Infants

Classrooms and Ratios

Babies respond well to consistency, routine, and knowing what to expect.

Teachers in our infant rooms will create an environment built on these beliefs and foster a sense of security and comfort in infants.

They will spend time bonding with each child and learning the signals, wants, and needs of the individual baby.
They will understand the importance of attachment.
They will work together to meet the needs of the child in the most appropriate and caring way.
Infant schedules will be individualized based on personal feeding and napping routines.

Mealtimes are an important time for caregivers to bond with the children in their care.
Teachers will learn to understand the implicit preferences and routines of each infant.
Teachers will strive to support the mealtime habits that you maintain in your own home.
Infants will be fed milk and solid foods following a schedule that is communicated by your family and that is respectful of their individual needs.

Families will provide all breast milk or formula for infants.
Containers must be labeled with your child’s full name and date.
If and when your family switches to cow’s milk, the Center will provide the milk unless otherwise specified by the parent.

Families will provide bottles to the Center that are filled with the necessary amount of water in each.
Formula must be pre-measured for each bottle and provided daily.
Families will provide enough bottles to account for all feedings that your child will receive throughout their day.

Breast milk must be defrosted and in bottles with the desired amount of milk in each bottle.
Families will provide enough bottles to account for all feedings that your child will receive throughout their day.
Families will be provided with freezer storage space to store bags of frozen breast milk, in case your infant needs more milk for the day than what was available.
Because breastfed infants may inadvertently drink more milk from a bottle than they would have taken from the breast, teachers at the Center will be trained in paced bottle feeding.
For breastfed infants who may be inclined to refuse bottles of milk, the teachers will work with the baby to find a bottle feeding method that will work for them.

Once a child has been introduced to a food at home, families will be able to send those foods in for their infant to eat at the Center.
Babies who are eating solid foods may be fed in a lap, in a feeding chair with a tray, or in a low chair at a table depending on their age and developmental needs.
Any new foods should be introduced at home prior to being sent in for meals at the Center so that families can take note of any reactions.

Even the youngest children at the Center will benefit from and enjoy time outside.

Infants and young toddlers will spend time on the front porch, where they can play on ample soft spaces as well as explore pull up bars and mirrors to encourage engagement.
The infant and young toddler playground space includes physical challenges, such as a small slide, climbing stumps, and a crawling tunnel.
They will also be exposed to a variety of tactile experiences through sand, grass, trees, snow, rocks, and bark.
When the weather cooperates, the children will also spend time walking around the neighborhood in buggies or on foot.
We believe that natural outdoor spaces provide benefits and enjoyment to children from the earliest possible age.