Additional Information

Licensing

The Center is licensed by the Department of Health and Human Resources.  The license is granted after the center has met the requirements of the State Fire Marshall, the County Sanitarian, and the Sate Bureau of Nutrition, and other stringent criteria.  We are also fully accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children in Washington D.C.

Enrollment

Call the center and talk with the Director, Adminstrative Asst, or the Assistant Director.  They will give you the necessary information.  Our number is 304-525-8586.

Fees

A sliding fee scale based on income is used to determine weekly or daily payment.  Children who come on a part-week basis pay a portion of the weekly fee plus a dollar a day.  There is a $10 application-processing fee due when applying for services and an enrollment fee due upon admission to the center.

Nutrition

At Children’s Place children arrive early in the morning and leave from mid to late afternoon.  We serve the children breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack.  This means that the only meal many of our children eat at home is dinner.  With this in mind we are very conscious of the need to serve meals of high nutritional content.  We also feel that children’s nervous systems are negatively affected by the use of refined sugars and various additives such as food colorings, flavor enhancers and preservatives.  If children cannot calmly complete the learning tasks presented to them, their development may suffer.  Therefore, we believe that the food we feed children should contain as few of these additives as possible.  Our daily menus consist of foods that are rich in vitamins A and C, and iron.  Children are regularly served fresh fruits and vegetables.  Cooked vegetables are generally steamed so that they will retain their vitamin content.  Only whole grain breads/crackers are served and we serve only lean cuts of meat.  Vegetarian meals are served weekly, and we prepare alternative meals for children with special dietary needs or religious beliefs.

Discipline Policy

The primary purpose of discipline is to help children develop self-control and to assume responsibility for their own actions.  Two children, for example, who are hitting each other over a toy, will be taken aside by a caregiver and asked to “use your words, not your fists.” Much time in the classroom is spent discussing with the older children what a better alternative to a specific conflict would have been, and reinforcing the children for making the better choice.  Redirection and shadowing are used frequently.