Policies and Procedures

Behavior Management Policy

One of the best ways to address challenging behavior is to prevent it. With a proactive approach, our teachers utilize practices that support positive behavior. We provide flexible spacing to support different types of learning styles. We plan and organize our classroom, lessons, and activities to ensure smooth transitions. Materials are set up in a safe and accessible manner. Positive behavior expectations are clear, simple, and taught explicitly. Teachers plan, teach, and practice routines and procedures. Reinforcement and re-teaching happen throughout the year and as needed. Appropriate consequences for unacceptable behavior are managed when necessary. Our center prohibits abusive, neglectful, physical, corporal, humiliating or frightening treatment or punishment including but not imited to, spanking, slapping, pinching, shaking or striking a child.Physical restraint is prohibited, unless such restraint is necessary to protect the health and safety of the child or other people.

Our Center uses Positive Behavior Strategies and Supports to develop and maintain a safe and healthy learning environment. Positive behavior strategies are evidence-based, proactive approaches to addressing challenging student behavior. Positive behavior strategies encourage the observation of behavior as a form of communication. Every behavior sends a message about what a student needs. Positive behavior strategies help to proactively reduce challenging behaviors while also building trusting relationships between teachers, students, and families. Once the behavior is understood, the appropriate response can be more effective. Especially in a preschool setting, students often lack the language or communication skills to express what they need. Understanding what the behavior is communicating is the key.

Some examples of positive behavior strategies that are used at the Center include:

• Setting clear behavior expectations
• Modeling positive behavior
• Pre-correcting and prompting
• Respectful redirection
• Nonverbal signals
• Brain breaks
• Routines
• Proximity
• Quiet corrections
• Positive phrasing
• Praising positive behavior
• Active ignoring
• Teach replacement skills
• Problem solving

Our highly skilled teachers have proven success with strong classroom management techniques that encourage the growth and development of each child’s self-esteem. Our teachers are trained to observe challenging behavior and carefully select appropriate responses that guide young learners to handle intense emotions and build positive interpersonal relationships. This approach fosters self-discipline and respect for others. Regardless of skill and experience, sometimes a child’s behavior is difficult to read. In cases when a challenging behavior persists, our teachers make contact with families to work collaboratively and find solutions. All students are continuously supervised during all disciplinary actions.

Abuse and Neglect Policy

As mandated reporters, all of our staff have a responsibility to prevent the child abuse and neglect of any children involved in our center.

1. Child Abuse is defined as: (CT statutes, Section 46b-120) A child who has had
   • Non-accidental physical injuries inflicted upon him
   • Injuries which are at variance with the history given of them
   • Is in a condition, which is the result of maltreatment, such as, but not limited to, malnutrition, sexual exploitation, and deprivation of necessities, emotional maltreatment or cruel punishment.
2. Child neglect is defined as: (CT General Statutes, 46b-120)
   A child who has been...
   • Abandoned
   • Denied proper care and attention physically, educationally, emotionally or morally
   • Allowed to live under circumstances, conditions or associations injurious to his well-being
3. Child Abuse includes: (CT General Statutes, 46b-120)
   • Any non-accidental physical or mental injury, (shaking, beating, burning).
   • Any form of sexual abuse, (sexual exploitation).
   • Neglect of a child, (failure to provide food, clothing, shelter, education, mental care, appropriate supervision).
   • Emotional abuse, (excessive belittling, berating, or teasing which impairs the child’s psychological growth).
   • At risk behavior, (placing a child in a situation which might endanger him by abuse or neglect).
4. Staff responsibilities: (CT General Statutes, Sections 17a-101, 17a-101a, 17a-10lb, 17a-101c, and 17a-101d.)
   As childcare providers, we are mandated by law to report any suspicion that a child is being abused, neglected or at risk.
5. Procedure for Reporting a suspected case of abuse or neglect:
   • Call the Department of Children and Families (open 24 hours a day) at 1.800.842.2288.
   • Call the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood at 1.800.282.6063 or 1.860.509.8045.
   • The reporter’s name is required, but may be kept confidential.
   • Information required to report:
     • Name of child
     • Address of child
     • Phone number of child
     • Name of parents or guardians
     • Address of parents or guardians
     • Phone number of parents or guardians
     • Relevant information such as: physical or behavioral indicators, nature and extent of injury, maltreatment or neglect
     • Exact description of what the reporter has observed
     • Time and date of incident
     • Information about previous injuries, if any
     • Circumstances under which reporter learned of abuse
     • Name of any person suspected of causing injury
     • Any information reporter believes would be helpful
     • Any action taken to help or treat the child
     • Seek medical attention for the child – if needed
6. Mandated reporters must report orally to DCF or a law enforcement agency within 12 hours of suspecting that a child has been abused or neglected. Within 48 hours of making the report, the mandated reporter must submit a written report (DCF – 136) to DCF.
   Staff are protected by law from discrimination or retaliation for reporting suspected abuse or neglect (CT General Statutes, Section 17a-101e).
   All phone calls to DCF shall be documented and kept on file at the Center. A copy of all statements from staff and the DCF-136 shall also be kept on file.
7. The administration of the CCSU Drop-In Child Care Center supports zero tolerance for abuse and neglect and will implement immediate action should there be an allegation that a staff member abused or neglected a child.
   The administration will protect the child, including immediate notification of a parent or guardian, once there is an allegation of abuse or neglect of a child in our program.
   Any staff member accused of abuse or neglect may be immediately removed from his or her position until DCF’s investigation is completed. Based on whether the allegations were substantiated or not, the employee would either be dismissed from his/her position or allowed to return to work.
8. Staff Training:
   Staff are required to attend bi-annual staff meetings focusing on the steps for reporting suspected abuse and neglect and the role of a mandated reporter. All new staff will be trained in these procedures prior to their start in the classroom.
9. Provisions for informing families of abuse and neglect:
   A copy of this policy will be included in our parent information packet, and each family will be given a copy upon enrollment. A copy of this policy will also be posted on the parent board. When an accusation of abuse or neglect by a staff member is made, the Drop-In Child Care Center director must immediately inform the parents or guardians that a report has been made to DCF. Health care officials may need to talk to a child’s parents to access the cause of the child’s injuries and offer support and guidance