Child Watch Policies

Our staff strives to provide children with safe, fun-filled opportunities to develop physically, mentally, socially and spiritually. You should expect:

• A cheerful, daily greeting
• Open communication
• Caring, enthusiastic and trained staff
• Clean facilities
• Enriching activities
• A comfortable, safe environment

• Babies should arrive fed and with a clean diaper. 
• Label each of your child’s items with his/her full name.
  Parent communication regarding their child’s individual needs.
• Parents’ assistance in protecting their child by following sign-in/out policies.
• Adhering to the 2 hour time limit per day for Child Watch services.
• Parents’ cooperation with the policies of the YMCA. 
• Please do not enter the child watch area without permission from the staff members.

Space is limited to comply with state and CDC recommendations, so please use our reservation system online HERE to ensure your child is on the roster before you arrive. 

Child watch is available on a limited basis Monday-Saturday and up to 2 hours per child, per day. Parents need to bring their ID to check-in, so reservations can be verified on the roster

• Please read the Child Watch Parent Handbook
• If your child is having a difficult time adjusting to the Child Watch setting, we suggest bringing them during slower times for short visits until they are more comfortable. Remember, don’t be discouraged. It sometimes takes a few visits for a child to get acclimated in the Child Watch Program.

*If leaving the facility, members must be within a 5 mile radius of the facility and must be exercising in the form of walking, running or biking.

• A labelled bag containing the following:
• A change of clothing
• Diapers/pull-ups and baby wipes if not potty trained
• A pacifier, if your child uses one
• Infants can have a prepared, labelled bottle
• Shoes, which are required to be worn if they’re able to walk on their own

* Please note that the Y is not responsible for lost or stolen items. Please leave all food (other than baby bottles with formula or breast milk), candy, toys, games, electronics, and money at home.

Children may be divided into smaller age groupings during peak times and will be in areas with engaging age-appropriate activities. Activities vary by center and include:

• CREATIVE MOVEMENT – Dance, music, instruments, parachutes, beanbag games and more
• ARTS & CRAFTS – Art projects, craft projects, painting, play dough, science
• STRONG MINDS OR IMAGINATION STATION – All coordinated learning such as ABC’s, 123’s, colors, shapes, puzzles, puppets, dramatic play and themed activities such as back to school, wild kingdom, under the sea, transportation, the seasons, weather, holidays, etc.
• HEALTHY BODIES – Fitness fun, physical play and nutrition
• INSIDE OUT – Outdoor play or active gym games
• KIDS CHOICE – Center based play

DROP OFF
All Members must scan their child’s membership card and sign their child into the program every time they attend. Any child that does not have their membership scan card may be refused access to the Child Watch Area. For the safety of all children, parents are not permitted to enter the Child Watch Area.

PICK UP
A staff member will verify the Members identification. If a Member plans to have someone else pick up their child, even a spouse, please notify staff when dropping off their child. YMCA Child Care Staff reserve the right to ask for a photo ID of anyone picking up a child in Child Watch.  

Parents or other non-essential visitors will not be allowed in the childcare rooms or the playground.

Illness Policy

In the interest of your child’s health and safety, and the well-being of the other children, we strongly stress the following: 

• If your child is contagious or feels ill, tired or unusually warm, you may not use the service for that day. This includes fatigue, coughing, sneezing, runny nose and eyes, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and sore throat regardless of the cause. If your child has had a fever due to illness, please wait 48  hours after the fever has stopped to use the service. 
• If a child is ill or cannot be consoled and has been left in Child Watch, parents will be notified, and will have to pick the child up at that time. 
• If your child contracts a contagious disease and has been in Child Watch while infectious, let the Child Watch staff know immediately so they can inform the other parents.   
• The Child Watch staff reserve the right to refuse a child that appears ill.  
• In addition, a child must be non-medicated, fever-free and have stopped diarrhea and vomiting for a full 24 hours before returning to the Y Child Watch Program. 
• A physician’s note should be provided for diagnosed skin conditions and may be required before readmitting a child for other illness-es. If a child develops symptoms while attending the program, parents will be asked to pick up their child.

The staff cleans toys daily, wipes surfaces with disinfectant cleaners, and follows good hand washing practices to lessen the spread of disease. Please do not send your child if they have any of the following symptoms:

• Nose that runs continually
• Undiagnosed rashes, sores or other skin conditions
• Sore throats
• Excessive coughing
• Diarrhea or vomiting
• Any other contagious diseases or symptoms 

Crying or Upset Children

For the comfort and best interest of your child and others, it is our policy to come get you if your child cries for more than 15 consecutive minutes. Although this policy may interfere with your personal workout needs, our goal is to provide a positive experience for all the children.  

Emergency Procedures

In the event of an emergency evacuation or evacuation drill, children from Child Watch will be escorted by staff through the emergency exit located closest to the Child Watch room and gather in the Safe Zone on the grass area out in front of the main building. Parents may meet their children at the designated Safe Zone, check in with a staff member and sign your child out if you wish to leave premises before the building has been deemed safe for reentry and/or the evacuation drill has been completed.

Discipline Policy

The philosophy of our program is based on the character development principles of Respect, Responsibility, Caring, Honesty, and Faith. It is with respect that each teacher will handle every disciplinary situation. Our main objective is to provide positive reinforcement, consistent praise, and encouragement. When a child misbehaves or has incidences of biting, hitting, kicking children and/or staff or shows disrespect the following steps will be taken:

1. Redirect - the child will be redirected from the inappropriate behavior to a more suitable choice or activity. 
2. Warning - the child will be given a verbal warning and reminded that continuing the inappropriate behavior will result in a consequence. 
3. Logical Consequence - the child will be given a logical consequence for their behavior such as being separated from the group for a short time or not being able to play with a certain toy, etc.
4. Conference - if the above steps have not been successful, a conference with the responsible adult and teachers will be held to discuss positive methods. 

Please note that in the event that a child demonstrates behavior that puts the safety of others at risk we may choose to send them home for the remainder of the day.

Our first priority is creating a safe and nurturing environment for ALL of our children to learn and grow in. We reserve the right to document behavior and to set up conferences with any family whose child may find this type of setting challenging. 

Bite Policy

• Children will be involved in active, organized, and supervised activities during which positive behaviors will be praised. 
• If a staff member observes a biting incident, the “bitten” child will be attended to and comforted immediately.
• The area of the bite will be gently cleansed with soap and water, and ice will be applied if necessary. 
• The parent or guardian of the child who was bitten will be called or notified upon pick up. They will be asked to sign an Accident Report. (The “biter” will not be identified.)
• The child who did the biting will be moved to a different area of the room and a staff member will help the child understand that the behavior is not acceptable. The child will be redirected to an appropriate activity. 
• The biting incident will be documented. The report will be given to the “biter’s” Parent as well as placed in their file. 
• The incident will be discussed with the Parent of the “biter” and we will work with them to identify possible biting causes and discuss strategies to help change the behavior. 
• The child will be monitored closely by Staff, making sure he/she is busy with activities and materials during the time spent in Childwatch.
• After all preventative steps have been taken by the Staff Members, and if the child continues to bite, the Director or Lead Staff will call the Parent to pick up the child for the remainder of the day. Chronic biting may require that a child be suspended from enrollment for a period of time (days, weeks, etc.). If a child is suspended, the parent should be informed that the child may return to the center as soon as the biting is abated.
• If the child returns to the center, continues to bite, and is endangering the other children, the child may possibly be terminated from the program.

All of our Child Watch staff are First Aid and CPR certified and trained in child abuse prevention. Y staff also abide by the Y Staff Code of Conduct:

• Staff will use positive techniques of guidance, including redirection, positive reinforcement, and encouragement rather than competition, comparison, and criticism.
• Staff will treat each child with dignity and respect. 
• Staff will administer clear delivery and regular review of program expectations, rules and procedures to participants. 
• Staff will establish an atmosphere of appropriate behavior. 
• Staff will communicate any behavioral and/or social issues involving children to their parents in a timely manner. 
• Staff will deliver program components appropriately, demonstrating the Y’s 4 Character Values and the mission of the YMCA of Greenville.
• Staff will respect the privacy of program participants and adhere to established confidentiality policies. 

We have many toys, books, puzzles and other fun things to discover and explore in Child Watch, so we recommend all toys be left at home. Child Watch accepts donations of new or gently used toys, baby items, books, and supplies such as wipes, tissues, etc. All donations to the YMCA are tax deductible. 

Please contact your branch's Youth and Family Services team:

• Caine Halter Family YMCA
• Eastside Family YMCA
• George I. Theisen Family YMCA
• Prisma Health Family YMCA