​​​​​

Entry & Layout: 

When families arrive, they’re welcomed into a clean, organized, and safe environment designed for easy drop-off and pickup. Shoes are removed indoors, though parents and caregivers may keep theirs on during arrival and dismissal for convenience. Floors are swept daily and refreshed after the last family leaves, ensuring a tidy space.

​

The upstairs area is closed during childcare hours. To the right, in the entry living room, you’ll find the youngest infant nap room (3m-12m), reserved for naptime only. This is where the littlest ones sleep in their Maxi-Cosi Swift PlayYard with a sleepsack on following sleep safe guidelines. A white noise machine is on during naptime. Babies are checked on every 10 minutes. 

​

Continuing down the hallway is a baby gate just before the bathroom. Ahead you'll see a coat rack and sign-in table just ahead. Children hang coats, backpacks, or diaper bags on hooks and place extra clothes or nap items in labeled bins beneath the table. A second first aid kit is conveniently stored in my backpack on the coat hook and is taken with me each time we go outside, ensuring safety is always within reach. Each child’s spare clothes, blanket, infant sleep sack, and cot sheet are always stored in their bin, ready for rest time. Parents sign in, share quick goodbyes, and I guide children to the play area to begin their day. The hallway is cleaned daily, with deeper mopping and sanitizing completed after hours.

​

Bathroom:

The child-friendly powder room supports independence and meets all Colorado licensing hygiene standards (8 CCR 1402-1, 2.324). Children use the bathroom for toileting and handwashing, with warm running water, soap, and disposable towels for at least 20 seconds. Children and caregivers wash hands:

• Upon arrival, before and after meals, and after toileting or outdoor play

• After handling body fluids or cleaning materials

A small training seat, step stool, lavender and shea butter Softsoap, and a wall-mounted paper towel dispenser help promote self-help skills, with assistance provided as needed.

​

Diapering Area In Daycare Room:

Each child has a labeled bin with a safety snap on a shelf underneath the changing table for personal care items. Diapering procedures include:

• Provider wears clean MedPride powder-free nitrile gloves

• Change the infants on a sanitized surface and diaper-changing pad

• Change toddlers on a separate thick changing pad on the floor next to changing table

• Dispose of soiled diapers, wipes in a covered trash can

• Remove gloves and sanitize hands immediately

• Clean infant hands with Pamper Sensitive wipes; older children wash hands with soap and warm water

• Clean diaper-changing pad after each use

• Wash hands with soap and water after the child is dressed

​

Kitchen:

This area is always gated and off-limits to children. It is used solely for meal and snack preparation. Infant parents may access the freezer and refrigerator for breast milk storage if needed. Infant feeding charts are posted on an upper kitchen cabinet door adjacent to the dining area for documentation. This same cabinet houses child portfolios, attendance records, and my teacher binders, keeping them organized and easily accessible during licensing inspections. The first aid kit and fire extinguisher are stored securely under the kitchen sink, alongside cleaning supplies, all clearly labeled.

​

Meals & Feeding:

Children share meals together, either family-style at the large dining table or at the smaller table. Younger infants who are beginning solids sit safely in highchairs, while bottle-fed infants are always held during feedings for comfort and security. Before each meal, we pause to say grace, remembering the words of Matthew 18:20: “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

​

Mealtimes become a time of fellowship. I encourage conversation and listening, as children often share their thoughts, stories, and experiences while we eat. The younger ones are also exploring new foods, textures, and tastes, learning to enjoy the experience of eating together. Just as in my own family, gathering around the table builds community and helps us learn more about each child’s day.

​

Daycare Space:
The main daycare area is the back living room (east side of the house). This space includes all the learning centers where children play, explore, and participate in hands-on activities. The basement and garage doors remain locked and inaccessible during childcare hours. Toys and equipment are rotated based on monthly themes and/or interest of the children. They are also routinely cleaned and sanitized per state guidelines to maintain a healthy environment. Deep cleaning and disinfecting are done every Friday at the end of business hours, and space is refreshed over the weekend before the beginning of the week.

​​

Outdoor Play:

Outdoor play is an important part of our daily routine. Children enjoy time outside twice a day - once in the morning before lunch and again in the afternoon after nap and snack, weather permitting. We access the outdoor space safely through the front door (in a 4 seat stroller), walk in front of the garage, to the northside of the house, opening the gated fence door and entering into the backyard. The only time we exit to the back door near the writing and dramatic play centers, is if it is an emergency or if I only have one infant and and/or toddlers with me at the time as we have stairs that may be tricky for little ones to walk down on their own. This back exit also serves as one of two emergency exits. In the winter if there is ice or snow on the deck, we exit via the front door and walk together to the north gate in the side of the house to enter the backyard. 

​

Before heading outside, I always bring our outdoor backpack, which includes children’s water bottles, infant bottles as needed, and a second fully stocked first aid kit. This ensures that supplies are immediately available wherever we are playing. New outdoor equipment is added as children enroll, allowing the space to grow with the needs and interests of the group while supporting safe, active play.

​