WIXLIB

DOW BAY AREA FAMILY YMCAKIDZONE PARENT HANDBOOK

At the Dow Bay Area Family YMCA, we understand that busyparents need support. When parents come to the Y for a class,workout, or group activity, their kids need a safe space to play.Our KidZone lets parents enjoy their time at the Y knowing theirchildren are in an enriching environment, building relationshipswith other kids and YMCA staff. In KidZone, children ages 2months to 10 years are able to play under the supervision ofcaring, trained YMCA staff members. At the same time, theirparents are able to relax, connect with other Y members, andenjoy their time.The KidZone room can be found across from the Member Service Deskin the front lobby. This is a free service for Household members of theDow Bay Area Family YMCA. There is a 3 fee for Adult members andguests to check children into KidZone. This can be paid at the frontdesk and a receipt is required to check your child in.KIDZONE HOURS OF OPERATIONMonday-Friday 8:00-11:30 AM and 4:00-7:30 PMSaturday 9:00 AM - NOONOUR MISSION IS TO PUT CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES INTO PLACETHROUGH PROGRAMS THAT BUILD HEALTHY SPIRIT, MIND, ANDBODY FOR ALL.OUR CAUSE IS TO STRENGTHEN THE FOUNDATIONS OF OURCOMMUNITY THROUGH YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, HEALTHY LIVING,AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.Questions? Please contact Joslyn Jamrog, Membership and Marketing Director,at 989-895-8596 or jjamrog@ymcabaycity.org

KIDZONE STAFFOur goal is to provide a nurturing anddevelopmentally appropriate environment for yourchild while you are at the Y. Our KidZone staffexhibit personal qualities that exemplify the YMCAcharacter values of honesty, caring, respect,and responsibility.DROP OFF/PICK UPWe put safety first with a drop-off and pick-upprocedure that we practice at all times. Membersmust have their photo in our system to utilizeKidZone. If you’re unsure if we have your photo,please stop by the front desk before check in. Guestsmust show a photo ID at drop-off and pick-up.Parents will walk children into the KidZone and checkin at the desk. A receipt is required for guests andAdult members to check their child in. For the safetyof the children under our care, the adult who dropsthe child off must be the one to pick them up. Uponarrival for pick-up, parents must check their child outwith the KidZone staff. Parents must remain in theYMCA facility for the duration of their child’s timein KidZone.TIME LIMITChildren under 1 year old can remain in KidZonefor a MAXIMUM OF 1 HOUR. All other children arewelcome to be in KidZone for a MAXIMUM OF TWOHOURS. There is a 1 late fee per minute for pickingup your child after the allotted time frame or afterclosing hours.PROPER ATTIREWhen possible, we will offer children the opportunityto play outdoors or in the gym. Please planaccordingly with proper footwear and clothing.FOODFor safety, medical, and sanitary reasons, no foodor dairy products are allowed. KidZone staff cannotbottle feed infants or children. Leak-proof waterbottles are allowed. If you choose to bring a waterbottle, please label it for your child.DIAPERS AND TOILET TRAININGPlease ensure that your children arrive in clean, drydiapers. KidZone staff will change diapers, as longas all supplies are provided. We will page you if werequire your assistance in changing your child. Ifyour child is in the process of toilet training (wearingpull-ups or underwear), please let us know so we canencourage them to use the restroom. KidZone staffwill escort any toilet training children to the restroomas needed. If a toilet trained/toilet training child hasa bowel movement accident, the KidZone staff is notable to change them. In these situations, we will callthe parent to come change their child and then thechild can continue their time with us.CRYINGIf a child is upset and crying in the KidZone, our staffwill make every effort to calm and comfort the childand help them acclimate to the KidZone environment.After 10 minutes of crying, the staff will locate theparent to assist in calming the child. Parents mayBELONGINGSattempt to leave the child a second time, but if cryingAll bags and belongings should be clearly labeled.persists for another 10 minutes, the parent will beCubbies are available for children to store their coats, called to pick up the child.bags, and shoes. The KidZone is not responsible forany personal items that may be lost or stolen.CAPACITYA waiting list will be introduced if KidZone reachesTOYS FROM HOMEmaximum capacity. Due to safety reasons, onceWe have a great variety of toys, books, and otherKidZone has accepted 25 children, KidZone staffactivities for your children during their visits withreserves the right to stop accepting more untilus. For this reason, we do not encourage children to those children are checked out. KidZone staff alsobring any toys from home. Again, the YMCA is notreserves the right to adjust the maximum capacity asresponsible for any lost personal items.needed.Parents will be given the opportunity to addtheir name to a waiting list and will be contacted inchronological order once there is space.

YMCA EXPECTATIONSOur KidZone staff is a trained group of caring,enthusiastic individuals with one goal; to providea comfortable, safe environment for your children.We strive to maintain clean facilities, promote opencommunication, and provide engaging activitiesfor all KidZone participants. We ask that parentsand guardians provide us with their input andassistance by signing their child in and out, beingaware of and cooperating with YMCA policies,showing interest in their child’s activities, andparticipating in behavioral “joys” and “challenges”.Though the YMCA is not responsible and doesnot encourage bringing any personal items, anyitems brought by a child are expected to be labeledwith the child’s full name. Prior to signing intoKidZone, children are also expected to haveused the restroom and babies should arrivefed and with a clean diaper.SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCESA top priority for the Dow Bay Area Family YMCAis to meaningfully include all youth and provideaccommodations in our programs when needed.To help us achieve this goal, we respectfully askparents and guardians to clearly communicateany special circumstances which may affect yourchild’s ability to participate, prior to participatingin KidZone. Informing the YMCA prior to theirfirst visit to ensures that a successful partnershipis created between the staff and family. Byproviding information regarding the strengths andneeds of your child, our staff can prepare helpfulaccommodations to better serve all children inour programs. Additionally, please take care tofill out the “Special Circumstances” section onthe attached form when signing up for KidZone.Upon being informed of special circumstances,the Membership and Marketing Director mayrequest a meeting to gather more information anddiscuss acccommodations that can be created tosuccessfully include your child.

BEHAVIORGUIDELINESKIDZONE RULESINCLUDE, BUT ARE NOTLIMITED TO:Our KidZone believes in core values based on adiscipline policy. Our staff work with children torespect the rights and feelings of others whileencouraging each child to explore their own individualinterests when playing. It is our goal to avoiddisruptive behaviors that interfere with programsand activities. If your child displays inappropriatebehavior while in KidZone, staff will use redirection tohelp encourage appropriate and positive behavior. Ifneeded, the children will be asked to take time away toreflect on appropriate behavior before returning to anactivity. Limits are set positively and are appropriatelybased on the child’s age and development stage.KidZone staff reserves the right to excuse or suspendany child from the program who does not comply withbehavior guidelines. Sharing is caring Keep your hands and feetto yourself Use your inside voice Follow directions You must pick up and putaway what you play with Take care of the KidZonetoys and equipment Absolutely no gunplay,fighting, wrestling,or horseplay Aggressive behaviorslike hitting, kicking, biting,tripping, spitting, or verbal“put-downs”, will not betolerated Treat others the way YOUwould like to be treated Smile and have FUN!WHEN A CHILD IS AGGRESSIVE OR DISRUPTIVE,THE FOLLOWING STEPS MAY BE TAKEN:1. KidZone staff will stop the child from hurting him/herself or others.2. KidZone staff will redirect the child to another activity or encourage time away.3. If the behavior happens again, KidZone staff will again try to redirect and calm thechild. Parents will be notified and the behavior will be documented.4. A parent will be asked to pick up their child from the program if the behaviorpersists and KidZone staff cannot redirect them to other activities.5. If a child consistently displays inappropriate behavior in the program,the child may be suspended for an extended period of time.

KEEPING KIDS HEALTHYIN ORDER TO MAINTAIN A CLEAN AND HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR CHILDRENAND STAFF, WE ASK THAT YOU DO NOT BRING YOUR CHILD TO KIDZONE IF THEY ARESICK OR DISPLAYING ANY SIGN OF ILLNESS.PLEASE DO NOT BRING YOUR CHILD IN IF THEYHAVE THE FOLLOWING SYMPTOMS: Fever within 24 hours Vomiting or diarrhea Unusual spots or rashes Green or yellow discharge from the nose Sore throat Severe coughingIf your child has experienced any of these symptoms orhave signs of any other infectious illness, they are notpermitted into the KidZone area until 24 hours after thesymptoms have stopped. KidZone reserves the right topage parents for pick-up should a child display any ofthese symptoms.Children with a minor illness may still attend KidZone atthe KidZone staff’s discretion. It is important to realizethat if a child is unable to participate in the normalroutine or needs more care than we can provide withoutneglecting the other children, the child must stay home.There are some illnesses that exclude the child fromattending. These illnesses include but are not limited to: Infectious conjunctivitis Infectious diarrhea Impetigo Chicken pox Hepatitis A, B, and C Scarlet fever Scabies Lice Ringworm Strep throatDue to our concerns for all of the children enrolled inKidZone, we may request an official doctor’s note beforea child can return to KidZone. This is to ensure that achild does not return when he or she may be in danger ofexposing someone else to an illness.CAUSES FOR CONCERNFEVERIf a child has experienced a fever within 24 hours, we ask thatthey stay at home. If a child has a fever in the KidZone, theparent will be contacted and asked to check-out their child. Inthis event, the child cannot return until their temperature hasbeen gone for 24 hours without medication.VOMITING OR UPSET STOMACHIf your child vomits while in the KidZone, you will be expectedto immediately remove your child. The child must stay at homeuntil 48 hours have passed with no vomiting episodes.DIARRHEAWhen a child has a single loose stool, they do not need to stayat home. However, if a child has very runny stool that cannotbe contained in a diaper, or the child cannot reach the toiletin time, the stool may contaminate the KidZone setting. Theyshould then stay at home until 48 hours have passed withoutan episode.RUNNY NOSEChildren with constant runny noses that are not caused byallergies or teething can spread germs to other children in theKidZone. Please keep in mind how you would feel if anotherchild’s parent brought their child to the Kidzone and exposedyour healthy child.OTHER SYMPTOMS FOR CONCERNINCLUDE: Gray or white stool Infected skin patches Difficult or rapid breathing Yellow or pink eye discharge from the eyes Severe itching Sore throat Severe coughing Yellowish skin or eyes Spots or rashes Dark urine Headache or stiff neck Unusual behaviorPLEASE REMEMBER, IF YOU ARE KEEPING YOUR CHILD HOME FROM SCHOOLTHEY ARE NOT PERMITTED TO ATTEND KIDZONE.