Child Care Parent Handbook - Santa Maria Valley YMCA

Special Situations
In situations that indicate professional help may be necessary, a referral to a professional resource in the community can
be made.
Behavior Management
The safety of a child is the highest priority for setting behavior management procedures.
• When a child has a serious discipline problem, (on any ONE occasion), the parent may be called by staff to request
that the child be picked up within one half hour of the call. Hitting another child, biting, threatening or intimidating
others, injuring another child or staff member or runs from the program center is a serious discipline problem.
• Should it be decided by YMCA staff that a child poses a serious discipline problem, the child may be suspended from
the program for a period of 1-5 days, or may be removed from the program entirely.
• The YMCA child care program follows all school rules and policies. If a child is suspended from school, he or she is
not allowed to attend the YMCA program during the entire time of the suspension.
YMCA Child Abuse Prevention
The YMCA maintains a policy of Child Abuse Prevention practices, which include procedures, related to:
• Employee reference checking, hiring criteria, and fingerprinting;
• Training and supervision requirements for staff;
• Staff relationships with children;
• Unscheduled site visitation by YMCA supervisory staff and Board.
These policies are enacted to protect parents, children, and YMCA staff members from actual occurrences of child abuse
as well as allegations of abuse.
Child Abuse Reporting
Section 11166 of the California Penal Code requires any child care custodian, medical practitioner, or employee of a child
protective agency who has knowledge of or observes a child in his or her professional capacity or within the scope of his
or her employment who he or she knows or reasonably suspects has been the victim of child abuse, to report the known
or suspected instance of child abuse to a protective agency immediately or as soon as practically possible by telephone
and to prepare and send a written report thereof within 36 hours of receiving the information concerning the incident.
“Child Care Custodian” includes teachers, licensed day care workers, administrators, or community care facilities licensed
to care for children, foster parents, and group home personnel.
BITING POLICY
Parents and caregivers are often frustrated by this experience, as it can be both frightening and painful for the children
involved. The following includes some of the reasons why a child may bite. In addition, we have listed the steps we take
here at the center to prevent or respond to a biting situation. We hope this helps to alleviate any concerns you may have.
WHY BITE?
A child may bite for a number of reasons, which might include:
Teething-As two year molars begin to come in, many children bite on an object to try and relieve discomfort. Children,
who have never bitten others, frequently start to during teething. They are “thinking (acting) with their mouth”, so to speak,
as its presence makes itself felt!
Mimicking- Just as children imitate one another in silly actions and noises, they also imitate more serious behaviors.
Language Frustration- Unable to clearly express their needs verbally, biting may seem to be quick, easy way to get a
message across. It may or may not be, to defend a possession or in response to aggression. Biting may become another
form of a child testing a way to “make things happen.”
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