St. Andrew's Parks & Playground welcomes all children and is committed to providing developmentally appropriate activities and development experiences that support the full access and participation of each and every child. We believe that each child is unique and work in partnership with families and other professionals involved with the child to provide the support every child needs to reach their full potential.

​

Inclusive Environment

Early childhood educators at St. Andrew's use developmentally appropriate practices and consider the unique needs of all children when planning. Staff will make every attempt to make any adaptations or modifications necessary to meet the needs of the children. Schedules, routines and activities are flexible and early childhood educators will work with therapists, special educators and other professionals to integrate individual accommodations, modifications and strategies into classroom routines and activities. Any adaptations will be reviewed with families and other professionals supporting the child.

​

Confidentiality

Confidentiality applies to all verbal and written information about potential, enrolling and previously enrolled children and their families. All staff will be briefed on the need for confidentiality and will be expected to fulfill their obligation to respect the protection of privacy. Written records will be stored in a secure location with access limited to the director and the child’s teacher. No information will be released about a child and the parent/legal guardian during enrollment or transition to another receiving program or school without first receiving the written permission of the parent/guardian. This excludes the responsibility held by early childhood educators as mandated reporters of suspected child abuse and neglect as outlined in Georgia law or when information is subpoenaed by the court.

​

Family Centered Practices

St. Andrew's Parks & Playground acknowledges and respects the priorities each family has for their child. Families are encouraged and supported to collaborate with staff to ensure that each child has an opportunity for optimum success. St. Andrew's communicated with each family daily and has regular meetings to discuss the child’s successes and challenges.

​

Professional Development and Support for Staff

Training and support is provided to ensure that all staff are comfortable, confident and competent to meet the developmental and educational needs of all children. All staff receive an orientation on inclusion policies and attend training focused on effective inclusion and/or other disability topics whenever possible. The director provides additional support and resources as appropriate.

​

Collaboration with Other Professionals

Many children with disabilities or other special needs are supported by developmental and educational professionals such as therapists, teachers and others. St. Andrew's welcomes those professionals and works with them to assure the child’s success. The service provider is encouraged to provide services to the child in the context of the early childhood classroom environment and the child’s teacher and the service provider work collaboratively to determine the best strategies to support the child in the group setting. St. Andrew's supports the teacher’s participation in Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) and Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings.