How do you go about finding the preschool that is right for your child and your family? There are so many, do you know the questions to ask!
Do you know that there should be no more than 12 children in each class with one Lead Teacher (Fully Qualified Teacher) at any given time for preschool age children? If the classroom has 15 children a fully qualified teacher with an aide must be present at all times.
Do you know the difference between a Lead Teacher (Fully Qualified Teacher) and an Aide? A Lead Teacher must have a minimum of 12 Early Childhood Education units and 6 months of experience working in a preschool classroom setting before they can be qualified as a lead teacher. An aide only requires 6 Early Childhood Education units, can only assist children alone while they are using the restroom or if they are sleeping, otherwise an aide must be supervised by the “Lead Teacher” at all times.
Do you know about the school fees? Registration fee – is it annual or one time? Is it per child or per family? Is the tuition fee inclusive of everything (materials, books, field trips, extra curricular activities, summer curriculum, etc.), or are there “hidden fees” on top of your tuition fees?
Do you know the discipline policy? What do the teachers do when your child is having a “melt down moment”? Do they work with your child on problem solving, modeling behavior and redirect them, or is there a “time out” place where your child needs to go?
At Creative Years Infant Center & Preschool everyone is a lead teacher. The Infant room ratio is 4:1, toddler room is 6:1 and we are very proud of our small class size of 6:1 in the 2’s program and 10:1 with the older students. All teachers have more than the minimum education and experience requirements of a lead teacher. Everyone is also CPR and First Aid certified. Our tuition fee is inclusive of everything; there are no additional charges, unless you choose to get “hot lunches”. We use redirection as a discipline and teach conflict resolution skills. Children learn how to cope with challenging situations and teachers model appropriate behavior so the children can learn to solve them on their own.
For additional information on licensing requirements you can visit The State of California Community Care Licensing website at www.ccld.ca.gov/pg555.htm Title 22 Regulations.
Creative Years Preschool conducts tours daily come and see how much fun we have.
You can schedule your tour by calling 254-0718 or send an email to creativeyearsscv@aol.com. For more information on the program or to take a virtual tour log on to www.creativeyears.com.