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A Vision for the Future of Child Care
30 Bathurst Drive · Waterloo, ON N2V 1V6 · (519) 880-9021 info@butterflylearningcentre.com

FAQ

Beyond the Basics

It’s seeing through the eyes of children that guides our decisions, shapes our programs and validates our vision. It’s how we nurture your children and unleash their potential.

And it’s how we have so much fun every day!

But we also see through your eyes.

When your child isn’t with you, you need to know that your child is in a safe, secure, healthy and loving environment. You need to know that someone is responding to – and anticipating – his or her needs, respecting them, and providing opportunities for learning and socialization.

BLC meets these needs through our facility, stimulating environment, professional caregivers and educational programming.

 

What are your hours of operation?

Butterfly Learning Centre is currently open Monday-Friday from 8am-5pm. 

BLC is closed on all Statutory Holidays and also closed for the holidays from December 25th to January 1st.  We will close at 12:00pm on Christmas Eve , should it fall days fall during the week.

Butterfly is closed when the school board closes schools due to inclement weather. Emails will be sent to families by 7:00am should the centre be closed. Also Check our website and local radio stations (570 News) for closures.

What age groups do you offer care for?

We provide the following programs:

  • Infant Care – For children up to 18 months of age
  • Toddler Care – For children 18 months to 2½ years of age
  • Preschool Care – For children 2½ to 6 years of age
How much does care at Butterfly cost?

Please see our fee page

How does movement between programs in Butterfly work? When will my child move “up”?

Once your child is old enough to move into the next age group (ie – from the Infant program to the Toddler program), we will offer you the next available space that meets your schedule in that age group. This can take time – not all children will move right away! Children in the Centre remain in the younger age grouping until there is an appropriate space for them in the next age group. Families continue to pay for the program that their child is currently in.

How will I know what my child is up to at Butterfly?

Open communication with parents and families is so important! We want to be sure you know how your children spend their time while at BLC. We do this is several ways:

  1. “My Day” forms (Infant and Toddler Programs): Each day, you will be sent home with a “My Day” form, which outlines what happened during your child’s day at Butterfly. This will outline things like how your child ate, how they slept, and activities they were particularly interested in.
  2. Portfolios: Every child at Butterfly has an individual portfolio, which can be found outside each classroom. In your child’s portfolio, you will find a variety of documentation, photos and creations that your child has been crafting during their time at childcare. In the portfolio, you will see milestones met, increasing development in all domains and references to our document for learning (How Does Learning Happen?). This portfolio “moves” with your child throughout their time at the Centre, and is yours to take home and keep when your child withdraws. What a great memento of their time at Butterfly and the learning they did while they were here!
  3. Progress Reports: Each year, Butterfly staff write a progress report for each child in the Centre. Each child’s report is written by one of their teachers and outlines development in many major areas.
  4. Posted Documentation: You would be hard-pressed to find a time when a Butterfly staff member doesn’t have a camera in hand! Our staff are always busy taking pictures of what the children in their classrooms are working on, and these pictures can be found posted in the hallways and classrooms.
How do you support children with exceptional needs who require some extra help?

We are thankful to be in a community with so many great resources to help us support the children in our care. We work closely with KW Habilitation and KidsAbility to ensure all the children at Butterfly have the chance to grow and thrive.

Our facilities are fully wheelchair accessible.

Do the children participate in field trips and off-site activities?

Yes, as part of the curriculum, field trips and other off-site excursions are planned periodically throughout the year. Parents will be notified in advance of field trips on the monthly calendar and will be required to give written permission for their child(ren) to attend on a case-by-case basis. Field trips are for Preschool programs only.

For the younger children, smaller off-site activities such as neighbourhood walks are also part of our curriculum planning. Parents are required to sign a permission form to cover all such informal excursions prior to enrolling their child(ren) as such activities are not always planned in advance.

What does BLC do to keep the facility secure?

In order to monitor movement into and out of the Centre, and to be sure everyone in the Centre is supposed to be there, all outside doors are secure. All families receive two key fobs when their child begins at the Centre. Parents must swipe in every time they enter, and we ask that parents do not hold the door for someone entering behind them.

For the protection of all concerned, parents must notify the staff if someone other than themselves is picking up their child from the Centre.

Only a parent or a person specified as an extra pick up contact may pick up your child from BLC unless the Centre has been notified in advance. If someone other than you is picking up your child for the first time, their identification will be checked.

What is BLC’s policy on immunizations?

The Child Care Early Years Act requires that prior to admission every child be immunized as recommended by the Region of Waterloo Public Health. Should you choose not to immunize your child for medical, religious or conscientious reasons, there are temporary exemption forms available. Updated immunizations should be copied for your child’s file each time they are received.

Does my child need to be potty trained to attend Butterfly?

Absolutely not!

If your child is in diapers, an adequate supply is to be kept at the Centre, along with any wipes or ointments/creams to be used. All items must be marked with your child’s name.

Cloth diapers are allowed at BLC. Families using cloth diapers must bring in a separate, washable container in which wet/soiled diapers can be kept. Wet/soiled cloth diapers must be taken home each night.

If a child is in training pants, several pairs must be kept on hand at the Centre, along with changes of clothing in case of accidents.

How Does BLC keep my child’s personal information confidential?

We are obligated to maintain the confidentiality of information obtained in the course of professional dealings with children and families, as outlined in the College of Early Childhood Educators and Ontario’s Code of Ethics.

We use Childcarepro – an online database management system – to maintain our child and employee files. Due to the sensitivity of your data, Childcarepro provides three levels of security: a unique facility, username and password, SSL certificates with a 256-bit encryption, and a secure hosting environment (similar to an online banking environment).

In order to respect and support every individual’s privacy and to protect all parties involved, we cannot share any information about children in our care, their families, or any individual on staff.

What is the registration process at Butterfly?

Once you have accepted a space at BLC, you will be required to pay a $250 Security Deposit to secure your space at the Centre. This deposit will be returned to you upon 30-days’ written notice of withdrawal, the return of your key fobs, and as long as there are no outstanding fees on your account. Butterfly also requires a one-time, non-refundable registration fee ($30/child or $50/family). This fee provides you with your membership at BLC while your child is actively attending the Centre, as well as offsetting the costs for your family account to be set up and new child registration completed.

You will be emailed a temporary username and password, inviting you to sign in and register your child’s information on our online childcare database. Once this has been completed, you will then receive a registration package via email to complete and return to the Centre, along with a VOID cheque and copy of your child’s immunization records. All registration information must be completed and applicable monies received by BLC before your child can start at the Centre.

I require childcare but I’m having trouble affording the fees. What are my options?

We understand that paying for childcare can be a challenge. You are welcome to apply for childcare subsidy through the Region of Waterloo. 

More information about childcare subsidy can be found at http://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/servicesforyou/childcaresubsidy.asp.

What is required if I want to withdraw my child or reduce our days of care?

One month’s written notification is required for withdrawal of your child from the centre.  If a child is withdrawn without written notice, a full month’s fees will be charged, and the Security Deposit will be forfeited.  If your child is withdrawn at the request of Butterfly Learning Centre, 30 days written notice will be given whenever possible.  30 days written notification is also required should you reduce the number of days of care necessary for your family.

September Withdrawals

The policy that states BLC requires a minimum of one month’s written notice for withdrawals does not apply for children withdrawing from the Centre in June, July or August in order to attend Kindergarten in the fall. In this case, the following rules apply:

BLC will send out a Summer Vacation and Fall Schedule form to all parents by March 1. This form must be filled out and returned to the Centre no later than March 15, and must include whether or not each child eligible for Kindergarten will be attending Kindergarten in the fall or will plan to stay at Butterfly for the following school year.

If a parent is planning on withdrawing their child to attend Kindergarten, the latest date that they may withdraw is August 31. If they plan to withdraw at an earlier date than August 31, they must indicate this date on their Summer Vacation and Fall Schedule form. If no other date is indicated on this form, it will be assumed that the child is attending BLC until August 31 and the parents will be responsible for paying for childcare until that date.

Termination of Child Care Space

Your child’s space may be terminated for the following reasons:

Non-Compliance with General Policies and Payment Provisions

Failure to comply with any of the above policies, including any payment provisions, may, at the BLC’s sole discretion, result in immediate termination of the space, in addition to any other available legal remedies.

Behaviour Related

This policy recognizes that a child care centre is not always appropriate for all children.  This could be because of physical or mental disabilities, or behaviour problems.  This termination policy is meant to protect the children and staff of the centre from physical and/or mental stress brought on by the social and behavioural difficulties experienced by some children.  A decision to terminate a child’s space will not be made unless all alternate avenues have been exhausted.

The following points will be considered:

  • Verbal and/or physical abuse of staff and/or children by the child in question.
  • An inability, by the child in question, to follow rules and routines, therefore consistently disrupting the program.
  • Written complaints about the child in question from parents of other children in the centre.
  • Inappropriate or disturbing behaviour exhibited by the child’s parent.

The following procedure will be used in deciding to terminate a child care space:  An initial meeting will be scheduled with the respective parent(s) to clearly outline the issue at hand.  The issue will be recorded and articulated to parent(s) by staff members for up to a one month period.  If the parent(s) are able to follow through on recommended practices, then staff will assist them in making contact with the appropriate agencies.  The Board of Directors will be informed of the procedures and kept updated throughout the entire process.  If the documentation determines it to be necessary, the Executive Director of the centre (along with the staff) will meet again with the parent(s) to discuss the issue. If the issues at hand continue, one month’s notice termination will be given in writing by the Executive Director of the Butterfly Learning Centre. 

What is the history of BLC?

In the fall of 2000, a group of people came together with one purpose – to initiate the development of a new learning centre for early childhood education in North Waterloo to fulfill the growing need in our expanding community.

A vision for a new centre began – not just to provide child care, but to encourage the learning and growth of all families and individuals involved.

The Butterfly Learning Centre opened its doors in December of 2001 and since then we have welcomed thousands of children and families to share in the journey of learning with us.

Do you offer information in an accessible format?

The Butterfly Learning Centre strives to be accessible for all individuals. We will provide any information on our website in accessible format if requested.

BLC continually evaluates the implementation of our Accessibility Standards for Customer Service Policy. Copies are available to external parties upon request (info@butterflylearningcentre.com).

STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?

We understand that choosing the right care for your child is a significant decision. Not all of your questions can be answered by a fancy website!

Why not contact us and arrange for a tour of our facilities? We can answer specific questions, and best of all, you get to see the BLC difference first hand.

You can also take a look at our BLC Parent Handbook for our general policies and guidelines for all our families (in Acrobat PDF format).

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"Butterfly was my first choice for care for my son. I have peace of mind knowing he is well taken care of by qualified educators."

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