Parent Handbook

KID’S HIDEOUT PARENT HANDBOOK

3309 Springhill Rd., Lafayette, CA. 94549

Hideout Cell (925) 282-0903

Fax (925) 283-7898

e-mail - info@kidshideout.net

program manager ~ beth@kidshideout.net

director - gab@kidshideout.net

KID’S HIDEOUT IS OWNED AND OPERATED BY EMMI-NATE, Inc. (Revised 8/22)

ABOUT OUR PROGRAM:

Welcome to Kid’s Hideout. Our program endeavors to provide a warm, nurturing, creative, and stimulating environment for your child. All aspects of child development: social, emotional, cognitive, and physical, are respected and nurtured. We provide a quality enrichment program, which includes creative art, crafts, sports, science, and cultural & diversity awareness. The staff plans the activities according to age and skill levels.

PHILOSOPHY:

Our goal is to provide a safe and secure environment for all children. We recognize the uniqueness of each child and will treat each child with dignity and respect. We believe learning comes from doing. Kid’s Hideout is an extension of learning through hands-on activities. Our children are exposed to recreational, educational, and cultural activities in an environment designed to promote the general well-being and growth of the child. We have a strong emphasis on kindness and mindfulness.

THE STAFF:

Our Teachers, Head Teacher and Director are qualified by Community Care Licensing, Department of Social Services, through training in the field of Early Childhood Education and enrichment-based courses. We also hire Teaching Aides who are just beginning their education. Our staff is trained and updated in First Aid, Child CPR and Health, Safety, and Infectious Disease classes, Mandated Reporter Training and Germ Management. Some teachers may also attend additional field related workshops/classes throughout the year to ensure that they are updated on emerging childcare issues.

HOURS OF OPERATION:

We are open Monday through Friday, 7:15 AM to 6 PM during the school year, and 8 AM to 5 PM on Camp Days.

ADMISSION’S POLICY:

Kid’s Hideout welcomes children of all races, religions, and ethnic origins once it has been determined that we can meet the needs of each individual child. We serve children entering TK (transitional kindergarten) through grade 5 who attend Springhill Elementary. Our program is open to all during camp days throughout the year, including Springhill staff development closures, Thanksgiving, Winter, Spring, and, Summer breaks. Enrollment is accepted on a first come, first served basis, with incoming kinder siblings having priority each year.

ENROLLMENT:

We encourage you to visit our program with your child to learn more about us. Once it is determined that we can meet the needs of your child & family, the Admissions Agreement must be signed and turned in, accompanied by non-refundable Registration fee of $50 to secure your child’s spot in our program. (There is a $20 Registration fee for each additional sibling who enrolls within the same program year.)

The following forms must be completed and submitted to the Hideout office by the child’s first day of enrollment.

1.)   Kid’s Hideout’s Admission Agreement

2.)   Consent for Medical Treatment Form

3.)   Identification and Emergency Form

4.)   Child’s Pre-Admission Health History Report

5.)   Receipt of the Parent’s Rights Form

6.)   Receipt of Child’s Personal Rights Form

RE-ENROLLMENT:

Re-enrollment for current students begins in January for the upcoming school year. Open enrollment begins in February. Enrollment is offered on a first come, first served basis. The non-refundable annual registration fee of $50, along with the non-refundable fees for the first week, will be invoiced in June and due July 1st.

PAYMENTS:

Payments are due on your child’s first day of enrollment, and then on the 1st of each month thereafter. Please see the Rate Sheet for your child’s weekly rates. Payments are collected monthly based on the number of Mondays that fall in that month. Families are responsible for fees starting on the first day of school for your child’s regular contracted days. Families will not be responsible to pay for non-holiday school closures in which their child will not attend. Sign-ups for camp days are posted on the website under "Camp Days/Weeks". Additional fees are listed in the sign up for camp days and charged separately once you sign up.

Payment is due on the 1st and are considered late on the 6th. Late payments are subject to a $20 late fee. If payment is not submitted by the end of the month, and arrangements have not been made with the director, your child may not be accepted back into the program until your account has become current. Your spot is not guaranteed. Checks should be made payable to KID’S HIDEOUT and placed in the payment box on the wall in the office, or in the Hideout mailbox (located in the Springhill parking lot, near the yellow gate at the base of the hill). We also accept credit cards which can be paid through your monthly invoice. Due dates for Camp Days will be noted on the individual registration forms.

SUMMER CAMP & FEES:

Our summer camp sessions are held during the weeks when Springhill Elementary is on summer break. We may be closed for one to two weeks during the summer for staff breaks. Families may be extremely flexible with their summer schedules. You can enroll in any camp for as few as 2 half days per week (TTh) are ask many as 5 days, open to close, and your schedule can be different each week. And you do not have to enroll in every week in order to participate in Hideout's summer program. Each camp is themed with activities that center around that theme. We often have outside enrichment teachers who come to the camp weekly: (lego, science, dance). Camps info and fees will be listed on the website in mid-February each year.

CREDITS/REFUNDS:

Hideout has a No-Refund Policy. No refunds, exchanges, or credits will be granted for time missed, sickness, holidays, extra-curricular activities, or vacations taken during the academic program year. Fees WILL BE credited back to your account for Camp Days if Hideout must cancel that camp due to low enrollment.

If you give notice to withdraw or reduce your schedule after you pay for the month and end enrollment before the end of the month, a credit for the difference will be placed on your account to be used as drop in or camp days through the end of the school year. No cash refunds will be granted. If you do not use the credit by the end of the school year, the remaining credit will be forfeited. 

CONTRACTED HOURS:

Contracted hours are the days and times that are set between you and the Director upon enrollment.

DROP-IN HOURS:

You may request additional care on an “as-needed” basis by contacting the Director/Head Teacher to request drop-in care. Drop-in is billed in half hour increments and added to your next invoice. (Please see fee sheet for current rate.). DO NOT send your child to the Hideout for drop-in without prior approval from the Director/Head Teacher, or you will be called immediately to pick-up your child and will be charged the “late fee” of $2 per minute until your child is picked up.

SCHEDULE CHANGES:

Switching days or reducing days may not be possible unless the days you want are available. For example, if you have a 5-day slot, and you want to reduce to a 3-day slot, we will only be able to accommodate that switch if the days you want are available, or if a wait-list family is waiting for the days that you would like to give up. You cannot simply give up days you do not want as this may leave us with openings that cannot be filled. You may choose to give up your entire spot so that we can fill it with a waiting family and then move to the wait list for the days you want. When/If those days open, we will contact you for placement. In order to request this change, you are required to fill out the Schedule Change form: https://sites.google.com/site/kidshideoutcenter/2024-25-info/schedule-changes?authuser=0 and email info@kidshideout.net to notify director.

MULTIPLE CHILD DISCOUNT:

A 10% discount is given to siblings. This discount will be applied toward the equal or lesser-paid rate for both contracted and drop-in hours.

LATE PICK-UP:

If your child is not picked up 6 PM, the late pick-up fee of $2 per minute will be assessed. After 5 late pick-up occurrences, this fee increases to $5 per minute. After 10 occurrences, this fee increases to $10 per minutes. The late fee is to be paid directly the teacher in charge at the time of pick-up. If your child is not picked up by his/her scheduled pick-up time of 2:45, and the Director has not been contacted for add-on care, the late of $2 per minute may be assessed, after a 5-minute grace period, and applied to your monthly statement, as this can put us over ratio. Therefore, you MUST call if you need additional care or are going to be late. If your child's unscheduled attendance causes us to go over ratio or exceed our license capacity/staff to child ratio, you may be charged a $100 fee.

WITHDRAWAL:

Parents are required to give a 2-week written notice (can be done through e-mail) to the Director when they intend to withdraw their child from the program or to decrease their child's schedule. You are also required to fill out the Schedule Change form: https://sites.google.com/site/kidshideoutcenter/2024-25-info/schedule-changes?authuser=0 

REQUESTED WITHDRAWAL/DISMISSAL FROM HIDEOUT:

Kid’s Hideout reserves the right to request that a child be withdrawn from the program if:

1.     A behavioral problem threatens the safety of the program, another child, or the child him/herself (Please refer to the DISCIPLINE POLICY for more information).

2.     Parents are unwilling to comply with Hideout Policy or are disrespectful to staff.

3.     Payment is not made by the end of the month, and arrangements have not been made.

COMMUNICATION:

Daily communication between parents and staff is invaluable but not always possible. Here are a few ways that make daily communication easier:

1.     All important information will be sent via email.

2.   The front door and/or bulletin board will have important announcements posted.

3.     Sign ups for camp days/weeks are accessible on the website (www.kidshideout.net)

4.     Informal parent/ teacher conferences can be arranged as needed

5.     The WHITE BOARD located at the entrance to the Hideout will have important information posted

6.     You can contact us via e-mail at info@kidshideout.net to report absences, request drop-in, or for general information

7.     You can call/text our Hideout Cell at (925) 282-0903.

SNACKS:

Hideout provides an afternoon snack to all the children. Snacks consist of, but are not limited to: fruit, yogurt or cheese, and crackers or snack bars. Please notify us of any food allergies your child may have. Menus are posted on the refrigerator. At 5:15, we will provide an additional FRUIT-ONLY snack.

SNACKS & LUNCHES FOR TK/KINDERGARTNERS:

All TKs will eat lunch with Hideout daily at 12:45, and Kinders on Wednesdays only after gentle beginnings ends. Hideout will pick up the pre-ordered lunches from the MPR. Hideout kids will not be participating in the Hot Lunch program during the first two weeks of school.  Parents will be required to send a lunch for their kinder/TK each day through the first two weeks.

When sending lunch, please do not send soda, candy, or high-sugar foods. We will ask them to save these items for home. Please label your child’s lunchbox and containers with a permanent marker. For health reasons, Hideout discourages children from sharing food. Hideout will not serve nuts, however, please be aware that other children may bring food that contain nuts. Please remember to send an additional snack for your child for his/her TK/Kindergarten Class snack time.

PERSONAL BELONGINGS AT HIDEOUT:

Please do not allow your child to bring any personal items to the Hideout on regular school days (unless their Springhill teacher has a special day where kids are allowed to bring items.) Personal items may be brought on camp days; however Hideout will not be responsible for any broken, lost, or stolen items. Please do not send any electronics or toys violent in nature.

CALENDAR:

Calendars for the upcoming program year are available annually through our website during the month of April. Special events will be announced via e-mail. Our regular school day hours of operation are 7:15 AM to 6 PM, Monday through Friday. We will be closed the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, JR’s Birthday, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, 4th of July, Labor Day, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. In addition to these holidays, we will be closed on other “non-holiday” dates. Please refer to the Hideout Calendar, which is located on the website under the Home tab.

BIRTHDAYS:

PLEASE – DO NOT SEND treats in for your child’s birthday. We will recognize your child’s birthday verbally during amphitheater.

MEDICATION:

If your child must take medication while at Hideout, please follow these procedures:

1. Medicine is to be given directly to the Head Teacher or Director. DO NOT send medication of any kind in your child’s lunchbox or backpack. It will be placed in the refrigerator (if refrigeration is necessary) or in the cabinet, out of reach of children.

2. ONLY prescription medication in it’s original container with label intact will be administered at Hideout. You will need to sign a form giving Hideout permission to administer the medication to your child. This form will include your child’s name, the date, the type of medication, the time it is to be administered, the dosage, and your signature. Medication will not be administered if this form is not completed. (Forms can be downloaded from www.kidshideout.net in the Enrollment Forms section.)

EMERGENCY MEDICAL & DENTAL PROCEDURES:

If your child becomes injured while in our care, the staff will take all the necessary steps to obtain emergency medical care if warranted. These steps may include, but are not limited to the following:

1.     We will call an ambulance if deemed necessary

2.     You, or someone on your child’s emergency form, will be notified

3.     We will contact your child’s doctor or dentist by phone for advice

If we are unable to reach a parent and the child must be taken by ambulance to the hospital, a staff member will accompany the child to the emergency room when possible. Kid’s Hideout will not be responsible for any fees incurred for the transportation and/or medical care while taking steps to ensure the safety of your child.

CLEANLINESS/SANITATION:

Our staff is trained in basic health practices and direct the children to follow the same procedures.

- Children must wash their hands before snack times and lunch.

- Children must wash their hands after every visit to the toilet.

- The staff clean and disinfect the tables before and after every meal is served.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

1. The state law requires that the parent (or authorized representative) sign their child in and out with the parent’s/guardian’s FULL signature and time.

2. If your child needs to be picked by someone other than the parent or designated persons on the child’s information sheet, Hideout must first be notified by telephone or written note from the parent. In addition, the person picking up must present a valid picture ID to take the child from the center. If the pick-up person cannot produce a valid picture ID, your child will not be permitted to leave with him/her and you will be contacted and informed of the situation.

3. Any change in home address, telephone numbers, pediatrician, custodians, etc. should be reported to the Director immediately.

4. Please advise the Director of any situation at home (illness, emotional upsets, family crisis, etc.) which may affect your child so that we may better understand and assist your child. All information shall remain confidential.

5. Please use a permanent marker to put your child’s name on all his/her belongings.

6. While at Hideout, your child may be working with paint, glue, markers, water, sand, and dirt. Please send your child in the appropriate clothing.

7. Children are not permitted to bring toys, gum, candy, or soda to the program. Personal items may be brought on non-school days. Kid’s Hideout is not responsible for loss of or damage to any personal property brought to the program. Toy weapons, or toys of a violent nature, are never permitted at Hideout at any time.

8. Parents have the right to visit the program at any time.

9. Please notify the Hideout by phone or e-mail (info@kidshideout.net) if your child will not be attending on his/her scheduled day, and the expected return date. Please do not use e-mail after 2:00 PM to notify us of a same-day absence, as we may not be able to check messages again until after 3 PM. (Also, please call if you do not receive an e-mail response by 2 PM – as we may not have seen your message.) Texting is the best way to reach us 925-282-0903.

10. If your child does not arrive at the program within 10 minutes of school ending, we will send a staff member out to locate him/her and will contact you immediately to find out where your child is. Please remind your child of the importance of being prompt.

FAILURE TO NOTIFY HIDEOUT ABOUT AN ABSENCE:

It is imperative that you contact Hideout to let us know if your child will not be coming up to the Hideout after school. (We are not associated with the school, so messages you leave them will not be shared with us.) When your child does not arrive, we must send one staff member out to look for him/her while another staff member calls the family. This takes two staff members away from the ratio and the over-all safety of the program in order to search for the “missing child”. If you fail to inform Hideout that your child will be absent from the afternoon program, you will be charged between $25 and $50 per occurrence, after two warnings. (Please see fee sheet for fees.)

We understand that it is easy to forget, however, it compromises the program when we need search for and/or make calls continually to families that have simply forgotten to notify us, taking focus away from those children who may be actually missing. If a child does not arrive after school, and parents cannot be reached to confirm the absence, we will assume the child is missing and the policed will be notified.

DISCIPLINE POLICY:

At Kid’s Hideout, we believe that children learn acceptable behavior through modeling of staff and other children while in the program, and through parents and siblings while at home. We are committed to providing children with the tools that will help develop inner, self-directed discipline. Children are helped to realize the affects their actions have upon one another, are taught to be respectful to one another and are encouraged to find their own solutions to problems while being guided by staff. We expect the children to follow a few basic rules that will help provide a safe and enjoyable environment while in our care:

a)     report to Hideout immediately after program

b)     respect staff and other students

c)     remain in view and care of staff at all times

d)     abide by the rules and guidelines set by the program (these rules will be discussed at the beginning of each program year and as needed during group time throughout the year)

e)     follow through on activities to which they have committed themselves

f)      clean up after themselves

We will not accept:

g)     physical behavior that will result in the harm of oneself or another child

h)     the destruction of any property

i)      inappropriate language

j)      any pretend play of a violent nature (i.e.-power rangers, army men, play fighting)

Our staff will take the following steps to help correct unacceptable behavior:

a)     redirection- The teacher will attempt to distract the child’s attention from the disruptive behavior by directing the child to another activity that is acceptable

b)      ignoring- If the negative behavior is trivial, it may disappear by ignoring it

c)     discussing consequences of actions - while sitting or kneeling at the child’s level, the teacher will discuss the consequences that result from negative actions in words that the child can understand.

d)     giving the child the tools to solve his/her own problems - the teacher will assist the child in verbalizing his/her dislikes. Having the child communicate his/her own feelings will enable him/her to develop the skills needed to solve his/her own problems.

e)     offering alternative options- instead of telling the child what not to do, the teacher will give the child suggestions for what he/she can do. For example, instead of saying, “Don’t throw the blocks”, the teacher may say, “Please use the blocks to build something. Save the throwing for outside.”

f)      simple reminders - sometimes, one or two-word sentences are used to remind children of appropriate behavior. If a child is running in the classroom, the teacher may simply say, “Walking feet.”

These are techniques that we will not use:

a)     corporal punishment which is defined as the use of negative physical touching

b)     humiliation

c)     intimidation

d)     threats

e)     mental abuse

f)      interference with the daily living function, including eating, sleeping, or toileting

If unacceptable behavior continues, the following measures will be taken:

- Teacher will inform the Director and a written record will be made.

- Behavior warnings will be discussed and signed by child, Director/Teacher and Parent.

- Parents may be asked to attend a conference to work with the program to help the child correct his/her negative behavior.

- If the negative behavior persists, the Director may suggest that additional professional guidance be enlisted.

- After three behavioral warnings, the child may be suspended from the Hideout for one day, followed by a conference between the Director and Parents to discuss other options.

- The child will be sent home for the day if he/she is physical with another child or staff member or may be required stay home from Hideout the following day.

- if the child is physical a second time, he/she will be suspended from Hideout for 1 - 3 days, depending on severity, and a conference will be required before re-admittance.

- if the child is physical a third time, he/she may be expelled from the program

Kid’s Hideout reserves the right to dismiss the child if, in the Director’s opinion,

- The child’s needs can no longer be met by the program,

- The child poses a threat to the safety of the other children or him/herself,

- The child’s negative behavior continues to be a disruption to the program.

BASIC HEALTH GUIDELINES:

1. Please keep your child home if he/she shows signs of sore throat, undiagnosed rash, earache, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, the first few days of a cold or cough, (continuous runny nose or congestion) or just not feeling well. Your child may return 24 hours after symptoms have resolved without the aid of fever-reducing medicines

2. If your child seems to be extremely tired or irritable, he/she may be in a contagious stage of illness and needs to be kept home.

3. Any child with a fever of 100.0 or higher may not return to Hideout until the fever has been normal for 24 hours without the aid of fever-reducing medicines.

4. If a child is ill, a call will be made to the parent or guardian. If you are unable to pick your child up right away, please call a friend or relative to do so. If the parent or guardian cannot be reached, a call will be made to someone on your child’s emergency list. Your child will be kept in the Director’s office until someone arrives.

5. If your child has acquired a communicable disease (such as chicken pox, measles, conjunctivitis, head lice, pin worms, impetigo, COVID, etc.), please notify the Hideout immediately. A notice will be posted indicating that "a case has been reported" describing the disease and forewarn other parents of possible exposure. Your child may not return to program without a written OK from your pediatrician.

6. Advising the program of your child’s symptoms if (s)he is out ill can be very helpful in determining if others are coming down with the same illness. Sick children should be given adequate time to recover before returning to the program, not only for the well-being of your child, but in consideration of the other children and staff, as well.

7. Please notify Hideout of any special circumstances regarding your child’s health.

8. If our staff determines that your child is ill, we cannot accept him/her into program until he/she has recovered. Please prepare for sick childcare if you are unable to stay home with your child.

FIRE DRILLS:

Kid’s Hideout will hold monthly fire drills to practice our emergency evacuation routines. We have smoke detectors and a sprinkler system installed. In the event of a fire, teachers and children will evacuate the building quickly and quietly and remain on the Elementary School grounds under the supervision of the teachers. In the event of any other emergency, parents should follow emergency instructions by local governments and come to Kid’s Hideout as soon as advised. The staff will stay with your child until he/she has been picked up. Please do not call the program immediately as we need the phone line available for emergency calls out. We will have access to a cell phone. We also have a list of emergency numbers that we will take with us, along with the sign-in sheet to use for roll call. For the safety of your child and our staff during an emergency, it is imperative that you make contact with the staff when you are picking up your child and YOU MUST remember to sign in & out! For this reason, there will be a $25 to $50 charge for each occurrence where you forget to sign in or out. (Please see the fee sheet for more info.)

BASIC SERVICES OFFERED:

In addition to providing supervision and care for your child, Kid’s Hideout offers the following services:

- Breakfast Club from 7:15 AM to 7:45 AM

- Snack from 2:45 PM to 3 PM, and a "fruit-only" snack at 5:15

- Homework Club from 3:30 PM to 4:15 PM

- Teacher Directed Activity Time from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM

RIGHTS OF THE LICENSING AGENCY:

The State of California Community Care Licensing Agency shall have the authority to interview children and staff and to inspect and audit the child’s or facility’s records without prior consent. The program shall make provisions for private interviews with any child or staff member. The Licensing Agency shall have the authority to observe the physical condition of the child(ren), including conditions that could indicate abuse, neglect, or inappropriate placement.

EXEMPTION NOTICE:

Kid’s Hideout is exempt from the following licensing requirements because we are located on school grounds: toilet and sink ratio and square footage. We have a Superintendent’s Certificate which gives us access to school classrooms, the Multi- purpose Room, and/or the Library, and playground restrooms, as needed.