FAQ’s

We are open Monday through Friday for twelve months a year.

Regular hours are 7:30 am - 4:30 pm.

Additional hours may be available on a case by case basis and we do try to accommodate our Storybook Academy family's needs as much as is reasonably possible.

Please discuss your individual needs with Storybook Academy management.

Storybook Academy will be regularly closed to observe the following annual holidays: Weekly fees remain the same during the below holidays dates and are required to maintain your spot:

Fourth of July: 7/4/23

Thanksgiving Day: 11/23/2023

Christmas Eve: 12/24/23

Christmas Day: 12/25/23

New Year’s Eve Day 12/31/2023

New Year’s Day: 01/01/2024

Good Friday: 03/29/2024

Memorial Day: 05/27/2024

Please make alternate child care arrangements for those days.

Due to using our home for our program, we do anticipate occasional closures related to planned family vacations for our family in an effort to prioritize family connection and work-life balance.

At least two months advanced notice will be given of any changes to upcoming planned trips.

*There will be NO fees charged during scheduled Storybook Academy planned family trips and your spot will remain secure during these times.

*The decision to charge no fees during scheduled family trips/unavailable weeks is to help families with funds to use toward alternative childcare during these weeks.

The Parent(s) shall be responsible to arrange for alternative care during Storybook  Academy closures.

Advance notice of upcoming anticipated unavailability due to licensee's family trips will be disclosed with indicidual families and detailed in the Storybook Academy contract prior to signing.

We have a nature-based focus and encourage our children to enjoy time outdoors daily. Many of our classroom activities and crafts are held outside. We request all families to supply weather appropriate clothing for each child and to please anticipate daily time in the great outdoors as part of our regular program.

On the Central Coast of California, we are typically blessed with beautiful weather most of the year. Storybook Academy typically will remain open in inclement weather, unless an unusual or unsafe situation arises, in which case families will be notified.

We value the benefits of outdoor play and much of your child's time will be outdoors.  Outdoor play occurs on a daily basis, weather permitting. If excessive temperatures (both too hot and too cold) or inclement weather prevents children from playing outside, our teachers provide alternative indoor large motor activities.

We serve meals (breakfast and lunch) and nutritious snacks.  Storybook Academy participates in the local food program which is based on USDA guidelines and food safety. Additionally, we offer organic options whenever possible and seasonal produce as available.

*We follow allergy restrictions for those children who have diagnosed food allergies.

We support breastfeeding mothers by allowing breast milk in our infant classrooms. We also encourage mothers to nurse at our schools whenever that is an option. Breastmilk brought from home must always be labeled with mom's name, child's name, and expiration date to be allowed.

When it comes to administering medication, we follow all local and state childcare licensing regulations. Our onsite registered nurse will dispense all medication when approved and deemed necessary and appropriate.

Our registered nurse is the primary health and safety monitor of our program. She regulates exclusion guidelines and monitor the health and safety of the children as well as the physical safety of our spaces. While our nurse does not diagnose illnesses, she can provide guidance and potential action steps.

Unexpected illness happens during the early childhood years. When your child becomes sick at school, we notify families by a phone call from the licensee/nurse or childcare staff. During the phone call, the staff member will keep you up to date about the situation as well as give you instructions on when you need to pick up your child and what exclusion guidelines we need to follow.

Storybook Academy plans to begin the lengthy process for official accreditation for in-home childcare programs through the NAFCC by Summer 2024.

This is part of our continued efforts to provide the highest level of exceptional childcare on the Central Coast.

Thoughtful and outstanding communication is essential to a family’s experience in our program. Families are invited to stay connected to their child’s daily activities via the Brightwheel app.

This app gives families real time updates with their child’s activities throughout the day.

Storybook Academy is in the process of integrating the Brightwheel system and anticipates it being operational by early in 2024. Once this system is initiated, we will require all family members to use our sign in system every day to sign their children both in and out. The use of this system is of vital importance for the safety of the children entrusted in our care. We must know at all times exactly which children are in our care. Should we ever need to evacuate the home, the accuracy of our attendance system will help us ensure that all children are safe. This is our primary responsibility, and we need your consistent cooperation to make sure our daily attendance records are accurate.

We currently use a paper sign in/out system and will continue to do so until our Brightwheel system is operational.

We are excited you are interested in learning more about our childcare program. Please use the contact form on our website to provide us with your name, email address, and phone number.

The best way to fully appreciate the advantages of Storybook Academy is to visit our program in person.

We would love to schedule a tour and meet you in person prior to final acceptance into the program.

Storybook Academy follows the State of California and Childcare Licensing’s recommended schedule of immunizations and adheres to all licensing requirements.

Therefore, all children and staff must be up to date on their vaccinations.

We cannot enroll children or hire staff that are not vaccinated.

Our school nurse helps to keeps track to ensure our enrolled children are up to date on their vaccinations. It is the families responsibility to provide us with needed vaccine records prior to start date.

We are required by licensing to maintain documentation on each child's vaccinations.

Our registered nurse along with our childcare staff partner closely with families to ensure your child’s allergy plan is followed.

Storybook Academy offers an infant program, toddler program, and early education program. We are fully licensed to care for children ages 6 months -12 yo and can accept a variety of ages for childcare needs.

Storybook Academy will provide families with a year-end statement in January of each year when it becomes available.

Tax ID/EIN numbers are available by contacting Storybook Academy management.

We offer an all-inclusive program that provides much more than basic childcare. Tuition at Storybook Academy includes enrichment opportunities and early learning curriculum along with art/crafts, and music circles. We operate as a nature-based early learning setting with low child to provider ratios.

At Storybook Academy, we believe each child deserves the best and seek to provide next level care.

The program at Storybook Academy is designed to exceed expectations in quality childcare.

There are many unique advantages to Storybook Academy, we encourage everyone to visit our program and see the benefits of our programs firsthand.

You will find a smaller provider-to-child ratio than typical child care programs. Our max capacity allowed at this time is 8 children. We prefer the small size to allow us to cater to each child individually.

Storybook Academy currently employs both a FT childcare assistant, along with a curriculum and craft leader, as well as our onsite Registered Nurse who also serves as the owner/licensee.

We gently incorporate structured learning along with ample free play and outdoor time.

Our nature based early learning curriculum is Blossom & Root.

In addtion, our Positive Action curriculum is an evidence based curriculum utilized to improve children's knowledge and use of healthy lifestyle choices and is being utilized in schools across the country.

Positive Action Kindergarten edition curriculum uses dramatic play and puppets to tell a story teaching children about healthy choices such as physical, emotional, and intellectual health.

Music: We offer a music circle  weekly where songs, instruments, and rhythm are utilized during an interactive group activity time.

Arts and Crafts: Guided craft time is offered to help with creative development as well as developing gross and fine motor movement.

*Nature-based learning in an outdoor classroom setting is utilized as much as possible weather permitting.

Not at this time. We offer spots. This allows us to keep our program small and individualize care to each child.

However, our full- time spots allow families to choose how often and how much they would like their child to attend based on what works for their individual family structure.

Your child may hold a spot at Storybook and attend as much or as little as the family desires. The choice is yours!

Our pricing is set at a flat weekly rate and is dependent on your child's age.

Storybook Academy will also offer occasional babysitting and overnight stays on an as needed basis to families that have a child actively in attendance as needs arise.

Illness in an early childhood setting is unavoidable. Expect that your child may become ill 5-7 days throughout the calendar year. However, each child’s immunity and predisposition is different.

Our registered nurse and entire childcare staff are dedicated to keeping our home as clean as possible.

We keep toys sanitized and do extra cleaning during times of illness. We also encourage families to keep their child home when they are ill and implement our exclusion policies when necessary. We recognize that missing work for our families can be challenging, and we will work with you to get your child healthy and back to school.

In this continuously changing job market and workforce, there inevitably will be turnover in our program. We do our best to attract and retain quality early childhood employees and educators.

Storybook Academy utilizes positive discipline techniques and believe behavior equals communication. By transforming everyday behavior issues into teaching moments, we can teach mindfulness, empathy, and communication skills. Fostering positive relationships while maintaining safety is our primary goal.

We utilize our Positive Action curriculum to help teach about healthy choices and emotions. We utilize a Positive Discipline technique that is positive in approach while also not permissive of inappropriate.

Discipline Policy:

Storybook Academy reserves the right to use positive discipline practices when necessary. Discipline at Storybook Academy consists of positive nurturing as well as firm and loving guidance.

There are three simple rules:

1. You may not hurt yourself
2. You may not hurt others
3. You may not hurt things

Any unacceptable behavior will be dealt with only after considering the child’s age, stage of development, and level of understanding. Please keep in mind that there will be general disagreements between children. Young children who are not able to verbally communicate sometimes have a hard time expressing their feelings. Sometimes they will hit, pinch, bite, or throw toys. This is normal behavior in most cases; however, it can be unacceptable behavior in a group care situation. Storybook Academy discipline will strive to provide healthy boundaries and guide the child while validating their feelings. We hope to develop the building blocks for finding positive action and healthy solutions while engaging children in beginning to develop their own problem-solving strategies.

A note on biting: Biting causes more upset feelings that other behaviors in childcare programs. It’s important for the Provider and parents to address this behavior when it occurs. Children may bite for many different reasons, therefore, a child that has shown the desire to bight will be watched carefully to try to determine any “triggers”. When a child bites (or intends to bite) the provider will quickly and calmly intervene. The provider will gather both the children close and briefly talk about how biting is not acceptable. For children with limited language the child will simply be told “No Biting”.  The provider will comfort the child who was bitten and administer first aide if needed. Both parents will be notified via text and arrangements may be made to talk about the incidence when is convenient. We understand that we need to comfort and address the needs of the child who was bitten just as much as the one who did the biting. We understand that biting is normal in the development process for some children and that we don’t label a child or believe a child is anything other than normal when going through this process.

behaviors.