Frequently Asked Questions
Daycare Rates & Fees
How much does daycare cost?
See chart below. Prices accurate as of 7/18/2023. Prices are the same for all ages.
About The Providers
How long have you been providing care?
We have been providing care as a mother-daughter team for over 10 years. We have been a licensed daycare for over 5 years.
Do you have first-aid/CPR and child development training? What type of child development training do you require, if any?
Both providers are CPR/First Aid Certified. We both also have multiple continuing education credits in childcare. We are required by NYS to complete 30 hours of additional training every 2 years.
Do you conduct background checks on all your employees?
We are the only two people who will ever care for your children, so that means that we have no employees. We were both fingerprinted and background checked at the time of our daycare licensing.
What happens if you are ill?
In the unlikely event that we are both ever ill at the same time, we will try to give you as much notice as possible. If only one of us is sick, we will still be open and the provider that is sick will not be around the daycare children.
Will anyone else be caring for the children at any time?
No, we are the only providers your children will ever have while they are in our care.
Will anyone else be in the house while the children are there?
No, no one else lives in the house with us.
Do you smoke?
No, neither of the providers smoke.
Do you have pets?
Yes, we have one dog, a rescue from Bidawee Animal Shelter named Ollie. He is certified by the OCFS to be around the daycare children, is up to date on all shots, and has a current yearly health certificate. Even though Ollie is cleared to be around the daycare children, his interaction with them is very minimal. We also have two Red Ear Slider Turtles, and small animals (guinea pigs and hamsters). Turtles and small animals have absolutely no interaction with the daycare children and are kept either in a locked tank (turtles) or a locked room (small animals).
About The Daycare
Do you have a current state license or registration?
Yes, we are licensed by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services.
Are you inspected by the state?
Yes, the OCFS does surprise inspections every few months.
How many kids is the facility licensed for?
The facility is licensed for up to 12 children, ages 6 weeks to 12 years, plus 4 additional school-aged children. There must be one caregiver for every two children under the age of two years in attendance.
Daycare Policies
What is your sick child policy? If my child gets sick, would you give him medication?
If your child is sick, please do not bring them to daycare. Exceptions include clear runny nose, allergy symptoms, etc. We cannot give any oral medication. We are only authorized to give topical medication (diaper cream, bug spray, sunscreen, etc).
What is your educational philosophy?
At VacationLand Daycare, we believe in the importance of play in the learning process for young children. Play is the basis for learning in our program. We work to empower young children, promote individuality, and develop strong partnerships with families while creating an environment that helps young children attain physical, cognitive, social, and emotional achievements. We encourage children to use critical thinking and problem solving skills in their daily experiences. Our daycare environment is designed to reflect the children’s interests and to cultivate positive self-image, independence, and interdependence. We foster equal opportunity in learning and education for all children regardless of race, creed, sex, religion, national origin, or physical condition.
What is your discipline policy?
Our discipline will vary so that they are effective with children of different age groups by using age appropriate discipline for each child. Discipline examples: infants and toddlers: redirection, positive reinforcement, school-age: redirection, positive reinforcement, establishing of rules.
What are the daycare's policies on payment?
We expect to be paid in cash the full amount of the tuition due for the current week on Fridays. You will be given a receipt for tax purposes. Your child will not be accepted back into daycare until all balances from the previous week are settled. Multiple late payments are grounds for the removal of your child from daycare.
What is the holiday schedule?
Please see our Days Closed Form for the current year on the home page for our list of yearly closures.
Child Ratio
What is the student to teacher ratio?
We are licensed to have ratios of 2 infants, 4 toddlers, and 2 school age children to one provider.
What is the specific breakdown of age ranges?
Infants are defined as a child under the age of 2. Toddlers are defined as a child aged 2 until the summer before kindergarten. School Age are defined as a child who is in kindergarten through 12 years old.
Do you care for the same group of kids every day?
We generally have the same group of kids every day, but some are part time and may not be here every day of the week. We also will have additional children during school holidays and summer vacation.
Daycare Daily Activities
What is a typical day like for the children? How much time do they spend outside?
A typical day for our daycare kids consists of 2 meals (breakfast and lunch) and 2 snacks. In between meal times, we have tons of fun! Some activities include arts and crafts (drawing, coloring, play dough), puzzles (wooden for 3 and under, larger ones for 4 and up), dramatic play (play kitchen, stuffed animal doctor), free play (cars, dinosaurs, blocks), etc. We go outside every day that the weather is nice. The nicer the day the longer the amount of time we spend outside. On a sunny day, we may even have a snack or lunch outside!
Do you let children watch TV?
We use the TV only as a tool for when children can get an educational experience from it. For example we do Cosmic Kids Yoga, singing and dancing, etc.
Food and Other Supplies
What meals and supplies do I need to provide?
We provide all meals and snacks to limit arguing between children over different meals. We love donations though, if you want to bring something for the group! We need a spare change of clothes for every child in care, regardless of age, in case of accidents, spills, etc. If your child is in diapers/pull ups, they need to be provided, along with wipes. If your child is an infant, you need to provide breast milk/formula, and baby food.
What types of snacks and/or meals do you serve?
We try to serve healthy meals that the children will still enjoy. We always serve a fruit with breakfast every day and a vegetable with lunch every day. Breakfast consists of one common breakfast food (eggs, muffin, cereal, etc) served with fruit and low fat milk. Lunch consists of 1 meat (chicken, meatloaf, sandwich meat, etc) served with a side (rice, mashed potatoes, pasta, etc), a vegetable, and water. A snack is usually fruit or a variety of different snacks that kids enjoy (pretzels, crackers, cheese sticks, etc) served with water.
Potty Training/Diapering
What is your policy about potty-training?
We help with the potty training process only after you have started at home. We require you to bring them in pull ups or if in underwear a few change of clothes in case of accidents. Please see our Parent Handbook for our full Potty Training Policy.
Do caregivers wash their hands after changing diapers and before feeding the children?
All caregivers and all children in our care always wash their hands before and after using the bathroom (including diapering), after going outside, and before and after eating every meal (including snacks).
Are older children taught to wash their hands after using the potty?
Yes, everyone is taught to wash their hands after using the bathroom.
