Nursery

We welcome any new volunteers for the Nursery (membership required).

NURSERY MINISTRY
The nurseries are divided into three age levels:

Precious Lambs – Infants 
     Meeting the needs of newborns to those beginning to walk.

Wonderfully Made – Toddlers 
     Meeting the needs of walking toddlers up to 3 ½ yrs. old

KinderChurch – Preschoolers 
     Meeting the needs of those 3 ½ and potty trained up to Kindergarten.

In each of these class times the Word of God is taught at their level of understanding to develop in the children a love for Jesus Christ and His Word.  Gentle, caring workers make sure that each child’s physical needs are met.  The love of Jesus for children and His desire to care for them and meet all their needs is displayed both spiritually and physically.

The KinderChurch class meets the needs of children 3 ½ and potty trained up to 1st grade in an exciting Children’s Church setting.  The service includes a praise and worship time, prayer request time, offering, puppets, Bible teaching, stories and a Bible based craft.  All this prepares the children for the next level of building a solid Biblical foundation into their lives.  A take home supplement is provided every week so that parents will be familiar with what is being taught in class and can reinforce the themes at home with their children.

     NURSERY AVAILABILITY
The nursery will be open during regularly scheduled church services and during some special services as noted in the Sunday morning bulletin.  Children may be brought to their room 15 minutes before services begin and should be picked up as soon as possible after dismissal from service. 

     NURSERY AGES
Infants – Birth to 2 years
Toddlers – 2 years to 3 ½ yrs. old
KinderChurch – 3 ½ yrs. old (must be potty trained) up to Kindergarten

     NURSERY STAFFING
In order to provide quality care and supervision of your child, Highest Praise Ministries strives to maintain high adult-to-child ratios. 

Infants – 1 worker to every 4 babies
Toddlers – 1 worker to every 6 toddlers
KinderChurch – 1 worker to every 6 preschoolers

If the number of children exceeds the ratio, there is a chance the room will be closed to additional children, since additional child care workers are not available unless a parent wishes to stay and volunteer.  You are welcome to take your child to service with you.  Another option is to check back later to see if an opening has become available.

     CHECK-IN PROCEDURE
For the protection of all the children, safety gates are used on all of the nursery rooms.
To minimize foot traffic in the rooms, check-in stations are located at each door.

Please do the following:

1. Parents are responsible for labeling all diapers, pacifiers, blankets, bottles, cups, etc. with their child’s name.  They will give the child, the diaper bag with all possessions labeled to a nursery volunteer.  Volunteers will be identifiable by their name badge and smock.

2. Parents will be given the name badge that matches their child’s name tag.  The parents are requested to keep the number in a safe place.  Parents cannot pick up their child without it.  Parents will be given a permanent number for those that regularly attend. We will not release children to older siblings under any circumstances. 

     CHECK-OUT PROCEDURE
Parents are asked to be courteous and pick up their child as soon as possible after the close of each church activity.  Ask for your child at the door of the classroom.  The child will be released only once the parent turns in the name badge that matches their child’s name tag.  If the parent loses their number, they will be asked to show their Driver’s License to a Team Captain to pick up their child.  We will not release children to older siblings under any circumstances.

     POLICY FOR SICK CHILDREN
Highest Praise Ministries maintains a “well baby” nursery, which means that we cannot admit any sick child into the Nursery.  Some signs of illness are as follows:

1. Unusual fatigue or irritability

2. Coughing, sneezing, watery eyes, runny nose (if yellow to green nasal discharge is
present the child will not be admitted due to the presence of infection).

3. Fever (child should be fever free without medication for 24 hours
before returning to the nursery).

4. Vomiting or diarrhea (anytime within the previous 24 hours)

5. Inflamed throat.  Rash.

Parents are requested not to bring medicine of any kind.  If a child needs any medication at all, the parent must administer it.  No drugs or medications shall be administered by the caregiver.
If the nursery cannot accept a child, the parent may sit with him/her in the
main lobby just outside of the Sanctuary.

If a child becomes sick during their stay in the nursery, the child must be removed.  Once a child has been removed due to illness, they may not return to the nursery that day.

     GUEST VISITATION POLICY
Highest Praise Ministries has an open door policy.  We invite parents or grandparents of signed in nursery children to visit anytime; however, we strongly encourage that the parent(s) attend the service that is provided for them.  Parents and children that are not in the care of the nursery staff are not allowed in the nurseries.

     NURSING MOTHER’S ROOM
A Nursing Mother’s Room is available in the toddler nursery.  This is a very private room and is offered as a convenience to nursing mothers.