Directions & FAQ’s

Directions
Children’s House Daycare is located inside Central Baptist Church at 501 S. Fourth Street. Directly across the street from the Governor’s Mansion at the corner of 4th and Jackson.

1. Is Children’s House a licensed child care facility?
Yes. Children’s House Child Care is licensed by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services to care for children 6 weeks to 9 years of age. We also meet the standards set forth in regular inspections by the Department of Public Health and the State Fire Marshall’s Office.

2. What are the hours of operation for Children’s House?
Children’s House is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (during COVID restrictions: 7:30-5pm)
Children’s House office hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
We will observe the following holidays:

New Years Day

Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday

Presidents’ Day

Professional Development Day on Casimir Pulaski Day

Memorial Day

Independence Day

Labor Day

Professional Development Day on Columbus Day

Veterans Day

Thanksgiving Day and the following day

Christmas Eve Day and Christmas Day

3. How much does Children’s House cost?
Please call our office at 217-523-3639 to find out the current rates.

4. What safety steps are taken at Children’s House to keep my child safe?
For the safety of the children and staff, Children’s House has installed a security system on all entrances, which include the north and south daycare entrances and church office entrance. Between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., the doors under the portico and the one on Jackson Street will be locked. You must ring into the day care office, identify yourself, and wait to be admitted. A security chip can be purchased from the daycare office that will release the lock on the doors during 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday though Friday, so you don’t have to wait to enter the building. In the event that you loose your security chip, it will be deactivated.

5. Can I visit my child during the day?
Please feel free to talk to our teachers. Conferences will be held at parent request. You may visit the classes at any time. Prior arrangements with your child‚ teacher are not required, but appreciated.

6. What is the sick policy at Children’s House?
If a child becomes ill during the day, a parent will be contacted and the child must be picked up. Parents are asked to keep their child home if he/she exhibits and of these symptoms which might indicate a contagious disease: fever, rash, constant hacking cough, green runny nose, sneezing with colds, redness of the throat or eyes, vomiting or diarrhea, or extreme fatigue. When a child is sent home with a temperature, he/she must be fever free for 24 hours without the aid of a fever reducer before returning to day care.  Children who return before the required 24 hours will be sent home.

7. Does Children’s House care for older children?
Yes. We offer a summer program for children ages 6-9. The summer program starts in June and ends in August. The program is filled with exciting activities, including various field trips such as miniature golf, bowling, picnics in the park, swimming, and roller skating.

8. Do I need to pack a lunch for my child?
No. Our meals are prepared by a qualified, experienced food service manager, currently Copper Pot Cooking Studio with Ms. Denise Perry, according to the required standards for a balanced meal. A menu is posted on the bulletin board near the sign-in desk as well as being e-mailed to each family and posted on our website. Extra copies are always available at the office. The children are given breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack. In the Infant room we provide a high iron formula, high iron cereal, and baby food following a monthly infant menu. In the Infant room only, you have the option of using our baby food and formula or providing food and formula for your infant yourself.

9. What is the discipline policy at Children’s House?
No physical punishment is used at our center, although some form of managing the child’s behavior is necessary. This is done primarily through keeping the children engaged in a wide variety of stimulating activities, providing plenty of love and physical interaction, praising good behavior and ignoring the bad, accepting and respecting the child’s feelings, and in substituting one activity for another. In addition, time out is also used for children age 2 and older. The child is removed from the group and will sit away from the group for 2-5 minutes depending on the child’s age, after the child has been told what rule has been broken. If several occurrences have happened within the day or the child continues to be unmanageable, he/she may be taken out of the center temporarily or permanently.

10. What is the pick-up policy at Children’s House?
In the event that a child is not picked up at 5:30, the following actions will be taken. At 5:35, we will try to contact the parents. At 5:45, we will call the child’s emergency contacts. If the child is still in our care at 6:00, we will contact the authorities. During COVID restrictions, we close at 5:00 and the same principle applies.