QR4 Information and Policies Instructions

Your program’s health policies communicate to families the importance you place on their child’s health. These policies describe the steps you take to maintain a healthy environment, ways you support children to develop healthy habits, and other practices you follow to ensure that children are healthy and strong.

What does the documentation look like?

Your documentation describes the health policies and practices you follow in your program. This list gives you an idea of different health topics that you can include in your program’s health policies.

• Wellness / Illness
• Medication
• Allergy / Asthma
• Sanitation
• Personal Hygiene (examples: hand-washing, tooth brushing)
• Immunizations
• Sunscreen
• Opportunities for physical activity and play

As a child care provider or teacher, you understand the great responsibility you have to ensure that children in your program are safe. This includes keeping children physically safe and providing an emotionally safe environment where children can develop and learn.

Your policies describe the steps you take to keep children safe. These policies help ensure that everyone in your program knows and understands their role in maintaining a safe environment.

What does the documentation look like?

Your documentation clearly explains your program’s safety policies and practices. This list offers you an idea of different safety topics.

• Fire Drills
• Emergency Evacuation Plan
• Medical Emergency Procedures
• Drop Off / Pick Up Procedures
• Transportation
• First Aid / CPR Training or Certifications
• Security Procedures
• Inclement Weather

Positive behavior practices are the steps you take to promote children’s healthy social and emotional development. This includes specific strategies and techniques your program uses to encourage positive behavior and to avoid negative behavior or situations before they happen.

Explore different positive behavior strategies in DAP 3.

Your tuition and enrollment policies help families understand how your program operates and what is expected of them. Including these policies in your handbook promotes clear communication and helps prevent misunderstandings.

Your tuition policy may explain how and when payments are made (payment schedule, accepted payment methods, etc.). Enrollment policies may include the number of children you accept to your program, when families can enroll their children or how a waiting list is used, if applicable.

In a high-quality program, all children have access to the same routines, play, and learning experiences, including children with special health care needs or disabilities. A clearly written policy helps families understand how you will support each child’s full participation in your program and your commitment to partnering with them to help their child succeed.

Clear communication policies help families understand how your program shares information and how they can stay connected and engaged in their child’s care.

Your policy may include how, when, and how often families receive updates, as well as how families can contact you with questions, concerns, or information about their child. Making communication expectations and options clear supports consistent, two-way communication.

It is helpful for families to know the steps you take to promote their child’s health and well-being. Information about your program’s physical fitness activities helps families understand the goals of your program and what is required of them.

Families may want to know:

• Do they need to provide suitable clothing on certain days or for certain activities?
• What opportunities does your program provide for children to be physically active?
• Do the children play inside and outside?

Your policies inform and remind families about the importance of physical activity to their child’s healthy development and help them to partner with you.

Information on your program’s approach to healthy foods and snacks communicates the importance of healthy habits. Informing families about how your program handles snacks and meals also lets them know what to expect from your program.

Families may want to know:

• Are families expected to provide all snacks and meals for their child, or are meals provided?
• How does your program address special dietary needs?
• Are exceptions made for special occasions such as birthdays?

The more information you provide to families, the better prepared they are to follow your guidelines and policies.

A curriculum outlines the goals and content you use for planning daily activities and learning experiences for children. It may also include the knowledge and skills you are supporting through those activities and experiences.

Sharing information about your curriculum helps families understand how the activities and experiences you plan support their child’s learning and development. When families are informed about the goals you have for their child, they are in a better position to reinforce those goals at home. Your written information is another opportunity to remind families that they are partners with you in their child’s development and learning. It informs families of ways they can be active participants in that shared partnership.

Child assessment is used to measure and monitor children’s progress. It helps you better understand each child so you can develop meaningful activities that support every child’s growing knowledge and skills. Communicating your program’s approach to assessment helps families understand why you assess children’s progress, how the information you gather informs the activities you plan, and what they can expect to learn from you about their child’s progress.

What does the documentation look like?

A quality child assessment policy includes information such as:

• Why and how child assessment is used
• Types of assessments used
• How and when assessment information is shared with families
• How assessment information informs activities

Families benefit from information about your program’s approach to planning and carrying out activities, and how those activities reinforce children’s development and learning. When well informed, families are better able to support your program and participate as active partners in their child’s education. In addition, the information you provide to families empowers them to promote learning at home through meaningful activities and experiences.