At Whimsy, the health and safety of your children is of upmost concern. We have installed a Maglocks brand magnetic lock to enter our building. This lock ensures that anyone coming into Whimsy must be buzzed in by our staff. This lock also has a motion sensor detector to unlock the door from the inside so parents and children may leave together. Should the motion sensor detector not work, there is a button to override and unlock the door. In order to prevent any misuse of this override button, we have positioned the button out of reach from children and away from their play area. No one is allowed to enter Whimsy without permission and acceptance from our staff. Also, no child is allowed to wander and exit without their parent.
If your child has a cough or sneeze that is more serious than seasonal allergies, we ask that you do not drop him off. Your child’s temperature will be taken upon drop off. Children with temperatures greater than 100.3° Fahrenheit will not be accepted into the play area. If your child throws up, you will be asked to pick him up within one hour of notification. We will not interrupt you to pick up your child unless warranted, but we will text you of the incident for your own awareness.
In an effort to keep all children safe and healthy, your child’s hair will be sprayed with a tea tree oil mixture to reduce and mitigate the occurrence of lice and other hair transmitted organisms before entering the play area. We also use wipes on your child’s face and hands upon entry to the play area.
Upon entry to our facility, your child will be assigned a locker. Lockers should contain:
- Shoes that are to be removed upon entry (socks must be worn at all times)
- Cup(s) for your child or children, as we provide water
- Anything other than water you would like for your child to drink
- Allergy compliant snacks (if needed)
- Extra clothes, diapers, or pull ups (as needed)
Should your child not have enough provided pull ups or diapers, we will provide as closely sized diapers or pull ups are possible for an additional charge.
For the safety of all concerned, we have cameras that encompass parking lots, entrances, exits, play areas, rest areas, storage areas, and child changing stations. We do not record the bathroom. Children capable of using the bathroom on their own will go in by themselves, one at a time. Children in diapers and pull ups will be placed on changing tables and changed by staff only. If your child is potty training and you would like it to be reinforced, we require you to permit the staff to enter the bathroom for assistance in writing. This is the only situation in which a child and staff member will enter an unrecorded are together.
We separate children into two general age groups and play areas, one for children ages three, and four and one for children ages six, seven, eight, and nine. Five year olds are free to go between both groups unless otherwise specified by the parent or guardian. Our staff maintains a 10:1 ratio with a maximum capacity of thirty children in the center at any given time. Our staff is not trained to deal with physical, mental, or behavioral challenges. If our staff cannot control your child or your child is harmful to other children, your child may be asked to leave temporarily or permanently if there is no satisfactory correction.
Cleanliness is another way we protect your children from becoming ill or spreading any illnesses. We have partnered with BioPure, an approved vendor of Chic-Fil-A, as well as contracted with East Tennessee State University athletic department for their cleaning needs. BioPure provides our business with a disinfectant hand sanitizer dispenser that does not contain harmful chemicals or alcohol. It contains a hand lotion component that will add moisture to their hands while fighting germs. Our hand sanitizer dispenser is motion activated and contactless, and all children will sanitize their hands upon entering Whimsy. BioPure visits us once a month to disinfect all surfaces which can last up to 90 days. We have also partnered with GreenHouse Cleaning Services and they visit us monthly as well to deep clean. GreenHouse Cleaning Services specializes in bleach free and kid-safe natural products such as DoTerra OnGuard essential oils and cleaning products. In addition to the cleaning businesses we partner with, our staff cleans routinely on a day to day basis.
- Use of removable, replicable carpeted tiles in the event of an accident.
- Surface wipe downs done continuously throughout the day
- All toys wiped down and disinfected at the end of every day
- All counters and doors wiped down throughout the day
- Vacuuming done daily and throughout the day as needed
- Quarterly deep cleaning
The following rules establish the framework for the licensing and regulation of child care agencies under the jurisdiction of the Department of Human Services, in accordance with T.C.A. §§ 71-3-501 et seq. The scope of these rules applies to all child care agencies subject to licensing, and any conflicts with other Department rules related to licensing procedures shall be resolved by reference to the rules outlined herein.
These regulations are categorized to address the diverse aspects of child care agency operations. The requirements delineated in 1240-04-01-.01 through 1240-04-01-.19 are universally applicable to all licensed categories, unless otherwise specified. Additionally, sections 1240-04-01-.20 through 1240-04-01-.23 detail specific requirements tailored to distinct classes of care identified in each section.
The primary purpose of these licensing rules is twofold. Firstly, they are designed to safeguard children under the care of licensed child care agencies, ensuring their protection and well-being. Secondly, the rules aim to foster developmentally appropriate practices that enhance early learning experiences and encourage parental engagement. At the core of these regulations are the fundamental requirements, which seek to uphold the health, safety, and supervision standards necessary for maintaining a secure and nurturing environment for children within licensed care settings.