operationsmanual - cyssprogram.com

1 operationsmanual 2015 version TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION .. iii Chapter 1: MISSION COMMAND CYS Services Core .. 1 Standards of Conduct and Accountability SOP .. 10 Caregivers' Creed .. 11 Customer Service .. 11 Admission and Release of 13 Notification to Parents .. 15 Installation Required Annual Inspections ..16 Monthly/Bi-weekly Walkthrough of all CYSS 16 Chapter 2: RISK MANAGEMENT Fire/ 20 Facility Construction/ 20 25 Facility .. 35 Safety .. 46 Health .. 48 Food and Nutrition .. 78 Access 94 Background Check Process .. 94 Program Review Board (PRB).. 103 Child Abuse Prevention, Guidance, Discipline and Accountability .. 109 Video Surveillance System (VSS) .. 118 Field Trips and High Risk Activities .. 119 Accreditation and Reporting Procedures .. 128 Chapter 3: PROGRAM MANAGEMENT Operations .. 133 Patron Eligibility and 138 CYS Services Registration Procedures .. 140 Waiting List.

2 141 Parent and Outreach Services .. 142 Parent Handbook .. 151 School Support Services .. 154 Chapter 4: RESOURCE and PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT Financial .. 158 Fee Policy .. 160 EFMP Respite Care Funding/Child Care 162 Community Based Programs Fee 163 Personnel .. 166 Personnel Policies .. 170 Program Oversight .. 171 Youth Tech Lab & VSS Management Functions & 173 Ratios .. 175 Bus 178 Employee Handbook .. 179 Labor Relations .. 180 Collective Bargaining .. 180 CYS Services-Branded Apparel .. 181 Training .. 185 Chapter 5: CURRICULUM AND PROGRAMMING Child Development .. 196 Family Child Care .. 203 School Age Care .. 210 Middle School / Teens .. 216 Child and Youth Sports and Fitness .. 226 GLOSSARY: .. 230 REFERENCES:.. 236 ANNEXES Annex A: Standards of Conduct and Accountability Standing Operating Procedures Annex B: CYS Services Monthly/Bi-Weekly Facility Walkthrough Tool and Instructions Annex C: G9 CYS Services Installation Report Suspense List v15 Annex D: Fire Evacuation Plan Template Annex E: More About the Topic: Conducting Fire Drills in Child Development Centers Annex F: More About the Topic: Choking Hazards Annex G: School Support Self-Inspection Checklist Annex H: FCC RIMP Request Form Annex I: Army Fee Assistance Family Handbook Annex J: Program Review Board (PRB) TAB A Annex K: Decision Matrix, Training Guide and Handouts It is mandatory to follow the guidance contained in this manual to ensure the success of installation CYS Services programs and to be in compliance with Army regulations and Department of Defense Instructions.

3 All previous versions (2013 and 2014) of the Operations Manual are rescinded. Updated info is in RED. 2015 version INTRODUCTION iii MISSION Statement: Army Child, Youth and School (CYS) Services programs support military readiness by reducing the conflict between Soldiers parental responsibilities and mission requirements. Simply stated, CYS Services programs provide quality child care, youth out of school options, and school support services so that Soldiers and Department of Defense (DoD) civilians can focus on their job, knowing their children are well cared for by professional staff in state of the art facilities. Taking care of our Soldiers and their Families with consistent, effective and safe programs builds and enhances not only military readiness and retention, but also Family resilience. The foundation of CYS Services rests on four cornerstones: Quality, Availability, Affordability and Accountability.

4 All four cornerstones are equally important, and all four must be in balance for CYS Services programs to run effectively and efficiently. Quality: All CYS Services programs operating on federal property are DoD certified. Community-based programs are licensed by the state. This means they are frequently inspected to ensure the safety, health and well-being of children and youth in our programs. In addition, Child Development Center and School Age Care programs are required to be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting body to validate that quality standards are maintained. Availability: We strive to ensure that sufficient numbers of spaces and support services are available to meet the needs of the installation, while keeping in mind the programs we offer are a service and not an entitlement. This means that while we make every effort to provide the right number of spaces in the right settings and in the right age groups, we may be unable (and it is not a requirement), to meet the total demand.

5 Affordability: CYS Services operates on a shared cost responsibility philosophy that ensures fees are affordable for both the Family and the Army. This means fees are based on a Family s ability to pay, and not by the age of the child, typical in civilian programs. By public law, there is a minimum of a 50/50 match between parent fees and Army provided funding. Accountability: Our managers are well trained and competent in safeguarding the Army s resources by providing efficient management oversight, good fiscal stewardship to reduce waste and protect assets. CYS Services programs are not meant to produce a profit, but are expected to break even. All four of these cornerstones must work in harmony a program can have sufficient availability, but if low quality, no one will use the spaces; a program may be meeting 100% of the demand, but perhaps at a cost the Army cannot sustain. This Operations Manual (OM) serves as a tool for CYS Services staff members to achieve the intent of the four cornerstones and to provide consistent and predictable delivery of child and youth programs in Army operated installation programs.

6 The manual outlines a systemic approach to implementing an effective CYS Services program by prescribing how to information on routine operations and procedures. Although each installation experiences unique factors that impact the way of doing business, this document provides a framework to ensure CYS Services programs are standardized. The manual includes five sections: Mission Command, Risk Management, Program Management, Resource & Personnel Management, and Curriculum and Programming. A comprehensive resource list and glossary with more in-depth information on specific, more complex topics such as standardized position descriptions can be found in the Annexes and weblinks for documents in AKO. The manual is a living document and will be updated at least annually as the Army works to revise and publish updated regulatory guidance. It is mandatory to follow the guidance contained in this manual to ensure the success of installation CYS Services programs, compliance with Army regulations and Department of Defense Instructions, and, most importantly, to provide consistent, effective, and safe programs that build and enhance Soldier and Family readiness, retention and resilience.

7 This page intentionally left blank. Chapter 1 MISSION COMMAND Chapter 1 1 CHILD, YOUTH and SCHOOL SERVICES CORE PROGRAMS 1-0. CYS Services Child Development, School Age Care and Youth Centers: a. Child Development Centers (CDCs): (Ages 6 weeks-5 years) Offers on-post full-day, part-day, hourly child care, extended duty day care, 24/7 care and Army Strong Beginnings Pre-K program to prepare children to be successful upon entering a traditional school setting. These facilities may also include stand alone CDC annexes and satellite sites. Care is provided by trained staff and operations are subject to Department of Defense (DoD) Certification. Current guidance has kindergarten children attending the program that is the best fit for the Garrison. b. School Age Care (SAC) Centers (formerly known as CDC 6-10): (Grades 1-5) Offers before and after school programs, 24/7 care, weekend activities during the school year, full day care during school out days, summer camps/care and camps during school vacations.

8 Care is provided by trained staff and operations are subject to DoD Certification. If kindergarten is in SAC a ratio of 1:12 must be maintained. c. Youth Centers (YCs): (Grades 6-12) Offers Middle School and Teen (MST) Programs (MST and Youth Programs are one and the same in this OM) before and after school, weekends, evenings and school-out periods to include: life skills; citizenship and leadership opportunities; arts; recreation and leisure activities; academic support; mentoring and intervention services in facilities designed for this purpose. These facilities may also include stand-alone Teen Centers. Supervision and programming is provided by trained staff and operations are subject to DoD Certification. 1-1. CYS Services Home Based Program: a. Family Child Care (FCC) homes: (Ages 4 weeks-12 years) Offers full-day, part-day, and hourly child care to include extended duty day, weekend care, 24-hour care as needed in a home environment.

9 Care for up to six children (depending on mix of ages) is provided by trained, certified and monitored Child Care providers in their own homes (private, leased, government quarters and homes off post). b. Child Development (CD) Homes: (6 wks 12 years) CD Homes can provide full day, hourly, shift work and weekend care. CD Homes can also be a source of emergency child care. Care can be offered 23 hours per day by CYS Services employees and generally established in an unoccupied set of quarters or in RCI housing (where negotiated). CD Homes serve up to 12 children at any given time (up to 36 children during three (3) shifts). 2 MISSION COMMAND 2015 1-2. CYS Services Parent & Outreach Programs a. Parent and Outreach Services (P&OS) extend system wide support and direct care and supervision options for families residing both on post and within the local communities.

10 Parent and Outreach Services is referred to as the Gateway to CYS Services . b. System wide support: 1) CYS Liaison Services: a) Parent Central Services (PCS) is a one stop shop for registration, enrollment, records transfer, parent education classes, and babysitter and referral services for Families. b) Provides program information and coordinates special events, c) Sends eNews publications and messages, and contributes to web sites of interest to parents. d) The Installation Child and Youth Operations Plan (ICOP) is your five-year business plan for CYS Services. i) The ICOP is a cyclical process that creates and updates the installation's blueprint for providing child care options, supervised out-of-school activities for children and youth ages 4 weeks to 18 years, Sports and Fitness, School Support Services and Parent and Outreach Services. ii) The intent is to strive to meet projected customer demand during the five year timeframe.