New Parent Information
Thank you for choosing UCLC to meet the care and early education needs of your child.
We are honored to partner with your family to assist with your child's growth and development.
Vision Statement
UCLC provides a play-based education that fosters lifelong learners, leading to every family feeling safe and secure in their child's growth and development.
Core Values
- Used to create developmentally appropriate learning experiences which meets the individual needs of each child.
- Based on the philosophy that each child learns best when teachers’ focus is on being responsive to children’s individual interests, as well as class interests, to create meaningful learning experiences.
- Built on inquiry- and play-based learning, which are child-initiated or based on a teacher’s observation of a child’s interest or developmental learning task.
- We have two Nature Explore Outdoor classrooms with learning areas similar to the indoor classrooms.
- UCLC believes outdoor play is an important part of each day. It promotes a child’s growth and development and establishes a healthy immune system.
- Parents are responsible for ensuring their child has clothing appropriate for the season. Exploration in the outdoor classroom may result in your child getting dirty! Please bring extra clothing.
- If your child is well enough to be at the UCLC, then they are well enough to go outdoors. UCLC does not have staff to stay indoors with sick children.
- Diversity is valued and respected at UCLC.
- The Parent Guide outlines a list of several ways in which UCLC seeks to demonstrate its value of the diverse population it serves.
Children from around the world are enrolled at UCLC. Each family has unique beliefs, values and traditions. The philosophy of the Learning Center is one of inclusion, where every family feels respected and welcomed. This long-held philosophical belief is reflected in the policies that have guided practices at UCLC for over four decades.
UCLC policy states:
“Curriculum does not include the practice of observing traditional holidays, such as Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day or Easter. UCLC values and respects each family and their individual beliefs; therefore, the Learning Center does not feel it is appropriate to pick and choose holidays to celebrate. The Learning Center believes it is more important and appropriate for children to learn about their culture and heritage, including the celebration of important and significant historical events, from their family. If a family wishes to come and share a particular aspect of their cultural beliefs, the Learning Center would welcome that opportunity.”
- How does this policy translate to classroom practices?
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Quite simply, teachers do not plan curriculum experiences that are associated with any religion. Faith-based beliefs, traditions and customs are best taught and observed in the home setting.
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- Young children are at a stage of development where they cannot distinguish between learning about religious practices and embracing them. All children should be able to participate fully in UCLC’s program offerings without engaging in practices that are inconsistent with family beliefs.
Important Information
Learn more about online payments, drop offs and pick ups, holidays, closures, and more.
Child care tuition typically posts around the 28th of each month, and is due on the 1st of the month. Parents will NOT receive an email notifying them that payment is due.
For new parents, there may be a delay in posting their first tuition bill to their account.
How to Pay
Drop Off
Payments can be dropped off at the Memorial Union, 2901 University Avenue, Room 302.
Payments can be mailed to One-Stop Student Services, 2901 University Ave, Stop 7155, Grand Forks, ND 58202-7155.
Be sure to include your UND ID number on the memo line of the check.
Online
Tuition payments can be made online via Campus Connection.
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Go to the UND Homepage, then navigate to LOGINS in the top right and click on Campus Connection. Sign in using your USER ID (firstname.lastname) and the password you created.
- Click on the Navigator (looks like a compass) icon at the top right.
- On the Navigation Bar, click Navigator.
- Scroll down to Pay Charges Online.
- Click the UND box; this will bring you to the QuikPAY main page.
- Click on Pay Deposits and Prepayments.
- In the Account Type dropdown, select Prepay-Children’s Center.
- Enter required information and make your payment.
- Pay with a credit card or bank card (will incur an additional cost) or an e-check (will not incur any further costs).
- Sign your child in on the sign in/out sheet.
- Please have a consistent, reliable routine, like the example provided below.
- Come into the classroom and greet the teacher. Tell the teacher any information you need/want to convey.
- Put things in the cubby (coats, nap bucket, etc.)
- Wash your hands together.
- Allow your child to look around and choose an activity. If you have time, feel free to spend a few minutes.
- Once you say it is time for you to go to work, give your child a hug and kiss, tell them you love them, and then wave as you go out the door.
Important: In order for us to protect children with potentially life-threatening food allergies, outside food is NOT allowed at UCLC.
When picking up your child:
- A child’s adult family member (age 16 or older) must sign your child out on the sign in/out sheet.
- Make verbal contact with the teacher.
- Gather your child’s materials. Don’t forget to check your parent mailbox!
- On your child’s last day of attendance for the week, please remember to bring home their nap bucket so that you can launder blankets for the upcoming week.
- Each child is eligible to take vacation at 100% tuition credit for one consecutive week of their typical schedule per fiscal year (July 1 thru June 30).
- Time taken must be consecutive days of the child’s typical schedule (M-F; MWF; or T/Th).
- Form must be submitted a minimum of 2 weeks prior to the vacation days being taken.
- Credit is issued after the vacation has been taken
All holiday closures are built into the tuition model; there will be no credit that appears on your account for official UND / State of North Dakota holidays including:
- New Year’s Day
- Martin Luther King Jr Day (3rd Monday in January)
- President’s Day (3rd Monday in February)
- Good Friday (varies each year)
- Memorial Day (last Monday in May)
- Independence Day (July 4th)
- Labor Day (1st Monday in September)
- Veteran’s Day (November 11th)
- Thanksgiving Day (4th Thursday in November) and Friday after
- December 24th
- December 25th
Summer and Winter Dates
- The UCLC will close for five days in August (typically the week prior to August 15th).
See the parent calendar and closure date announcements on the website.
- Parents will receive a credit equal to one week of their child’s typical schedule of attendance (M-F; MWF; or T/Th). This does not count towards Vacation Credit.
- The UCLC will be closed from Dec. 26-31.
- Parents will receive a credit for each week date that would fall in their child’s typical schedule of attendance (M-F; MWF; or T/Th). This does not count toward Vacation Credit.
Unexpected Closures
- The Children’s Learning Center will close due to weather or emergency circumstances at the direction of the UND Office of Safety.
- No tuition credit will be given for these dates.
Families are offered an opportunity to have a one-on-one conference with their child’s teacher a minimum of 2 times per year.
- At the first conference, teachers and families set goals for the child.
- At subsequent conferences, goals are reviewed, and new ones are added as appropriate.
Families may request a conference at any time.
Additional Information about the UCLC
- To provide quality early care and education for young children in a developmentally appropriate environment.
- To develop a partnership with each family, which enhances the opportunity to provide individualized early care and education.
- To provide UND students an environment in which they can acquire learning experiences, which involves working with young children as it relates to their chosen career field.
- Teachers note each child’s strengths and challenges by conducting day-to-day observations of the children at play.
- Teachers may use more formal observation and assessment tools to supplement information gathered.
- Assessed developmental areas include the following: Physical, Cognitive, Language, Social/Emotional, Literacy, and Math.
Step 1
UCLC meets minimum licensing standards and has not received a high-level corrective action in the previous 6 months.
Step 2
Space & Materials. UCLC offers a variety of materials to support play and learning experiences for children with different interests and abilities
Step 3
Activities & Experiences. UCLC uses a research-based curriculum that has been aligned with the North Dakota Early Learning Guidelines and uses an acceptable assessment tool.
Step 4
Relationships & Interactions. UCLC teachers:
- develop warm & supportive relationships with children and help them develop relationships with one another;
- emphasis on children’s interests, motivations, and points of view;
- facilitate children’s critical thinking and language development through interactions.
Basic Rules of UCLC
I'm learning at the UCLC!
All children, families, teachers, student teachers, caregivers, volunteers, and guests are expected to:
- Show respect for other people. Hurting others (children, peers, teachers, caregivers, family members, or guests) physically or emotionally through actions or words is unacceptable.
- Show respect for the indoor and outdoor environment. Hurting, damaging, destroying, carelessly, or destructively using toys, equipment, or the building is unacceptable.
- Everyone (teachers, caregivers, volunteers, guests, children, parents and families) must work together to ensure the physical and emotional safety of everyone.
Questions?
Please speak with your child’s teachers about any concerns you may have. We are all here to share our thoughts, insights, and observations. Don’t wait to ask questions at conferences – ask right away.
- Concerns about your child’s teacher? Please speak to the assistant director or director.
- Concerns about the director? Please contact Shelbie Wittie, Dean of the College of Education and Human Development.
- Concerns about licensing or similar matters? Call Child Care Licensing at 701.213.0901.