With school back in full swing, many young children are entering daycare for the first time. While this can be a stressful experience (see our blogs on making daycare easier for parents and for children), having all the right supplies will give you peace of mind. While Heaven’s Elect takes great care to keep a host of supplies for every eventuality, no one knows your child and their needs like you do!
Labeling
Before bringing any item from home, it is important to remember to label everything. From clothes to snacks to diapers and more, other parents will be packing the same items for their children, and labeling will prevent mix-ups.
Food and Snacks
We supply food and snacks, but if your child prefers certain snacks, feel free to pack them. This will make daycare transition easier for your child, make them more comfortable, and make daycare more fun. This is especially helpful for babies or children with allergies or special nutritional requirements. Please keep in mind that Heaven’s Elect is a peanut-free facility, so snacks cannot contain peanuts.
Extra Clothes
Regardless of the age of your child, sometimes accidents happen. When you pack an extra set of clothes, these little setbacks won’t be a problem and your child can go right back to playtime. Once again, be sure to label clothing with your child’s name on the tags.
Diapers
Heaven’s Elect does not supply diapers. Parents should pack diapers for their children as well as diaper cream, powder, or any other additions.
Milk
Over 24 months: Children over 24 months receive 2% milk. This is supplied by Heavens Elect. However, if your child has a milk allergy we ask that you supply us with the milk of choice. Obviously, labeling is a must to make sure the correct milk gets to the appropriate child. The label should consist of name of child, date, and what type of milk it is if it’s not in its original container. You may purchase a half gallon of milk and leave it the daycare.
Under 24 months: Parents are to supply us with formula or breast milk up until the time the child can drink vitamin D milk. To comply with Michigan state licensing laws breast milk or formula must be supplied fresh daily. The lead teacher in your child’s room will provide labeling instructions.
Safety Blanket
For safety reasons, no blankets, pillows nor any other items are placed in cribs with infants under one year old. Instead, we recommend a sleep sack, which zips in the front. Children over one year of age should bring blankets and pillows for naptime. For easy storage, make sure that these items fit into a pillowcase.
With these supplies, your child will be ready for a fun and successful day at daycare. Even if your child has already started daycare, it’s never too late to add an extra item or two. To learn more about the great start your child will have at Heaven’s Elect Daycare, give us a call or send us a message.