Small Savers Child Development Center

Infant Room

Philosophy

Welcome to the Infant Room at Small Savers Child Development Center! Our goal is to make your experience here as enriching and positive as possible.

You may notice that there are several things that Small Savers may do a little diffferently than other centers. Most of these differences revolve around our core philosophy of individualism. We believe that each baby is an individual and treat every child as such. This is a theme that runs throughout every aspect of our program from feeding and sleeping to their general development.

We operate under a Primary Caregiver system. While each teacher is primarily responsible for three children, we all care for every child. Your child's Primary Caregiver is more in tune to your child and will track his/her Daily Report. When you have specific concerns or questions regarding your child, feel free to talk with your child's Primary Caregiver. Keep in mind that the Infant Room works as a team and the other three staff members should be able to help you.

As stated in the Small Savers Parent Manual, "Each baby's daily activity is based on his or her evolving pattern of playing, eating and sleeping." While your child may be eating right now "on schedule" every "x" number of hours, it is extremely difficult to maintain that schedule in a school setting. We feed babies when they are hungry and put them to sleep when they are tired. Everything is "on demand". There are no schedules in the Infant Room.

Another big difference between Small Savers and other centers is that we do not put children into positions that they cannot put themselves into. For example, we would not leave a child sitting up who could not get into that position themselves. We do not use "boppies" or other infant chairs, swings, or bouncy seats. We feel that children can better learn about their environments when given the opportunity to use their own bodies to explore.

When it comes to bottle-feeding, we never allow children to eat while in the supine )on their back) position. Their Eustachian Tubes are not fully developed (they are smaller and more horizontal than adult Eustachian Tubes) and drinking in this fashion can sometimes contribute to ear infections. We keep all infants at a 45-degree angle while feeding. We also do not bottle prop. While we encourage infants to hold their own bottles, we never leave them unattended with a bottle.

At Small Savers, we believe in the importance of sleep. In order for infants to grow and thrive, they need to be well rested. While all infants know how to sleep, they often do not know how to fall asleep or stay asleep. We help the children learn how to fall asleep in their cribs by rubbing their backs or gently rocking the cribs. We do not put children to sleep on their bottles, in the rocking chairs, or in the pen. We do not wake the children up for anything but a fire drill, or emergency situation. Therefore, we ask that you do the same. While it seems harmless at the time, waking babies up tends to throw them off for the remainder of the day. If you'd like to come for a visit, we are more than happy to call you when they wake up.

If your child takes a pacifier, please be aware that we only allow the children to use pacifiers in their cribs when they are going to sleep or when they are on walks. We believe that children (with our assistance) can learn to soothe themselves and shouldn't become dependent on the pacifier. Also, when they are in the pen, it is too tempting for their friends to grab it out of their mouths.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to talk to us about them. We want you to feel comfortable leaving your child in our care.

What to Bring
Make sure everything is clearly labeled!
(Initials are okay unless there are two children with the same initials)

1 tube or tub of the diaper ointment that you prefer to be used on your child
2 crib sheets (portable crib size)
2 blankets
2 changes of clothes and socks
3 bibs (minimum)
2 extra cans of formula (1 for the cabinet, 1 for the emergency backpack)
2 extra bottles (1 for the cabinet, 1 for the emergency backpack)
Outdoor wear (jackets, hats, etc.)
2 pacifiers (if applicable)
1 pacifier "attacher" (if applicable)
Jar food (when applicable)
Cereal (when applicable)
Snack food for children eating table food (cheerios, crackers, cheese, yoghurt) (when applicable)
Sippy cup (when applicable)
OPTIONAL: sunscreen (with pediatrician's note for your infant under 12 months) during the summer months, dumper pad, mobile, soft top for crib, special teether, disposable camera for us to take pictures of your child with, etc.

What Not to Bring

Glass bottles
Clothing or other items that you wouldn't want to get stained or lost
Anything with NUTS or NOT OILS

Some Abbreviations that We Use

FB: Finished Bottle (on the daily schedule, for example, you will see: "7 oz FB")
BM: Bowel Movement
LBM: Loose Bowel Movement
SC: Sippy Cup
BO: Bottle Offer

Transitioning In

When starting at Small Savers, we find that it is beneficial for both children and parents to spend some time together at the Center. This gives us a chance to get to know you and your child, as well as for you to get to know us -- allowing you to feel more comfortable leaving your child in our care.
It's up to each family to determine how much transitition time is needed. Every child is different and what may work for one child, may not work for another. Whereas some children only require a week to transition, other children may need a month. We realize that transition times may also hinge on your work schedule(s).
In the beginning, we recommend spending a few hours a day with your child at school, increasing the length of time each day. Once you feel comfortable, you can start to leave your child for small increments of time. (Even it it's just to use the restroom or to get a cup of coffee.)
Please have your child able to drink from a bottle before s/he starts. If s/he is not taking a bottle and for some reason you are unavailable to nurse, we need to be able to feed her/him. By the second or third day, it is probably a good idea to let us offer your child a bottle and put her/him down for a nap. This will help your child get comfortable with us too.

Communicating About Your Baby

At Small Savers, we understand the important role that communication plays in supporting your baby's needs. We use several methods to ensure clear communication regarding these needs.

We know that this is a very overwhelming transition time for parents. Please feel free to call or visit anytime you want to. Somebody is always in the classroom (unless we've all gone out on a walk or are at a school event) to take your call. We have an open-door policy and encourage you to visit througout the day. While we do not require you to call before coming, you may decide you would like to call to make sure your child is awake. (As stated earlier, if s/he is sleeping, we are more than happy to call you when s/he is awake.)
During the first few days in the Infant Room -- as well as periods of changing development -- your baby's routine may vary considerably. We appreciate flexibility in meeting your baby's needs and will do everything possible to ensure that your baby is happy and content. We will call and consult with you whenever our normal interventions and support are not working, or if your baby doesn't seem "quite him/herself".
Clipboards: When you arrive in the morning or leave at the end of the day, we strongly encourage you to write notes for your child's Primary Caregiver on the small clipboards located at the end of the counter. Please let us know when your child last ate, last slept, if you will be visiting during the day and when, and your approximate pick-up time. Also, please note if your child has any special instructions, prescriptions, doctor's appointments or a change in mood that we should be aware of. Even though you are writing this on your Primary Caregiver's sheet, every teacher reads and is familiar with your child's schedule.
Daily Reports: We keep track of your baby's information regarding napping, bottles, eating (how much, when and which types of foods), walks and fire drills. At the end of the day, your child's Primary Caregiver will write a brief synopsis of your baby's day.
Small Saver's weekly Newsletter: Each week, or Newsletter is sent via email to every parent who would like to be included on the list. (A hardcopy is also available.) The Newsletter includes sections from each classroom and the Director about upcoming events, current projects, field trips, reminders, your child's accomplishments and Wish List items.
Signs/Email: For any meetings, health alerts, potluck events, etc., we will post signs on the front and back doors of the Center for parents to read. This information will often (but not always) be sent via email.
Bulletin Board: In the front of the Center, there is a bulletin board which will often contain news articles, conferences, or other related information. Be sure to check it out a couple of times a month.

Dropping-Off and Picking-Up

We have several coded doors with different combinations. Our infant room code is: ____. The code for the door next to the elevator is: ____. The code to exit the Library area is: _____. (Note, you will be provided with these changing codes from the center director.)
Always wash your hands when entering the Infant Room.
Safety regulations require all parents to sign their child "in" and "out" on the clipboard. If you are visiting during the day and would like to take your child out but are planning on coming back, please sign your child "out" in pencil and erase it when you return. The clipboard contains information about every child in the Center, and it is extremely important (especially for fire drills) that we have an accurate count of all children. Also, if you know that you are going to be visiting with your child for a little bit before you depart, please sign your child "out" when you arrive instead of waiting to do so when you leave. Staff begin leaving at 4:30, but can only do so when the numbers are down. We consider them "in attendance" until they are signed out -- even if you're here with them.
We ask that all parents change their baby's diaper upon arrival. This allows us to remain in the pen and provide emotional support to the babies whose parents are preparing to leave for the day. You will find diapers, rolled changing table paper, and plastic bags (for dirty diapers, wipes, and changing paper, or for soiled clothing.)
You do not need to glove your hands to change your own infant's diaper. When you are finished changing your child's diaper, place every item (the diaper, wipes, and paper) into a plastic bag and dispose of it in the trash can.
You can wash your younger infant's hands with a baby wipe or you older infant's hands at the sink. It is probably a good idea to place your child in the pen before handling the bleach solution. Spray the mat with the bleach solution, let it air dry, and wash your hands at the sink.
As mentioned previously, please fill out your child's section on their Primary Caregiver's clipboard. Note times when your child last late, last slept (during the nighr or a nap on the way to school). Let us know if you plan on visiting that day and when , and your approximate pick-up time.
It is extremely helpful in planning our day if we know about upcoming abscences or variances from your usual schedule. Please call us early in the morning if your child is going to be out for that day or will be arriving late. If we do not hear from you by 10:00, we will try to reach you. In addition, if you will be picking up your child later or earlier than the time you had specified, please give us a call to let us know.

Where Do I Put Everything?

You will have several labeled areas designated for your child's things. We have limited space, so please be considerate of others and do not bring more than can fit. Due to our limited space, we cannot store your stroller or car seat, so please do not ask. If you would liketo take your child for a walk during the middle of the day, we do have one umbrella stroller available for your use. Also, if an emergency situation should arise and one of the people on your Authorized Pick-Up list will be retrieving your child, we do have an extra car seat for this reason.
PLEASE LABEL EVERYTHING! This lncludes clothing, bibs, pacifiers, bottles and their tops, sheets, blankets, jar food, cereal, fruit, containers of food that go in the fridge, dated expressed breast milk, etc. Invariably, more than one child will have the same of something and it becomes very difficult to distinguish between these items if they are not labeled.

In the diaper changing tables, your child will have a cubby for labeled diaper ointment, sunscreen, clothing, bibs, pacifiers, sheets, and blankets. If we need to change your child's clothing for whatever reason, the dirty clothing will be tied in a plastic bag and placed in your cubby to be picked up at the end of the day. Please make sure all clothing fits and is appropriate for the weather.
In the closet, you will have space for a diaper bag/bottle bag. We will place all empty bottles in this area once your child has finished drinking them, or their time has expired.
In the refridgerators, you will have an assigned space for all prepared bottles and/or snack food. While we realize the convenience of "stocking up" on supplies, we ask that you please only bring enough food for a day or two, not the entire week. Again, with our limited space, we just do not have the room for mass storage.
In the freezer, you can store expressed breast milk that is clearly labeled with your child's last name and the date of expression.
In the cabinets, there will be space for your child's extra bottle(s) and extra formula, as well as cereal, jar food, snack food, and sippy cup (when applicable). Please bring all food in clearly labeled containers, bags or boxes. Feel free to bring in a week's supply of jar food, cereal, and/or snacks.
Your Child's outdoor wear (hats, coats, sweaters, mittens, etc.) will be kept in the wooden cubby in the sleeping area. There are four sections labeled by Primary Caregiver.