Childcare Policy At
Floris United
Schedule
Childcare is offered during Sunday morning worship services for infants through two years of age and Sunday evening worship for infants through three years. Children will move to the two year old Sunday school class the September after they turn two.
Childcare is offered for on-site church events for children up to the age of 10 years. Events eligible for childcare may include Bible studies, choir rehearsals, classes, meetings, support groups and any other type of small group sponsored by Floris UMC. Childcare will not be offered for church-wide adult special events.
Ratios
Childcare is limited to the nursery and therefore numbers are limited by the number of children who can safely occupy that room. In addition, Floris UMC closely adheres to
-
Infants (birth to 12 months) 1:4
- Toddlers (12-24 months) 1:5
- Two and Three Year Olds (24-36 months) 1:8
- Four Year Olds 1:12
- School Age 1:10
Multi-age grouping is permissible. The ratio for the youngest child in the group must be adhered to. Children brought by childcare workers must be included in the ratio calculation. At least two childcare workers will be with the children at all times.
Parent Responsibilities
Parents are responsible for items brought to childcare. Parents are requested to sign in each child and ensure each child has a name sticker every time they visit the Nursery. Pagers are available for parents.
Food
Food consumption is limited to tables and highchairs which are wiped after each use. Floris UMC is not a nut-free facility but members are asked to be mindful of the allergies of others when making food choices. Due to the large number of food allergies, some of which are life threatening, we encourage parents to feed children before they come to the nursery and to limit snacks while in childcare. The only snacks offered to children will be animal crackers, graham crackers, or cheerios and water. Please do not send in nuts or foods with nuts as snacks.
FUMC Committee Chairperson Responsibilities
Committee Chairs are responsible for sharing any childcare information with their committees. Each group is responsible for making childcare arrangements for their respective activities. It is recommended that one person from each event/group be responsible for contacting the Childcare Coordinator. Individuals may call the Childcare Coordinator directly.
The Childcare Coordinator and the Children’s Education Director reserve the right to decline childcare requests if staffing is not available and it is deemed that children’s safety may be compromised or adequate childcare can not be provided.
Reservations
All childcare requests require reservations. Childcare Request Forms are available in the 2nd and 3rd floor workrooms or by signing up online (click here for the Childcare Request Form). Place completed forms in the Childcare Coordinator’s mailbox located on the 2nd floor. The forms are necessary for record keeping.
Every effort should be made to submit requests at least two weeks before the event. Requests should include the following information:
- Event date
- Start and ending times
- Number of children
- Ages of children
It is recommended that the childcare contact for each group be responsible for collecting reservation information. For ongoing events such as Bible studies, the childcare contact needs only to make one reservation request unless there is a significant change in the number or ages of children needing childcare. A significant change is one that would upset the adult to child ratios established for that event and would require the hiring of additional childcare providers.
Cancellations
If it is necessary to cancel childcare, please contact the Childcare Coordinator as soon as possible. If cancellation is necessary on the same day as the event please call the church office as well as the Childcare Coordinator.