How long have you been in business?
Child's Day opened in August, 1987, in our current location. There are no
other locations.
What days and hours are you open?
Our regular operating hours are 7:00 am - 6:00 pm Monday through Friday. Children
are dropped off in the morning between 7 and 9 am, and can be picked up anytime before
6:00 pm. We offer an "Extended Pick-Up Time" option until 6:30 pm. We
operate year-round, weather permitting, closing for nine regular holidays and three
teacher "in-service" days. Operating hours are slightly
shortened on the day before Thanksgiving, the day before the Christmas Eve
holiday, and the days between Christmas and New Years. New Year's Eve is a
half day. Click to see our Holiday/Closing Calendar.
How many children are enrolled and how old are
they?
Child's Day serves over 130 families with pre-school children from 2
months through 6 years old. Our Private Kindergarten opened in August, 1999.
During the summer, we offer an excellent Summer "Camp" Program for
children about to enter Kindergarten, First Grade, and Second Grade..
Can children attend part time?
Yes and no. Experience has taught us that regular participation
produces much better results for children. They benefit and take comfort from the
consistency of daily routines, acquire skills more effectively, and don't feel "left
out" of off-day activities. For these reasons, we discontinued our part-day and
part-week schedule/tuition alternatives several years ago. There is no daily
attendance requirement, however, and many parents choose to pick up early on a regular or
occasional basis. It's also perfectly OK to take days off whenever you wish.
Tuition is the same, regardless of attendance.
What are your child to staff ratios and group sizes?
Our child/staff ratios are significantly better
(lower) than you will find in most Texas centers. We are scrupulous about
maintaining our published ratios in every room throughout each day. Group sizes are
also small by Texas standards.
What qualifications do your teachers have?
Each of our "classes" is directed by a Lead Teacher who has had
a formal education in Child Development / Early Childhood and many years of successful
experience. Most of our Leads have a Master's or Bachelor's degree in the field. Associate and/or
Assistant Teachers work with and under the supervision of a Lead Teacher. Many of
these staff also have formal Early Childhood training and often hold a BA, AA, or CDA (Child
Development Associate credential).
Is Child's Day Accredited?
Child's Day received NAEYC
Accreditation in June of
1991, and has successfully completed every re-Accreditation
cycle since.
Do you offer any special instruction or
activities?
Several special optional enrichment classes are offered:
music
(vocal and keyboard), gymnastics, and
computers,
subject to space availability. These are presented by outside professional organizations
with specially trained staff who bring their equipment and expertise to our site.
Our
Summer "Camp" Program includes Red Cross format
small-group swimming lessons in a
private pool minutes from the
Center.
Are you affiliated with a church?
No. Our program has no religious content.
Do you have parent/teacher conferences?
Participation in parent/teacher conferences is an important
activity. This is a time of sharing, which benefits the child, the parent, and the
teacher. Child's Day believes in a strong partnership between the home and the Center to
assure the best experience for the children. Lead Teachers schedule parent
conferences at least twice a year to discuss developmental progress. A parent or teacher may
request additional conferences any time.
How do parents participate in your program?
All parents are encouraged to participate in the volunteer Parent Advisory
Committee whose mission is to develop a strong relationship with the Center and help
enrich the program through parents' contributions.
Parent Volunteer
Opportunities describes additional options for parents who wish to be more involved in
the school.
What are your rooms like?
Our rooms are spacious and well-equipped. Every room has large,
floor-to-ceiling windows which provide abundant natural light and a delightful view of the
native flora and fauna in our park-like setting. The rooms are generally set up in
learning/activity centers including such areas as Home Living, Book Corner, Art,
Science/Pets, Manipulatives/Blocks, Music/Listening Center, etc. Equipment, supplies, and
room decoration are chosen to complement the Unit Theme of the week, reinforcing
developmental goals. Room content changes regularly, presenting children with new
opportunities for exploration and a change of pace.
Do you have a playground?
Our playground is quite large, with a variety of levels, surfaces, and
play choices. The entire area is surrounded by a 6' high solid cedar fence. It
includes a hard surface for riding toys, playhouses, and a large sand-filled area with
several climbing structures, slides, and a colorful playscape on a "bouncy"
safety surface. Many mature Live Oak and
other native trees throughout the playground provide welcome shade during the hot Texas
summers when we also enjoy "Splash Days" with garden hoses, a small wading pool,
and the "cool-mist" system on our deck area.
Do the children ever go on field trips?
Field trips encourage broad awareness of the environment
and develop self-assurance in children. They also provide an opportunity to improve social
skills and discover new and exciting worlds. Field trips within a thirty
minute travel radius are allowed for children two and older. Parent
participation in these excursions is encouraged and appreciated. Frequency
increases with age, from once-a-year for two's to several per month for Pre-K. The Center
has a large van equipped with seat belts capable of transporting 17 children.
How do you handle discipline and guidance?
Child's Day has a philosophy of positive guidance,
which incorporates creative teaching and involvement to help children develop
self-discipline and inner control over their actions. It is based on mutual respect and an
understanding of children's needs and developmental levels. Positive guidance utilizes
redirection, verbalization of misunderstandings, consistency, acceptance of feelings,
firmness, and fairness. Children are encouraged to express their feelings verbally as well
as to discuss and resolve conflicts rather than "act out" their feelings. In
certain situations, a brief "quiet time" is used to allow a child to calm down
and recover self-control before resuming group activities.
How much do you charge?
Because of our low child/staff ratios and the
quality of our staff, our cost is above average for the Austin area. Registration
and Supply Fees, Deposit, and monthly Tuition are shown on the
Rates
page. Historically, tuition rates have increased about 5-7% annually, allowing us to give
annual raises and maintain staff compensation and benefits at the upper end of the
spectrum, thereby attracting and retaining the finest teachers.
When do children change classes?
Child's Day starts a new "school year" each Fall
(mid-August). At that time,
all the children in the Center move up to new classes where they typically remain for a
year at a time. Pre-registration for Fall openings takes place in early Spring. Although
Fall is when most new children join us, random openings do occur throughout the year, so
we maintain a Waiting List for both immediate and future
openings. Furthermore, one or more groups may occasionally have an opening not filled from
the Waiting List. So, registration can take place at any time
during the year, subject to space availability.
Does enrollment continue from year to year?
Yes. Once registered, children are guaranteed continuous service
until they go to Kindergarten. There is a minimum 30 day notice requirement for
withdrawal, described in the Enrollment Agreement. Placement is not retained for
children who withdraw for the summer (or other periods).
Can I come for a tour?
YES! Visitors are always welcome - no appointment necessary.
We recommend you come from 9:00 - 11:00 am or from 3:00 - 4:00 pm to avoid meal times and rest
times. This will allow you to better view the Center in operation.
Although our location is quite convenient (near MoPac and Bee Cave Rd), one way
streets sometimes make the first visit a bit tricky, so you may
wish to call for directions right before you come -- this will also ensure we
have someone readily available to conduct your tour.
Where are you located?
In Building One of the Timberline Office Condominiums, a beautifully
landscaped garden office park on the east side of MoPac, about 500 feet south of Bee Cave
Rd. (adjacent to Barton Oaks Plaza). As you enter the office park, follow the
driveway to the right and the blue and yellow flags will lead you to our door.
(See Maps)
What is your policy on sick children?
The main reasons for excluding children from the Center
are: (i) the illness prevents the child from participating in routine activities;
(ii) the illness requires more care than the staff can provide without compromising the
needs of the other children in the group; (iii) the child's presence poses an increased
risk to other children or adults with whom the child may come in contact.
Children are excluded from the center if they have a temperature of 100.4 F or higher, a
recognizable contagious illness, an undiagnosed rash, vomiting, or uncontrolled
diarrhea. Children may return 24 hours after symptoms disappear. We do not
ordinarily exclude children with a mild cold or slightly runny nose.
Click here to view/print our Illness
Exclusion Policy.
What meals and snacks do you provide?
Child's Day furnishes healthy, nutritional snacks morning and afternoon
for toddlers and older children. We avoid food items with added sugar and/or salt.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are used whenever possible. Milk or
whole juice are served with
snacks. Children bring a lunch, which is refrigerated for freshness, and can be heated
(micro-waved) by our staff before serving. Parents of infants supply all food products.
Click here to view a sample Snack Menu.
When do you enroll new children?
We accept new enrollments whenever an opening occurs, usually due to a
relocation or change in family situation. Most openings are filled from our
Waiting List. The bulk of new enrollment occurs in the form
of pre-registrations for Fall (mid August), when our new year begins. This is when
the Pre-K children graduate to Kindergarten and all the remaining children move
"up" to new rooms, thereby creating a crop of spaces across the board. We
begin the pre-registration process early each Spring by calling the families on our
Waiting List. Siblings of currently enrolled children receive
priority.
How long is your Waiting List?
It varies from month to month, and is ALWAYS UNPREDICTABLE! Although
we occasionally have current openings, some classes have anywhere from one to 20 names on
the Waiting List. However, we know from past experience
that unexpected openings do occur throughout the year in all age groups and there is no
way to predict how many tries it will take to fill an opening. If you want to join
our program (and we hope you will), the best way is to get on the
Waiting
List and "keep your fingers crossed." Literally anything
can happen!
We appreciate your interest in Child's Day and look forward to meeting you and giving you a tour of our Center. Please call, write, or E-mail: info@childsday.com if you have any further questions.