At the Center for Children, we implement a primary caregiving system where each child is assigned a primary caregiver within their classroom. Your child will spend time with their primary caregiver during small group activities and personal caregiving. The primary caregiver will maintain ongoing communication with you, conduct developmental observations, and be available for conferences. A classroom may have one or two primary caregiver groups depending on enrollment and transitions.
 

Call the Center at (859) 495-2831 or email centerforchildren@ymcacky.org. The best times to tour are between 9-11 a.m. and 2-4 p.m. However, we will do our best to work around your schedule if the times are inconvenient.
 

We do not offer part-time enrollment. Our tuition covers the full day, Monday-Friday. Families are free to use the space in the best way for their family’s schedule.
 

The Center has two tuition plans, Lexmark Rates for children of Lexmark employees and Community Rates. Please call or email the center for the current rates. 

Complete a registration form and submit the per-family registration fee. Once the form and registration fee are received, a member of the Center leadership team will contact you to gather more information and discuss the availability of care. If a program is full your child will be placed on a waitlist according to the date your registration form and fee was received and your priority status. Lexmark children and grandchildren and siblings of currently enrolled children receive priority enrollment. If you are not looking for care to start immediately you will be added to the futures list. This is common for unborn or very young infants and for older children looking to enroll when they turn a certain age or at a specific time of the year. Enrollment is not guaranteed and is still dependent on available space.
 

The Primary Teachers have experience working with young children and or college degrees or working towards a Child Development Associate credential (CDA), Associate degree, or Bachelor’s degree. Support Teachers are 18 years of age, have at least one year of experience working with young children or are enrolled in a higher education program. Support teachers may also have a CDA or be working towards an Associate or Bachelor’s degree. All teachers participate in continuing education training each year. Two Education Coordinators support teachers in curriculum and classroom management.
 

The Center for Children uses an emergent approach to curriculum. This means that teachers do not follow a pre-determined set of plans in which each classroom is always doing the same thing. Rather, teachers observe what children are doing, how they are playing, and what they are talking about to create weekly lesson plans that best reflect the children’s current skills, interests, and needs. Teachers actively seek to ensure that experiences are appropriate for the age group and work to develop the whole child. To do this, we use the Creative Curriculum which is a comprehensive, research-based program for children Infants-Kindergarten Prep.
 

Brightwheel is a family communication app that provides our families with consistent, ongoing information about what children are doing each day and the care being provided to them. Teachers use an app on their classroom iPads to input information throughout the day regarding meals, diapering, naps, ouch reports and activities. Pictures of the children and videos of classroom activities are also shared with families and are a favorite feature of Brightwheel.

Center leadership uses the app to send out weekly center updates, important messages, and emergency alerts.

Families can view the information through the app on their smartphones or receive daily reports via email. Each family can customize how they receive information from Brightwheel.
 

For toddlers through kindergarten prep, a set or two of extra, weather-appropriate clothing. It is also recommended that you bring extra underwear, socks and a pair of shoes, particularly if your child is potty training. All children should have a small blanket for nap time, and a soft comfort item or a small pillow. All nap items should be small enough to easily store in your child’s cubby. If your child is still in diapers or potty-training, you will also bring diapers and wipes. Diaper cream can also be brought along with the appropriate form. 

Infants will also need extra sets of weather-appropriate clothing, as well as diapers, wipes, and diaper cream. In addition to bottles that are brought in daily, you can also bring along jar food to supplement your child’s diet as they begin to eat more solid foods. We follow Safe Sleep guidelines so do not use blankets or soft items in cribs. You can provide an age-appropriate non-weighted swaddler or sleep sack if your child uses one at home. You are also free to bring a pacifier if your child uses one.
 

To help us ensure that your child always receives the right bottle, we utilize a color-coding system. At your intake, you will receive a roll of colored tape just for your child. The tape is dishwasher safe and can be used multiple times so we recommend wrapping the tape around the bottle entirely. Then, you can write your child’s first and last name and then add the date each day. Once the date is done, mark it out and add the next so that you don’t have to keep applying tape. For the lid, you can either add a piece of tape or write your child’s name - this is just to help teachers know which lid goes with which bottle as many children use similar bottles. For further details, review this Infant Bottle Guidelines resource.
 

The Center is open Monday through Friday from 7:15 a.m. – 5:45 p.m. The outer set of doors will automatically lock and unlock at these times. 
 

Our Chef and kitchen staff prepare healthy and fresh meals and snacks daily. The Chef creates the menus around seasonal foods ordering many of our items from local farms.

Breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack are served each day. Infants will be offered meals and snacks based on parent preferences as they begin to eat table food.  

If your child has food allergies or intolerances or cultural or religious preferences we will work with you to find suitable substitutions. All substitutions must be documented and may need a healthcare provider's signature.

At least one parent is encouraged to attend an intake conference.  This meeting takes place one to two weeks before your child’s enrollment date.  We will review the completed enrollment paperwork, you will meet your child’s primary teacher and see the room he/she will be in each day.  We’ll also answer any questions you might have, give you key fobs to access the center and discuss billing and center policies/procedures.  
 

Potty training can begin as early as in the toddler room, but typically kicks into high gear in the twos room.  Let your child’s primary teacher know when you begin potty training at home and what you are doing. The teachers will support you and your child throughout the process.

Your child will be offered multiple opportunities to sit on the toilet throughout the day. If an accident occurs, teachers will assist the children in cleaning up and changing clothes.  

If your child is not fully potty-trained before turning three and moving to preschool, we will not hold them back. They will transition and continue to be supported with potty training in the next classroom. 
 

The K-Prep program is for children who are four years old by July 31st of the current year and who are eligible for kindergarten the next school year. Once the children currently enrolled in K Prep leave for kindergarten, then the next group of children will transition to K Prep together in late August. This group of children will participate in a year of curriculum geared towards Kindergarten readiness. They will work through a Handwriting without Tears workbook, focusing on each letter and then putting those letters together to form words Additionally, they will be offered various math and science activities all while encouraging social-emotional growth. As summer and Kindergarten approaches, we will shorten their nap times so they are ready for a full day of Kindergarten. Our goal is to have the K Prep children ready and excited about a lifetime of learning as they enter the next chapter of their lives.
 

We close for major holidays and three to five days around the Christmas holiday to allow staff time to spend with their families. The center also closes for two Professional Development Days each year for all staff training. The center calendar is provided to families at enrollment and at the end of each year. Reminders are included in weekly update emails and can also be viewed at ymcacky.org/holiday-hours.
 

The first set of front doors is unlocked whenever the center is open (7:15 a.m. - 5:45 p.m., Monday-Friday).  The second set of doors remains locked and can be accessed using a programmed key fob.  Each parent/guardian will be provided a key fob upon enrollment.  If you forget your key fob or someone else is picking up or dropping off your child, there is a doorbell in the entryway and the door can be unlocked by office staff.  Please report lost key fobs so they can be deactivated.  Replacement fobs are available for a small fee.  
 

Grandparents or other adults authorized for pickup will be buzzed through the front doors. A member of the Leadership Team will ask for identification and then verify that their name is listed on the enrollment paperwork as an Emergency Contact or Person Authorized to Pick Up. Additional people can be added to the authorized pick up list by submitting a written request. The grandparent will sign the child(ren) out at the front desk in writing and will be escorted to the child. A grandparent or other adult who picks up regularly will not need to show ID once they are known to the person at the front desk. 
 

The Infant classrooms have a direct line so you can call and speak with your child’s teacher. All other incoming calls go through the front desk and are either transferred to the classrooms or a message is taken and given to the classroom teacher.
 

If you’ve just learned that your child has a food allergy, inform Center leadership. In most cases, our Center kitchen is able to provide substitutions for children with allergies. We will need  a Health Care Plan completed with a physician’s signature identifying the exact allergen as well as a plan for what to do in case of exposure. If medication is needed, the medicine must be provided and a Medication Form completed. Please know that if life-saving medication, such as an Auvi-Q or Epi-Pen, is prescribed the medicine must be kept onsite for the child to be left in our care. 

Also, to keep all teachers aware of potential safety issues in the room, the Center posts children’s allergies in the classroom and uses a color-coded placemat system for meals to help ensure that children do not come in contact with foods that are dangerous for them. This information, as well as what to do in case of exposure, is posted in the office, kitchen, and classrooms so that it can be referenced easily and quickly by all staff.
 

Families are offered a conference with their child’s teacher every six months.  We typically offer three types of conferences: a midpoint, a transition, and a final. A midpoint conference is usually six months after a child has transitioned to a new classroom or enrolled in the center. This is a time when you can meet with your child’s primary teacher to discuss progress and goals. A transition conference, on the other hand, will also include this discussion with your child’s current teacher, but the new primary teacher will also be present so that you can learn about the new classroom. Final conferences are offered when a child is leaving the center so progress can be shared and any final questions asked of the teachers. 

There are times when conferences may be offered a little sooner or later depending on the circumstances. For example, infant midpoint conferences are offered around their six-month birthday rather than six months after enrolling. Our infants enroll at different ages and midpoint conferences are important for our infant teachers to be able to work with families on reaching milestones that will help their child be more prepared for the transition to toddlers.

Conferences can be in-person or virtual to meet your needs.
 

Maybe things have been going smoothly so there’s no need for a conference. Or maybe you feel like you see your child’s teacher every day and that should be enough. There are all kinds of reasons why you may consider skipping a conference when you get that invite from Center leadership. However, before making that decision, we encourage you to speak with your child’s teacher. While you may see your child’s teacher frequently at drop off and pick up, these times can be difficult for teachers to share everything they might wish to tell you because they are responsible for the supervision and care of other children. Conferences can offer you and your child’s teacher an opportunity to speak with one another openly without the distractions of a classroom. They can be a very valuable time for you to review progress and help teachers ensure they are meeting your child’s needs and goals. It may turn out that you and your child’s teacher are on the same page without a conference, but it never hurts to ask if they would like to speak with you or if the conference can wait for another time. 
 

Except for the transition from Preschool to Kindergarten Prep, transitions for children are typically planned around a child’s birthday. This allows the center some flexibility in scheduling moves around a child’s readiness, potential vacations of teachers and families, as well as allowing multiple children to move to their new classroom together. Once a transition has been planned, you will receive a transition packet. This will contain information about the new age group, your child’s transition schedule, classroom schedule, etc. It will also have forms to complete and return such as a classroom departure questionnaire and an updated developmental history. You will receive an invitation from Center leadership regarding a transition conference allowing you to meet with both the current and new primary teacher to hear about your child’s progress and learn about the new classroom. 
 

The Kindergarten Prep program follows an academic calendar year, children from Preschool transition to Kindergarten Prep in the Fall as a group. Weeklong transitions are not necessary for this group as they are usually very eager to get into their new classroom. For that reason, transitions are shortened to a few days.

A Kindergarten Prep Information Session is offered instead of individual transition conferences. Families meet the new teachers and learn about the Kindergarten Prep program and how it can help their child get ready for elementary school.
 

It is our goal that children go outside daily. Playing outdoors provides the children with a much-needed break from the classroom, the chance to get in the active physical movement that their bodies need, as well as many other benefits. Even in winter, going outside can help eliminate many germs that accumulate and spread while children are cooped up inside. Each classroom, toddlers through Kindergarten Prep, is scheduled for 30 minutes of playground time in the morning and afternoon. For additional outdoor time, teachers may conduct learning experiences outdoors, serve lunch or snack outside, or go on nature walks with children. There are conditions in which the amount of time is limited, whether that is due to storms, the heat index, or wind chill. The Center uses the Child Care Weather Watch chart to help determine if times for certain age groups need to be shortened or if children should play indoors due to weather.
 

It is just as essential for infants to go outside as it is for older age groups. As infants become more mobile, they need the opportunities to move and discover the world around them through exploration. Because of the individualized care and schedules of infant children, keeping to a specific time each day for outdoor time does not always work. We are very fortunate that each of our Infant classrooms has an outdoor patio where teachers can take small groups of children outside throughout the day as the babies’ schedules allow. Our teachers also provide outdoor experiences by taking children out to the courtyard playground or on buggy rides around the perimeter of the Center. 
 

Our hours of operation are 7:15 am. – 5:45 pm. The outside set of doors to the Center automatically unlock and lock at those times. You can enter when the doors unlock at 7:15 am. Our staff are scheduled to work until 5:45 pm. We ask that families allow enough to pick up their child/ren and leave the Center by our closing time at 5:45 p.m.
 

If you know that you are going to be late picking up your child, you are encouraged to call the Center and let us know. Children can become anxious when they are at the Center past their normal time and this allows us to let them know what to expect. It also allows us time to determine who among the remaining staff can stay. Your child’s usual teacher may have prior commitments. A $20 late fee will be charged if a family arrives after the front doors have locked at 5:45 p.m.

If we do not know ahead of time that a child will be picked up late, Center staff will immediately contact a guardian to determine who will be picking up the child and when. If guardians cannot be reached, we will call emergency contact persons listed on the child’s enrollment paperwork. If a child is not picked up by 6:45 p.m. and contact has not been made with the family the Center will contact Child Protective Services.
 

If you would like to request that your child be with a specific primary caregiver, you are encouraged to speak with Center leadership. However, it is important to know that even though a request has been made, we cannot guarantee a space will be available. Primary care group decisions are based on a variety of factors and can be impacted by ratios, schedules, outside enrollment, and the dynamics between children. We will make every effort to honor your request but we cannot promise a space with a specific primary teacher.