Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a registration fee?Yes. There is a one-time registration fee of $100 per child.
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Is there a deposit?You can put down the registration fee to hold your spot until you are ready for your child to start.
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What is included in the tuition?• All meals to include breakfast, lunch and snack
• Diapers and Wipes • All Curriculum Activities and Field Trips • Sunscreen |
Can you pay electronically?The Learning Garden accepts electronic payments via debit cards or bank account through our Tuition Express System.
Unfortunately, we do not take credit cards at this time due to the high cost of processing fees. Families can also pay by check, cash or money order. |
Do children go outside daily?Yes, all classroom schedules include a minimum 30 minutes of outdoor time in both the am and the pm.
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Do the children visit local parks?Yes, the children may visit any local park within a .5 mile radius provided families sign the permission form in the enrollment packet.
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Do the children go on Field Trips?Yes. The Education Coordinator and the teachers plan at least one field trip or in-house field trip per month for the children.
Examples of Field Trips include: The Como Zoo, MN State Fair, Children's Museum, Pumpkin Patch, Ice Cream Shop Examples of In-House Field Trips include: Storytellers, Magicians, Zoo Animals, Singers and Performers |
Is there a Summer Calendar?Yes. Each summer the Education Coordinator puts together a summer calendar to include weekly in-house visitors, field trips, arts and craft activities and water days. At the beginning of each summer the children tie-dye T-shirts to wear during field trips and that they can keep at the end of the summer.
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How does your program discipline?At The Learning Garden we believe that children learn best through natural consequences and when provided with clear consistent expectations for behavior.
In the infant and toddler classrooms teachers use gentle guidance to redirect children, offer multiples of items and ensure that the environment is a safe place to explore. In the preschool classrooms the teachers continue to assist children in developing their social skills by using social stories, picture schedules, timers, conversations, modeling and visuals to manage classrooms effectively. We also use the social and emotional curriculum, Second Step in our classrooms. |
What happens if there is a biter in the classroom?Biting is a normal developmental occurrence in infant and toddler classrooms. There can be a variety of reasons why a child may bite. They may lack the verbal communication skills to get their needs met, they may be teething or have an ear infection or they may be more of an oral explorer.
Whenever a teacher notices a pattern of biting, they seek to understand the reasons behind the biting by taking observations, discussing it with the parents and tracking the occurrences. It may take some time to assess the cause, determine a plan of action, implement the plan and see results. If teachers and parents are unable to deter the biting, we may refer the child to their physician or a early childhood specialist. |
Do you take children with Special Needs?Yes! The Learning Garden is open to all children regardless of their ability level.
If your child has a physical, health or mental disability, we will work with you to set goals for your child based on your child and family's individual needs. We have partnerships with many local agencies including Center for Inclusive Child Care and the local school districts. |
How do teachers manage challenging behaviors?On occasion a child may need more guidance in managing their behaviors. Challenging Behaviors are usually a symptom of an unmet need.
The Learning Garden will work with parents and local agencies to develop goals and plans for children with challenging behavior so that they are successful in our program. We do not believe in "kicking children out", as we believe that each child is a part of The Learning Garden family and that expelling children sends the message to the child that they are not worthy of our learning family. There may be rare occasions when our program might not be the right fit for a child and in those cases alternate placement options are discussed with families. |
Is your program Accredited by NAEYC?Although our program believes that NAEYC Accreditation is an important indicator of quality, our program is not currently NAEYC Accredited due to the high cost of accreditation fees.
Our owner is a former NAEYC Assessor (2003-2020) who has visited hundreds of programs seeking NAEYC Accreditation The Learning Garden policies and procedures were creating using NAEYC Accreditation Standards as a guide and we continue to look to NAEYC as a valuable resource in maintaining a high-quality program. |
Is your program Parent Aware rated?Yes! Our center is participating in the Parent Aware rating system.
Our program values the resources, grants and coaching that has been available to us by participating in Building Quality through Parent Aware. More information about the Parent Aware rating system can be found at: https://www.parentaware.org/ |
What credentials do teachers have?In licensed child care there are 3 positions that teachers can be qualified as; teacher, assistant teacher and aide.
In order to be teacher qualified you must have college course work and experience at varying levels depending on the teacher's degree and/or coursework. More information about teacher qualifications can be found here: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/rules/9503.0032/ The Learning Garden seeks to find teachers that not only have the education and experience to be teacher qualified, but also reflect the diversity of the families we serve and that share the educational philosophy that children learn best through play. |
What training do teachers receive?Upon hire all teachers receive 8 hours of orientation training and during their first 6 months they also receive training on First Aid & CPR, Health & Safety, Behavior Guidance, Curriculum & Assessment, Cultural Dynamics, Child Development, Special Needs and The Child and Adult Food Care Program/Family Style Dining.
Our program-wide professional development plan includes monthly training opportunities for all staff to include topics such as Working and Communicating with Families, Compassion Burnout, Math Activities, Developmentally Appropriate Practices and Nature Play. Each teacher is assigned a coach and the coach meets with them bi-weekly to set and work on professional development goals. Goals can include anything from obtaining a Child Development Associate Credential (CDA) to incorporating more science into their lesson plans. |
