We have our own educational and entertaining magazine where they can use stickers and colour in, which evokes the children’s interest in health eating, saving the world and crossing the road etc and gives the opportunity to find new friends as we work with other settings, to share ideas, allow children to communicate with other children and build confidence around others etc. The magazine has its own publishing number and barcode. The all-day care offers individual places for rest and sleep necessary for recovery and proper growth of the children. The access to a swimming pool is available on hot days. We also organise holiday entertainment, such as creating different children’s projects – embroidery, art and dancing, birthday parties, personal photo albums and the opportunity to order photos and calendars.

The Childminding House offers positive attitude towards the children, keeping discipline, diligence, respect to each other, have good manners, helpfulness and self-confidence. We work with other settings and celebrate and incorporate British Values teachings throughout the setting. The children bring in photos of where they have been from different countries, souvenirs from holiday and we celebrate many different multi-cultural occasions. We use the characteristics of effective learning as a guide when working with children. The care your child receive will be tailored to their age, we will support feeding, nappy child or toilet training as needed and aid in brushing their teeth. We are working in partnership with parents to try and bridge the gaps so all children can have the same experiences and help us to find children’s potential. We work with the younger children in accordance to the same aspects. The educational material is given in a lighter form with more free games. We put an emphasis on stimulating independence, sharing the common toys, obtaining habits (such as turning from using bottle to using a glass, falling asleep by themselves, using the potty), eliminating addictions (dummies, milk while falling asleep), helping with crawling, first steps, first words, melodies, getting used to the right eating habits, keeping busy and resting. The instructions are in the right form aiming to get the results mentioned in the older age section. We encourage them to use their magnet planner to show what they have done throughout the day.

As an incentive for children, each term a different child can bring home our travelling bear for the weekend. They will use the Ladybird camera to take pictures and fill in the Travelling Bear diary to document what the Bear has done that weekend. There are also Ladybird Library card for each child, so they can borrow books and activities with instructions that are available for your children to bring home if they do not have those resources for them at home. Parents can spend time with their child and complete activity together. We appreciate photographs to be sent in of children playing the games, doing activities or carrying out tasks that they have not done before. Parents are to write about the activity they have done with their child and to stimulate their child to talk about what activity they have done.

We use the following folder to track children’s achievements: working with parent’s folders, observation folder, reports folder, learning folder and ready for school folder. We have individual photo albums for special moments that children can bring home and show their family and friends and also a Ladybird photo album full of all the children’s special moments. We use daily diaries, children’s diaries and children’s activity passport to document children’s activities. You are welcome to view these when you like. The Key Person and Designated Person for Safeguarding is Kalinka Macheva.

We try to work in partnership with parents as much as possible, we have a Favourite Recipe book, where we encourage parents to send in their child’s favourite recipe. There is a feedback book for them to fill in and sign, stating what their child is now able to do. We will forward on any information the council, tips and advise they may find helpful and pass on any leaflets. Parents are encouraged to fill in once a term so we can make adjustments and improvements to the setting.

We use the Baby Days website to communicate with parents, this will include your child’s daily routine, menu, observations, photographs of your child doing activities can be sent via the website to use if you like. When completing your contract, we will provide you with a password and username to access the website daily. All the policies and procedures are available for you to read on Baby Days website. You can communicate with us personally, by telephone conversations, suggestion box, text messages and email messages at office@childcareladybird.com. Please see Complains policy for more details.

We have a Ladybird page on Facebook – where we upload photographs, updates and ideas of activities that parents can do with children at home. We adhere to internet safety policy and cover their faces in any photographs. We find this is a very helpful way to share information with parents as technology is up and coming now a days.

The following contracts are available:

FULL TIME CONTRACT

All day care – 50 hours a week: during working hours. Monday to Friday*

А. 07:00 am – 5:00 pm B. 07:30 am – 5:30 pm C. 08:00 am – 6:00 pm

PART TIME CONTRACT

Available for children who attend school full time. School drop offs and pick up available (please enquire if we drop and collect from your child’s school).
20 hours a week: during working hours*

А. 07:00 am – 9:00 am, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm

B. 08:00 am – 09:00 am, 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm

We offer breakfast and afternoon healthy snack, fruits and drinks. We do activities relevant to the educational system at school and the planned activities in the Childminding House for the respective day, which are offered within the hours when the child is present in the Childminding House. Help and preparation of the homework can be provided if the parents wish and consider it is necessary. There is an opportunity for the child to attend all day care during vacations (only when this is preliminarily specified in the contract). The Childminding House also offers care on school holidays and an additional fee must be paid to the agreed fee in the contract.

3 FULL DAYS PER WEEK

All day care – 30 hours a week: during working hours. Monday to Friday*

А. 07:00 am – 5:00 pm B. 07:30 am – 5:30 pm C. 08:00 am – 6:00 pm

3 HALF DAYS PER WEEK

А. 09:00 am – 2:00 pm B. 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm*

10 HOURS PER WEEK

10 hours to be used Monday to Friday

07:00 am – 6:00 pm*

*If you plan to collect your child after 6pm you must inform us as soon as possible.

WEEKEND

Daily care on Saturdays and Sundays –minimum of 5 hours within the working hours

А. 07:00 am – 5:00 pm B. 07:30 am – 5:30 pm C. 08:00 am – 6:00 pm

OVER NIGHT CARE

Night care from Monday to Sunday: working hours from 8p.m – 6a.m.

The night care offers cosy, safe, quiet and clean environment. Fruit and healthy dinner, individual sleeping place. The dinner included soup, main course and dessert (please contact us). Our staff will take care of the children in the following areas: night dressing, getting ready for sleep, getting the children in a calm mood, making them feel safe and ready to fall asleep. The staff regularly checks on them and helps them with anything they need.

Weekly fee is required in full even if child does not attend – eg: due to sickness or attending an appointment. If your child does not attend, an email needs to be sent in with the reason for our records.

If you are planning a holiday you should inform us 2 weeks in advance and specify the exact day when you child will return. The full fee for the absence must be paid in advance on the last day the child is present. If we have been informed within the time frame specified above, the total due will amount to half of the agreed fee in the contract. If you do not inform 2 weeks before holiday is taken, you will be charged your full weekly fee. Holidays must only be taken a full week at a time – eg: from Monday to Friday, not Wednesday to Wednesday. Ask for holiday form when you need one.

Extra services

• correspondence letters that you request from us (ie; inland revenue, school etc)
• replacing lost invoices
• lost Ladybird registration pack
• printing documents
• Bank Holiday care
• Specialised menu
• Specialised activities
• countersigning for passport applications
• birthday party
• dinner
• uniform and accessories

50% of funds from extra services will go towards Ladybird charity cause.

There is a uniform with Ladybird logo and different designs available for all the children attending the childminding house which engages the children and the parents to show their attitude towards our care. There is an opportunity for the children to get used to little responsibilities (packing their bag in the evening, making the time for the book they have chosen for home, checking their diary and choosing a uniform for the next day). Every child must wear full Ladybird uniform and Ladybird accessories ONLY every day and pack a spare full Ladybird uniform set in their Ladybird bag. Children are not to wear metal necklaces and bracelets (crotchet only) for safety reasons. Only slip-on or Velcro footwear is to be worn unless children can tie their own shoe laces independently.

The Childminding House has a catalogue with uniforms available. We also have Ladybird accessories available – please enquire to see what is available. The catalogue includes different models aiming at the children to make their own individual choices and to have the opportunity to make some change in their clothes in order to feel different, to pay attention on their appearance, and to keep the authority of the childminders. The clients must ensure a second set of Ladybird uniform which will be kept in your child’s Ladybird bag if there is any need to change the children’s clothes. We offer complimentary newspapers for the clients (please let us know if you are interested in advance)

The clients who have signed a contract have to pay a deposit of a sum corresponding to the weekly fee of the care we offer. In the cases when the clients choose a different period of time (paying for two or three weeks, a deposit has to be paid of a sum for the agreed period). An agreement fee; which is due each time you renew your contract, in exchange they will receive a package of documents, ladybird bag, a diary of the child and a set of uniform. The uniforms are offered in accordance to the season. Contracts must be carried out back-to-back (example: contract ends 1st July, new contract must start 2nd July). Policies and procedures will be available for you to read and you will sign to confirm you have read and understand them.

When signing the contract, the clients have to specify the way of payment of the fee (cash, check, bank transfer, direct debit, vouchers, etc.) The clients have the right to pay the fees weekly, bi-weekly, every three weeks or monthly. All fees must be paid on Friday according to the period agreed in advance. Additional hours are paid with the fee for the agreed period. The Saturday and Sunday care fees are paid when the child is taken. Additional fee in case of a delayed payment. Additional fee is paid for Saturdays and Sundays as well. In the contract we require emergency contact details, information of allergies, any health problems/ special needs and any other information that may be relevant to us caring for your child.

A clocking in and out card machine is available for parents to use if they would like to keep track of the hours they are using at the setting. Only the person/s named on the contract can collect your child, please contact us on the day if this person is to collect them. If a different person/s arrive to collect your child and they are not named on your contract, we will not let them collect your child. You will have to collect your child yourself or send the person/s named on your contract. We will charge you extra hours until the named authorised person/s on the contract turn up. You are welcome to add extra names to your contract at any time.

If your child is using a buggy, the clients have to provide a waterproof cover for it. Please only bring buggy if this is the only option to bring them. (Please refrain from bringing scooters and bikes as we need to priorities space for buggies). Please adhere to Covid-19 government guidelines and keep 2 meters distance and avoid talking in groups outside the premises. If you need to speak about to me about holidays, an incident that has taken place at home or at the childminding house etc please contact me via phone from 6pm – 7pm, email or post a note in our suggestion box and I will reply in 24 hours. Due to our confidentially policy, we will not release any information about another child attendance, address etc. Customers are more than welcome to swap over contact details if they wish to.

The clients who bring their children by car must find a suitable place to park in order not to cause traffic along our road. We kindly request no smoking outside the setting while you are dropping off or collecting your child to respect our smoke free environment.
If the clients receive various types of benefits from the government, they have to inform the respective authority within three days of the contract termination.

Children must wear full Ladybird uniform. If the child has a celebration (a birthday), the clients can provide additional formal and other clothes which they have chosen for the celebration. There is a fee if you would like to hold a party for any occasion, birthdays or naming day. If a birthday cake is bought from a cake company, you must show that it is suitable for children before it can be served.

Staff will only administer medication that has been prescribed by a doctor whilst your child is in our care. We will administer Calpol if your child has a temperature, if after 4 hours your child still has a temperature you will be contacted to collect them. A medication form will be filled in and need to be signed by parent. Children with infectious or contagious illness must stay at home, to prevent others becoming sick (please refer to Illness and Infectious Diseases list). If an incident such as a bump or fall happens while your child is at the setting, we will fill in the childcare accident report book and parents will sign to confirm they are aware of the incident.

In the Childminding House each child should bring in the following:

For children aged from 0 to 1 year and six months – ladybird bag, slippers, pyjamas (suitable for the season), a comb (hairbrush), a toothbrush and toothpaste, spare set of uniform to be kept in their Ladybird bag, underwear, socks (tights), nappies, wet wipes, a dummy (if it uses), a favourite toy (if it is dependable when falling asleep), a bottle or drinking cup (for water, milk, juice), cream after changing the nappies, a potty, sun cream and a hat (in the cases when we inform you in advance that the children will use a swimming pool).

For children aged over 1 year and six months –slippers, pyjamas (suitable for the season), a comb (hairbrush), a toothbrush and toothpaste, spare set of uniform to be kept in their Ladybird bag, a packet of wet wipes, underwear, socks (tights), a kit for sports and dancing (from the uniforms, only for children using all day care), a bag for a book, a backpack, sun cream, a towel, swimming trunks / suit, flip-flops, a hat (in the cases when we inform you in advance (about the swimming pool). The clients must label all uniform with children’s initials.

Please do not put unhealthy snacks in your child’s Ladybird bag: eg chips (please see healthy leaflet for ideas).

You will receive a Ladybird pack with policies and procedure that you will sign to confirm that you have read and agree to them. You can request to read policies and procedures at any time. You will also receive permission forms for Observations, Photographs and Videos, Trips and Outings, Garden Play Equipment, Outside Play and Complaint procedure. This is to signed each time a new contract starts, if you change your mind about giving permission you will need to inform us in writing.

The childminding contracts are for the period of 6 months or 1 year. Only in exceptional circumstances will you be able to change your contracts. The given deposit for the respective care in the contract shall be given back during the last week of contract validity. You must give us 4 weeks in notice in writing.

Cases when the deposit is not given back:

• When the fee is not paid within the specified period, the deposit is taken and the child is not allowed to attend the child care.
• When the client decides to terminate the contract before the period of 6 months or 1 year.
• When the client makes trouble, intrigues, undermines the prestige of the childminding house, does not obey the stipulations of the contract.

You can share your opinion, questions, any complaints and suggestions at e-mail: myladybird@abv.bg, post in our suggestion box or in your child’s diary.

Yours faithfully, Kalinka Macheva.