frequently asked questions
How does the waitlist work? How long is it?
What are your group sizes, and ratios of adults to children?
What will a typical day for my child look like?
Do you follow a certain curriculum?
What are the staff requirements for Fruit & Flower? What is your staff turnover rate?
What about ongoing staff training?
What do you do about biting/hitting/aggression? What is your discipline policy?
What about potty training?
Building security?
How is parking?
What is your illness policy? What if my child is sick?
Absences/Vacations/Tuition reimbursement?
How many days a year is your program closed?
Menus, special diets and allergies?
Parent responsibilities/opportunities in regards to volunteering and or donating?
What is an equal opportunity provider?

How does the waitlist work? How long is it? We maintain a list of families who have submitted an application form and paid the $75 wait list fee. Families give us basic information including the age of the child, the date they would like to enroll, and phone numbers to contact them. When an opening occurs, we bring up a list of children whose birthdays fall within the appropriate range for that opening. Families are contacted for openings in the order that they have been waiting. If the timing of the opening is a good fit for the family, we begin the enrollment process. If the family asks us to do so, we keep them on our list for future openings.

Currently enrolled children and siblings of currently enrolled children have priority status when it comes to an opening in a given room. Before we look at the waitlist for candidates for our openings, we look to our current families and the group of children in the younger room.

The length of the list varies with the age group. In most cases, our longest list is for infants. But the list for infants moves more quickly than other lists, since it is the only one which does not compete with currently enrolled children.

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What are your group sizes, and ratios of adults to children? Our basic group sizes range between 15 and 18 children. In the younger groups, children are divided into smaller groups of 8 or less during their activity times. Our ratios also depend on the age of the children in the group. They look like this:
Infants - 2½ years – four caregivers with 15-16 babies or toddlers
Children 2½ to 3 years – four caregivers with 18 "transitioners"
Children 3 to 5 years – two teachers with 18 preschoolers.
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What will a typical day for my child look like? Most of our children are here at the center for 8 to 10 hours each day. It is our goal to provide a relaxed pace, with a balance maintained between indoor and outdoor-time, quiet-time and active-time, individual or small group activity and larger group occasions. Each classroom has a schedule which is followed each day in order to provide children with a comforting routine. Teachers plan activities during the day based on the interests of children in their groups, taking care to provide a variety of choices to meet individual needs within the group. Of course, the Infant Center works very hard to respect each baby’s individual schedule, allowing babies to eat, sleep, and play as their body dictates.

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Do you follow a certain curriculum? At Fruit & Flower we follow a set of guidelines which were developed by leaders in the field of early childhood education. These standards which we refer to when we have questions or problems to resolve are called “Developmentally Appropriate Practices.” In addition, we have adapted into our practices some helpful aspects of several other curriculum plans, including Reggio Emilia, High/Scope, Montessori , and Creative Curriculum. We are a ‘play-based’ program, as opposed to one which centers on academics. It is our strong belief that children learn as they play and interact with their environment. It is our goal to support the development of the whole child. Each day, in each classroom, teachers prepare a supportive environment with a variety of activity choices. Children are free to decide how they will spend their time. Teachers are there to support learning in all of its facets. They are also there to observe, and make note of, the choices which children make. Those observations are the basis for developing ongoing curriculum, from week to week. Thus, activities and environments are a direct reflection of the children and teachers who spend their days in each classroom in the center.

Each classroom contains these interest centers:
A dramatic play area which includes a ‘kitchen’ unit for pretend play with dishes, pots and pans, pretend food, baby dolls, and dress-up clothes.
A book corner with a selection of age-appropriate books.
A block area with materials for stacking, building, and arranging.
A ‘tactile tub’ with something interesting for eager hands to explore.
An outdoor area with age appropriate opportunities for running, riding wheeled toys, climbing, sliding, and playing with balls and hoops.
Our children also have daily opportunities to explore art materials, and various items for developing muscle control - from puzzles, legos, and stringing activities for small muscles to beanbag tossing, balance beams, and tumbling activities for larger muscle. Each day, all of our teachers read to their children, and provide them with opportunities to experience music, through singing, playing rhythm instruments and listening.

We do put special emphasis on the social aspects of our program. Fruit & Flower is a great place to learn how to make friends, how to be a friend, and how to get individual needs met in a group setting. Each day provides opportunities to participate in large and small group activities. Many of our children establish friendships here, over a period of several years, which they continue to enjoy even after they have moved on to elementary school.

Creativity is another aspect which is given a place of honor in our program. Many of our favorite materials are very open-ended and allow children the chance to explore and interpret as they choose. It is our belief that children learn a great deal by having the ability to make choices and express their individuality through their play. Free expression with art materials, dancing, singing, story telling, and problem solving are all encouraged and nurtured.

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What are the staff requirements for Fruit & Flower? What is your staff turnover rate? The requirements for staff depend upon their level of responsibility in the classroom. Each classroom has a lead teacher who is responsible for the big picture in the room. That person is required to have at least 4 years of education and/or experience with the age group. All of our current lead teachers surpass that requirement by a good deal, and have been here for at least 5 years and up to 20+ years.

The second-in-charge person in each classroom is the Assistant Teacher, who is required to have at least 2 years of education and/or experience with the age group. We do not have specific requirements of our aides and subs, who make up the body of our staff; however we do expect them to have at least some document-able experience with young children. Many of our aides are long-term staff members who actually have the qualifications for ‘teacher’ as that position is defined by our guidelines. Our less experienced staff always work with someone who is qualified by the state to be a ‘teacher’.

The staff at Fruit & Flower is one of our biggest assets. Many of them have been caring for children here for 10, 15, or 20 years. Of course we also have newly-hired folks who, although they must be supervised by our more experienced staff members, bring us a fresh perspective and enthusiasm which we enjoy immensely.

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What about ongoing staff training? Each year, we are closed to families for two days of staff development. There is a review of Infant/Child CPR and First Aid each year, and additional trainings are scheduled as needed or desired. We also post information on workshops and classes available in the community and encourage interested staff to attend.

Our regular staff members are required by the state to obtain at least 15 clock hours per year of continuing education. There is a bonus plan in place for those who go above and beyond the required number of training hours each year.

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What do you do about biting/hitting/aggression? What is your discipline policy? The goals of our guidance and discipline are to help children learn how to control their impulses, and to establish with them some positive methods for getting needs met. While our children are capable of attaining those goals, we know that the learning is an ongoing process that continues for several years. Thus, the hurting behaviors we see in some very young children are age appropriate responses to frustration. It is our role to teach them how to respond in ways that are more acceptable in the group.

When a child strikes out at another child in the group, we must move in to support both children. The child who has been hurt needs comfort and understanding. The child who has hurt another child needs to be removed by an adult, and given some reminders about acceptable behaviors. We use consistent language to explain our concern and to explain the classroom rules: “Use gentle hands,” “That really hurt your friend. I can’t allow you to hurt anyone here,” “Find another place to play now” Both children might also need the words to express feelings, and some processing of the events to give them some tools and suggestions for how to handle confrontations next time they occur.
We do have a written discipline policy which is shared with all new families and staff. We encourage everyone to become familiar with the ways we believe are most effective. We also acknowledge that each child responds to our guidance in a unique way, so that it is important to be sensitive to the techniques that are most effective with individual children in the group.

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What about potty training? Children usually begin the process of potty training here at around two years of age. Our bathrooms have child-sized toilets, which seem to make the process a bit less threatening. We believe very strongly that this is an area where adults must let each child take the lead as they work toward this milestone of development. Our role is to support and encourage, but to allow the child to be in control. Staff members work with parents to monitor readiness regarding different stages of the process.

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Building security? Our building is locked at all times. In order to enter, it is necessary to use a buzzer to contact the Front Desk. All of our doors, of course, may be exited at any time, however parents and staff are asked to enter and exit only through the front doors which are monitored. Classroom doors to the playground are locked unless the children are playing outside.

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How is parking? Parking is a bit of a difficulty since our neighborhood in Northwest Portland has developed into such a busy one. The street parking, although it is free at this time, is definitely at a premium. We do have a circle driveway at the entrance to our building. It can hold several cars at a time. We ask parents who are parked there to be as quick as possible, so that others don’t have to wait too long for their turn. Our driveway’s busiest times are at the beginning and end of the day.

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What is your illness policy? What if my child is sick? Our center is not licensed to care for ill children. Although we are allowed to admit children who are mildly ill with perhaps a cold or an ear infection which is being monitored, there are many illnesses which we must exclude in order to protect the health and safety of all. It is important that our parents have a back-up plan for those times when their child is ill. Our illness policy was developed in compliance with County and State regulations.

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Absences/Vacations/Tuition reimbursement? In order to obtain a stable income with which to pay our staff and operate our program, we must charge parents for care, whether or not their child attends each and every day. The only exception we make to that policy is in the case of a child who is ill for more than five days in a row. Beginning on the sixth day, and until the child returns to care, parents are not charged.

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How many days a year is your program closed? We are closed on 10 days each year: New Years Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, the Friday after Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day. We do close early on Christmas Eve. Two of those days, President’s Day and Veteran’s Day, are Staff Development Days. We are closed for families, but staff report to work for trainings and classroom projects.

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Menus, special diets and allergies? Our meals are prepared on site, by kitchen staff. They try to provide a balance between tried and true children’s favorites (macaroni & cheese, spaghetti, chicken noodle soup, etc.) and some dishes that might broaden their diets a bit (eggplant, humus, sweet and sour chicken, lentil soup, Mexican salad). Although we do have sweet treats at some of our snack times, including cookies, fruit crisp, and pudding, we also rely heavily on fruits, vegetables, dairy products, crackers, muffins and bagels.

If children have special diets for any reason– allergies, family preference, religious beliefs, etc.- we do ask families to provide the food items needed to substitute for our regular menu items. In some cases, the kitchen staff can work with families whose children have common diet restrictions (dairy allergy, vegetarian) by simply altering our meal to fit the child’s needs. They might substitute soy cheese for the dairy cheese, or tofu for the meat in the casserole, for example.

Fruit & Flower participates in the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program. The center is an equal opportunity provider.


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Parent responsibilities/opportunities in regards to volunteering and/or donating? It is the goal of our Board to encourage all parents to find a way to participate in our community. As a not-for-profit organization, we make use of many donated items, from drawing paper to furniture. Our parents also donate money, time, expertise, and sometimes all of the above! Our Board of Directors is primarily current and former parents. The success of our annual fundraisers is the result of tremendous efforts on the part of some very generous, committed parents. Although we do not expect our busy families with full time jobs and young children to assist in any regular way with the actual day to day operation of the center, we appreciate any ways they can find to support our mission.

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What is an equal opportunity provider? In accordance with Federal Law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call, toll free, (866) 632-9992 (Voice). TDD users can contact USDA through local relay or the Federal relay at (800) 877-8339 (TDD) or (866) 377-8642 (relay voice users). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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