UIC Children’s Center-West Site
General Information
Center Hours
Center hours are 6:30am to 6:00pm Monday-Friday. The classrooms are
open from 8:15am-5:15pm. Parents who need child care before or after
the regular classroom hours are asked to make arrangements in advance
with the site director for the Early Morning Room or the Late Room.
All children must arrive by 9:30am each day.
Top
Fees
The Center’s operating budget is based upon fees paid by the parents
of enrolled children‚ a University subsidy‚ participation in the Child
and Adult Care Food Program and the Chicago Public Schools’ Preschool
For All program‚ and other grants and contracts.
For student parents ‚ fees are on a sliding scale based upon each
family’s gross income before taxes and other financial resources‚ such
as child support‚ financial aid‚ savings‚ assistance by other family
members‚ incomes from rental property‚ etc. All other parents will pay
the designated weekly rate. Each child’s weekly fee is determined at
enrollment and reviewed at the beginning of the fall semester each year.
When the site director establishes each
family’s fees‚ income and other financial verification may be requested.
Any deviation from the Center’s fee scale requires the Center director’s
approval.
Upon the initial decision to enroll a child (and by the end of each spring
semester thereafter), parents are asked to pay a deposit of the annual
registration fee and the first week's child care fee. This non-refundable
deposit reserves a child's place in the program. Space will not be held for
a child without this deposit. Questions about the deposit should be
discussed with the director or the assistant director.
The Children's Center accepts families participating in the Illinois
Department of Human Services subsidized child care program. Parents are
responsible for the initial application (or re-determination) process, as
well as submitting any required documents to Action for Children. Weekly
tuition will be collected until the subsidy is approved in writing at which
point parents will be responsible to pay their weekly/monthly co-payment. If
at any point a parent is dropped from the subsidized child care program,
s/he will be responsible for the weekly fee determined upon enrollment.
Top
Optional Weeks
Parents may request three weeks as "optional" throughout the
school year (August-July). Parents may choose not to bring their child
to the Center during optional weeks and will not be charged fees for
those weeks. If the child attends any days during that week‚ the parent
will be charged the full weekly fee.
Top
Parking
The designated place for parents to park is in our driveway at the west
end of the building. Our driveway is only accessible when you
are driving NORTH on Damen.
The driveway is for drop-off and pick-up only. Parents are not authorized
to park for longer periods of time‚ and those who do so risk a parking
ticket from the UIC Police or Parking Enforcement staff.
If you chose to park in the circular drive in the front of the building
on Taylor Street‚ please be advised that this is NOT
our designated drop-off area and you are at risk of receiving a parking
ticket from the City of Chicago Police.
Top
Child:Teacher Ratio
Children are cared for in mixed age-groupings. The Center has two
classrooms made up of three- and four-year old children. The ratio in
this classroom is two adults to 16 children. The third classroom at
the Center is made up of four- and five-year old children. The ratio
in this classroom is two adults to 18 children.
Top
Food Service
The Children’s Center participates in the Child and Adult Care Food
Program‚ a U.S. Department of Agriculture program administered by the
Illinois State Board of Education.
Daily lunches and morning and afternoon snacks are catered by University
Dining Services‚ with a freshly prepared lunch delivered each morning.
The Center serves a variety of foods‚ but not pork‚ preserved meats
(such as hot dogs)‚ or sugared desserts. Weekly menus are posted on
the hallway bulletin board.
View the current
menu cycle.
Top
Children’s Center Staff
Staff is made up of teachers and directors who have specialized training
in early childhood education and child development. All teachers and
directors have four-year or graduate degrees in Early Childhood Education.
The administrative staff is made up of the Center Director‚ and the Assistant
Director‚ . Each classroom has
co-teachers who work as a team to plan and implement activites‚and the
daily schedule. Teachers work with children individually‚ as well as
within the group.
Support staff includes a Food Service Aide and student employees who
serve as Teacher’s Aides during naptime. The Children’s Center occasionally
hosts practicum students and volunteers in the classroom.
Top
Parent Handbook
The Parent Handbook covers additional Center policies and procedures.
Each family will be given a handbook at the time of enrollment.
Download
West Site Handbook
Top
UIC Children’s Center Staff
|
