Operational Policies and Procedures

Operating Hours: Monday – Friday 6:30 am – 6:00 pm

Drop-Off Times: 6:30 am – 9:00 am

• After 9:00 a.m., students will not be allowed in, except in case of a medical emergency or with a doctor’s note.
• The center operates year-round, except on the following holidays:

Holidays Observed

• New Year’s Eve & New Year’s Day
• MLK Day
• Fourth of July
• Memorial Day
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• The Friday after Thanksgiving
• Christmas Eve
• Christmas Day

Holiday Schedule Changes

• If one of these major holidays falls on a weekend, the center will be closed on the day when the majority of our families have the day off.

Please Note: The calendar is subject to change, and any modifications to the holiday schedule will be communicated through the official school year calendar.

Tuition is due and payable on Monday, before 10:00 am, or no later than Monday Evening by 6:00 pm. Tuition is based on their spot at the daycare not based on how many hours or days they are at school. Tuition after 12:00 p.m. will be late and a late fee of $15 will be added or terminate the enrollment. No reduction of fees for absences or vacation. Tuition may increase annually. Sibling discount available. Tuition can be paid by the following options: Monthly, bi-weekly, or weekly. See the center’s director for details.

• 6 weeks to 2 years old: $200
• 2 years to 3 years old: $195
• 3 years old and up: $190

Tuition must be paid in full regardless of your child’s attendance. This policy applies to absences for illness, family vacations, and center closings such as observed holidays and severe weather closings.

Upon enrollment, a non-refundable registration fee of $40 for the year and a $50 supply fee/maintenance fee, for both per semester January & August, are due and payable on the first of the month. For our Summer Program (June & July) there is a supply fee of $50 due on May 31st.

Once the entire enrollment information packet has been submitted and fees have been paid, the child is enrolled and can start class.

We realize unexpected things out of your control may happen so please notify Liana the Director ahead of time, if you are running late. To honor the families of our staff and teachers as well as provide a smooth and orderly pick-up, we’re asking parents to be timely and courteous. The following are our late fee guidelines:

A $15 late fee will be assessed to tuition if payment is not received by Monday Evening at 12:00 p.m. or enrollment will be terminated.

Once a child is enrolled in Happy Flower Daycare, parents/guardians must fill out a tuition express form for the recurring payment that will automatically draft from their bank account on Monday mornings. If your payment is declined, there will be a $35 insufficient fee. You may also choose to pay with Zelle or a cash app. If you pay with Zelle or the cash app, the tuition is due Sunday night. If you owe more than one day back fees, services for your child will no longer be provided until you pay all past and current fees .

** By providing your bank account information, you are expressly authorizing Happy Flower Daycare to automatically charge your account on a weekly basis for your child’s tuition***

After Hours: You will be charged upon pick up $1 per minute PER child beginning at 6:01 pm Unpaid, accumulated late pick-up fees may result in enrollment termination.

Illness Related: To maintain a healthy environment for all students, staff, and teachers, we’re asking that you pick up your child within one hour from the time we notify you of his or her illness.

Returned Checks and Delinquent Accounts: A $35.00 returned check charge is assessed on any returned checks or insufficient funds for direct debit. If more than 2 returned checks in a 6-month period, cash or money order payments will be required.

Any unpaid balances or delinquent accounts will be referred to the Webb County Court for collection and services will be suspended. You will be responsible for court fees and any court costs.

Happy Flower Daycare requires a two-week written notice before withdrawing your child from our center.

Happy Flower Daycare does not offer transportation. Parents will be notified in advance and in writing of any water activities. Please notify the center in advance if you do not wish for your child to do any water activities.

Children must be accompanied into the facility and signed in and out at all times. This is a state regulation and must be done accurately. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic parents must sign in and sign out their child through our Telegram app.

Your child will be taken to his/her classroom once your child is handed to the teacher at the front entrance. Your child must arrive by 9:00 a.m.; any child not dropped off by 9:00 a.m. will be unable to stay for the day. Exceptions are only approved by the Director. During departure, children will only be released to persons designated on enrollment forms unless the center is notified in advance of a change. Anyone unfamiliar with the childcare personnel will be asked to show picture identification and the parent/guardian will be contacted for authorization of pick up.

Happy Flower Daycare serves the following meals and supplements: Breakfast is served from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.; Lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.; Afternoon Snack is served at 3:00 p.m. Afternoon snack is extended to accommodate after school children arriving at the center. Supper is served from 5:00 pm to 5:30 pm. Please make sure your child is fed if arriving after 9:00 a.m. All meals served in the center meet the nutritional guidelines of the USDA Child Nutrition Program. Menus for the week are posted and available for parents.

Infants

Breast Milk: Can only be stored for a 24-hour period or 3 months if frozen. All breast milk must be dated and labeled with the child’s name.

Breast Feeding: Happy Flower Daycare does support breastfeeding. Parents may consult with the Director in order to make reasonable accommodations.

Safe Sleep Policy: we follow the safe sleep standards for infants in which they must sleep on their backs with no blankets, toys, pacifiers, or other items inside their crib.

Sippy Cups and Cups: Sippy cups are prohibited during crawling and walking.

When a teacher feels that a child is developmentally ready to use a cup, the family is included in the decision to offer fluid from a cup.

For the safety of all the children enrolled, each child enrolled or admitted into our center must meet applicable immunization requirements by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services and submitted by the date of admission.

Children who are four years of age as of September 1st must have their vision and hearing tested.

If a child becomes ill, a parent will be contacted and the child will be kept separate from the other children until the parent arrives. Therefore, please keep schedules, phone numbers, and all records up to date. Please notify the office when you will not be at your scheduled location.

• They have an oral fever of 100.4, rectal fever of 101.4, Armpit fever of 99.4 or have had a fever in the past 24 hours,
• They have a rash, they have lice, and an exposed wound.
• Ringworm or other parasites, they have diarrhea (2 or more episodes in a 24-hour period),
• They have symptoms of a contagious disease (headache, sore throat, rash,red watery eyes, thick mucus from the nose, eyes, or ears.)

**If your child was sent home with a fever, diarrhea, or vomiting, he/she must be free from the symptoms for 24 hours and have a doctor’s release statement before returning to the center.**

The safety of all the children is our priority. HDFC reserves the right to expel any student who is perceived as a harm or threat to other students or staff. Major incidents or a high frequency of minor incidents may cause your child to be suspended or expelled from care. Parents will be informed if behavior problems are notable and if persistent, you may be redirecting your child’s behaviors before this point is reached if possible. If your student is biting, hitting, pushing, etc and it results in an injury, these are all considered major incidents and will be treated similarly depending on the age of the child(ren) involved and intent.

Biting occurs as a result of a child’s inability to communicate. When a child is bitten or has bitten, the following procedures will take place:

• The bitten area will be cleaned thoroughly.
• An accident report will be filed.
• The parent of the bitten child will be notified as well as the biting child’s parents.
• The classroom environment will be assessed.
• The biting child will be closely supervised.
• The identity of the biting child will be kept confidential.

** We enforce the 3-limit rule for biting instances.

This is a task when teachers and parents need to pull together as partners. When you feel that your child is ready to begin potty training, we recommend that you bring in at least four (4) extra sets of clothing each day. Each child is a unique individual and has their own pace when it comes to potty training. We all need to have patience and encouragement for our children. By working together as partners, we will see success in time. If your child turns three and is not potty trained, they will not be allowed to move into the three-year-old classroom.

Our classes have parties for Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Fall Festival, and Christmas. A sign-up sheet or notice concerning the party will be posted on each classroom app page and posted outside the building. The teachers may request food or party items and your help is greatly appreciated. Birthdays are critical to children and we are happy to celebrate your child’s birthday with them. If you wish, you may bring a cake, cupcakes, cookies, muffins, or doughnut holes as a birthday treat. Any treats brought in must be store-bought with the ingredient list available due to severe allergies in the center. Remember no foods that contain peanuts are allowed in HFDC. Please make sure you let your child’s teacher know ahead of time so they can plan their afternoon snack time. Please keep everything simple. We cannot hand out invitations to home parties unless all children in the class are invited.

Should an emergency arise, we will attempt to contact the custodial parent/guardian in the order written on your child’s enrollment form. If parents are not available, we will contact the person on the emergency contact portion of the child’s enrollment form. 911 will be called and/or an ambulance will be called only in severe emergencies and the director will make that determination. CPR/First Aid may be administered if necessary. There is no school nurse at our center.

For child safety, all medication must remain in the front office with management personnel.

Medications are administered at 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. daily. All medications must be signed daily on our Medication Authorization Form and submitted to the front office. Medications must not be expired. We will not deviate from either the physician’s or manufacturer’s directions. Only U.S.-prescribed medications will be administered. Medication shall be taken home daily. Please make sure the medication is LABELED with your child’s name. Diaper creams, sunscreens, bug sprays, etc., will be used at your request if you provide them labeled with your child’s name. Consent is implied if you provide such items and do not require forms. HFDC does not provide sunscreen or bug spray due to individual sensitivities. If you would like these items applied, please provide them in the original bottle labeled with your child’s name and we will apply them according to the manufacturer’s instructions when we go outside unless you have noted otherwise.

Children may be placed in brief, supervised, quiet times from the group for disciplinary purposes. More difficult problems will be brought to the director and the parents will be notified. Disciplinary problems could result in the need for the parent to pick up their child that day, and ultimately, dismissal from the center if problems persist.

“Discipline shall always be:

1. Individualized and consistent for each child
2. Appropriate to the child’s level of understanding; and
3. Directed toward teaching the child acceptable behavior and self-control.”

Our staff focuses on the positive behaviors of the children. We also guide our staff to provide a fair and consistent environment. When consistent, age-appropriate limits are in place, kids will become responsible for themselves. Children will be praised, rewarded, and hugged daily. Children will be treated fairly and equally.

Happy Flower Daycare strongly encourages family involvement. Once a month hfdc will set up a parent-teacher conference to speak about your child’s education growth, social skills, and any assistance that needs to be provided at home or the center.

Effective communication between the center and the parent is our goal. Notes of childcare happening, closings, policy changes, etc will be posted up on our Information board in the front of the center. Operational Policy changes will be conveyed in writing and a new signed and dated copy will be kept on file. Other written notices may be sent home with your child. We encourage every parent to share his or her questions, concerns, or comments with us.

In the event of a fire, teachers will assist all children in existing the building according to our fire escape plans, meeting in the front and rear of the building. Fire drills will be held monthly In the event of evacuation of the building that requires relocation to another safe space, the children will be transported by staff to the Carrollton public library at Hebron and Josey (4220 N Josey ln., Carrollton, TX 75010). Parents will be notified via phone as soon as possible safe time before, during, during, or after transport. If the building is safe to return to then parents will be notified, and a library staff member will be asked to notify any parents who arrive having not heard of our return to the center. Full Emergency preparedness plans are available for review upon request.

Happy Flower Day Care is always looking for parent volunteers. If interested please notify the front office and complete a Parent Volunteer application. Criminal background checks are required.

Parents are encouraged to attend the monthly Parent Teacher Meetings. Every year in September, we offer a Family Orientation. (Or as a child is enrolled) We will go over the parent handbook, curriculum, minimum licensing, and state accreditation, and will meet the staff. Families are strongly encouraged to attend.

Children will be allowed to wear t-shirts, shorts, pants (jeans/sweats/leggings/jeggings), dresses, or skirts with shorts underneath. No loose or oversized clothing, nor tight-fitting clothing. Due to injuries, thong sandals are discouraged as well as open-toed sandals or slippers. No jewelry. The center and its employees are not responsible for any jewelry lost at the center. Electronic games, videos, or toys are not allowed. The center and its employees are not responsible for any lost items.

Two fundraisers are scheduled for the year. The center will notify parents of the dates. Planning is needed for Christmas and end-of-year graduation/awards celebration.

Children need to be active every day to promote their healthy growth and development. The benefits of daily physical activity include:

• Healthy growth and development
• Better self-esteem
• Stronger bones, muscles, and joints
• Better posture and balance
• A stronger heart
• A healthier weight range
• Social interaction with friends
• Learning new skills while having fun
• Better focus and concentration during school

We spend time outside every day, weather permitting. For infants, outside time is 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening, or as much as the infant can tolerate, weather permitting. In case of extreme weather, we will engage in physical activities indoors for all age groups. For all other students, there are 30 minutes of outdoor play in the morning and 30 minutes in the evening, weather permitting, with a total of 90 minutes of physical activities.

Some activities that children would do outside or inside (in extreme weather) include running in place, playing catch, doing jumping jacks, and jumping rope, depending on the weather. Indoor activities would include kids’ exercises like jumping jacks, running in place, dancing, and games like Simon says, etc. During cold weather, please provide your child with jackets, sweaters, and/or extra clothes as well as closed-toed shoes. Make sure all belongings are labeled with your child’s name.

Very Important: Please LABEL all of your child’s belongings, such as backpacks and extra clothing. We are not responsible for lost, stolen, or misplaced personal belongings that were not properly labeled.

In order to enforce non-custodial visitation and possession, you must provide the center with a certified copy of the Court-ordered possession papers.

Foster parents must provide CPS placement papers and all mandated documentation regarding enrollment, including immunization records and the Child’s Health Statement. You are entitled to review a copy of the rules and regulations for childcare centers set forth by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, referred to as Minimum Standard Rules for Child Care Centers. We have a copy for your review.

Texas law requires the director and caregivers to report suspected child abuse or neglect to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services or law enforcement. Staff will receive annual training on recognizing signs of abuse and neglect. Risk factors for abuse and neglect, tips for preventing it, and reporting information can be found posted in the entry area of HFDC. HFDC will work with DFPS and other community organizations to train staff, offer classes for parents, and ensure the safety of all children. Reports of suspected child abuse may be directed to the Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-252-5400.

TDFPS Minimum Standards for Child Care Centers and Parent’s Rights

It is mandated by law to advise our parents of the new gang-free zone designation, which includes daycare centers. Any gang-related criminal activity or engaging in organized criminal activity within 1000 feet of the center is a violation of this law and is therefore subject to increased penalties under state law. For more information about what constitutes a gang-free zone, please consult sections 71.028 and 71.029 of the Texas Penal Code.

Our center has an emergency preparedness plan in place in case an emergency should arise. This plan is developed to suit several cases of emergencies, such as Natural Disasters, Technological Disasters, and/or Security Emergencies. All parents will always be notified and kept informed in case an emergency of this sort should arise. Parents are highly encouraged to stay tuned to local media for information during an emergency. If relocation is necessary, parents will be notified via phone and/or local media. Our center will always make the children’s safety a priority.