210 E. Main Street
Niles, MI
49120
(269) 683-0405
219 Peace Boulevard
St. Joseph MI
49085
(888) 926-0405
8. What is your discipline policy?The goal of this center is to create an encouraging environment for children and adults, one where positive phrases and tones of voice are used to guide children toward appropriate behavior and positive self-esteem, which will create the best possible environment for all other learning and development.These are some of the guidelines that help us to create an encouraging environment:An undesired behavior is understood as a mistake in behavior, or "mistaken behavior", and appropriate behavior is to be taught as any other skill, through modeling and gentle reminders and through helping each child understand the natural consequences of the behavior.Angry demands will not be made to the children, nor will they be "punished" for mistakes in behavior. Instead, we will teach children to learn from their mistakes, and we will help the to learn how to solve their problems.In cases of serious mistaken behavior,such as biting or hitting in the toddler room, the child will be stopped immediately from the action, told the word "no" and will be shown how to give "gentle touches" to the other child.such as hitting in the preschool or school-age room, the child may need to be removed from the situation to cool down, and once the child is calm the teacher will talk to the child about the consequences of the behavior and the teach er and child (and parents when possible) will work together to come up with ideas to handle a similar situation the next time.Guidance takes place in every interaction between adult and child, and in every behavior that is modeled for the child. Teachers and parents should work together to help the child develop the skills needed to make good choices now and in the years to come.Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do you accept DHS payments?
Yes.
2. What are my payment options?
We encourage all of our families to enroll in our direct withdrawal program for easy, convenient and automatic payments. Automatic payments can be made through checking or savings accounts, debit cards or credit cards.
3. What is your vacation policy?
For parents who enroll with a full-year contract, two weeks of vacation can be taken without being charged tuition. The two weeks cannot be during a two-week notice period of withdrawal. No credit for vacation is given for school-year or summer only contracts.
4. How many children are in a class?
In our infant and toddler rooms, we generally have a teacher with an assistant teacher and between five and eight children. Our preschool classes will also generally have a lead and an assistant teacher and between 9 and 24 children.
5. What days are the centers closed?
New Year's Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and the day after, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
6. What is your policy regarding illness?
Unfortunately we cannot provide services to children with any of the following symptoms: temperature of 101 or higher, conjunctivitis (pink-eye), strep throat, head lice, vomiting, diarrhea, rashes of unknown origin, or the presence of a contagious disease.A child will be sent home if any of the above symptoms are seen during the day. It is expected that if a child leaves The Children's Center due to illness, he/she will remain home the full next day to assure complete recovery. Our primary concern has to be the wellness of the other children in our care and our staff.
7.Do you close for inclement weather?
In consideration of the needs of our working families, we take great efforts to remain open under almost all situations. Until the recent storm we'd only closed two times since we opened in 2004. In the unlikely event that we would have to close, you will be notified by email, on our FaceBook page, it will be announced on the news and on our phone system.