WHO WE ARE
The Parma City Schools Extended Day Care (EDC) Program is a tuition-based program sponsored by the Parma Board of Education. It is designed to provide before and after school child care for district children in kindergarten through sixth grade. Each of our Extended Day Care sites follows the policies and procedures outlined in this Parent Handbook. However, each site may operate differently due to requirements unique to the building in which they are housed.
PHILOSOPHY/GOALS
The Parma City Schools Extended Day Care Program will be staffed by nurturing caregivers before and after school to provide a safe haven for children of working parents. It is our goal to provide a comfortable environment whether we are housed in the gym, cafeteria, media center, classroom, etc.
Our program is not simply a longer school day. It is different in structure and content, but we attempt to offer a well-balanced program that provides plenty of opportunities for play and social interaction while also encouraging learning. We have a flexible daily schedule that may vary slightly from building to building. On a daily basis, children can select from a wide variety of individual and group activities. We strive to provide a variety of play choices and hope also to provide planned learning and enrichment experiences to further children’s learning in fun and creative ways. A brief homework time is included in the After School Program, Monday through Thursday.
STAFF:CHILD RATIO
State licensing allows a staff to child ratio of 1:18 in the school age programs. Groups can number from 20 to 70 children depending upon enrollment and space availability. It is our goal to provide a safe and comfortable environment within this ratio. Children must be capable of functioning safely in the group and within the stated ratio. Because the Extended Day Care program is self-supporting, it cannot accommodate children in need of a lower staff to child ratio or 1:1 supervision without significantly impacting the cost of tuition. This would result in an undue hardship on the program.
COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN HOME AND EDC
We have an open-door policy. However, buildings do have security measures that must be followed. Parents are welcome to visit at any time during the operational hours of our program. As in all of our school buildings, please report to the Principal’s Office, if open, so that they know that you are in the building. This is mandatory between the hours of 9:15 AM and 3:00 PM. If the office is not open, report directly to the EDC area.
It is building policy that you do not go to lockers or classrooms, before or after picking up your child from the EDC Program.
Let’s bridge the gap between home, school and Extended Day Care by working together to provide a fun, safe, and enriching program for all children within our care. In order to keep you informed of what’s happening within our program, we have an EDC Bulletin Board that will be updated with current information. Periodically, you will receive an EDC Newsletter that we hope you will take a moment to read. In addition, our staff will be communicating with you daily as you drop off or pick up your child.
Please keep the EDC staff informed of anything occurring at home that would enable them to provide nurturing support and/or praise of your child.
It is best to hand deliver a written note to our EDC staff making sure you have indicated the day(s) your child will be absent and/or any changes in who will be picking up your child on which date(s). NOTES SENT IN YOUR CHILD’S BOOKBAG DO NOT ALWAYS GET TO OUR STAFF. Because our staff DOES NOT open bookbags to search for notes, you must follow-up with a phone call to make sure our staff received your note. In an emergency situation, or if you are unable to reach the EDC Program, you can call the school office and ask that the secretary leave a message for our EDC staff.
