HOPES

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A Note for Parents
The best way for a parent to find out how their child learns while he or she is in school is by taking part in classroom activities.

In the classroom, parents will be able to observe their child learning every day and they will be able to continue teaching these new concepts at home. The most successful classrooms are those that have parents actively involved in them!

Admission Policy
HOPES Head Start is a Federal and State funded Early Childhood Development program that serves children who turn 3 or 4 years old by November 30th, at no cost to the families.

All Hoboken families are welcomed to apply to enroll their children in the HOPES Head Start Program; however, HOPES Head Start is required under Head Start regulations to offer priority enrollment to income eligible children, income eligible children with disabilities and over income children with disabilities. In order to be income eligible the family's gross income cannot exceed the Federal Income Guidelines for Head Start programs.

HOPES Head Start is permitted to include in its enrollment 10% of over-income families.

Head Start defines over-income for the purpose of admission into the program as those families exceeding the Federal Income Guidelines for Head Start programs.

Discipline Policy (As outlined in the manual of Standards for Child Care Centers, State of NJ DYFS)

1.	The method of guidance and discipline used shall be positive and consistent with the developmental needs of the children, and applied with the full knowledge, understanding and approval of the parents.
2.	There shall be no use of physical hitting, corporal punishment, abusive language, ridicule or harsh humiliating or frightening treatment.
3.	Children shall not be isolated as a punishment, confined without supervision, forced to take an uncomfortable position, or to repeat physical movement.
4.	Physical exercise shall not be used as a means of punishment or discipline.
5.	Group punishments of children for the misbehavior or one or more individual children shall be prohibited.
6.	Discipline shall not be associated with the withholding of emotional response, and children shall not remain silent for long periods of time.

Parent Involvement
HOPES Head Start believes that parents are the most important influence on a child's academic as well as personal success.

With this in mind, parents are encouraged to participate in their child's preschool experience by volunteering as a team member in their child's classroom. Parents can further contribute by becoming involved in the HOPES Head Start Policy Council or serving on the Head Start Parent Committees.

The HOPES Head Start Program has an open door policy. In addition, parents are encouraged to read the monthly newsletter and calendar distributed by the program so that they are made aware of all up-coming program events.

HOPES Head Start provides many opportunities for parents to share with and learn from one another.

Parent Rights
	Parents have the right to inspect and review all education records relating to their child by making request to their Family Advocate.
	Parents have the right to be treated with respect and dignity.
	Parents have the right to be welcomed into their child's classroom.
	Parents have the right to expect guidance for their child/family.
	Parents have the right to be informed about their child's progress.
	Parents have the right to participate in policy making committees.
	Parents have the right to learn about the operation of the program.
	Parents have the right to be informed abouot community resources
	Parents have the right to participate in parent meetings and workshops.

Parent Requirements & Responsibilities
	Parents are required to bring their child to school on time and to pick him/her up on time.
	Parents must report their child's absences to HOPES Head Start no later than 8:30AM on the day of his/her absence by contacting the center in which their child is enrolled.
	Parents must submit a doctor's note for his or her child if the child is absent due to illness for three or more days.
	The Emergency Contact Form with the names, addresses and phone numbers of neighbors or relatives who can be contacted in an emergency, must be submitted to the HOPES Head Start office at the time of enrollment, and updated as needed.
	Parents and/or authorized adults must be at the child's designated bus stop on time for both pick-up and drop-off.
	Discipline shall not be associated with the withholding of emotional response, and children shall not remain silent for long periods of time.
	Parents are asked to dress their child in comfortable clothing so that they are prepared for a very active day.
	Parents are responsible for providing a change of clothing for children (including undergarments).
	All children must have completed physical and dental examinations, as required by Head Start Performance Standards.
	An updated immunization record must be submitted before starting HOPES Head Start. (as required by the regulations of New Jersey State Department of Health Sanitary Code, Immunization of Pupils in Schools.)

Emergency Contact Procedures
At the time of registration, parents/guardians must complete the Pick-up authorization/Emergency Contact form to provide HOPES Head Start with the names and telephone numbers of at least three (3) individuals who will be responsible/authorized to pick-up the child in case of an emergency.

Should an accident or illness occur in the classroom, the teacher or a teacher assistant will take the injured/ill child immediately to the office. The office staff will assess the nature of the child's injury/illness and notify the parents. In the event the child needs to be taken to the Health Manager, school nurse or office staff will call 911 for the Hoboken Police or the Hoboken Volunteer Ambulance.

The child's health record and Emergency Consent Form will be taken to the hospital. The Parent will be notified immediately and be asked to meet their child in the hospital. The hospital presently in use is St. Mary Hospital, located at 308 Willow Avenue, Hoboken NJ.

Safety Procedures
	No child is to be left alone or unsupervised.
	Children must be brought to school or designated bus stop and picked up from school and/or designated bus stop by an authorized parent/guardian or person listed on the Emergency Contact form.
	Fire drills are conducted on a twice-monthly basis.
	In the event of a fire, the children must leave the building with Head Start staff by using the exits designated on the Emergency Exit Floor Plan.
	All children going on field trips must have a signed permission slip prior to the trip. First aid kits and signed Emergency Medical/Dental Consent forms must be taken.
	New Jersey law requires any person having reasonable cause to believe that a child has been subjected to abuse or neglect, shall report it immediately to the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS, N.J.S.A. 9:6—8:10).

Transportation Policy and Procedures for the HOPES Head Start Program
HOPES Head Start owns and operates one 24-passenger school bus within the city of Hoboken. All parents/guardians can request transportation for their children by completing the "Request of Transportation" form. In the event that HOPES Head Start cannot accommodate all requests, specific transportation priority criteria will be used.

Transportation Priority Criteria includes:
	Child with a disability or special needs.
	Family member with a disability or special needs.
	Proximity to the program site.
If transportation is provided, it is important that the child and parent/ guardian be at the assigned bus stop on time to drop off and receive the child. Please note that if a parent is unable to meet their child it is their responsibility to contact Head Start and provide a staff member with the name of the person who will be receiving the child. All persons recieving a child must be listed on the pickup authorization form completed by the parent/guardian. At the time of enrollment, parents are asked to give the name of the individuals authorized to pick-up their child and the relationship of those persons to the child. Children will not be released to any unauthorized individual. If an authorized person is not present at the bus stop, the child will be driven back to their program site, and wait for an authorized adult to pick him or her up.

Pick Up Policy All parents and/or authorized individuals must sign the child's time in and out of the building each day. In the event the parent or other authorized person does not pick up the child at the end of a session, HOPES Head Start follows this procedure:
1.	Office staff contacts the individuals listed on the Emergency Contact Form.
2.	In the event the office staff is unable to reach anyone from the child's Emergency Contact Form within one hour of the scheduled closing time or there is no one available to pick up the child, the office staff will notify the Manager on call. The child will remain in the classroom supervised by teaching staff. Head Start office staff will continue to attempt to contact an authorized adult. (In the event the child is not picked up from Head Start, the manager on call will contact the Division of Youth and Family Services.)
3.	Parents who are late picking up children from the Extended Day program (after 5:30pm) will be charged a late fee. On the third occurrence the family will lose the privilege of using the Extended Day Services.

Drop-off Policy
Upon Arrival at HOPES Head Start, the parents or the adult dropping the child off must sign the child into care on the sign-in sheet located in the classroom. Children are required to be escorted by their parent or the adult dropping them off, to their designated classroom. Children who are bussed will be escorted in by program staff, and are required by law to be supervised at all times while in the child care facility. Parents are required to help children put away their outerwear and get settled for the day.

Children are expected to arrive in their classrooms by 8:30 AM each day. Any parent arriving after 9 AM will be asked by the teacher to speak to a Manager before the child is accepted in the classroom. The parent and the child will be sent to the site office.

The Manager will document lateness. Parents will be asked to sign the "lateness log". On the third occurrence of lateness, the parent will not be permitted to leave the child at school for the day.

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