Keeping Your Child Healthy and Safe
This page lists what we actually do, in plain terms. Ask to see any of it on your tour, including our Illinois DCFS license and most recent inspection report, which are posted in the lobby.
The building
- Secure entry
- There is one entrance for families and it is locked at all times. Enrolled parents use a personal keypad code. Anyone else rings the bell, shows photo ID, signs in and is walked through the building by staff.
- Authorized pickup
- You give us a list of the adults who may pick up your child. If someone we do not recognize arrives, we check their ID against your list before your child leaves the classroom. There are no exceptions to this, including for family members.
- Cameras
- Classrooms and the playground are recorded. The director can see every room from the office.
- Playground
- Two fenced play areas, one for children under two and one for preschool, with poured rubber surfacing and shade.
Our staff
- Background checks
- Every employee is fingerprinted and cleared through the Illinois DCFS Background Check Unit before working with children, and the clearances are kept current.
- Training
- Every teacher holds current Pediatric CPR and First Aid certification and completes the DCFS-required training hours each year, including mandated reporter training, safe sleep and food allergy response.
- Qualifications
- Lead teachers meet or exceed Illinois DCFS qualifications for their age group. Many hold a CDA credential or a degree in early childhood education.
- Ratios
- We staff to Illinois DCFS ratios or better: 1 to 4 for infants, 1 to 5 for toddlers, 1 to 8 for two-year-olds and 1 to 10 for three- and four-year-olds.
Health
- Daily health check
- A teacher looks each child over at drop-off. Children with a fever of 100.4 or higher, vomiting, diarrhea or an undiagnosed rash go home and stay home until they are symptom free for 24 hours.
- Medication
- We give medication only with a signed authorization form and the pharmacy label. Medication is locked and logged each time it is given.
- Allergies
- We are a nut-aware building. Each child's allergy plan is posted in the classroom and in the kitchen, and menus are checked against it before food is served.
- Cleaning
- Toys that go in mouths are washed daily. Tables are sanitized before and after every meal, and the whole building is cleaned each evening.
- Safe sleep
- Infants sleep on their backs in their own crib with nothing else in it, following the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines. A teacher is in the sleep room at all times.
Communication
- During the day
- Meals, naps, diaper changes, photos and notes are posted to our parent app as they happen. You can message your child's teacher through the app and expect a reply the same day.
- If something happens
- For any bump, fall or illness you get a phone call from the director, not just a note, and a written incident report at pickup.
- Emergencies
- We run fire drills monthly and tornado drills as the season requires. If we ever have to leave the building, our reunification site is posted in the lobby and in your enrollment packet.
- Conferences
- Parent-teacher conferences are held twice a year. You can ask for one at any time.
Each policy above is a draft for Aman to confirm against the actual building, staffing plan and DCFS license.
Have a question we did not answer here?
Call and ask for the director. Safety questions get a straight answer, and you are welcome to see anything on this page in person.