FAQ

1. How qualified is the center?

When it comes to hiring the adequate staff at Nurturing Niche we seek those unique passionate educators.  We believe passion for Early Childhood is a must-have, not only are we looking for credentialing but also experience with an exact age group.  Being an educator is about the love we have for our children, the main reason is we want to have positive connections and experiences for all parties.  Happy staff, happy center, and happy children. We follow many of the NAEYC, guidelines as well as Head Start city standards.

2. How safe is the center?

The safety of children, staff, and families is on the top three priority list.  Every single employee is meeting certification standards. (SBS, SIDS, Mandated Reporter, Lead Awareness, First Aid and CPR trained, EPI use and management.)  

As a facility, we have monthly walkthroughs to ensure the safe spaces (repairs and updates), also daily and weekly sanitation processes(as a facility and classroom), health protocols according to the State standards from Diapering procedures to Hand Washing.  We also have a visit from our licensed nurse to ensure that we continue to follow standards regarding health plans, sleeping routines, vaccinations, first aid, and safe spaces, as well as proper labeling to bottles and personal items.    

Safety is a very serious matter to us, we believe very strongly in active supervision outside as well as inside of the center.  For this, we also have a very strict no cel-phone policy.  

When visiting our center, only approved adults can visit, drop off or pick up children. Approval is done by parents at enrollment.

4. What happens if your child is sick?

"Is there is a clear plan for responding to illness, including how to decide whether a child needs to go home and how families will be notified?" YES!!!

As you enroll you will receive a parent handbook, which clearly specifies all the policies.  

Health and overall well being of the children are non-negotiable.  We believe strongly in zero flexibility with these standards, it is crucial that all parties understand the importance that we as center care for many more children, the staff and overall the contamination of areas.  

Some of the most common questions are if children are asked to stay home if needed or required and we will always respond yes if required and suggest it if we notice patterns that might indicate the child is not being their usual self.

5. What is the staff-to-child ratio?

The ratio would be (1:4) for children 6 weeks to 15 months, (1:5)16 months to  2 years old, (1:8) for 2yrs- 3yrs and (1:10) for 3 to 5-year-olds. The smaller the number means more one-on-one care for your child. All of the staff have certifications to work with that specific age group as well as experience.  

With 35 square feet per child above 15 months and 55 square feet for under 14 months.  in order for each to have enough room to play comfortably. Staff should be readily available during playground activities.

6. What is the curriculum and care style?

1) Play-based focused. Using The Creative Curriculum providing a  comprehensive, research-based curriculum that features exploration and discovery as a way of learning.

·      The Foundation helps teachers create a high-quality learning environment and build a thorough understanding of best practices.  

·      Daily Resources help teachers plan and manage every moment of their day. 

·      Through Studies, which are hands-on, project-based investigations.

·      The Creative Curriculum® for Preschool helps teachers build children’s confidence, creativity, and critical thinking skills, and promote positive outcomes.

The Knowledge

Updated research to help teachers create a high-quality program.

The Resources

Brand-new options for integrating learning into every part of the day.

The Learning

More Intentional Teaching experiences and more support for individualizing instruction.

The Studies

Familiar and fascinating topics with new daily plans.

2) WHY STEM?  

As we hold such high expectations on the approach, process, and outcomes that we would like to accomplish we wanted to aid our program and find those key support systems, we have incorporated STEM which also a NAYCE encouraged curriculum and approach. 

https://www.naeyc.org/resources/blog/stem-starts-early

https://www.naeyc.org/resources/topics/stem

Why? It is a curriculum that holds hands with the Creative Curriculum and learning by exploration and research.  Basing its fundament into four categories.

SCIENCE is observing, experimenting, asking questions, wondering how things work, making predictions, sharing findings.

TECHNOLOGY is being inventive, using a variety of tools, making things work, identifying issues, using computers.

ENGINEERING is problem-solving, testing materials, designing, creating, building.

MATH is patterning, sequencing, exploring shapes, numbers, volume, and size.