The
Children's Nest
Frequently Asked Questions
What are your hours of operation? Monday - Friday from 6am to 6pm. We are closed the following holidays each year: New Year's Day, MLK day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after. We close early on Christmas Eve and are closed Christmas Day and the day after.
Do you offer tours of the facility? Yes! Please contact the center at 712.563.3641 to schedule a tour.
What ages do you care for? We offer care for children ages 6 weeks - Preschool.
How many children can the center accommodate? At full capacity, we can care for 45 full time students. We like to keep our numbers lower to allow for more 1:1 interaction with the children in our care.
What is the child/teacher ratio in each class? The child-to-teacher ratio depends on the age of the children. The state of Iowa allows for the following:
Birth - 24 months 1:4
2 years 1:6
3 years 1:8
4 years 1:12
5+ years 1:15
Does the center offer part-time care? We do not offer part time care at this time, but we can offer drop in care on an as-needed basis if we have the space and staff to accommodate.
Do you offer sibling discounts? Yes! We offer a sibling discount - families with multiple children in our care receive a 5% discount off of the oldest child cared for.
What forms of payment do you accept? Parents can pay with cash, debit/credit, check, or money order.
Do you offer any type of financial assistance? At this time, we do not offer financial assistance.
Is the facility inspected and by whom? We are inspected yearly by the State of Iowa DHS. Nate Knepper is our Childcare Licensing Consultant.
Are the teachers certified in First Aid/CPR, infectious diseases, and SIDS/SBS? Our staff is fully trained in these areas and required to take courses regularly to stay up-to-date on the latest practices.
Will my child have the same teachers every day? Yes, unless the teacher is absent for any reason.
Do you serve both breakfast and lunch? Yes - we serve both meals daily. Sometimes we go on field trips that require packed lunches - in this case, parents will have plenty of notice to prepare a lunch for their child.
Are parents allowed to visit the center? Of course! We have an open door policy to all parents and guardians.
Do the children go outdoors? How often? Weather permitting, we bring the kids outside for at least 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon.
Do the children go on trips? What kinds of trips and how often? We go on several field trips throughout the year, depending on the ages of the children. Our preschool class goes on 1 or 2 during the school year and plans for 1 or 2 per week during the summer. The school age program plans on about 3 a week during the summertime.
Can parents go on trips? Yes! We just ask for some advance notice so we can make arrangements.
Do teachers send the parents pictures of their child? Of course! We post a lot of photos on our Facebook page. We can also email/text photos when requested by a parent.
Do you have parent/teacher conferences? How often? We host parent/teacher conferences twice a year but can always meet at a parent's request.