and growth for the
children in our center.
Staffing
Bloom Early Learning employs a high quality staff that have a genuine
love of children. Each classroom has Co-Lead Teachers and an Assistant
Teacher. All Lead Teachers have a Bachelor’s degree in early childhood
education or related field. All Assistant Teachers have or are working
towards an Associate’s degree or a Child Development Associate credential.
In addition, all of our teaching staff participates in at least 20 hours of
continuing education per year. All of our staff are certified in pediatric
CPR/AED, first aid and universal precautions, and have passed background
inspections.

5. Daily Schedule
Infants
7:00AM - 9:00AM - free play, daily activities (art, sensory, blocks, books, songs)
9:00AM - 9:30AM - Morning snack
9:30AM - 10:00AM - Diaper changes
10:00AM - 11:00AM - Outdoor play (when the weather is nice), or free play in infant room
11:00AM - 11:30AM - Multi-Purpose Room
12:00PM - 1:00PM - Lunch, free play as follows
1:00PM - 1:30PM - Diaper changes
1:30PM - 2:30PM - Nap/quiet time as children wake from nap
2:30PM - 3:00PM - Afternoon snack
3:00PM - 6:00PM - Daily activity (playdoh, art, sensory, water table, etc), free play, diapers
and naps as needed; outdoor play, multipurpose room play
Ones/Toddlers
7:00AM - 9:00AM - Free play, diaper changes and naps as needed
9:00AM - 9:30AM - Morning snack
9:30AM - 10:45AM - Free play, diapers and naps as needed
10:45AM - 11:25AM - Outdoor or indoor play depending on weather
11:30AM - 12:30PM - Lunch, free play as follows, diapers and naps as needed
12:30PM - 2:00PM - Nap/quiet time as children wake from nap
2:30PM - 3:00PM - Afternoon snack
3:00PM-3:30PM - Multi-Purpose Room
3:30PM-6:00PM - Daily activity (playdoh, art, sensory, water table, etc), free play, diapers and
naps as needed, outdoor play
Twos
7:00AM - 9:00AM - Free play
9:00AM - 9:30AM - Morning snack
9:30AM - 10:30AM - Free play/daily activity, diaper change
10:30AM - 11:00AM - Multi-Purpose Room
11:00AM - 11:30AM - Circle/Reading time, diaper change
11:30AM - 12:00PM - Lunch
12:00PM - 2:00PM - Nap
2:00PM - 2:30PM - Quiet time as children wake up from nap, diaper change
2:30PM - 3:00PM - Afternoon snack
3:00PM - 6:00PM - Free play until pick up, outside play, diaper change, daily activity

6. Curriculum
We believe that enriching early learning experiences are vital to lifelong
success. In order to prepare children for our global society we utilize the
Foundations to the Indiana Academic Standards for Young Children Birth to
Age 5 to guide our curriculum. This set of guidelines outlines sets of
standard experiences that are vital to the growth and development of the
whole child. This curriculum promotes skills and experiences that prepare
children for school and life success. Our knowledgeable and dedicated
caregivers use the Foundations, as well as the interests and developmental
abilities of the children in their classrooms, to design engaging and enriching
activities and experiences for all children. Listed are some highlighted goals
shared by our staff and the Foundations curriculum.
Assessment
Children in the Bloom Early Learning program are assessed through
a variety of methods including sampling of work, CDC developmental
checklists, anecdotes written by caregivers, photographic evidence of
learning and experiences, and the Indiana Standards to Alternative
Reporting (ISTAR-KR). The ISTAR-KR is linked to the standard
experiences outlined in the Foundations curriculum. Our caregivers use a
wide-range of formal and informal assessments to obtain information
about the whole child. Assessments assist in guiding classroom curriculum
and helping parents set appropriate goals for their children.

7. Inclusion of Children with Special Needs
Bloom Early Learning welcomes all children to be a part of our community. Those
who have predetermined disabilities or special learning needs are able to enroll into our
program as well as those who may have disabilities or special learning needs that need
to be determined while in our center. It is our goal to promote an environment for all
children regardless of their needs/abilities in which they can learn and reach their full
potential. Upon enrollment, the teachers and staff of our center will work with families
and any service providers in order to support the child as a team. It is important upon
enrollment that the teachers, family, and any service providers meet to discuss the
goals and objectives for the child in order to design a plan of how each person can best
support the child in and out of school.
 If a child has an Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP), Individualized Education
Plan (IEP), or has had assessments: please share that information with your
child’s teachers. We can best support your child when we are as familiar as pos-
sible with your child’s needs.
 If a child has an IFSP or IEP meeting: please share the information with your
child’s teacher in order to include and familiarize them with the planning for the
child.
 If your child experiences challenges that indicate a potential disability or special
learning need that has not previously been identified, we will do the following:
 Communicate concerns and explanation for those concerns as they arise
 Readily share information, observations & documentation
 Listen to your input, observations, & concern
 Provide suggestions for “next steps”
 Provide resources for further assessment
 Do so in a manner that is sensitive, supportive and confidential.
To ensure that the child in question is progressing well and achieving the goals set
out for he/she, all the members of the team including parents, teachers, and service
providers will meet at least once a month (more if needed) in order to assess and
review the child’s progress on the goals previously established and make adjustments if
necessary.
Our center and staff will do all we can to meet the needs of a child with a disability or
special needs however, there may be times when we cannot do so because the needs of
that child may require more care that we cannot adequately provide or the child’s
needs may lie outside our area of expertise. If this were to occur, our center will work
with your family in order to determine the next appropriate steps to follow for your
child. It is our goal, as a center to ensure that all children are receiving the best
education and support they need, whether it is with us or at another location.

8. Discipline Policy
At Bloom Early Learning we believe that discipline is a lifelong skill. We strive to help children
learn how to settle disputes, handle their feelings, and interact with peers and caregivers in a positive
manner. All of our staff are trained in supporting positive behavior through the use of teaching social/
emotional skills, setting boundaries, redirecting, and utilizing natural consequences.
The first step to developing discipline is creating respectful and loving relationships between
children and caregivers. This is developed through caregivers getting to know the children and families
they serve. The second step is establishing a sense of security and predictability in the classroom.
Caregivers foster security by creating a planned child-centered environment, establishing a daily routine,
and providing consistent feedback and care to the children they serve. The third step is providing
guidance as to what appropriate behavior looks like in the classroom. Caregivers support and encourage
positive behavior by giving positive attention, praising children who are displaying positive behavior, and
modeling positive behaviors through their interactions with peers and children.
When a negative behavior does occur, caregivers respond immediately. Caregivers first assess
the situation and children involved in order to give an effective and individualized response. The first
response is one of redirection. The caregiver acknowledges the child’s behavior and states an
alternative. For example, if a child is throwing hard toys in the classroom a caregiver may respond with,
“Those are hard and can hurt our friends. Let’s find a ball to throw instead,” rather than, “Stop
throwing the blocks.” The caregiver then guides the student towards the positive behavior. If the
negative behavior results in hurting another child, the caregiver is sure to acknowledge how the child’s
actions affected another person. For example, if a child is hitting another child the caregiver will stop
the action and respond by saying, “Ouch! Hitting hurts Ava’s body. We must be gentle with our friends.”
The teacher will then model gentle behavior. If the situation is more severe, the teacher will respond
similarly and also remove the child from the situation. This is not a time out. The child is still free to
participate in free play activities, but will be separated from the peer momentarily. Teachers are
always careful to emphasize that the behaviors are unacceptable, not the children.
Physical punishments, psychological abuse, coercion, intimidation, withholding of food or outdoor
time, threats, and humiliation are strictly prohibited by Bloom Early Learning and are grounds for
immediate staff dismissal. All suspected child abuse will be reported to Child Protective Services.
Teachers observe and record continual instances of challenging behavior in an attempt to identify
the factors that predict this type of behavior with each child in their care. If an individual child
continues to show persistent or serious challenging behavior, caregivers and parents will work together
to develop classroom and home strategies to change the behavior. If management strategies developed
by this team are not able to resolve the challenging behavior, outside parties may be utilized. If these
steps fail to resolve the behavior, Bloom Early Learning may ask the family to obtain care at another
center.

9. Biting
Biting is a common and natural developmental behavior that occurs
frequently among two- and three-year-olds. When biting occurs at Bloom Early
Learning, staff members take immediate action. Staff members are to respond
to biting as they would other aggressive behavior. It is important to first
comfort the child who has been bitten, express disapproval to the biter of their
action, and identify the reason behind the biting. On the day the biting occurs,
the family of the bitten child will be notified, along with the family of the biter.
It is against confidentiality for staff to release the name of the biter. All biting
incidents are to be documented in an incident report. One copy of this report will
be given to the family and one copy will be kept in Bloom Early Learning’s files.
Language
A majority of our staff members are monolingual native English speakers. We
recognize that this may cause language barriers for our students and families
who are non-native English speakers. We are prepared to provide services such
as translation into other languages and interpretation of American Sign
Language (ASL). Bloom Early Learning supports the home language use of our
students by utilizing basic words, books, and songs from a child’s first language.
This allows our center to create a welcoming environment for all children and
their families.

10. Health and Illness Policies
When a child or staff member is known to have an illness such as those listed below, the child or
staff member will be excluded from attendance for as much time needed or prescribed by a doctor.
Any child or staff member who becomes ill while at the center will be sent home as soon as possible.
The following symptoms and illnesses indicate the need for a child or staff member to be excluded from
the program temporarily: Fever over 100 degrees, vomiting, diarrhea, coughing and sore throat, red
or weeping eyes, skin rash, fatigue, and/or head lice. Whenever exposure to illness has occurred in the
care center, prompt notice will be given to all parents and staff members. These illnesses must be
completely gone for 24 hours before returning to the classroom without the aide of over-the-counter
medications.
Additional Symptoms That May Indicate the Need for Exclusion
If a child does not feel well, a busy, active classroom environment can be a very uncomfortable
setting. If a child does not feel well enough to participate comfortably in both indoor and outdoor
activities or the teachers cannot care for the sick child without interfering with the health or care of
others, the parents will be contacted to make arrangements for the child to be picked up. Parents and
teachers should consider each child’s needs, comfort level, and well-being in decisions concerning
exclusion. Please keep in mind that a child who is comfortable at home may not be comfortable in a
classroom environment.
Medication
A written order or prescription from your child’s physician and written permission from a child’s
parent or legal guardian is needed before we can administer any medication to a child, including over-the
-counter medications. It must be in the original container with a pharmacy label. Name, strength, and
original number provided must be on and in the medicine container. Parents must sign a medicine
release form in order for staff to administer any medication.
Immunizations
Children must have a physical and immunization recorded 30 days before the school year starts.
In an instance where a child is underimmunized, and a vaccine preventable disease occurs, the child will
be excused from classes for the period of time until the situation is cleared. If a child is excused
from vaccines due to religious or medical reasons an excuse form must be filled out at the beginning of
the year.

11. To a child love is
spelled T-I-M-E.

12. Created by Simone Jones, Savannah Michel, Shawna Miller, Katie Russell, and Jiali Yu
Resources:
Family Handbook from Indiana University Campus View Child Care Center
Family Handbook from Indiana University Children’s Campus Center
The Parent Handbook from St. Mark’s Nursery School and Kindergarten
The YMCA Family Handbook from Monroe County YMCA Center for Children and Families
www.doe.in.gov/earlylearning