|
Here are a few of our most
frequently asked questions. If you still don't have the answers you're
looking for, we'd be glad to answer any questions you have. Just give
us a call or send us an email.
Do you have licensing or other certification? Funny Farm Early Learning Center is a fully licensed childcare facility by the Oregon Childcare Division. Our founder and center director is the national recipient of the industry's top honor, the Scholastic Early Childhood Professional Award, and has been recognized by "Who's Who Among America's Teachers" in 2006. What are your hours? Our aim is to accommodate working and busy parents, and those who see the value in a full day preschool program. We offer 5-day, 3-day and 2-day schedules. Our hours of operation are 7:00a.m. to 6:00p.m., Monday through Friday. Do you offer partial or half-day schedules? At this time, we only offer full day schedules, as believe in the value of a full-day program. What are the fees? It is our strong belief that your monthly tuition should cover materials, activities, meals, and other requirements of a quality program. Therefore, we are proud to offer a program that only charges a one-time registration fee of $60 and that's it! Excluding your monthly tuition payment, no other fees associated with our program are required. What are your staff's credentials and training? All of our staff are fully licensed teachers who are dedicated and passionate professionals in the field of early childhood education. Our center director is a national recipient of the Scholastic Early Childhood Professional Award and has been acknowledged as a Who's Who Among America's Teachers. All staff are current in first-aid/CPR training, as well as food handling, and we exceed Oregon's certification requirements in continued education credits. How are the kids grouped? What is your teacher-child ratio? Our program is a mixed-age group of children ages 3 to 5 years old. We have a very low teacher-child ratio of 1:7 during regular school hours. What are the benefits of a mixed-age group? A mixed-age group of ages 3 to 5 is extremely beneficial to children, no matter which age they may be. Younger children learn to progress at their own pace while shadowing older children's behaviors and social skills, while older children learn to mentor and lead by example. Feel free to ask for our handout, "Mixed-Age Groups" for additional information about our philosophy. Do you provide lunch? Lunches and snacks are provided on a daily basis and are planned using healthy nutritional guidelines. Lunches on the menu are prepared and served by staff on site in an approved kitchen. Snacks are served twice daily and are planned to include at least two food groups. Snack and lunch times, as well as a weekly menu are posted on the classroom bulletin board. Do you encourage visits from parents? Parent involvement is greatly encouraged. It's important that children know their parents take an active interest in their education and let's face it... hearing a new story from a fresh voice is always a nice change of pace. While we understand that not all full-time working parents have that luxury, we hope parents will take an active role, time permitting, to volunteer or present a favorite story, special talent, or hobby. As we are also committed to celebrating diversity and the uniqueness of every child, we appreciate parents who share their cultural traditions and holidays with our class. Do you have a safe outside play area? We have a beautiful, park-like playground that includes a nature area, gardening space, baseball and soccer fields, and a variety of play equipment that is well maintained by the Park & Recreation District. To increase playground security, children in our program are required to wear an easily visible vest provided by the Funny Farm, and are instructed on playground boundaries and other safety procedures. Could you recommend families I can call for references? Absolutely! Any of our families would be happy to share their Funny Farm experience and answer any questions you have. Ask our director for a list of names and numbers.
|
