The Helping Hands Learning Center welcomes you and your child to our School Age Child Care Program. The purpose of the Learning Center is to provide a well-supervised, safe, unique, educational and positive experience for children in grades pre-k - 6. All children enrolled in the daycare must be toilet trained. Our Learning Center is set up to accommodate both working and non-working parents and offers children the opportunity to grow and develop in an enriching, multi-choice, encouraging, as well as, pressure free environment.
Helping Hands Learning Center, the elementary school daycare program, is being offered as a separate program outside of the school district’s curriculum and educational programs. This community service program receives no educational aide and is supported by the payments made by parents for their children to attend the program. Students attending daycare requiring special assistance or additional supervision will be responsible for any extra costs. Failure to make prompt payments according to the payment policy will result in the termination of daycare privileges.
Involvement of parents in the program is essential. Cooperation with all policies and procedures are necessary. Behavioral problems with any child enrolled will result in removal of daycare privileges for that child. Take time to talk with the staff about your child and the program. If you have further questions, do not hesitate to call the Learning Center at 652-2812 ext. 312.
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Learning Center Hours and Schedule
Early Dismissal and School Cancellations
The Auburndale School District sees the Helping Hands Learning Center as a service for children, their families and the community. The goal of the Learning Center is to supplement and strengthen the kind of learning and guidance provided by parents and teachers. Our program acts as an extension of your family by providing support to parents and children after school and either morning or afternoon opposite your child’s Pre-K experience. The Learning Center staff strives to provide quality care for children in a healthy, caring environment.
You will only be billed for the amount of time your child attends the Learning Center. It is imperative that you notify staff of any changes in your regular childcare schedule or sick days. The cost of care is as follows:
$3.00/hour charged in 15 minute increments
An overtime fee charge of $2.00 for every five minutes after 6:00 p.m. your child is not picked up.
You may select being billed weekly or bi-weekly. You will receive your bill on Mondays.
24 hour notice is required for changes in regular childcare hours.
It is imperative that you pay your childcare fees on time. Your payment is due 5 days after receiving the bill. If payment is not received within 10 days after the billing date, your childcare will be terminated, unless special arrangements have been made with the District’s Finance Director, Chuck Payant. Once childcare has been terminated, pre-payment of childcare will be required to re-enroll your child in the childcare facility.
Learning Center Hours and Schedule
The Learning Center is open from 7:45 – 6:00 p.m. each day Monday through Friday.
The Learning Center is open only on days when school is in session. The Learning Center is not open during vacations or the summer.
Early Dismissal & School Cancellations
On scheduled early dismissal days the learning center will be running as usual. If school is let out early due to weather Helping Hands LearningCenter will also close. If school is canceled before the school day begins, the Learning Center is canceled.
Authorized pick-up persons must be listed on your child’s registration form. Learning Center staff may ask for a picture identification to verify the information from the form. If the names do not match, the child will not be able to leave until parents or guardians are notified.
If the authorized person appears to be under the influence of alcohol or other drugs or exhibits behavior that gives staff reasonable concern for the safety of the child, staff will make every effort not to release the child to that person for the safety and protection of the child. Staff will attempt to contact another authorized person listed in the child’s file to come and pick up the child. If all attempts to contact another authorized person have been exhausted, staff will contact the police and/or social services for assistance.
One of the primary goals of the Helping Hands Learning Center is to ensure the safety and well-being of each child. Each parent is to sign a medical consent form for his or her child authorizing medical treatment. The Auburndale School District reserves the right to call 911 St. Joseph’s Hospital as the medical hospital. It is the policy of the staff to contact the parent first whenever possible, then emergency contacts listed on the health form.
Helping Hands program cannot care for an ill child. Staff will use their own discretion when making the decision that an ill child be sent home. When a child is observed as having the following symptoms:
Temperature of 101 or higher
Vomiting
Contagious virus/rash
Diarrhea
An authorized person will be contacted to pick up the child. The child needs to be picked up within one half hour after being contacted. We need your cooperation to help our school-age program be as healthy as possible.
• It is important that you notify us immediately of any changes in address, telephone numbers, employment, authorized pick-up persons, or emergency contacts. We must be able to reach you at all times. If you will not be able to be contacted, please make sure someone else on your list will be available.
• The staff will make every attempt to notify parents by phone or by written notes whenever a situation arises that we feel you should be aware of. We request that parents keep staff informed of your needs, concerns, and feelings. Please accept our open invitation to come in and visit us at the Learning Center.