EDUCARE
Adrienne Meade, Educare Director
Vicki Kimball, Assistant Director
Lake Ridge Educare
Educare is a before school and after school and preschool program at Lake Ridge School.
Educare is open daily for students in grades K through 5th from 7:00 a.m. to 7:45 a.m. and from 3:15 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. during the school calendar year.
Preschool Educare for preschool students enrolled at Lake Ridge is open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:05 a.m. and from 12:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Lake Ridge also has a summer Educare program.
Mission Statement
It is the mission of the Educare Program to provide working parents and/or caregivers with a quality, supervised, before and after school program. Yet it is not a baby-sitting service, nor is it limited to working parents and/or caregivers. The Educare Program is a well-rounded program featuring several different and enriching components. The loosely structured program offers art, crafts, music, free play, tutoring, and homework assistance. There are daily snacks and share time. This is a non-discriminatory program, open to all children. Since our goal is to strengthen the family, we work closely with parents and/or caregivers and welcome their input, suggestions and volunteers. Parents and/or caregivers may call our Educare program at 423 - 610-6041 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., or the school office at 423-610-6030 any time questions or problems may arise.
Johnson City Educare programs are licensed by the Tennessee Department of Education. Each staff member is required to have a minimum of 12 hours of training annually from a State of Tennessee approved source.
The Johnson City Schools prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability. We do not condone or practice discrimination in admission or access to or treatment or employment in its programs or activities. If you feel that discrimination has taken place or that you have been discriminated against, you should contact the principal or Superintendent of Schools.
Educare Fee List - School Year 2024-2025
1) School Year Educare Tuition-Elementary Schools
a) Application/Registration Fee: $15.00/child
b) 7:00-7:45 a.m.: $3.00/day
c) 3:15-6:00 p.m.
students on fee-waivered list: $5.00/day
all other students: $7.50/day
d) Late pick-up fee (for all students, each 15 minutes or portion thereof) $10.00/child
Weekly Rate for Full Days: $100.00/child
f) Half Days (3 days/ 11:30-6 p.m.): $15.00/half day
g) Part Time (1-3 days):$25.00/day
Afternoon Educare for PreK students (LR)
Application/Registration Fee: $15.00/child
Dismissal of ECLC 12:30 – 3:30 p.m.: $8.00/day
3:30 – 6:00 p.m.:$4.50/day
Dismissal of ECLC 12:30 – 6:00 p.m.: $12.50/day
3) Summer Rates
a) Summer Application/Registration Fee: $35.00/child
b) Part-Time (1-3 days): $25.00/day
c) Summer school attendee discount for June: $12.00/day
d) Weekly summer fee: $100.00/child
e) Full-time preschool week rate (LR/WO): $130.00
f) Part-time preschool rate (LR/WO—1-3 days): $40.00/day
4) Lake Ridge Preschool Program (ECLC 4.5 hrs)
a) Application/Registration Fee: $30.00/child
b) PreK children: $130.00/week
c) Late pick-up fee (all income groups, each 15 minutes or portion thereof): $10.00/child
New Transfer Student Enrollment
Educare directors will coordinate with previous schools for transfers between Johnson City schools to assure there is NO EDUCARE TUITION DEBT at the previous school before enrolling a student into the Educare Program. If debt does exist, enrollment will be denied until the debt has been paid to the previous school. If application/registration fees are paid at one Educare site, these fees will not be required to be repaid at the transfer site within the same school year.
*Sliding scale based on income as determined by DHS.
Fee Payment
You will be billed according to your signed contract. Any additional days or fees will be added to your account. You will be billed for absences.
All fees must be paid in advance for childcare services. You may pay monthly for your convenience. In order for our program to operate efficiently, we cannot allow fees to become past due. Please contact the Educare director if there are special circumstances concerning fees. We encourage you to pay with checks if possible. Please make sure that your child’s name is on the memo line of the check. All checks should be made payable to Lake Ridge Elementary. If cash payments are made, please place the money in an envelope with your child’s name, guardian’s name, and the amount enclosed on the front of the envelope. Every payment will receive a receipt.
NOTE: An outstanding account of two weeks can result in the student being excluded from the Educare program. A set fee is paid whether your child is present or absent.
Closing Accounts
If your child no longer needs Educare services, you must see the Educare director to withdraw from the program. If the account is not closed, charges will continue to be made to the account.
Drop Off / Pick Up
Children must be signed in each full day they attend Educare. All children must be signed out each and every day. Children may only be released to the person or persons, other than parents, authorized on the child’s Registration and Application Form. Please notify the Educare director as soon as possible in writing or by calling 423 - 610-6041 if your child will be picked up by someone other than those authorized.
Please inform individuals that are unknown to the Educare staff that they must have their identification with them when picking up your child. This is for the safety of your child and is not meant to offend anyone.
Educare cannot be held liable for children that are signed out by minors and / or once they have been dismissed from the Educare program as a walker.
Late Pick Up
The Educare program closes promptly at 6:00 p.m. It is very important that you be prompt in picking up your child, late fees will apply. Late pick-up of students may result in the child being dismissed from the program and/or could be referred to the Department of Human Services.
Meals & Snacks
A light snack will be provided to all students after school. On days school is not in session or on early dismissal days, children must bring a lunch and drink. Lunch will not be provided during breaks. Educare will provide a morning snack during all day Educare. If your child arrives after 8:30 a.m., please make sure that he/she has eaten breakfast before being dropped off at Educare.
Absences & Vacations
We cannot deduct days missed from your fees. Your fees pay for the operational cost of the Educare program. If your child is absent due to an extended illness, please provide medical documentation to the director to assure your child’s space and to inquire about possible billing adjustments. You are allowed one week of vacation during the school year. A written notice must be submitted to the director two weeks prior to your vacation or charges will not be waived.
Illness & Medication
Educare cannot provide care for sick children. Please do not send your child to Educare if he/she is ill. We are concerned for the health and welfare of each child; therefore we require that your child be picked up as soon as possible in the event that he or she becomes ill while at school or in the program.
All medication sent to Educare must go to a staff member with signed permission to administer such medication. All medications must be in its original packaging and will not be given if left otherwise. We follow the same guidelines for administering medicine used by the Johnson City School System. We must have an official form on file before we can administer any medication to your child. Children are not allowed to have any type of medicine in their possession (example - cough drops).
Holidays & Snow Schedule
Educare will be closed in observance of the following holidays:
Labor Day - Monday, September 2, 2024
Thanksgiving - Wednesday – Friday, November 27, 28, 29, 2024
Christmas - Monday – Wednesday, December 23, 24, 25, 2024
New Year’s - Tuesday, December 31, 2024 and Wednesday, January 1, 2025
Martin Luther King Jr. Day - Monday, January 20, 2025
Memorial Day - Monday, May 26, 2025
In the event of a called “snow day”, please watch/listen to area media reports and visit the school system website for information on whether Educare will be open or closed. If you elect to send your child to one of the open Educare sites during a school snow day, you must also send a lunch and snack for that day.
There will be no Educare provided on days students are dismissed from school early due to inclement weather. If there is a school opening delay, Educare will attempt to open.
Please understand that while you might live close to our school, our staff may have to travel further on more dangerous roads in these harsh weather conditions. Our concern is for everyone’s safety.
School Breaks
We will be open for all day care (7:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m.) during our fall, winter, and spring breaks. You must sign your child up for each break. There will be deadlines for each sign-up. If your child is not signed up by the deadline he/she may not be allowed to attend Educare during that break. If you sign your child up to attend during these times, you will be charged.
If your child is sick for all days signed up to attend, a doctor’s note is required before payment will be removed from the account. Pre-sign-up sheets and deadlines for the breaks are to ensure enough staff for the number of students.
We will notify you, via Bloomz, when sign-up sheets are available. The deadline is one week before the break. Space will not be guaranteed after the deadline.
Discipline
All children enrolled in Educare will be expected to follow the rules established by the school for the purpose of safety and smooth operation. Educare adheres to and is bound by the Code of Conduct for Johnson City Schools.
The Educare staff is committed to positive reinforcement of appropriate behavior, and we discourage any type of aggressive behavior. We have a zero tolerance policy for hitting, punching and fighting. Permanent removal from the program may result from a single serious incident or from repeated offenses. We encourage the children to let an adult be responsible for handling any disciplinary issues. We talk to them repeatedly about relying on the adults to manage any problems that may arise and to refrain from taking matters into their own hands. Please stress with your child the importance of cooperation, good behavior, and making good choices.
Communication
You may reach Educare by calling 423-610-6033. If no one is available, you may leave a message and someone will get back to you as soon as possible. You may also contact the school office at 423-610-6030.
If there is any important information that parents need to know, it will be posted at the sign-out area. Please make sure that you read all information posted.
Custody Information
Please let the director know of any custody issues concerning a child. We must have court papers on file to be able to refuse a parent the right to pick up his/her child.
Parent Involvement
Educare exists to serve families. The exchange of information can be very helpful. We can better serve your child if we are aware of problems, fears, family issues, or illnesses that may affect your child.
Please keep all your child’s records up to date. Transportation plans, emergency release information, and medical information are required by law and must be in the Educare files. We must comply with those laws. If your home, work, or cell phone numbers change, please supply us with all the new information.
Parents’ Rights
Parents have the right to:
Know their children are in a safe environment where they are free to select from a variety of activities.
Know what types of programs and activities are being planned and to be offered feedback on the kinds of activities children enjoy.
Share concerns with staff, at any time, about anything they do not feel is in the best interest of the children.
Know if their child is misbehaving and to spend time talking with the staff concerning a solution.
Know if their child does not report to the program as intended.
Voice special concerns and considerations not covered in this manual, and to discuss special cases where occasional expectations may be made from the rules set forth in this manual.
Parents’ Responsibilities
Parents have the responsibility to:
Let the staff know if their child will not be attending for the day.
Observe the rules of the Educare Program as set forth in this manual and in any additional policy statements.
Listen to concerns that staff member have about their child’s behavior and to work for an agreeable solution to any problems that might occur.
Know about any changes in policy procedures.
Sign their child in and out of the Educare program each day he/she is in attendance. Also, notify a staff member when taking a child from the center, and notify a staff member when another authorized person is picking up their child.
Inform staff if a child has been exposed to a contagious illness.
Notify staff of planned vacations and other absences in advance.
Notify staff of withdrawal at least one week in advance.
Pay fees on time.
Keep the child’s record up to date with changes in phone numbers and address.
Pick up children on time.
Children’s Rights
Children have the right to:
A safe, warm, encouraging environment.
Use of safe and reliable equipment and space on an equal basis, to find equipment where it is intended, and in functioning condition.
Have their ideas and feelings respected.
Discipline that is fair, equal and respectful of them.
Express their anger, frustration, disappointment, joy, etc., in an appropriate manner.
Express their creative ability.
Children’s Responsibilities
Children need to be responsible:
For learning to take the consequences for their own actions.
For respecting the rules that guide them during their school day; for controlling their feelings so that their actions do not harm anyone in the program.
For not willfully destroying or harming any equipment or property in the building or anyone else’s projects or materials while they are in the program.
For sharing equipment and facilities with all children in the program.
For checking in when they arrive each day and notifying a staff member if they need to be somewhere else.
For coming to their assigned area immediately after school dismissal, unless they have permission and notify a staff member when they need to be somewhere else.
For respecting the rules of the Johnson City Educare Program.
For dressing appropriately for indoor and outdoor play; for having tennis shoes available to wear in the gym.
For returning materials and equipment to the place they found them before taking out a new activity.
For carrying out an activity to which they have committed themselves.
For remaining with a staff member at all times and notifying a staff member if they need to be somewhere else.
To report suspected violations or possible illegal child care operations, call the Child Care Complaint Hotline at 1-800-462-8261.
To report suspected cases of child abuse and/or neglect, call
1-877-54-ABUSE (1-877-542-2873) or 1-877-237-0004 or
1-855-209-4226 or 615-770-1174.
Johnson City Board of Education
Descriptor Issued Date
Monitoring: 6.409 1/2/2006
Review Annually, in May, Child Abuse and Neglect
Rescinds Issued Date
6.409 6/3/2002
REPORTING
All personnel shall be alert for any evidence of child abuse or neglect.
Child abuse is defined as any wound, injury, disability, or physical or mental condition which is of such nature as to reasonably indicate that it has been caused by brutality, abuse, or neglect or which on the basis of available information reasonably appears to have been caused by such. Staff members having knowledge or suspicion of any child who is suffering from abuse or neglect shall report such harm immediately.1,2 The re-port shall be made to the judge having juvenile jurisdiction, the office of the chief law-enforcement official where the child resides, or to the Department of Children’s Services in a manner specified by the department, either by contacting a local representative of the department or by utilizing the departments centralized intake procedure where applicable.1
The report shall include:
The name, address and age of the child;
The name and address of the parents or persons having custody of the child;
The nature and extent of the abuse or neglect; and
Any evidence to the cause or any other information that may relate to the cause or extent of the abuse or neglect.1
The person reporting shall be immune from liability 3 and his identity shall remain confidential except when the juvenile court determines otherwise.4
The Superintendent of Schools shall develop reporting procedures, including sample indicators of abuse and neglect, and shall disseminate the procedures to all school personnel.5 However, nothing in the reporting procedures shall eliminate the staff member’s legal responsibility to directly make a report to the authorities stated above.6
INVESTIGATIONS
School administrators and employees have a duty to cooperate and provide assistance and information in child abuse investigations7 including permitting child abuse review teams to conduct interviews while the child is at school; the principal may control the time, place and circumstances of the interview, but may not insist that a school employee be present even if the suspected abuser is a school employee or another student. The principal is not in violation of any laws by failing to inform parents that the child is to be interviewed even if the suspected abuser is not a member of the child's household.8
Legal References: Cross Reference:
TCA 37-1-403(a)
TCA 37-1-412
TCA 37-1-409
TCA 37-1-408
TRR/MS 0520-1-3-.08(2)(e)
TCA 37-1-403(h) Interrogations and Searches 6.303
TCA 37-1-611(b)
Tenn. Op. Atty. Gen. No.87-101 (June 9, 1987)
Last Updated: April 10, 2024