Infants

Licensed for 9 children – 6 weeks to 18 months old

The programs for the youngest children at CLMS are kept small by design. The small adult/child ratio and the small class size ensure one-on-one interaction between staff and each child, and provide close and caring relationships between the children. The staff is aware of each child’s developmental progression and is able to meet the needs of, and structure activities for, each child. The children form close friendships with each other as they literally grow up together.

The Infant program emphasizes providing each child with love, comfort, emotional support and physical care. Stimulating play and social interaction promote growth intellectually, physically, and emotionally.

We strongly believe that immediate response to children’s needs allows them to feel secure in their environment, their caregivers and, most importantly, themselves. This security is essential for children to be able to grow and learn to their fullest potential. To this end, children are often rocked to sleep, held while being bottle fed, and the staff is acutely aware of each child’s needs on an ongoing basis throughout the day. The entire staff at CLMS is aware of this philosophy and is always willing to step in when needed.

This philosophy of meeting all the children’s needs immediately and lovingly helps the children develop self-assured, caring and giving personalities. It also allows the children to develop a strong sense of independence, which is encouraged as the children are developmentally ready through a variety of structured and spontaneous activities. A respect for self and others is developed through the children’s interactions with the staff and their peers.

Communication between the staff and parents is essential for the success of the program. Each child has a Daily Note that parents and the staff use to communicate about the child’s day. The staff is available for short conversations regarding the child’s day at drop-off and pick-up times. In addition to the daily notes and conversations, the staff communicates with parents through telephone calls, e-mail, text, classroom communication app, and parent-teacher conferences as needed. The first two years of life involve many changes and new experiences for children. Each of these changes is fully communicated between the staff and parents.

Daily Schedule

Daily schedules in an infant room need to be flexible to meet the individual needs of the children being served. Though a rough outline can be laid out, the age and developmental levels of the children may have them eating, sleeping and playing at different times, especially when referring to the youngest children. As the children near the age when they will be making a move to the next age group more emphasis will be placed on helping the child adjust his schedule to match that of the others in the group.

GENERAL SCHEDULE:

7:30 - 8:30 Quiet play and breakfast served

8:30 - 11:00 inside and outside play, stories, art and music experiences and morning naps

11:00 - 12:00 Lunch, lunch clean up

12:00 - 3:00 quiet play and afternoon naps

3:00 - 5:15 inside and outside play, stories, art and music experiences

Naps

For health reasons all infants will be placed on their backs for sleeping. Napping is done on individual schedules and adjusts as each child grows and sleep patterns change..

“Moving Up”

When a child shows readiness they transition into the Toddler program. Preparation for this move includes starting to drink from a cup, follow a group schedule, adjust to one nap a day and sleep on a cot. The staff of both groups watches each child’s development for strengthening communication skills and emerging independence to determine when they are developmentally ready to move to the older group. Before making the move the children are familiar with the teachers, children and environment of their new group. With connecting rooms the children do not need to break ties with their first caregivers as they make the fun move to the toddler room.