Kids 4 Kids After School Program Policies
Attendance:
AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS
We will take attendance at the beginning of each session. If your child is not present, we will contact you by phone. We will phone your cell number first, followed by your home phone number. Please ensure that you have given us a phone number where you can be reached immediately. If you know your child will not be at a Kids 4 Kids session, please email Scott Graham at kids@kids4kids.ca
LUNCH-HOUR PROGRAMS
We will do attendance at the beginning of each session. We encourage parents to remind their children the morning of the program that they are to go to Kids 4 Kids at lunch. Parents should also let their child’s teacher know, so their teacher can also remind them. We will also make an announcement at the school over the school intercom to remind the children.
It is the responsibility of the parents and child to ensure the child attends. Kids 4 Kids staff do not escort children from their classrooms, nor do we search the school for children who forget to attend. I disagree with the statement that children are too young to remember. Responsibility can be taught at any age. We need the support of parents to help their children remember to attend the Kids 4 Kids lunch-hour programs. If children are reminded at the beginning of the day, a note is in a child’s agenda for their teacher to see and an announcement is made at the school, there is no reason for a child to forget.
There are no refunds for missed sessions. A child can make up a session at another time or other location.
Added Safety:
We recommend that you remind your child the morning of the program and put a note in their schedule so their teacher knows they are going to Kids 4 Kids after school.
If your child is at the YMCA or other after-school daycare program:
If your child attends the YMCA or other daycare program running at the school where Kids 4 Kids is being offered, it is your responsibility to inform the YMCA/daycare that your child is at Kids 4 Kids. We will escort your child back to the YMCA/daycare program when Kids 4 Kids is over. This may be a few minutes after Kids 4 Kids is finished, as we must ensure all the other Kids 4 Kids members are connected with their parents.
Buses:
If your child takes a bus after school, please inform your child’s teacher and the bus driver that your child will not be on the bus.
Food at Kids 4 Kids Sessions and Camps
The children may receive a treat at a Kids 4 Kids session. We try to limit the amount of candy/sugary treats served. In saying this, the children may receive a chocolate bar or candy treat. This usually only happens once during the five-week session or weekly camps. Please let us know before the program starts if your child is not permitted candy or if you would like to suggest an alternative treat. Your request must be emailed to the Kids 4 Kids office. We respect that some parents wish their children not to have sugary products. We need to be informed before the program starts.
At the after-school programs, we serve pizza in the last session. All food that comes into Kids 4 Kids is peanut-free. If your child is gluten or lactose-sensitive, we can modify the pizza order to meet your child’s needs.
Refund:
KIDS 4 KIDS AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM
We disagree with a child quitting after one session. We encourage all children to finish what they have started. A child cannot accurately assess whether they like a program after only one session. If your child does withdraw from the Kids 4 Kids After School program, you will forfeit your $50 non-refundable fee and pay $24 per session that your child completed. Rarely does a student not enjoy Kids 4 Kids. I have found that if a child is asking to withdraw from the program, it is usually because they would instead be playing video games, be in a group their friends are enrolled in or feel they are too old for the program. Children who are in grades six and older are in a leader-in-training role. This eliminates the “too old” excuse. Please don’t allow your children to quit anything after trying it once. They are likely to miss out on incredible opportunities and experiences. Please read my Rule of Three article on my website.
HEROES ACADEMY LUNCH-HOUR PROGRAM
It is the parent’s responsibility to remind their child at breakfast about going to the lunch-hour program. We also suggest putting a reminder in your child’s schedule, so their teachers know the program. The school will announce each session. We will take attendance when the children arrive and attempt to get the kids into the program, if possible. Once the program starts, there are no refunds for missed sessions. If your child withdrawals from the program after one session, you pay for the session they attend and lose a $25 non-refundable administration fee. If your child misses sessions because of illness, you will receive a credit towards a future program.
IMPORTANT: The Kids 4 Kids after-school and lunch-hour programs are popular and well received by parents and children. Children can’t wait until the next session. Unfortunately, students fall prey to peer pressure from friends who are not attending or are tempted to skip a session because of what their friends are doing. We suggest using this as a teachable moment to reinforce the concept of finishing what you started and not being tempted by what friends want you to do. Our programs are exciting and fun and will significantly impact your child’s life.
Photos:
Photos are sometimes taken during a Kids 4 Kids Program and used in promotion ads or uploaded on the Kids 4 Kids Facebook page so parents from the programs can see what their children are doing at the sessions. If you do not want your child to be photographed or do not which your child’s photo to be on Facebook or any other social media, please email the Kids 4 Kids office. We will respect your wishes and not photograph your child or use their photo on any Kids 4 Kids ad or social media site.
Grievance:
If during a Kids 4 Kids Leadership Program your child or you as a parent have a concern with any aspect of the program, please get in touch with Scott Graham directly at 1-905-491-6881 as soon as possible.
We take all concerns seriously, whether from a parent or child, and we will do everything we can to address them. For example: if your child is having difficulty with another child, we will look into the issue in the next session. We will gather as much additional information as possible. Finally, we will discuss with you what we have found and try to reach an agreeable resolution.
If we do not know the issue, we cannot deal with it. We want to ensure your children have an incredible Kids 4 Kids experience.
Our goal is to provide a well-supervised, safe, fun program that parents and children value. We will email you after each session to let you know what your child has learned and what each session entails. The Kids 4 Kids Leadership Program has been running for 30 years. It is successful because we are dedicated to serving children and families and focused on delivering exceptional programs.