Frequently Asked Questions

Please read our

Early Learning Academy FAQs

Absences

We encourage regular attendance of all children in the childcare programs so that they might fully benefit from the educational program. Parents are required to inform the center by 7:30 a.m. or sooner if a child will not be at the center on a scheduled day.

If your child is ill, we request that you notify the center via LILLIO not only of the absence, but also of the nature of the illness. This enables our faculty to keep track of any illnesses which may occur at our school.

Sickness and Common Illnesses

RFTS ELA follows all health/communicable disease policies as outlined in the American Academy of Pediatrics Model Health Policies and Procedures Manual. Parents are required to pick up an ill child within 45 minutes – 1 hour of notification by phone. If a parent is reached but cannot pick his or her child up within 45 minutes-1hour, it becomes the parent’s responsibility to arrange for alternate pick up with someone listed on the child’s emergency contact form.

If a parent cannot be reached, the staff will begin to call the people listed on the emergency contact form, until arrangements can be made for the child to be picked up.

Children will be excluded from participation in the program if they exhibit symptoms of any communicable disease. They will not be permitted to return to the program until they are no longer contagious. This includes children in our before/after school program, if a child is sent home sick from the school district, RFTS ELA cannot provide care for the rest of the day or the following day as the child needs to be absent from school as well as childcare for a minimum of 24 hours.

Children must present a doctor’s note stating they are no longer contagious and can return to the program. RFTS ELA reserves the right to refuse to allow a child to return if the center director or designee believes the child to be too ill to participate in the program.

Child must be sent home if: your child displays any of the following symptoms, you will be notified immediately to come and pick up your child.

  • Fever: of 100.0 Fahrenheit or higher at time of onset of illness at center
  • Diarrhea: one or more diarrhea (runny, watery, or bloody) stools
  • Vomiting: one or more episode of vomiting
  • Difficulty Breathing
  • Ear/Eye infection
  • Pink eye or eye drainage
  • Undiagnosed rash/bites/hives etc.: requires a doctor’s visit from your child’s pediatrician to rule out if contagious.
  • Lethargic and unable or unwilling to participate in the day’s activities.
  • Crying uncontrollably
  • Mouth sores
  • Symptoms associated with any communicable disease.

For the protection of all children at our center, the following conditions require exclusion of care for a minimum of a full 24 hours – this means the remaining part of day child is sent home as well as one additional day. To RETURN (most common in BOLD)

The following guide based on American Academy of Pediatrics and Center Best practices will be used to determine the length of time your child must be excluded from the daycare setting.

  • Fever: child has been free of fever for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications.
  • Diarrhea: child has been free of diarrhea for 24 hours. All stools must be able to be contained in a toilet. If diarrhea is in diapers, then a child may not return until it has ceased.
  • Vomiting: child may return once vomiting has ceased for full 24 hours.
  • Heavy head/chest cold: until coughing and nasal discharge is under control.
  • Any contagious illness which results in the child being too ill to participate in daily activities.
  • Ear infection: 24 hours after administration of antibiotic and when child’s discomfort disappears.
  • “Pink eye” conjunctivitis: child may return after they have been cleared by a physician and when the redness/drainage is gone, and antibiotics have been used for 24 hours.
  • Undiagnosed rash: child must be seen by a physician to rule out if rash is contagious. If on antibiotics 24 hours after administration of antibiotics. No oozing present or fever.
  • Covid – any exposure to or symptoms needs to be removed until CDC and health department state that the appropriate time has lapsed.
  • Hand-foot-and-mouth disease: at least 5 days from onset and when lesions are crusted and dry and the child is free of fever.
  • Strep Throat: child may return to daycare 24 hours after treatment is started and child is free of fever.

Weather Information

  • If in the rare instance that we are closed or have a delay, we will announce this in our parent app – LILLIO by 5:30 am.
  • Please note that if we are on a two hour delay that means that the center will open at 8:30 am.
  • If we need to close due to weather, we will also announce this on our parent LILLIO app.

Pre-Enrollment Requirements

At Right from the Start Early Learning Academy each child is required to have a complete pre-enrollment packet of information filled out and submitted. This packet is to be returned in its entirety to the office prior to the child’s first day of attendance at the center.

Definition of Care

  • Full time care– five contracted days per week
  • Part time care– Three or four contracted days per week (must be set days)
  • Before and after school care– Care for enrolled school aged children (Kindergarten-5th grade)
  • School age Summer Care for enrolled school aged children (Kindergarten-5th grade)

***RFTS ELA requires a minimum of three full days of care per week***

TRIAL PERIOD

The first 14 calendar days from a child’s official start date are a trial period for the child, provider, and parents. During this period, either the parent or provider may terminate care (with two weeks’ notice). These 14 days will be allotted to determine if a child can adjust, and staff can meet their daily needs. If during that time an adjustment cannot be made, even with parental involvement, the parent will be contacted, and a meeting will be set up to discuss the situations and other alternative care options. Although a situation is rare, the possibility does exist that we will not be able to meet the individual needs of your child. We expect full parental cooperation during this situation.

Tuition/Payment

Since full and timely payments of tuition are critical to our ability to maintain our operations, we have outlined our policies and procedures regarding the payment of fees. All custodial parents and/or legal guardians are required to sign a fee agreement before enrollment of their child at Right from the Start Early Learning Academy.

TUITION PAYMENTS MADE USING LILLIO

Tuition is payable to Right from the Start Early Learning Academy via the LILLIO app. We will use either bank cards or credit cards to pay for tuition and only under certain circumstances will cash or checks be allowed as payment for childcare services.

IMPORTANT TUITION INFORMATION

  • Payments are expected to be made on time and no later than Friday at noon Prior to next week’s care. If a child is not paid on Friday, they may not attend RFTS on Monday.
  • All tuition payments for childcare services are to be made on your child’s last day of care of the week prior to care.
  • There is no refund for children not attending due to illness or other absences.
  • There are no refunds for tuition or registration fees.
    Tuition is expected for holidays/closing and contracted days whether your child is present. There is no credit given for holidays/closing, illness, inclement weather, emergency situations, etc.

There will be a charge of $45.00 for any bounced/returned payment.

Scheduling Changes

Any changes (ex: days, times, drop off times and/or pick up times) to your child’s schedule must be approved by the Director before change takes place (please give ample time @ least 2 weeks for change).

A request for change of scheduled days may be denied if it adversely affects our child to staff ratio.

If your child needs to arrive earlier than their scheduled time or stay later than their scheduled time, please contact the Director at least 48 hours beforehand, please do not assume it is ok.

If a time change will interfere with our child to staff ratio, we reserve the right to deny the request. We will attempt to meet your needs whenever possible.

Late Fees

It is the parent’s responsibility to pick their child up by the stated pick up time on their signed fee agreement. If you know that you will be late (arriving past your contracted pick up time), please call the center at least one hour so we can secure staff to stay to maintain the ratio.
  • You will be charged a $15.00 late fee for any time past your scheduled pick up time per minute if your child is here past his/her contracted time. This fee is strictly enforced due to ratios which are set forth by our licensing agency.
  • Right from the Start Early Learning Academy also sets forth a $10.00 per 5 minute late fee for pick up after 5:30pm. It is the parent’s responsibility to pick up their child on time before the center closing time. If you know that you will be late, please call the center.
  • While RFTS ELA closes at 5:30 P.M., families should arrive by 5:20 P.M. to check in with staff, gather child’s belongings and say goodbye.
A late fee will be charged if you fail to pick-up your child later than your scheduled agreement time. When you arrive later than your scheduled agreement time, you are compromising our child staff ratio.

Mandated Reporting of Suspected Abuse and/or Neglect

Under the Child Protective Services Act, mandated reporters are required to report any suspicion of abuse or neglect to the appropriate authorities. The employees of RFTS ELA are considered mandated reporters, under this law. The employees of RFTS ELA are not required to discuss their suspicions with parents prior to reporting the matter to the appropriate authorities, nor are they required to investigate the cause of any suspicious marks, behavior or condition prior to making a report. Under the Act, mandated reporters can be held criminally responsible if they fail to report suspected abuse or neglect. We at RFTS ELA take this responsibility very seriously and will make all warranted reports to the appropriate authorities. The Child Protective Services Act is designed to protect the welfare and best interest of all children.

Withdrawal

Two weeks’ written notice for 2 future weeks ( not current week ) is required when withdrawing a child for any reason If the required notice is not given, parents will be charged tuition for two additional weeks. Parents who wish to change their child’s days or times of enrollment at RFTS ELA, must submit a request to do so two weeks in advance of the proposed change. Schedule changes are subject to a change fee of $25.00 and can only be done one time per calendar year (some exceptions apply).

Parents who wish to change their child’s days or times of enrollment at RFTS ELA, must submit a request to do so two weeks in advance of the proposed change. Schedule changes are subject to a change fee of $25.00 and can only be done one time per calendar year (some exceptions apply).

Video Surveillance

Right from the Start Early Learning Academy is monitored by video surveillance to protect the students, staff, and families of Right from the Start Early Learning Academy.

Parent Code Of Conduct

RFTS ELA always requires the parents of enrolled children to behave in a manner consistent with decency, courtesy, and respect. Parents are required to behave in a manner that fosters this ideal environment. Parents who violate the Parent Code of Conduct will not be permitted on agency property thereafter.

SWEARING/CURSING

No parent or adult is permitted to curse or use other inappropriate language on agency property at any time, whether in the presence of a child or not. At NO time shall inappropriate language be directed toward members of the staff. This is cause for immediate cease of care for any child.

  • Any disparaging remarks about staff, management or other families will NOT BE TOLERATED and family will immediately be dismissed.
  • Any Social media post relating to or about staff, management or other families will NOT BE TOLERATED and families will immediately be dismissed.

Both situations may result in possible lawsuits if necessary.

THREATENING EMPLOYEES, CHILDREN OTHER PARENTS

Threats of any kind will not be tolerated. RFTS ELA cannot afford to sit by idly while threats are made. In addition, all threats will be reported to the appropriate authorities and will be fully prosecuted by the law. While apologies for such behavior are appreciated, the agency will not assume the risk of a second chance. PARENTS MUST BE RESPONSIBLE FOR AND IN CONTROL OF THEIR BEHAVIOR AT ALL TIMES.

  • Please remember if you have an issue, we can try to work to an agreement, taking to a social media platform is not a way to handle grievances.
  • Threatening or disparaging words on social media will not be tolerated if we are made aware. Including screen shots etc.
  • If RFTSELA is made aware of any negative insults against RFTSELA, we will assume that you are not happy with the services and your child’s spot will be terminated.
  • Any disparaging remarks about staff, management or other families will NOT BE TOLERATED and family will immediately be dismissed.

ARRIVAL /PARKING/ENTRANCE/SECURITY DOORBELL

The Pennsylvania State Police as well as the Hamburg Police request that parents park their vehicles in the large parking lot adjacent to the building when dropping off and picking up their children. Parking along the curb or along the grassy hill does not provide a safe situation for the children. For safety purposes, do not allow your vehicle to remain running during drop off or pick up of your child. Please note there is no parking in front of the large yellow gate outside of our main entrance.

  • All children must be supervised at all times. This also applies to when children are arriving/departing with their parents.
  • Please be advised the speed limit in our parking lot is 5 MPH. Always use caution when backing out of your parking space.
  • Please note school buses are present during the morning drop off and afternoon pick up, you must abide by the PA School Bus Law when you encounter a school bus.

Right from the Start Early Learning Academy has its own separate entrance to the building, which is located on the left- hand side of the building (can be found by the large parking lot). This is the only entrance for our parents and children; we ask that you please only use this entrance. There are other childcare services in the building which each have their own security system as well as entrance/exit. please leave the middle of the building.

  • Please ring the doorbell to enter our building You will be greeted by our security doorbell.
  • If an unknown person(s) rings the doorbell, they will be asked by Right from the Start Early Learning Academy to identify themselves.
  • If the person at the doorbell is an authorized pick up person of a child, he/she will be asked to show photo id and then a staff member will greet them upon entrance.
  • If the person at the doorbell is unknown to staff, a staff member will walk down to the entrance and talk with the person outside of the main entrance. An unknown person will not have access to Right from the Start Early Learning Academy.

Right from the Start Early Learning Academy takes the safety and security of all the children have highly. We ask all families to please abide by our safety and security measures.

WALKING IN HALLWAY /ENTERING CLASSROOM

  • Upon entrance, we ask that all families please walk with their children to their designated classroom where you will find your child’s cubby, where we ask each family to place their child’s book bag, jackets, and hats/gloves.
  • After having your child help put away these items, we ask that you please put your child’s lunch away in their designated lunch basket.
  • After placing all items away, we ask that you please escort your child to his/her classroom and walk them into the classroom.
  • Upon entering the classroom, we ask that each child wash their hands upon arrival. (Please Note-Depending on their age-children may need to be dropped off in rooms other than his/her assigned classroom, since all staff have different start times)

On arrival, parents are required to follow the Medication Policy if a child must receive medication during the day (please be reminded that only prescription medication is given).

Parents are required to notify the child’s teacher or director of any special instructions or needs for the child’s day.

The parents must present the special instructions in the form of a letter. These special instructions include but are not limited to early pick-up, alternative pick-up person, health issues over the previous night that need to be observed, and/or any general issues of concern that the childcare providers should be aware of to best meet the needs of your child throughout the day.