Operating Hours
Karibu opens Monday-Friday from 7.45-18.00. These hours are subject to change depending on annual demand.
We open all year round except for Public holidays & some days over the Christmas period as set out annually on our Crèche Calendar.
Children availing of the ECCE scheme are covered on a sessional basis for three hours daily Mon-Fri. Holidays for scheme children are set out annually. They may avail of extra hours and services according to the centre’s fees.
Afterschool care is available for children of school going age & we operate Karibu Kamps at Easter & Summer for this age group. Pre School children may also avail of this service.
General Fees
General fees are displayed on the notice board of the crèche & a copy of these are available upon request.
Fees are payable regardless of absenteeism including absence due to illness, holidays or public holidays.
The year is divided into 4 week months for the first 2 periods which total 40 weeks. Parents will be invoiced at the end of each month for the coming month & fees must be paid monthly by cheque standing order/bank transfer. Any extra hours used will be billed in arrears the following month.
Parents must book their children in for September of the following year. This place is secured by means of a two week deposit which must be paid for before the end of July of that year.
The Summer period is set out according to the crèche calendar each year. Parents may avail of 2 weeks holidays which may be divided as they wish over the summer period if they are pre-booked before the end of June. Parents who do not pre book for the Summer are liable to pay full fees.
After school children will be invoiced at the end of every month for what they have used that month.
We ask parents of After Schoolers to please book their children in for the days they require at the start of each week. These days may be changed or cancelled as necessary however please note that we operate a 24hour cancellation policy. If you cancel pick up with less than 24 hours notice you are liable to pay for that day.
Late Fees
We ask parents to be punctual in the collection of their children. If you are going to be late please inform the crèche. Children on the premises after closing time are not covered by insurance.
You will be required to pay a late fee of €5.00 for every 5 minutes directly to the members of staff that are caring for your children. This fee goes directly to these staff members to accommodate their delay and will be reflected in a receipt.
Illness Policy
At Karibu we make every effort to ensure the health & wellbeing of all children & staff members attending the service. To help ensure this we must implement a strict illness policy. Children can’t attend the crèche unless they have been 24hours without a high temperature (38 Celsius or higher) after having a vomiting attack or incidence of diarrhoea. If your child requires antibiotics they must remain out until they have taken these for 24hours. Other contagious illnesses such as Chicken Pox, Measles, Conjunctivitis, Hand, Foot & Mouth etc. are subject to a standard period of time where your child must remain out of the centre. After this time has passed your child may re-join activities a normal or prior to this upon receipt of a doctor’s note. Full details of the Illness Policy are available upon request & must be adhered to at all times.
Staff
We follow a thorough recruitment policy and all our staff hold the required qualifications and are subject to Garda Vetting. We also look for people who are genuinely dedicated to and love working with children. We hold regular staff appraisals & training and do our best to ensure that we work together as a cohesive team ensuring the most child centred environment possible.
Curriculum
Our curriculum is underpinned by the Montessori method & follows the Aistear & Siolta frameworks and the weekly themes and activities are displayed outside the children’s rooms. . We have arranged the set- up of our centre to encourage age appropriate independence in our children thus building their sense of achievement & self confidence.
Child Protection
We have a strict child protection policy which we follow should we suspect any child under our care to be at risk.
Behaviour Management
We operate a behaviour management policy which employs the use of positive reinforcement to help our children with behaviour issues. While we don’t use time out, if an incident is persistent or serious children will be removed from the situation in which they are involved & with the support of their teacher allowed some quiet time to reflect on what has happened and when ready, encouraged to participate in the activities again or to choose an alternate activity. We believe that acting out is a natural part of our children’s development & are always there to support them. We believe in the importance of parental involvement in all aspects of behaviour management & if there is a behaviour issue we will carry out observations & ask for parental involvement in designing a plan to manage this.
Health & Safety & Well Being
All our staff have regular training in First Aid & Manual Handling. Both floors are accessible by means of ramps & a lift.
We operate a healthy eating policy in the crèche, allowing a small treat on Fridays.
We encourage physical activity through use of our outdoor play areas, our play room & organising a range of activities to stimulate this. We also encourage parents to allow children to walk/cycle to our centre.
Parental Involvement & Communication
A close relationship with our parents and guardians is of utmost importance to us here at Karibu Montessori.
We are always open to suggestions and comments from parents and guardians.
Communication with parents and guardians is very important at all times. We ask parents to pay attention to the daily record books, notice boards, emails, meetings etc. to ensure that they are up to date on all relevant information.
Management are available daily from 8.00 a.m.-5.30p.m. Appointments can be arranged to discuss any issues that parents/guardians may have.
While we don’t hold formal tutorials with parents& teachers, meetings can be arranged to discuss your child’s progress at any time.
We have a formal complaints procedure in place should any parent require it.
The full range of our policies& procedures are available at reception. We review and update them regularly and will inform parents of any amendments to these.