CARES Handbook
Please be sure to read this handbook thoroughly so that you are familiar with all of our policies.
FEES
Each month a calendar will be posted online for you to you to sign-up for the coming month. Fees are to be paid by check at the time the calendar is sent back to school. If the fee does not accompany the calendar or drop-in notice, the child cannot be accepted for the time period in question.
There is a due date on each calendar. A fee received before the due date enjoys a 5% discount. Please do the calculations before you write the check. A fee and calendar received after the due date needs to include a $10 late fee. These discounts and fees are not part of the morning program.
If a child is absent on a day in which CARES is scheduled the fee for that day is transferable to another day.
Fees are paid by check made out to Queen of Angels CARES.
Our fees are:
Registration: $25 per family
Hourly rates: $6/hr. for one child
$11/hr. for two children
$15/hr. for three or more children
Morning CARES: $5.00 per day per family due at drop off
Late fee: $1/minute after 6:00 to be paid to the staff present. Other than morning CARES, This is the only time cash is expected and accepted.
Because we are a self-sustaining program dependent on expected funds no report cards will be issued to families with overdue CARES fees.
HOURS OF OPERATION
Afternoon CARES operates from 3:00 to 6:00 on full days, and from 12:00 to 6:00 on early dismissal days. CARES is available only on days that school is in session. We do not operate on any day that school is closed.
If school is closing during the day due to weather or another cause, then there is no CARES that day. You will receive notification of the closing through Option C and that should be considered notice that CARES is also closed. On extremely few occasions, we may need to close CARES only. The school day may be finished, but weather will not permit safe travel during CARES hours. You will then be notified during the day that CARES will not be available.
CALENDARS
Calendars are posted online on a monthly basis. It is a good idea to print two copies--- one for you to keep at home and one for CARES.
Please fill in the calendar carefully noting days off, early dismissals, and Saturdays and Sundays.
In each dated box, fill in the hours your child will attend. For example, 3-5 for a full day, or 12-4 for early dismissal. On early dismissal days, you must provide a full lunch. If you order hot lunch during the year, these are not delivered on early dismissal days.
PLEASE RETURN YOUR CALENDAR PROMPTLY. IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO THE SAFETY OF YOUR CHILD THAT WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT CHILDREN TO LOOK FOR ON ANY GIVEN DAY.
PICK-UP
Parents/designated adults must sign out their children in the presence of a staff member. No child will be permitted to leave with anyone that has not been included on the emergency form as an approved person for release of the child in question. Please bring your license with you until the staff becomes familiar with you.
Should you need to pick-up your child before dismissal, please tell the office that your child was coming to CARES that day and to notify the staff. If this occurs at dismissal and your child was on the CARES list for that day, please find a CARES teacher to sign the list to release the child from CARES.
No child may be signed out in the lower school parking lot. Parents must come to the CARES room to release their child from the program
After 6:15, the CARES staff has the option of taking your child to the convent for pick-up. If this happens there will be a notice on the back door. Please call 215-659-6040, if you know you will be arriving late.
We ask that cell phones are not in use while picking-up your children.
DROP-IN OPTION
If you should need to add on a day later in a month, we do have a drop-in option.
If a parent chooses to use our drop-in option, we must have 24 hour written notice. This notice should be sent to Mrs. Wise in the Lower School. In an envelope labeled with one of our names please include: a note with the child’s name, date needed, hours needed, and the check. The envelope can be handed to the child’s teacher. That teacher will forward it to one of us.
ILLNESSES
In cases which appear to be of a minor nature, First Aid will be administered and the parents told of the incident upon pick-up.
In cases which appear serious, every effort will be made to carry out the instructions given on the Emergency form. Parents will be contacted immediately. Please be sure that the phone numbers you have given us are accurate.
If the parents do not supply adequate emergency instructions, or if the instructions do not fit the circumstances, the staff will act according to their best judgment for the welfare of the child.
Children with infectious illnesses will be kept in the Nurse’s Office until a parent arrives.
If your child is going to be absent from school and is expected at CARES that day, please include that information when you call your child out for the day.
If your child is absent from Cares, that time may be transferred to another day. Or, you may also make note of an absence on the next month’s calendar and deduct that amount from the fee.
EXPECTATIONS FOR BEHAVIOR
The children are expected to respect the staff, each other, and the materials and environment provided.
Active play is in the gym. In the CARES Room we require a calmer form of play.
A child must never leave the CARES Room without permission. At pick-up time, no child is to walk to the exit door by themselves. Parents, you will need to check for cars coming up the driveway as you exit the building.
HOMEWORK
Time will be provided for the children to begin their written homework. The children will be supervised in a quiet atmosphere where work is done well and questions can be answered. Although we will do our best, the staff is not responsible to check homework for completeness or accuracy. This is to be done at home.
If you choose not to have your child work on their written assignments, please inform us with a note. Children are not permitted to return to a classroom for forgotten homework.
CHANGE OF CLOTHES
Children in Grades K-8 may bring a change of clothes with them for play on early dismissal days or extremely hot days. On gym days, however, we discourage this since the children are already in comfortable clothing.
Grades PK3, PK4, K, & 1st should bring a change of clothes including underwear and socks for CARES to keep on hand. This outfit should be updated at the change of season.
Please label all clothes, even the uniform.
TAXES
Childcare is a deductible expense. However, we do not offer a form with your total CARES expenses for a given year. To do this would put a heavy burden on the coordinator. We ask that you use your own accounting to record your payments. Thank you for your understanding.
Some businesses offer monthly childcare allowances. The coordinator will sign these forms when needed.
PHONE NUMBERS
CARES Room: 215-659-6040
Main Office: 215-659-6393
Lower School: 215-659-4251
Convent: 215-659-0445
PLEASE MAKE A COPY OF THESE NUMBERS OR ENTER THEM INTO YOUR CELLPHONE. ALWAYS DIAL THE CARES NUMBER FIRST.
MORNING CARES
Morning CARES is from 7:00 – 7:45 every morning.
Any students arriving before 7:45, other than bus, are considered CARES.
Advance notice is not required. No calendars will be issued as they are for the afternoon program.
Children are to be dropped off at the lower school.
Each day is $5.00 per family with the oldest handing the fee to the teacher on duty. The fee must be paid in cash.
Please be sure to read this handbook thoroughly so that you are familiar with all of our policies.
FEES
Each month a calendar will be posted online for you to you to sign-up for the coming month. Fees are to be paid by check at the time the calendar is sent back to school. If the fee does not accompany the calendar or drop-in notice, the child cannot be accepted for the time period in question.
There is a due date on each calendar. A fee received before the due date enjoys a 5% discount. Please do the calculations before you write the check. A fee and calendar received after the due date needs to include a $10 late fee. These discounts and fees are not part of the morning program.
If a child is absent on a day in which CARES is scheduled the fee for that day is transferable to another day.
Fees are paid by check made out to Queen of Angels CARES.
Our fees are:
Registration: $25 per family
Hourly rates: $6/hr. for one child
$11/hr. for two children
$15/hr. for three or more children
Morning CARES: $5.00 per day per family due at drop off
Late fee: $1/minute after 6:00 to be paid to the staff present. Other than morning CARES, This is the only time cash is expected and accepted.
Because we are a self-sustaining program dependent on expected funds no report cards will be issued to families with overdue CARES fees.
HOURS OF OPERATION
Afternoon CARES operates from 3:00 to 6:00 on full days, and from 12:00 to 6:00 on early dismissal days. CARES is available only on days that school is in session. We do not operate on any day that school is closed.
If school is closing during the day due to weather or another cause, then there is no CARES that day. You will receive notification of the closing through Option C and that should be considered notice that CARES is also closed. On extremely few occasions, we may need to close CARES only. The school day may be finished, but weather will not permit safe travel during CARES hours. You will then be notified during the day that CARES will not be available.
CALENDARS
Calendars are posted online on a monthly basis. It is a good idea to print two copies--- one for you to keep at home and one for CARES.
Please fill in the calendar carefully noting days off, early dismissals, and Saturdays and Sundays.
In each dated box, fill in the hours your child will attend. For example, 3-5 for a full day, or 12-4 for early dismissal. On early dismissal days, you must provide a full lunch. If you order hot lunch during the year, these are not delivered on early dismissal days.
PLEASE RETURN YOUR CALENDAR PROMPTLY. IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO THE SAFETY OF YOUR CHILD THAT WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT CHILDREN TO LOOK FOR ON ANY GIVEN DAY.
PICK-UP
Parents/designated adults must sign out their children in the presence of a staff member. No child will be permitted to leave with anyone that has not been included on the emergency form as an approved person for release of the child in question. Please bring your license with you until the staff becomes familiar with you.
Should you need to pick-up your child before dismissal, please tell the office that your child was coming to CARES that day and to notify the staff. If this occurs at dismissal and your child was on the CARES list for that day, please find a CARES teacher to sign the list to release the child from CARES.
No child may be signed out in the lower school parking lot. Parents must come to the CARES room to release their child from the program
After 6:15, the CARES staff has the option of taking your child to the convent for pick-up. If this happens there will be a notice on the back door. Please call 215-659-6040, if you know you will be arriving late.
We ask that cell phones are not in use while picking-up your children.
DROP-IN OPTION
If you should need to add on a day later in a month, we do have a drop-in option.
If a parent chooses to use our drop-in option, we must have 24 hour written notice. This notice should be sent to Mrs. Wise in the Lower School. In an envelope labeled with one of our names please include: a note with the child’s name, date needed, hours needed, and the check. The envelope can be handed to the child’s teacher. That teacher will forward it to one of us.
ILLNESSES
In cases which appear to be of a minor nature, First Aid will be administered and the parents told of the incident upon pick-up.
In cases which appear serious, every effort will be made to carry out the instructions given on the Emergency form. Parents will be contacted immediately. Please be sure that the phone numbers you have given us are accurate.
If the parents do not supply adequate emergency instructions, or if the instructions do not fit the circumstances, the staff will act according to their best judgment for the welfare of the child.
Children with infectious illnesses will be kept in the Nurse’s Office until a parent arrives.
If your child is going to be absent from school and is expected at CARES that day, please include that information when you call your child out for the day.
If your child is absent from Cares, that time may be transferred to another day. Or, you may also make note of an absence on the next month’s calendar and deduct that amount from the fee.
EXPECTATIONS FOR BEHAVIOR
The children are expected to respect the staff, each other, and the materials and environment provided.
Active play is in the gym. In the CARES Room we require a calmer form of play.
A child must never leave the CARES Room without permission. At pick-up time, no child is to walk to the exit door by themselves. Parents, you will need to check for cars coming up the driveway as you exit the building.
HOMEWORK
Time will be provided for the children to begin their written homework. The children will be supervised in a quiet atmosphere where work is done well and questions can be answered. Although we will do our best, the staff is not responsible to check homework for completeness or accuracy. This is to be done at home.
If you choose not to have your child work on their written assignments, please inform us with a note. Children are not permitted to return to a classroom for forgotten homework.
CHANGE OF CLOTHES
Children in Grades K-8 may bring a change of clothes with them for play on early dismissal days or extremely hot days. On gym days, however, we discourage this since the children are already in comfortable clothing.
Grades PK3, PK4, K, & 1st should bring a change of clothes including underwear and socks for CARES to keep on hand. This outfit should be updated at the change of season.
Please label all clothes, even the uniform.
TAXES
Childcare is a deductible expense. However, we do not offer a form with your total CARES expenses for a given year. To do this would put a heavy burden on the coordinator. We ask that you use your own accounting to record your payments. Thank you for your understanding.
Some businesses offer monthly childcare allowances. The coordinator will sign these forms when needed.
PHONE NUMBERS
CARES Room: 215-659-6040
Main Office: 215-659-6393
Lower School: 215-659-4251
Convent: 215-659-0445
PLEASE MAKE A COPY OF THESE NUMBERS OR ENTER THEM INTO YOUR CELLPHONE. ALWAYS DIAL THE CARES NUMBER FIRST.
MORNING CARES
Morning CARES is from 7:00 – 7:45 every morning.
Any students arriving before 7:45, other than bus, are considered CARES.
Advance notice is not required. No calendars will be issued as they are for the afternoon program.
Children are to be dropped off at the lower school.
Each day is $5.00 per family with the oldest handing the fee to the teacher on duty. The fee must be paid in cash.