Tampa Learning Center — Family Handbook

Your child must be accompanied by an adult to and from the classroom, and signed in and out each day with the time.

• Only people on your written pick-up list who are 18 or older (or a parent) may pick up your child.
• People on the list will be asked to show ID.
• Please tell staff when you arrive and depart, and have your child wash their hands on arrival to help prevent the spread of germs.

Children are expected to attend full time — a total of 6.5 hours per day, 5 days a week — so they get the full benefit of the program and build good school habits.

If your child will be absent, it's your responsibility to notify the center daily, and to let the Head Teacher know about longer absences for illness, vacation, or family emergencies. If your child hasn't attended for two consecutive weeks and there's been no contact, they may be disenrolled.

We close for city holidays, staff development days, and center maintenance. The exact closure dates change from one school year to the next, so we don't publish a fixed list here — please request the current closure calendar from the enrollment office or your Head Teacher during enrollment, and share those dates with everyone on your pick-up list.

Good news: you are not charged fees for the closure weeks listed on the family calendar.

Centers periodically schedule field trips to enrich learning. When a field trip involves transportation, an individual parent permission form is required, and staff provide the documents needed to participate. If a minibus isn't available, parents may be asked to drive their own child. Head Teachers notify parents each time a trip is scheduled.

Field trips are not mandatory — if you'd prefer your child not attend, let the teacher know in advance and arrangements can be made. Walking trips (weather permitting) also require parental permission (part of the enrollment packet) and are restricted to a 4-block radius, with no crossing of streets with heavy traffic.

Please arrive on time each day, and if an emergency will make you late, call the center to let us know. A late pickup — arriving after the center or program has closed — is a $15 late fee per occurrence, added to your online bill.

Staff document each late arrival or pickup. After 3 late arrivals or pickups, we'll schedule a parent conference; if it keeps happening, it could result in disenrollment.

If your child is still here 30 minutes after closing and we can't reach anyone on your contact list, we're required to call the Albuquerque Police Department, who then contact Child Protective Services — so please keep your emergency contacts current.

A nap or rest period is required by child care licensing and is important for young children's development. Staff create a quiet, darkened room with a sleep mat for each child. Children who don't fall asleep may rest quietly.

You may bring a small blanket and small pillow for your child; these are sent home weekly to be laundered. Infants nap on demand, on their own schedule.

During program time, staff are working directly with the children. If you need to reach a teacher or your child, call the center and leave a message and staff will respond. If it's an emergency, say so in your message and staff will respond at once.

Please note: cell phone use by parents and staff is not allowed inside the child development center — quality greetings and interactions matter. Emergency calls are the exception and should be taken privately, away from the group.

Our hours vary a little by center and by program, so please confirm your center's exact times.

• Child Development Center hours are typically 7:00 AM–5:30 PM or 8:00 AM–4:30 PM, depending on the site.
• Early Head Start program hours are 8:00 AM–2:30 PM.
• NM Pre-K program hours are 8:00 AM–2:30 PM.
• Preschool runs the full center day.
• CABQ Extended Care is available before and after the program day (roughly 2:30–5:30 PM at participating sites).

For Preschool and NM Pre-K Extended Care, please arrive no later than 9:00 AM so your child is here for program time.

When it snows, all CABQ Child Development Centers follow the Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) schedule for the day. Please listen to the radio or TV for the APS announcement before leaving home.

• 2-hour delay: centers begin accepting children at 10:00 AM, and breakfast is not served.
• Early dismissal due to snow or bad weather: centers also close, and we'll contact you to pick up your child.
• APS closure: all centers close.
• If there's severe weather while APS is on break, call the center before leaving home.

Every enrolled family has an established fee based on a graduated fee schedule set by your family income and family size — so the amount is specific to your family, and the enrollment office will give you your exact fee. Fees are described as minimal and non-refundable, with no daily pro-rating.

A few things to know:

• Fees are paid in advance of services and are owed regardless of attendance (you're holding your child's spot).
• There's an additional fee for siblings and a fee for NM Pre-K Extended Care — ask the enrollment office for details.
• You are not charged for the closure weeks listed on the family calendar.

Fees are due in advance — you can pay online at the beginning of each week, or monthly in advance. If fees fall behind, families in arrears first receive a verbal notice from the Head Teacher, followed by a letter. If non-payment continues, a conference is held with the Education Specialist and Program Manager to decide whether services continue. Non-payment or habitual late payment can be grounds for disenrollment.

Fees are paid in advance online. If you need help or prefer to pay by check or money order, payments can be made at the Office of Child and Family Development, 1820 Randolph Rd SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106, Monday–Friday 8:00 AM–4:30 PM. Your receipt is your proof of payment.

• Cash is accepted at that office, but the City Treasury cannot give change — please bring exact cash.
• Checks and money orders should be made payable to the City of Albuquerque.

If you use a state subsidy, you'll need to provide documentation of your state subsidy contract at enrollment. If you're still applying, your City of Albuquerque established fee stays in place until your state contract is approved. Once your subsidy copay is set, that becomes your new fee — and if your contract expires, your established fee is reinstated. Please let the enrollment office know if you're seeking a subsidy.

If your child has a contagious disease — like strep, chicken pox, or pink eye — please inform the center. Other families may need to be notified, and certain reportable diseases must be reported to State Licensing and the Department of Public Health, who will contact families. A list of reportable diseases is posted at each center.

Children who are under-immunized (or between immunization time frames due to age) and show symptoms of a vaccine-preventable disease will be sent home until the contagion has passed, to protect everyone.

To protect your child, the other children, and our staff, please keep your child home if they have any of the following. A fever means a temperature of 100.4°F, or any fever within the last 24 hours.

• Feverish, or a fever within the last 24 hours (100.4°F)
• Coughs continuously during naptime
• Vomiting or diarrhea within the last 24 hours
• Pink eye, or symptoms that might be pink eye (conjunctivitis)
• A runny nose that is cloudy, not clear
• On antibiotics for less than 24 hours
• Symptoms of a contagious disease or infection (ringworm, crusted or oozing lesions, chicken pox, etc.)
• An undiagnosed rash

If your child shows any of these at the center, we'll call you to pick them up as soon as possible. A doctor's note may be required to return.

If you're unsure whether your child's symptoms mean they should stay home, please reach out and a staff member will help you decide.

State regulations require us to keep an up-to-date copy of your child's immunization record on file — children cannot attend without this documentation. For exempt status, a current exemption certificate must be on file.

New Mexico allows medical and religious exemptions under the NM Immunization Exemption Law (24-5-3); an exemption request is reviewed within 60 days. If your child gets an immunization during the year, please tell the Head Teacher so we can update the record. CYFD NM State Licensing conducts random checks of child files.

We can give medication with written permission from the parent. The permission form needs your child's name, the medication, the dosage, and the hours it should be given.

• Medication must be in its original container, labeled with your child's name, and handed to a teacher to store securely (never left in a cubby or backpack).
• This includes items like sunscreen, lotion, lip balm, diaper rash ointment, teething treatments, and children's Tylenol.
• No cough drops are given, due to the choking hazard.
• Please keep medication up to date — expired medication is returned.
• A written record is kept for 6 months, and parents initial the medication form daily.

Teachers introduce children to animals as part of the curriculum — through books, thematic units, props, and visitors from the community who work with animals. Some Preschool and NM Pre-K classrooms may have pets, but as a precaution, Early Head Start does not allow pets in the classroom.

Your child should stay home until they're no longer at risk and are ready to fully participate in all class activities, including outdoor play. After an illness, a doctor's note may be required to return.

If your child has been hospitalized or in emergency-room care, they must have a medical release from the doctor to return — a release confirming they're ready to take part in everything, including outdoor play.

Any child in the sun for more than 10 minutes at a time receives sun protection. We ask parents to:

• Provide sunscreen with SPF 15–30 (UVA and UVB protection), labeled with your child's name.
• Sign a permission form to apply sunscreen.

Staff apply sunscreen 30 minutes before your child goes outside, dress children in sun-protective clothing and hats, seek shade, and watch for skin irritation.

If your child has a food allergy, a Nutrition/Allergy Form must be signed by your doctor and given to the Head Teacher. That information is shared with our meal vendor so they can prepare the right food for your child.

Our vendor makes special meals based on medical needs (not lifestyle choices), and the program cooperates with religious or cultural diet restrictions when able, with appropriate documentation.

Your child is welcome to share a special treat for their birthday! We encourage creative, peanut-free, nutritious ideas. Please arrange it with your child's teacher in advance so we can address any allergies or religious considerations. All treats must be store-bought with a nutrition label and labeled with your child's name and the date.

If you're having a party at home and only some children are invited, please don't hand out invitations at the center — it can be hurtful to children who aren't included.

Early Head Start provides formula with iron. If your child is breastfed, you'll need to provide a supply of expressed breast milk, labeled and dated. Infants on breast milk must be able to successfully bottle feed. Infants nap and eat on demand, on their own schedule.

Please do not bring outside food into the center. Exceptions — for allergies, birthdays, potlucks, and similar — are decided by the Head Teacher, and any outside food must be store-bought with a nutrition label and labeled with your child's name and the day's date. The centers limit the use of peanut products and request peanut-free snacks.

Nutritional meals and snacks are provided and served family-style to encourage healthy eating and communication. Meals follow the USDA meal pattern and are funded by the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).

Meal times vary a little by program, but generally breakfast is served in the morning (about 8:00–9:00), lunch around 11:30, and a snack in the afternoon. To help keep everyone safe, the centers limit peanut products, request peanut-free snacks, and serve 100% juice.

We make every effort to keep a child enrolled, and a conference is held with the family, Education Specialist, and Program Manager before any decision. Families are notified in writing. Reasons a family may be disenrolled include:

• Non-payment or habitual late payment of fees
• Failing to follow program practices, procedures, or requirements
• Not attending required parent participation activities (Preschool/NM Pre-K)
• Two consecutive weeks of absence with no contact, or constant absenteeism
• A child's behavior harming themselves, other children, property, or staff with no successful outcome
• Abusive or inappropriate behavior by the enrolling parent or family toward staff or participants

Age eligibility depends on the program:

• Early Head Start: 6 weeks–3 years
• Preschool: 3–5 years
• Early Pre-K (NM Pre-K): child must be 3 years old by September 1
• Pre-K (NM Pre-K): child must be 4 years old by September 1

Each family chooses an Enrolling Parent, who is the primary contact for information about the child and center events, closures, and activities, and is responsible for all fees and written documentation.

The Enrolling Parent chooses the people on the child's emergency contact and pick-up (child release) list and shares important information with them. Where there's a court-ordered parenting plan, the center follows that documentation.

Enrollment happens in a series of steps, and once they're complete we set a start date:

1. Phone prequalification with the enrollment office to check eligibility and space.
2. Provide documentation and sign paperwork about your child's qualifying terms; you'll be given your established fee.
3. Receive the Parent Handbook and sign an enrollment contract.
4. Attend any required parent meetings before your child starts.
5. Complete a mandatory orientation at the center.

For Early Head Start (ages 6 weeks–3 years), parents attend a Mandatory Enrollment Meeting to complete application forms and a handbook orientation before the child begins.

When your family arrives on your start date, the teacher arranges a mini orientation to the center and classroom. It's a chance to ask about center procedures, paying fees online, your toilet learning plan, the Parent Handbook, and anything else. Orientation is mandatory.

To enroll, we'll need a few documents:

• Your child's birth certificate
• Up-to-date immunization records
• Emergency contact information
• A photo ID
• Check/pay stubs, and a 1099 IRS form and quarterly taxes if you're self-employed
• A written statement of employment

The income documents help set your graduated fee. Ask the enrollment office if you're unsure which apply to you.

If you'd like to transfer your child from one center (CDC) to another:

1. Notify your child's Head Teacher that you wish to transfer.
2. Any outstanding balance must be paid in full.
3. The Head Teacher submits a status change form to the Enrollment Specialist.
4. The enrollment office determines availability of a spot.
5. Your family goes through a requalification so all information is updated.

All information about your child, including any IEP, follows them to the next center for continuity of care.

Please dress your child in play clothes that can get messy — art, sand, and water are part of the day, and "staying clean" gets in the way of learning. Dress in layers for changing weather, since children go outside every day.

To support self-help skills like toileting, please avoid clothing that's hard to fasten — body suits, heavy belts, overalls, and anything that fastens in the back or on the shoulder — unless your child can manage it themselves.

• Open-toe sandals should be avoided — closed-toe sandals or tennis shoes are preferred.
• Shoes with roller wheels are not allowed.

Please keep an extra set of clothing — shirt, pants, socks, and underpants — labeled with your child's name at the center at all times, in case they need a change. If extra clothes aren't available, you may be asked to pick up your child or bring a change upon notification. If your child's clothing is sent home to be washed, please replace the extra set the next day.

Personal items can get broken, misplaced, or damaged, so please don't bring toys or personal items to the center. A book to share or a stuffed animal for naptime is fine — just mark it with your child's name.

Items not allowed: jewelry, tattoo stickers, fake fingernails, make-up, lip gloss/lip balm (as make-up), and toy guns or war toys. The center isn't responsible for personal items. If your child brings home a toy or puzzle piece, please return it so our equipment stays complete.

The center remains a neutral party in custody matters. At enrollment, please explain the custody arrangement and bring any legal court orders or parenting plans, which may be reviewed by the Education Specialist and Program Manager.

• Only the people the enrolling parent places on the emergency contact and pick-up list may access the child — unless there's a court-ordered parenting plan.
• If one parent enrolled the child without listing the other, a parent contacting the center will only be given access with the enrolling parent's written permission, absent a court order.
• Disputes about parental rights must be handled off site. Please keep exchanges of clothing, car seats, and belongings between homes off site as well.
• If disagreements interfere with the center's ability to stay safe and neutral, authorities may be called, and it may be grounds for disenrollment.

Early Head Start provides diapers while your child is in attendance at any Early Head Start center, in accordance with the Head Start Performance Standards.

Our teachers use the Nurtured Heart Approach, which focuses on and celebrates children's positive behaviors — giving attention and energy to the positive rather than the negative — to help children develop self-control and "inner wealth."

Discipline is positive guidance and redirection with clear, consistent limits. The following practices are prohibited:

• Physical punishment of any kind (shaking, biting, hitting, pinching, or putting anything on or in a child's mouth)
• Withdrawal of food, rest, or bathroom opportunities
• Abusive or profane language, humiliation, or threats of physical punishment
• Unsupervised isolation of a child
• Any punishment hazardous to a child's physical or mental health

If a child poses a threat to themselves or others, they may be physically restrained and held quietly until they regain self-control. If aggressive behavior becomes a pattern, the teacher and family meet to decide how to address it, always making every effort to keep the child enrolled.

By law, children may never be left unattended in the parking lot or in cars. Children must be secured in a child safety seat or seat belt whenever they're transported, per New Mexico law:

• Under 1 year: rear-facing seat in the back seat (front only if there's no rear seat and the passenger airbag is deactivated)
• 1–4 years, or under 40 lbs: child passenger restraint device
• 5–6 years, or 40–60 lbs: safety seat or booster
• 7–12 years: safety seat, booster, or seat belt
• 13–17 years: seat belt

Due to limited space, car seats may not be left or stored at the center — please keep them in your vehicle.

In observance of New Mexico law, teaching staff are trained to observe children for behavior or physical evidence that might indicate child abuse or neglect, and are required by law to report to the Children, Youth & Families Department (CYFD). Staff also notify the DCFD main office and State Licensing and provide required documentation.

Please note: concerns about child abuse or neglect are not confidential — state law requires them to be reported immediately to the proper authorities.

It's critical that all information on your child's Application/Enrollment Form stays current so we can reach you at any time. New Mexico State Regulations require each family to list at least two local emergency contacts. Please report any changes — address, phone, household members — to the Head Teacher immediately. For your child's safety, emergency contacts are required to show identification when picking up.

All teaching staff have First Aid and CPR certification, and emergency procedures are posted beside each classroom phone. In an emergency, staff follow these steps:

1. Administer first aid as needed
2. Call 911 if needed
3. Call the parent or emergency contacts
4. Call the DCFD main office
5. Notify State Licensing
6. Evacuate to a safe location if necessary

If the center can't operate safely (for example, water, gas, or power is shut off), or in a major emergency (fire, tornado, severe weather), families will be called to pick up their children. Accident reports are completed and signed by staff and parents.

If a dangerous situation arises, a center may go into lock-down. For safety, no one may enter or leave the classroom until the lock-down is lifted or the police give clear instructions. Staff keep children calm and occupied with play activities, and may not be able to use the phone depending on the situation.

For more information you can contact the DCFD main office at 767-6500. For your safety and the children's, please stay in your vehicle until the lock-down has been lifted.

Children are supervised by sight indoors and outdoors at all times and are never left unattended. Attendance is checked regularly throughout the day. If a child cannot be found after a thorough search of the facility, staff will:

1. Call 911
2. Notify parents immediately
3. Call the DCFD main office
4. Call the NM Child Care Licensing Bureau
5. Notify the principal if the center is on APS grounds

We provide a wide range of services for children with special needs and follow a policy of inclusion in regular classroom activities to the greatest extent possible, working closely with families.

• For children ages three and under, an Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) is developed with service providers, staff, health professionals, and parents.
• For Preschool children, an Individual Education Plan (IEP) is written to individualize care and education.

A parent or family member may be asked to attend for a limited time to help with special needs and ease the child's adjustment.

We approach toilet learning as a partnership between home and the center, and consistency between the two is what makes it work. Signs of readiness include:

• Staying dry overnight and having regular bowel movements
• Awareness of body functions (verbal or physical cues)
• Understanding concepts like wet/dry, clean/dirty, up/down
• Communicating needs and following simple directions
• Dressing self with minimal assistance; curiosity about bathroom habits

When you're ready to begin, please schedule a 10–15 minute conference with the Head Teacher. Expect accidents during the process, so keep plenty of extra clothes/underwear in your child's cubby. In Preschool and NM Pre-K, families meet with the Head Teacher and an Education Specialist to create a Toilet Learning plan, and all families whose children are in the process are required to attend a Toilet Learning meeting.