Designed by: MKC Web Design (c) 2009
Welcome to River Hollow Children's House.
Thank you for showing an interest in our family child-care and home school! I would like to provide the following information as you decide what’s best for your children and family.
Because of my interest in and respect for children, I have chosen to take care of and teach them for my career. Currently, I am accepting children into my home to be with my own family and children. I am doing this because I strongly value spending time with my own children, and I am willing to share our home, time and what I’ve learned with other childre. My goal is always to treat children, and everyone, with respect, and I expect respectful treatment in return. Also, children here are required to treat each other with compassion and respect, and to treat with respect our materials and belongings. Since this mutually respectful treatment is the only real foundation that can be used to build healthy loving and trusting relationships, I try to maintain my focus on it. I am always working to create a rich learning environment for my children and others who spend time here. I follow principles for teaching young children espoused by both Reggio Emilia and Montessori methods, and have books describing these methods available for you to borrow. I allow children, for the most part, to choose the activities that they’re attracted to, and to spend much uninterrupted time pursuing them. I have materials and activities available each day which promote brain development and also encourage social growth and physical coordination. Included in these are art materials, sand and water, books and writing materials, blocks, food preparation, dramatic play, music, exposure to nature, and sometimes wood working and computer use. Many of the activities are normal household ones, which all children and adults do to take care of their own bodies and belongings. We spend at least an hour outside each day, weather permitting, and have Rainbow play equipment in our yard. Play necessary to children’s intellectual, physical and social development is often messy and/or dirty and requires unrestricted movement, so we request that children who come here wear play clothing. Children with special needs are welcomed and encouraged to participate in activities with their peers. We will work with families and outside agencies (if applicable) to insure the continued educational, social, and emotional progress of the children in our care. Spanish is spoken in our home, and videos in French or Spanish are usually the only T.V. available to children.
I also supplement the learning activities started on the children’s own initiative with my own presentations of Montessori learning materials, songs, stories, or science experiments. I read to the children every day. I also spend time individually with each child, each day, providing the gentle yet affective language (reading and writing) and math lessons used in the Montessori method. My program is nationally accredited. A basic schedule for the day is included in this handbook. We have an open door policy and welcome visitors. We offer parent conferences annually, as well as the opportunity to evaluate our program.
An Indiana Day-Care Home License allows 15 children in a home at any given time: 12 regular children plus 3 elementary school-age children. I am the primary teacher and care-giver. I employ state certified assistant teachers or substitutes when necessary, and my husband, Sergio Mamani, also helps care for children here during evenings, weekends and holidays.
If an emergency arises and I/we are not able to care for your children, I will alert Sergio Mamani, and he will call the parents to come and pick up their children. Should the occasion arise that we need to close due to an emergency and a substitute caregiver is not available, you may need to find alternate care for your children.
We provide 3 meals and 3 snacks a day. The menu, approved by our state-funded food program, is in the kitchen. No one in our household smokes or drinks alcohol. We do not consume caffeinated beverages and will not serve any to the children.
We are available to care for children at any time, as long as the days and times of needed care are scheduled in advance. A Pre-School/Kindergarten class is offered each weekday morning from 8:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. Our after-school activities include visits to community attractions such as city parks, Foellinger Botanical Conservatory, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fox Island and Science Central! Our rate per child for infants from birth to 16 months is $4.00 per hour, 16 months to 3 years is $3.50 per hour, 3 years and older is $3.00 per hour. You sign your child in and out each day via time-clock and pay only for the time your child’s in our care. Then, using our Tuition Express service, payment is deducted from your checking account the following Tuesday. The balance due must be paid in full each week in order for a child to continue attending our home-school/child-care programs the following week. Basically, families are welcome to bring children here any time we have room according to our ratios, as long as they pay for our services. I maintain this hourly billing schedule hoping it will be financially beneficial to any parent who’s able to spend more time with his or her child(ren).
I appreciate your consideration of our family as child-care providers for your child. Watching children learn and develop is exciting, miraculous really, and children love so freely. It is a privilege for me to work with them.
Sincerely,
Paula Mamani
