Staff Qualifications

WICC personnel are qualified and licensed childcare staff and hold appropriate permits required by the State of Wisconsin, according to the position held.

All applicable personnel must have: 

• Fingerprint clearance by the State of WI   

• Mandated Reporter Training     

• Tuberculosis (TB) clearance                                               

• Immunization records                                                          

• Physical examination  

• Reference checks  

• CPR certified 

Daily Schedule

WICC activities will be planned according to the age and developmental level of each child in care and provide children with a variety of experiences. The daily activities include a flexible balance of indoor and outdoor activities, active and quiet play, and individual and group activities. The activities provided will expose the children to a variety of cultures and will encourage the children to use and develop language and literacy skills, use large and small muscles, think creatively, learn new ideas and skills, and participate in imaginative play. The activities are designed to provide protection from excess fatigue and over stimulation and to ensure that each child can be successful and feel good about themselves. Some of the activities include: 

• Language development: e.g., Books, music, story time, fingerplays, flannel board stories

• Large muscle skills: e.g., Balls, hula hoops, bean bags, swinging, outdoor play

• Small muscle skills: e.g., Arts / crafts, stringing beads, pegboards, blocks

• Creative expression: e.g., Dramatic play, puppets, music / instruments, flannel board

• Self-help skills: e.g., Assist with mealtime preparation, dress self for outdoors

• Literacy skills: e.g., Books, story board, alphabet and writing games

PLAY is the major component of our program. Enough time, materials, and space will be provided for children to actively explore the world around them. Children will have an opportunity to use a variety of art materials and manipulative and dramatic play materials. 

Infants and toddlers (children under two years of age) will have a flexible schedule which reflects the child's individual needs. They will be given individual attention, including lots of time for talking. The body position of non-mobile infants and their location in the Center will be changed frequently. WICC will provide safe, open spaces for children who are creeping and crawling. Infants and toddlers will be encouraged to play with a wide variety of safe toys and objects.

Children, including infants and toddlers, will go outdoors daily when weather permits, so children should be dressed appropriately for the weather. The children may be kept indoors during inclement weather such as any of the following:

• Heavy rain/Thunderstorms 

• Temperatures above 90 degrees F.

• Wind chills of 0 degrees F. or below.

There is a fenced outdoor play space on the premises of the Center.

Rest or naptime will be provided for all children who are in care for more than four consecutive hours. Children who do not sleep may get up after 30 minutes, and children who awaken early will be allowed to get up when they wake and will be provided with appropriate activities. 

Children under one year of age will sleep in a crib or playpen. Children over the age of one year will sleep in a MAT or SLEEPING BAG. The parent will launder the bedding / sleeping bag every weekend or as soon as possible if wet or soiled. 

Pacifiers (if necessary): After the first couple of weeks, when children have become acclimated to the center, we will be attempting to limit pacifier use to the children’s beds. This is for sanitation purposes, as toddlers tend to put everything in their mouths, including other’s pacifiers. If a child needs their pacifier for calming, they will be allowed to use it while being held in a lap or sitting in the quiet area of a classroom. Stuffed animals are not allowed in beds, per state law, so we cannot use pacifiers with animals attached. 

Staff/volunteers WILL NOT allow children to watch television or videos. Children may NOT bring VHS, DVDs, Blu-rays, or mobile devices from home. 

Discipline Philosophy and Process

Children's behavior will be guided by setting clear limits or rules for children. WICC staff/volunteers will talk with children about expected behaviors and model those behaviors consistently for them. Staff/volunteers will state positively what children can do, using specific terms (e.g., "you need to walk" rather than "don't run"). Undesirable behavior will be redirected to another activity. Children will be given a wide variety of age-appropriate activities to choose from and will be given the attention they need before they demand it. Behavior management will be for the purpose of helping children develop self-control, self-esteem, and respect for the rights of others.

WICC Staff/volunteers understand that there will be times when a child will become distraught, fussy, or have periods of crying. The first action in these situations will be an attempt to determine the cause of the distress. It may be related to a basic need such as hunger or comfort, or it may be that the child just needs some extra time and attention. WICC staff/volunteers understand that crying is normal, and that all babies experience normal increased occurrences of crying during their development. At these times, WICC staff/volunteers will stay calm and will do whatever they can to soothe the child. Sometimes this may mean just allowing the child to cry for a few minutes and then trying again. However, there also may be times when WICC Staff/volunteers need your advice or assistance, and they won’t hesitate to call the parent if they feel that it is necessary.

Parent Communication Channels

Ways to keep families informed:

• Meet and greet families daily. 

• Maintain an open-door policy. 

• Daily notes for children   

• Maintain Family Resources that includes information about WICC happenings

• Ages and Stages Developmental Screening conducted annually. 

• Assessment Reports are provided to families twice each year.

• Family-Educator Conferences are held two times during the year 

• Program feedback from the parents. 

• Family Engagement events are held each year. 

• Place and return phone calls, e-mails, etc.

• Private Social Media (i.e., Facebook, Instagram)

Visiting

WICC believes in an open-door policy and values family engagement. Parents are asked to contact the Lead Teacher to schedule arrangements to visit.

Health and Safety Procedures

Child Illness / Injuries

Children who are ill are not to be brought to the Center. The following are examples of children who are ill:

• A temperature of 100 degrees F or higher

• Vomiting or diarrhea has occurred more than once in the past 24 hours

• A contagious disease, such as chicken pox, strep throat, or pink eye

• An unidentified rash

• Has not been on a prescribed medication for at least 24 hours or continues to have symptoms of illness

• Has a constant, thick, colored nasal discharge

If a child should become ill while at the Center, parents will be contacted immediately. Sick children will be isolated within staff sight or hearing and made as comfortable as possible. Children should be picked up within 30 minutes. If the child is not picked up within  30 minutes, the emergency contact person on the child's enrollment form will be called.

Children may return to the Center when they are symptom free or fever free for 24 hours, have been appropriately treated, or have been given medical approval to return to child care. WICC follows procedures on personal cleanliness and communicable diseases in accordance with licensing rules and the guidelines for exclusion of children from child care as adapted from the Department of Health Services, Division of Public Health.

WICC staff will report all communicable diseases, when required, to the regional licensing office of the Department of Children and Families, to the local health department, and to parents of all enrolled children. Parents of all enrolled children will  be notified when their child has been exposed to an illness other than a communicable disease.

WICC staff have received training in first aid. Staff will follow standard emergency medical procedures for treating injuries. Parents will be notified immediately of a head injury. Staff have a current certification in infant and child cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), including training in the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED).

Superficial injuries will be washed with soap and water and covered with a bandage or treated with ice. Parents will be told about the minor injury when the child is picked up at the Center or delivered to the parent or other authorized person.

If there is a need for emergency medical treatment, 9-1-1 will be called. Should an ambulance be needed, parents will be responsible for any costs. Parents will be contacted as soon as possible after contacting 9-1-1. 

All medication administered, accidents or injuries occurring during the time the child is at WICC, marked changes in behavior or appearance, and any observation of injuries to a child's body received outside of WICC will be entered into the Center's medical log book. As a licensed child care provider, WICC is required to report suspected child abuse or neglect to the local authorities.