Pumpkin Patch Childcare & Early Education Center
Pumpkin Patch Childcare & Early Education Center is a family-owned business that has been serving families in Connecticut for over 35 years. We provide children with a loving, nurturing, and safe environment to learn, play, and grow. Our qualified and highly dedicated teachers offer before and after school care to children aged 6 weeks to 12 years in a stimulating atmosphere. Our center is state licensed and conveniently located in Westbrook, CT, servicing the Westbrook and Clinton school systems. We offer full-time, part-time, and occasional care to accommodate your busy schedule!
Teachers & Staff
Pumpkin Patch teachers are professional and kind. All of our staff undergo an extensive training period, during which time they learn the ropes as well as get to know the children in the different classrooms. Each classroom is headed by a Lead Teacher who is responsible for designing lessons, maintaining a fun and safe environment, and managing classroom staff and children. Our Lead Teachers all hold degrees with early childhood education credits and have at least one teaching assistant.
We ensure our staff stays up-to-date with required continuing education, annual policy and procedure reviews, mandated reporter training, and health and safety training. Health and Safety are priority number one for our staff. We aim to create a healthy environment by requiring all teachers and staff to have a current First Aid and CPR certificate for infants, children, and adults. Choosing Pumpkin Patch means choosing a professional, warm, and loving environment for your child.
Center Security
Your child’s security is vitally important to us. That is why we’ve taken numerous careful measures to protect and safeguard them, including:
· Security alarms and fire alarms
· Access code needed to enter building
· Indoor and outdoor cameras
Beyond building security, we take ample steps to protect your child during their time with us. From the moment they arrive until they return to you, we do our utmost to ensure that they can learn and thrive in a comfortable, safe environment.
Safety
Keeping your child safe is our first priority. We have taken a number of steps to help safeguard them as they travel to and from Pumpkin Patch, as well as during play and activities. These measures include:
- Professionally trained van drivers
- Van drivers ensure that each child is buckled in and properly secured
- Each teacher has received certification in early childhood education, child development, or a related field
- Each staff member is certified in CPR / First Aid and trained in Medication Administration
Alternate Pickup
When an adult other than the parent, guardian, or regular caregiver is to pick up a child from Pumpkin Patch, an Alternate Pickup Permission Slip must be filled out. This is for your child’s safety and protection.
The following procedures are put in place to ensure that children are only picked up by those authorized to do so:
- A photo ID must be shown
- Photo ID will be compared with the information given by the parent or guardian
- Teacher/Director must sign to confirm ID
- Alternate must sign child out
- Teacher/Director escorts Alternate and child to front door
Food & Nutrition
- All perishable food is refrigerated
- Food preparation areas are separate from children’s play areas and infant diaper-changing areas to maintain high sanitary standards
- Our menus are carefully planned to include healthy snacks
- Breastfeeding mothers are welcome at our facility and we have procedures in place to separate breast milk and formula
Nut Allergies
Because children have developed allergies and severe reactions to nuts of all kinds, including peanuts and tree nuts, Pumpkin Patch is completely nut-free.
Staff Qualifications
- All staff undergo thorough criminal and background checks to ensure that only qualified caregivers are chosen to care for your child
- Each teacher has received certification in early childhood education, child development or a related field
- Each staff member is certified in CPR / First Aid and trained in Medication Administration
Medication Administration
- Each staff member is certified in CPR / First Aid and trained in Medication Administration
- Physician and parent signed permission form for each medication
- Permission form located with medication
- All medications locked in a secure location, inaccessible to children
- All medications administered under the guidance of our Nurse consultant on staff
- All medication orders reviewed monthly by Nurse consultant on staff
- Individual care plan and medication log for all children
Indoor / Outdoor Supervision
- Professionally trained teachers and staff
- Daily inspection of entire facility, playground, equipment, and toys
- Attendance upon entering and exiting classroom or playground
- Maintenance of 8” of mulch under “fall” areas on playground
- Staff are positioned so that all children are visible at all times to assure proper supervision
- Proper state-mandated student-teacher ratios at all times
Emergency Preparedness
Pumpkin Patch has adopted the Connecticut Department of Public Health Emergency Preparedness Guidelines
Visit Us
Pumpkin Patch Childcare & Early Education Center
310 Grove Beach Road North
Westbrook, CT 06498
Telephone: (860) 669-0579
Fax: (860) 669-7161
Email: ppatchwestbrook@gmail.com
Monday – Friday: 7:00am – 5:30pm