Information About Nursery and Pre-School Care

We are happy to serve your childcare needs as you worship and gather at Fairmount Presbyterian Church. We provide nursery care and Christian Education for children, infants through Kindergarten.

Sunday morning child care/class locations:

Infants and Crawlers     8:15-10:45 a.m.    Room 5
                                    10:45a.m.- noon    Room 105

Toddlers                       8:15-10:45 a.m.    Room 5
                                    10:45 a.m.- noon    Room 5

2 years                         8:15-10:45 a.m.    Room 5
                                    10:45 a.m.- noon     Room 7

3 and 4 years                8:15-10:45 a.m.    Room 5
                                    10:45 a.m.- noon    Room 1

5 years/Kindergarten     8:15-10:45 a.m.    Room 5
                                    10:45 a.m.- noon    Room 2

Our nurseries and classrooms have:
bulletclean, bright and cheerful rooms,
bulleta room for infants and crawlers,
bulleta room for walkers and older children,
bulletchild-pleasing decor,
bulletplentiful toys and play equipment

Our nursery and teaching staff:
bulletinclude a paid care-giver who is with us each Sunday and Wednesday,
bulletconsists of caring parents and church volunteers,
bulletwear name tags that clearly identify them to parents,
bulletfollow cleanliness procedures in diaper changing, toileting, bottling and serving snacks
bulletteachers use approved curriculum resources to share basic Christian stories and age-appropriate activities with children

Regular childcare hours:
bulletSunday: 8:15 a.m. - 12:00 noon – both worship services and adult education
bulletSunday evening: 5:45-7:15.m. – New Visions worship service
bulletWednesday: 6:15-8:30 p.m. – Wednesday Night Live supper, fellowship and Taize worship
bulletavailable for other church activities when scheduled in advance

Check in and out

We welcome the children of families and visitors attending Fairmount Church. When you bring your children to the nursery/child care rooms, please follow these procedures:

bulletSign in your child with name, age, parent(s) and where parent(s) can be located,
bulletIf this is your first time visiting, fill out a card with name, birth date and personal information and have a photo taken for our picture board,
bulletParents of infants through 2 year olds receive a vibrating pager, so we may contact you if needed,
bulletLabel your tote bag and coat and store on pegs (infant nursery) or in the cupboard (toddler and two’s) in each room,
bulletIf you have a bottle or snack in the bag, write directions on a card and place it on the bag,
bulletPlease do not leave the church building while your child is in child care,
bulletReturn promptly at the conclusion of the service or program to pick-up your child.
bulletWe ask that all children (through Kindergarten) be picked up by an adult, ideally by the adult who signed the child into the room. In the event that you will not be returning for pick up, please give the care giver the name of the adult who will retrieve the child. The person picking up an infant, toddler or 2 year old must turn in the pager.

Security

The safety of our children is of the highest priority. It is for this reason that every parent of an infant, toddler or two year old is given a numbered pager. No one will be allowed to pick up a child without turning in the correct pager. Children over the age of two are assumed to be able to speak in their own behalf and to know who is to pick them up. However, if someone besides the person dropping off the child will be picking him or her up, please inform the care giver whom to expect.

What to bring
bulleta diaper bag with your child’s name on outside,
bulletdisposable diapers, if needed,
bulletpacifier or other item the child needs for security,
bulletfor infants: bottle and snack, (we do have "Cheerios" available for infant snacks.)

Saying good-bye

After checking in, say a quick good-bye. A few tears are normal when little ones leave a parent. This doesn’t last long if the child attends regularly. If your child is not calmed in 15 minutes, we will page the parent(s). If you think your child might have difficulty adjusting to the nursery, please sit near the back of the sanctuary to facilitate and easy exit during the service.

Checking on your child

You are free to check on your child at any time. Try not to be seen or heard by him or her if you think it will be upsetting. Visits by siblings without a parent(s) is not encouraged.

Health information

Please do not bring your child to child care if he or she is ill. We trust your judgment. A helpful guideline is to keep your child at home if in the previous 24 hours your child has exhibited any of the following symptoms: fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, discolored runny nose, persistent cough or obvious listlessness.

We do not administer any medication to children.

Toilet training

Please tell us when your child has begun toilet training. We will do our best to encourage the children to use the toilet. We take our pre-school children to a child equipped bathroom in the education wing. Until toilet training is mastered, please send extra clothing.  

In case of building evacuation The nursery/child care staff will take the children from the building, and parents will meet their children in the back parking lot (infants) or the side yard of the manse (toddler-kindergarten).

Please feel free to ask any questions or express any concerns to the nursery staff. We welcome the opportunity to learn and grow with your child.

Rev. Beth Herrinton-Hodge
Interim Associate Pastor
Educational Ministries