TRINITY CHILDCARE AND PRESCHOOL

Welcome to Trinity Child Care and Preschool. Our goal is to provide quality care that enhances your child's physical, emotional, spiritual, and developmental needs. Each room in the Center is divided into learning opportunities designed to provide a variety of developmentally appropriate and fun-filled age appropriate learning and play activities. The daily schedule includes manipulative play, art, music, language and math development activities, science, outdoor play, creative play, and choice activities. We invite you to visit your child anytime while they are in attendance. Please feel free to talk to the Directors about anything that may enable us in helping your child have a marvelous experience.

Trinity Childcare and Preschool is licensed by the Division of Child Development and provides year-round, high-quality care and education to children. Trinity Child Care Services has a 4 and 5 star rating and our commitment to high quality is demonstrated through strong support services. We provide child centered, active learning environments based on best practices and highly trained and experienced staff. Community-based child care assistance is offered through the Department of Social Services for Subsidized Child Care, a statewide program which benefits low-income and other eligible families to help them afford child care by sharing the cost.

These programs meet high-quality standards with specific curriculum aimed on preparing children in developmentally appropriate preschool education.

Trinity's Fours provides regular child-care services for four-year olds in the community.

More @ Four is state-funded through Child Care Solutions; a pre-kindergarten program designed to prepare at-risk four-year olds for success at school.

Alternative Kindergarten Readiness Program (5 year olds) develops skills that promote success in school and life.

Infants & Toddlers Extraordinary growth and development occurs at this phase. Healthy development during these first years lays the foundation for future growth and learning in all domains - gross motor, fine motor, language, cognitive and social skills.

Two and Three Year Olds This program works to strengthen all aspects of development in a nurturing, fun, and safe environment. The curriculum provides opportunity for children to participate in meaningful hands-on, interactive experiences.

The information provided on this web site is to inform you of our policies and procedures governing Trinity Child Care and Preschool and its various programs. If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail us or contact the office at 910-488-6779. The staff will be glad to assist you in any way. We look forward to serving you and your family.

HOURS OF OPERATION

Monday - Friday     5:30 AM - 6:00 PM
                            Office Hours 7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Holidays Closed     New Years, 4th of July, Thanksgiving (Thursday and Friday), and Christmas. If any holiday falls on the
                           weekend, Trinity will opt to take Memorial Day, Labor Day, or an additional day following the holiday.

PHILOSOPHY

The education philosophy of Trinity Child Care is based upon learning through play. The developmental needs of all children are addressed at all stages of their growth. Fashioning stimulating play activities in the classroom, framed around a developmental program, sequentially assists the child in growing to his/her fullest potential. The program is designed to meet each child's spiritual, emotional, social, cognitive, and physical need through a challenging curriculum, age appropriate equipment, teacher competency, and Christian values. Nurturing the child with love and acceptance enables growth during each developmental stage.

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he shall not depart from it" (Proverb 22:6). Teachers must have this vision for every child and be able to employ successful, proven strategies to accomplish the task. A disciplined, structured environment creating a feeling of safety and security gives children, particularly in the early childhood years, the basis for success in later years. Children will learn life's responsibilities through childhood situations in a planned play environment. Providing this support to parents during the early childhood years gives the child the stability and success needed for perpetual learning and development.

PROGRAMS

Pre-3 programs for Infants, Toddlers, and Twos are specifically designed to enrich your child's first years. Stimulating room environments for children demand appropriate equipment with high standards of design and functionality. First-playthings enhance development of sensory awareness.

Newborn Room           6 weeks/6months
Pre-Toddler Room       7 months/13 months
One Year Old Room    14 months/23 months
Two Year Old Room    24 months

The four rooms designated as our Pre-3 areas, will give your young child a good beginning. Brain development, personality development, and an abundance of language stimulation are all marks of achievements to these important months in the lives of little people.

Preschool enlarges your child's need to imitate and recreate their world, to understand it, and to find a positive place in it. Play is not just an important part of the curriculum -- it is the curriculum! Play is the way children process what they perceive. It is how children discover for themselves.

Three Year Old Room
Four Year Old Room
Pre-K Fives - Kindergarten Readiness

ACTIVITIES FOR PRE-SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN

Block/Building
Books/Language
Development/Puppets/Storytelling
Housekeeping/Dress-up/Dramatic Play
Manipulative/Puzzles/Games
Creative Art
Science/Discovery
Music/Rhythm
Carpentry/Construction
Creative Movement/Dance
Outdoor Games and Activities
Sand and Water Play
Cooking with Children

REST PERIODS

The center provides a scheduled rest period each day from 11:30 a.m.- 2:00 p.m. for Toddlers and Twos, and from 12:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. for Threes through Pre-K/Fives. Children who do not sleep may have a quiet time through the use of equipment/activities that do not disturb others.

MEALS

Trinity provides nutritious meals and snacks for all children in attendance. Children will not be excluded from having a meal or snack. Meals and snacks are planned in accordance with USDA Food Program requirements. Parents with children unable to eat table food must provide their own baby food (unopened jars only) and must have a minimum of three plastic bottles of formula when signed into the center.

Serving Times:
6:00 AM - 8:30 AM    Breakfast
10:45 AM - 12:00 PM Lunch
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM     Snack

NUTRITION POLICIES

Childhood is a time when eating habits and behaviors are molded. Because eating habits are formed during early childhood years, our goal is to teach children about healthy eating. Preschool children are learning every minute they are awake. As a child care provider, we have provided both formal and informal opportunities to help children learn to eat mannerly. Children learn their eating habits from the foods they are served, by observing others, and from the attitudes and behaviors of the adults in their lives. The best way to educate these young children is by example: letting them observe the child care staff properly eating healthy food we offer to the children daily.

Family style dining in the classroom is offered at our center. The children have a very relaxed medium to interact at mealtime, which allows for positive training about food, manners and health. The children also learn how to wash their hands, brush their teeth, clean tables and preparation surfaces, and how to safely store food. Self-help skills are also introduced such as pouring, proper use of utensils, and neatness.

Because meals and snacks are provided throughout the day, informal opportunities abound. Tasting parties as well as "play" with food is a part of the preschool child's learning experience.

Informed families can support and reinforce good nutrition practices at home. Our center encourages moms and dads to occasionally come for lunch with their child.

PARENT PARTICIPATION

Trinity Child Care provides several opportunities for our parents to participate with their child in fun activities. During each holiday, we have specific events for parent involvement. To name a few: Turkeys on Parade, Easter Egg Hunt, Harvest Festival, Valentine Party, Green Day, Easter Bonnet Contest, Mother's Day Lunch, and Donuts for Dads.

Each child's teacher will notify the parents concerning the events in writing. If the parents wish to participate, the teacher will provide all the information and answer any questions they may have concerning the event. We encourage all parents to help in these Fun Activities. In addition, there are special summer events for all age groups.

DISCIPLINE AND BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT POLICY

We DO:

1. praise, reward, and encourage the children.
2. reason with and set limits for the children.
3. model appropriate behavior for the children.
4. modify the classroom environment to attempt to prevent problems before they occur.
5. listen to the children.
6. provide alternatives for inappropriate behavior to the children.
7. provide the children with natural and logical consequences of their behaviors.
8. treat the children as people and respect their needs, desires, and feelings.
9. ignore minor misbehaviors.
10. explain things to children on their levels.
11. use short supervised periods of "time out."
12. stay consistent in our behavior management program.
    

We DO NOT:

1. spank, shake, bite, pinch, push, pull, slap, or otherwise physically punish the children.
2. make fun of, yell at, threaten, make sarcastic remarks about, use profanity, or otherwise verbally abuse the children.
3. shame or punish the children when bathroom accidents occur.
4. deny food or rest as punishment.
5. relate discipline to eating, resting, or sleeping.
6. leave the children alone, unattended, or without supervision.
7. place the children in locked rooms, closets, or boxes as punishment.
8. allow discipline of children by children.
9. criticize, make fun of, or otherwise belittle children's parents, families, or ethnic groups.

FIRST DAY SUGGESTION LIST

1. All enrollment paperwork for your child must be completed and turned into the office. Office personnel will escort you and your child to class on the first day.
2. All clothing or items belonging to your child must have his/her name on them, i.e. hats, coats, sweaters, and book bags.
3. Breakfast is served from 6:30 am to 8:30 am for child care children and from 6:30 am to 7:30 am for school age children. A monthly lunch menu is provided for your convenience. In addition, an afternoon snack is served between 2:00 pm and 3:30pm.
4. We encourage you to send along a backpack or book bag each day for any craft or worksheet papers your child will complete daily.
5. If you have an infant, remember to bring your bottles prepared. The child care recommends that if you have a newborn, please bring 4 oz. bottles. Once a bottle is heated, what the child does not finish will be discarded. Don't forget the diapers and wipes!!!
6. Transportation is provided by the center for our before and after school age children ONLY. No transportation is provided for children from home to and from the center.