Nursery at the Kirk

Our Mission

Our goal is to give each child a safe, loving environment with engaging play and age-appropriate Bible teaching. Our hope is that both you and your child/children will feel lots of love here! We look forward to serving you to the very best of our ability!

All of our staff have background checks and go through safety training in order to work in our nursery.

What to Expect

 

First Time Visitors

If this is your first time in our nursery and you are unsure of where to go, please check with our Nursery Coordinator or a Nursery Staff person located in the nursery rooms or the nursery hallway. We will be happy to help you find a good fit for your child!

Our Nursery Rooms

Our three nursery rooms are divided by age and developmental stage staring at six weeks old until three years old. Each Fall and Spring there is an evaluation/transition period for those children needing to move up to the next room. Three-year-olds who are three years old by August 1st, are potty trained, and are ready for Sunday School class and Children’s Worship time will be transitioned out of the nursery at the beginning of each school year.

Contact

If at any time you have comments or questions concerning the Nursery, please contact Sarah Mooibroek, Nursery Coordinator.

Check In and Check Out Process

Once we determine the correct room for your child, we will provide you with a short registration form and ask you to make note of individuals who are authorized to pick up your child from the nursery (i.e. you, another parent, etc.) We also ask that you make note of any food allergies and any other pertinent health/safety concerns. This will help us to keep your child safe and will let us know who can legally pick him/her up from the nursery in the event that our electronic check-in system freezes or fails.

If there are special instructions concerning bottles, potty changing, or anything else, you may fill out a small “special instructions” sticker for your child so that all of our staff and volunteers will see it and know how to best care for him/ her.

Our electronic check-in system will provide a new code sticker each week when you drop off your child(ren). Please show that sticker with your code to the nursery staff at checkout time to ensure that each child is returned safely to his/her appropriate caregiver. If you pick up children from multiple nursery rooms, you may show your code sticker at the first room, and retain it to show again at the next nursery room. For the protection of each child, this security measure will be taken very seriously. Please hold on to that code sticker for a quick, convenient check-out process!

 

Policies & Procedures

 

  • The health of all of our children is very important to us in the nursery! With this in mind, please do not bring your child to the nursery under the following circumstances.

    -Any fever, fever with green or yellow snot, vomiting, diarrhea within the last 24 hours.

    -The child has been on an antibiotic for less than 48 hours.

    -The child seems listless and/or exhibits a significant change in behavior.

    The Nursery Staff reserves the right to refuse entry to the nursery for any child with any of these symptoms. If we notice any of these symptoms while your child is in our care, we will contact you and ask that you pick up your child immediately to prevent spreading any illness among the other children.

  • If a child is upset, we will do our very best to provide soothing comfort and help him or her engage in our normal nursery activities. However, if your child has been crying for ten minutes and all methods of calming have been tried (diaper changed, rocked, held, fed bottle, redirected, etc.), we will ask that you come to pick up your child so that s/he will not remain in this distressed state for too long.

  • For the safety and well-being of all the children, please label your diaper bag, bottles, sippy cups, pacifiers, toys, and comfort items.

  • The cleanliness of the nursery is very important to us. Small toys, high chairs, and tabletops are washed with a botanical-based cleaner after use. Larger toys and equipment are disinfected regularly. During cold and flu season, we take extra measures to deep clean our room and prevent spreading germs.

  • Children, crawling age and above, will be given a snack during their time in the nursery. Parents may include a drink in a labeled cup if desired. Otherwise, water will be provided. Our general snacks options include baby puffs, cheerios, goldfish, animal crackers, and pretzels. For gluten-free children, we offer gluten-free pretzels, and gluten-free cookies as well. Please be sure to let us know if your child has food allergies or if we need to follow any particular feeding instructions to ensure his or her safety.

  • In order to help us keep our nursery space safe for all children and staff members, we ask that you do not send nuts and nut ingredients for your child to eat during nursery hours. If you do forget and send nuts, we will simply send a little note home to remind you of this request. We will have sunflower butter and nut-free snack items on hand as alternatives for your child, and we will be sure that no child will go hungry on our watch. If this request causes undue hardship for you, please contact Andersen Gibbons to make a special plan. Thank you for your consideration and cooperation!

  • During your child’s stay in the nursery, our trained nursery staff will oversee any needed diaper checks and restroom visits. Our staff will follow strict rules regarding hand-washing, gloves for diaper changing, and proper sanitation to be sure that germs are not being spread. Our staff will also fill out a diaper log and/or potty log so that you can know when your child last went to the restroom and who assisted. Our member volunteers will not change diapers or provide restroom assistance for children.

  • Our nursery rooms are stocked with toys and equipment that are appropriate to the age and developmental stage of your child and our nursery staff is trained to be alert and very careful to protect each child. However, if an injury does occur during your child’s stay in the nursery, it will be reported when the child is picked up unless it is an emergency. In case of emergency, we will notify you immediately and seek to give any assistance we can while you procure the needed medical attention for your child.