Parent Handbook: Health, Safety and Policies

This page answers the questions parents ask when they picture a hard day. A fall, a fever, a late pickup. Each answer says what we do and what the New York City Health Code requires of every licensed program. If your question isn't here, call 718-675-0127 or email giftedandtalentednyc@gmail.com. Our director, Susanna Isakova, will answer it.

Injuries and accidents

What happens if my child falls or gets a bump?

A staff member gives first aid on the spot. We keep a fully stocked first aid kit within staff reach, and at least one adult certified in pediatric CPR and pediatric first aid is in the building whenever children are here. We write every injury in our incident log, and you hear about it the same day, at pickup or by phone. We also report to the Health Department as the Health Code requires.

What happens if my child bumps their head?

The same steps apply. First aid, a written incident record, and a conversation with you that day. If there are signs of a serious injury, such as a child losing consciousness, we get emergency care and call you right away.

What happens if my child is bitten or scratched by another child?

We treat a bite or scratch like any other injury. Staff wear gloves, clean the wound, log what happened, and tell you the same day. Clothes with blood on them go home in a sealed bag. We won't share the other child's name, because each child's records are confidential to that child's family. If your child is the one who bit, you'll hear from us the same way. Children are comforted when they're upset, and our written behavior policy is yours to read on request.

What happens if my child is seriously hurt?

We get emergency care first and call you immediately. When you enroll, you sign a written consent for emergency health care, so treatment never waits on paperwork. We arrange transport for your child and keep the required number of teachers with the children who stay. The law requires us to report any serious injury to the Health Department within 24 hours and to file a written plan for what we'll change.

Illness

What happens if my child gets sick at school?

Every morning, staff who know your child give them a quick health check on arrival. If your child starts to feel unwell during the day, they rest in a separate area with an adult watching them directly, and we call you to pick them up. The exact pickup timeline is in your enrollment packet.

What happens if my child has a fever?

The Health Code doesn't set a fever number. We follow New York City Health Department guidance, and the exact procedure is in your enrollment packet. You get it in writing before you pay anything.

What happens if my child has a contagious illness?

Please tell us within 24 hours if your child is out with an illness such as chickenpox, pink eye, diarrhea, impetigo, measles, mumps, whooping cough or scarlet fever. The Health Code lists these, and the full list comes with your enrollment packet. A child who has, or was exposed to, an illness that requires exclusion stays home. The same rule applies to our staff. When an illness the law names shows up, we report it to the Health Department.

When can my child come back after being sick?

For an illness that requires exclusion, your child returns with a written note from their health care provider saying they're no longer contagious and the exclusion period is over. For other illnesses, the return rules are in your enrollment packet.

Medication and allergies

What happens if my child needs medicine during the day?

You get our written medication policy at enrollment, and we go over it with you. Whenever staff give medicine, the Health Code requires your written consent and written instructions from your child's doctor. Medicine stays in its original labeled container, and we log every dose. Only trained staff may give it. If a dose goes wrong, we tell you and your child's doctor, and we report it to the Health Department right away. You can always come in and give your child medicine yourself.

What happens if my child has a severe allergic reaction?

We keep at least two epinephrine auto-injectors on site in each dose size that fits the children enrolled, out of children's reach and checked for expiry. At least one staff member trained to use them is here at all times. Trained staff may use one on any child who shows signs of anaphylaxis, even with no known allergy. After any use, we call 911 and call you immediately, and we report it to the Health Department within 24 hours.

What happens if my child uses an inhaler?

With your written consent, your doctor's authorization and training for the staff involved, staff can help your child use an inhaler or nebulizer. Bring it in the original labeled container. Children use it under direct staff supervision, never on their own.

What happens if my child has a food allergy?

Tell us at enrollment. Your child's allergy goes into their health record and into our written safety plan, and if you give us an individual health care plan from your doctor, we follow it in an emergency. All teaching staff are trained to prevent and respond to allergic reactions. A special diet needs a note from your child's doctor. The snack we serve is nut-free. That's our own policy, not a legal rule. Lunches come from home, and the exact rules for lunches in a room with a nut allergy are in your enrollment packet.

What should I pack each day?

A lunch. We don't serve lunch or hot meals, and we refrigerate lunchboxes until it's time to eat. We give you the Health Department's nutrition guidelines for packed meals. We provide water all day and a nut-free snack. Pack at least one spare set of weather-appropriate clothes, plus diapers and wipes if your child isn't toilet trained. Any medicine comes in its original labeled container with the signed forms.

Pickup and drop-off

Who can pick up my child?

Only the adults you list with us. For each one, you give us their name, relationship to your child, address and phone number. The Health Code doesn't let a child leave with a person who isn't on that list. If a different adult shows up, staff check with you directly before your child goes anywhere.

What happens if there's a custody order or an order of protection?

Tell the director and give us a copy. Under the Health Code, parents have access to their children at all times unless an Order of Protection prevents it. The exact procedure for keeping court orders on file is in your enrollment packet.

What happens if the adult picking up seems impaired?

Your child's safety comes first. The exact procedure is in your enrollment packet. Our staff are mandated reporters under New York law, and if a child is in immediate danger, staff call 911.

What happens if I'm running late?

Our day runs Monday to Thursday 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and Friday 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Early drop-off and late pickup are available for an extra fee. If you're running late, call us at 718-675-0127. Your child stays with a teacher until an adult on your list arrives. The exact late pickup procedure is in your enrollment packet.

What happens if a stranger calls and says they're picking up my child?

A phone call from an adult you haven't named doesn't change your pickup list. Your child goes home only with a person on that list, and we confirm any change with you directly before releasing your child. We don't share your child's records with anyone except you, people you authorize in writing, and the Health Department.

What happens if my child doesn't come in?

Please call us within an hour of your child's usual arrival time if they'll be out. If we haven't heard from you, we contact you within one hour of the scheduled arrival.

Outings and supervision

How do walks to McGolrick Park work?

We don't have our own playground. We go outside daily, weather permitting, to the public playground in McGolrick Park, a 4 minute walk. A trip coordinator leads every group, and at least the legal number of teachers walks with the children. Each child wears an ID item with our school's contact information and no name on it. The exact procedure for park walk permission is in your enrollment packet.

How do you keep count of the children?

Staff do a name to face head count before we leave, when we get to the park, regularly while we're there, before we leave the park, and when we're back. We record every child's arrival and departure times every day. Staff watch the children directly at all times. We have cameras in the building, but parents don't get camera access, and cameras never count as supervision. The law requires direct line of sight.

How many adults are with the children?

The Health Code sets the minimum. One teacher for every 6 children aged 2, one for every 10 aged 3, one for every 12 aged 4, and one for every 15 aged 5. Only teaching staff count. A mixed age group follows the ratio for its main age. Our room for ages 2 to 3 has 6 children with a teacher and an assistant. Our room for ages 3 to 4 has 10 children with a teacher and a helper. Each group has a lead teacher who meets the Health Code's education requirements.

What happens if a child is out of sight, even briefly?

We have a written lost child plan, staff train on it, and we walk you through it at parent orientation. If a child is unaccounted for or without required supervision for any length of time, the law requires us to report it to the Health Department within 24 hours and to file a written plan for what we'll change.

Emergencies

What happens during a fire drill or an evacuation?

We hold a fire drill every month and log each one. Our evacuation plan is posted throughout the school. It covers how children and staff are alerted, the main and backup exits, where we meet, how we take attendance, each staff member's role, and how we notify the authorities and you.

What happens in a lockdown?

Every year our staff train for lockdown, shelter in place, relocation to another site, and reunification with families, with announced and unannounced drills. We cover the plan with you at parent orientation, and the full safety plan is yours to read on request.

What happens if the power goes out, or in extreme heat or weather?

Staff train every year for building emergencies, including gas, sewer and water main breaks and extreme weather. In winter, the Health Code requires the rooms to stay between 68 and 72 degrees when it's below 55 outside. In heat, we use air conditioning or ventilation, give more fluids and change activities. If the building can't stay safe, the law allows early dismissal or closing, and we contact you. The exact closure procedure is in your enrollment packet.

Staff and safety

How do you check the adults who work here?

Before a person starts work, they're fingerprinted for a criminal record review and checked against the New York State child abuse register. That applies to teachers, office staff, maintenance, volunteers and consultants. We repeat the register check every 2 years. We also get three references, contact recent employers and verify credentials. Staff must tell us right away if they're arrested, and we tell the Health Department within 24 hours. Every staff member also brings a health certificate and proof of required vaccines.

Are staff trained in CPR and first aid?

Yes. Every staff member completes pediatric CPR and pediatric first aid before starting work and renews it every 2 years. At least one certified adult is in the building whenever children are here.

What happens if a staff member suspects abuse or neglect?

Our staff are mandated reporters under New York law. If a staff member has reasonable cause to suspect abuse or maltreatment, the report goes right away to the Statewide Central Register and the Health Department. Staff get at least 2 hours of training on this every 2 years, and new staff within 3 months of hire.

How do teachers handle discipline?

The Health Code bans physical punishment of any kind, along with discipline that frightens or humiliates a child. We never use food, rest or isolation as a punishment, and toilet training is never punitive. Children are comforted when they're upset. Our written behavior policy is posted in the school and yours to read on request.

Health records

Which vaccines does my child need?

Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, hepatitis B, pneumococcal and Hib, as New York State law sets them. A child can't attend without proof, and only medical exemptions apply. Children 6 to 59 months old also need a seasonal flu shot each year by December 31, unless a doctor certifies it would be harmful. Different timing applies to children who first enroll after June 30, and we'll confirm with you what applies to your child.

What medical forms and screenings do you need?

Before your child starts, their doctor completes a full exam on a Health Department approved form. It includes health history, a physical, a developmental check, a nutrition review and a lead screening, plus dental, TB, vision or anemia screening if the doctor finds it needed. We ask for an updated exam at ages 3, 4, 5 and 6. Records stay on site and confidential.

Will you put sunscreen on my child?

Yes, with your written instructions. Staff follow the label directions for sunscreen and insect repellent, and we log each application with the date, time and the staff member's signature.

What happens at nap time?

Every full-day child gets a quiet rest of about one hour a day. Staff supervise rest time, and the same teacher ratios apply. Rest is never used as a punishment, and it's never taken away as one.

What if my child isn't toilet trained?

Your child doesn't need to be toilet trained for the 2s room. Bring diapers, wipes and spare clothes, and we work on it at your child's pace, alongside you. We change diapers on a dedicated surface next to a sink, with a fresh cover and disinfection after every change, and staff wear gloves. Hands get washed before and after. Toilet training is never punitive.

Your rights

Can I visit during the day?

Yes, at any time. The Health Code gives parents unrestricted access to their children, unless an Order of Protection prevents it. At enrollment you get our policies on supervision, attendance, admission, discharge, emergencies and illness, along with the Health Department's guide to finding information about child care programs. Our full safety plan is yours to read on request.

What happens if I have a complaint?

You can raise any concern with our director, Susanna Isakova, at 718-675-0127 or giftedandtalentednyc@gmail.com. You can also call 311 at any time, and you don't need to talk to us first. The Health Department inspects every licensed program at least once a year and may visit unannounced. Our permit and a sign about inspection reports are posted at the front door, and you can look up our inspection history on NYC Child Care Connect or through 311.

This page is a summary for families. Your Enrollment Agreement and our written policies govern if anything here differs. NYC Health Code Article 47 applies to every licensed child care program in the city.