Q.
What if my child gets sick?
A.
We’ll call you or a designated adult from your Emergency Information Form so that your child can be picked up as soon as possible from the Academy. While waiting to be picked up, your child will rest quietly, away from other children.
Q.
What policies are Academies required to have in place to address safety?
A.
Our facilities and outdoor play areas are required to have secure entries and exits that are maintained by an electronic entry system. Only individuals authorized by you are allowed to pick up your child from the Academy. All employees are required to have undergone background checks prior to employment. Since the coronavirus outbreak, we have implemented Health Essentials, a set of enhanced protocols based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for social distancing, disinfection, wellness education and symptom monitoring.
Q.
Are meals provided?
A.
If your child will be with us all day, we provide an assortment of healthy, age-appropriate meals and snacks. If your child will be with us for just before/and or after school care, we will provide healthy, age-appropriate snacks.
Q.
What if my child has allergies?
A.
Due to the high number of children with peanut allergies, we do not serve peanut products. If your child has a specific allergy, please list them on our dietary restriction letter so that we can make appropriate food substitutions.
Q.
What are teacher qualifications?
A.
All Kiddie Academy teachers must meet or exceed the state requirements for child care providers and are required to receive ongoing professional training annually. We also require background checks through local, county, state and/or federal agencies prior to employment.
Q.
What is your discipline policy?
A.
We do not use physical or verbal punishment under any circumstances. We use positive guidance and re-direction to acknowledge children’s feelings and emotions and provide them with social scripts, problem-solving techniques, self-calming activities and choices and activities geared toward their interests.
Q.
What will my child be doing?
A.
Our before-school students can use their time to play, read quietly, exercise or interact with friends. After school, students can participate in our club programs, where they can explore topics that interest them. Check with your Academy to find out which clubs they offer. If your child is enrolled in a virtual or distance learning full-day program, their teacher will help them connect to their school’s virtual learning portal and complete assigned schoolwork. Free time will be filled with play or exercise time, reading time, learning centers and other fun activities.
Q.
Can I drop in to observe?
A.
Due to the concerns around COVID-19, we are unable to allow drop-in observation by parents or family members. We hope to reverse this rule as soon as it becomes safe.
Q.
Do you have parent-teacher conferences?
A.
Yes. We schedule family/teacher conferences each year to discuss your child’s progress, but you can request a conference with the Director at any time.
Q.
Do you take the children outdoors?
A.
Yes, weather permitting, we take children outside daily. Children should be dressed appropriately for playing on our playground or taking group walks.
Q.
How do you use technology in learning?
A.
Kiddie Academy teachers use technology as learning tools and a means of communication. We feel it’s important to teach children how to use devices they will encounter in school, so they are given opportunities to use them for educational play and research. The use of televisions or computers for passive viewing is not part of Kiddie Academy’s curriculum. For students enrolled in a full-day virtual or distance learning program at Kiddie Academy, we understand devices are critical to success. Kiddie Academy locations are equipped with high-speed WiFi with safety features. Teachers work with students to help them use their devices and navigate their school’s various learning portals.
Q.
What is Kiddie Academy doing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus?
A.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kiddie Academy already followed strict practices for health and cleaning that met or exceeded state and local standards. Since the coronavirus outbreak, we have implemented Health Essentials, a set of enhanced protocols based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for social distancing, disinfection, wellness education and symptom monitoring. The goal of Health Essentials is to uphold the highest level of health precautions and cleanliness for proper child care delivery.
Q.
Does Kiddie Academy support virtual schooling?
A.
Kiddie Academy provides educational child care services for children ages 6 weeks through 12 years (exact ages vary by location) but in most cases are not licensed to implement elementary school curriculum. However, in the wake of virtual schooling, many Academies provide full-day school age programs in which they help implement your child’s virtual schooling at a Kiddie Academy location.
Q.
Is Kiddie Academy a learning pod?
A.
Kiddie Academy is a state-licensed educational child care facility with an proprietary curriculum and qualified teachers. The term “learning pod” can be interpreted in many different ways, but typically describes small groups of children of a similar age either sharing the responsibility of homeschooling or working with a teacher specifically hired for the group. Kiddie Academy is similar to learning pods in that our class sizes are separated by age and children receive individualized attention from their teachers. But unlike learning pods, Kiddie Academy locations meet strict state standards for safety and education and are inclusive of all young learners.
Q.
Is in-person child care safe?
A.
Kiddie Academy has made every effort to put in place strict practices for health and cleaning that meet or exceed state and local standards. Our Health Essentials protocols are based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for social distancing, disinfection, wellness education and symptom monitoring. While we feel we are doing all we can to maintain a safe and clean environment conducive to learning, parents and caretakers will have to decide on their own if they are comfortable with group child care. We encourage parents to “meet” virtually with their local Kiddie Academy to learn more about what that Academy is doing to maintain a safe environment for children, as well as virtually “tour” other child care facilities to compare and contrast.
Q.
Does Kiddie Academy offer flexible child care for school agers?
A.
School age programs may vary by Kiddie Academy location. Many Kiddie Academy locations have created school age programs that enhance or support whatever the local school system has put in place, whether that means virtual learning, hybrid model or completely in-person. For more information, contact your local Kiddie Academy.
Q.
How long has Kiddie Academy offered a distance learning program?
A.
Kiddie Academy has long offered before and after school care for children ages 5 and up to enhance their normal school days. Until 2020, however, we did not offer a distance or virtual learning option. Predicting that this would be greatly needed by students and parents, we created a full-day school age program that supports virtual and/or hybrid learning.
Q.
Does my child have to be in the same school district as Kiddie Academy to participate in their full-day school age program?
A.
In most cases, Kiddie Academy should be able to accommodate your child regardless of what school district they are in.
Q.
Does Kiddie Academy provide computers for children to do distance learning?
A.
Kiddie Academy does not provide computers or tablets to children to use for distance learning. Parents should send their child to Kiddie Academy with their own devices each day.