Blue Bird Day Policies

Welcome to Blue Bird Day! Our policies page can help you review what to bring for your child’s first day, our weekly themes, drop-off/pick-up details, our attendance or illness policies, and tips for a smooth morning transition.

Therapeutic classroom with a big rainbow rug, tables and chairs for children, and a whiteboard. Therapeutic preschool or kindergarten classroom from our West Loop Chicago location. There are three child-sized tables with chairs, a brightly colored rug, a whiteboard with markers, child-sized cube seats in many colors, a child sized couch, a puppet station, and a wall filled with windows.

Things to Bring for your Child’s First Day:

Please only send ready to eat snacks (yogurts, veggie straws, fruits and vegetables, etc.) and nothing including nuts. We are nut free due to allergies.
Your child’s water bottle (metal and glass bottles are prohibited). This will be sent home daily.
Indoor shoes. If your child does not have indoor shoes already at the clinic, please make sure to send them in!
Two changes of extra clothing, including socks.
Diapers/pull-ups (if necessary).

Please label all items with your child’s name!

Fall Themes

My Friends, My Family, All About Me, My Favorite Things, My Five Senses, Healthy Living, Pumpkins and Halloween, Leaves and Trees, Farm and Harvest, Thanksgiving, Transportation by Land, Transportation by Water, Transportation by Air, Holiday Traditions.

Spring Themes

Winter Weather, Winter Play, Arctic Animals, Winter Olympics, Favorite Authors, Black History, Friendship: Valentine’s Day, Kindness & Inclusion, Measurements / Experiments, Dinosaurs, Color Theory, Space, Spring, Spring Weather, Baby Animals, Things That Grow, Community Rules, Places I Go, People I See, When I Grow Up, People Around the World, Music and Dance, Graduation

Summer Themes

Water Play: At the Beach, Water Play: Under the Sea, Camping, Bugs & Butterflies, Circus, Zoo, Picnic, Summer Weather / Outdoor Games

See Our Calendar for Other Important Dates

Drop-Off Process

On arrival, simply sign your child in on Daily Connect so that we know you’re here. Please note, you may not receive a direct response from our team on your sign-in due to the high volume of messages we receive during pick-up and drop-off.
A therapist will greet you and your child at your car.
The therapist will then bring your child inside.
If you’re arriving later than your designated start time, please park your car and bring your child into the reception area.

Pick-Up Process

Once outside, please notify Blue Bird Day staff that you have arrived by signing your child out on Daily Connect. Please note, you may not receive a direct response from our team on your sign-in due to the high volume of messages we receive during pick-up and drop-off.
A therapist will bring your child to your car.
The therapist can assist in placing your child in their car seat or you may assist. All staff have received a car seat safety training.

Attendance and Illness Policies

Regular Attendance

We require at least 80% attendance during the semester. If attendance falls below the required level or you are habitually tardy, it may be necessary to decrease or discontinue your child’s services at Blue Bird Day. If your current schedule is not working for you, please discuss scheduling options with your therapists.

Break Therapy Attendance

Cancellations at any time after confirming break schedule will result in a $45 fee for each canceled session and additional therapy is not guaranteed.

Extended Day Therapy Attendance

Please arrive on time for therapy sessions. Your child’s therapy session cannot be extended to accommodate late arrival.
Clients who miss three or more scheduled appointments without providing advance notice will be removed from the regular treatment schedule and may be placed on a weekly treatment schedule, subject to availability.
If a client misses 25% or more of therapy sessions over a three-month period, the client may be removed from the regular treatment schedule.
If a client is absent for longer than 1 month, the client may be removed from the regular treatment schedule.
Clients will have a 5-minute grace period for pick up. Clients will be charged $1 for each minute late. Therapy sessions may be removed with repeated late pick ups.

Cancellations

We understand that you may have to occasionally cancel sessions or appointments as a result of illness or unexpected events. However, we expect at least 24 hours advance notice. If you’re unable to give 24 hours’ notice, we ask that you notify us by 7 AM on the day of the absence. If you need to cancel for any reason, please notify us as soon as possible and provide a reason for the cancellation. We reserve the right to charge a $45 fee per session each time you cancel without providing the required 24 hours notice. Please know that we will not bill your insurance for any absences, regardless of whether they are excused or unexcused.

Vacations: We expect two weeks notice of vacation plans. For extended absence greater than 1 week, we will charge you $250 per week from the 2nd week of absence on to reserve your ongoing schedule upon return.
No Shows: We may discontinue services if your child misses a total of three days without any cancellation or communication. If your child cannot attend for any reason, please call us. There is no refund for absences (excused or unexcused).
Team Meeting/ Evaluation Cancellation: For scheduled meetings and caregiver trainings, we require 24-hours notice for any meeting cancellations and may charge you a $150 fee for a last minute cancellation.

Contact Info for Cancellations

You may cancel by messaging us on Daily Connect. For more information on how to download and use Daily Connect, please watch our informative video.

Downloading Daily Connect App and Signing Child In (Caregivers) – YouTube

Exceptions to the attendance policy are considered on a case-by-case basis. If you have any questions, please contact the Office Manager.

We will ask that you pick up your child immediately if your child:

Has a fever of 100.4F or higher.
Vomits during the day in combination with other illness symptoms.
Is fussy, lethargic or continuously crying for an unusual amount of time or for unexplained reasons.
Experiences two diarrhea episodes in one day.
Has any contagious drainage or weeping sores, including but not limited to chicken pox, impetigo, pink eye, or other drainage.
Has an unknown rash, severe cough, or unexplained pain.
Demonstrates excessive biting outside of normal behavior.
Has significant respiratory problems.

Please note, any child who becomes ill at Blue Bird Day will be removed from group services until a parent or authorized guardian arrives to pick up the child. We reserve the right to charge a $45 fee if parent or authorized guardian does not pick up the child within one hour after receiving notice of illness.

A note from your child’s physician is required before your child may return.

To safeguard the health of our clients and staff, your child will not be allowed to participate in services if he or she is experiencing any of the following:

Has or had a fever of 100.4 F or higher within the last 24 hours WITHOUT medication.
Has vomited within the last 24 hours.
Has or had two bouts of diarrhea within the last 24 hours WITHOUT medication.
Has skin sores that are open and draining (including such things as impetigo, etc.) Your child may resume services when the drainage ceases, the sores begin to heal and your physician authorizes your child’s return.
Has or had ear/eye drainage such as pink eye (conjunctivitis). Your child may resume services after the prescription medication has been administered for at least 24 hours.
Has Streptococcal Group A throat infection. Your child may resume services after prescription medication has been administered for at least 24 hours.
Has a contagious disease, such as Chicken Pox. Your child may resume services when no longer contagious, the lesions are crusted over, and your physician authorizes your child’s return.
Has lice, ringworm, scabies, etc., that is untreated and contagious to others.
Has an undiagnosed rash or a rash attributable to a contagious illness or condition.
Has significant respiratory problems.

Tips for a Smooth Morning Transition

Come Prepared

Children thrive on routine. Knowing what is expected of them and being able to anticipate what will come next offers a sense of security and confidence. Develop a morning routine with clearly defined steps and expectations.

The sound of a parent’s voice is innately reassuring. Talk to your child about transitions, even if you aren’t sure they will understand. Remaining upbeat will encourage your child to do the same and narrating the expectations for each phase of transition can decrease anxiety and empower your child.

Transitions are a highly emotional time. Taking a moment to validate how your child is feeling and reassure them that you will ALWAYS come back will go a long way to encourage a smooth separation.

Use Visual Supports

A visual schedule not only supports communication for children who are visual thinkers, they also provide a sense of control! Morning routines are typically a very adult-led time of day, which can leave young children feeling anxious and out of control. An interactive visual schedule will help them regain some confidence and autonomy in an appropriate manner.

Model Positive Transition Behaviors

Transitions are hard for all children, particularly when separating from caregivers, and waiting rooms can fuel any hidden anxiety when busy, loud, or if unexpected interactions present themselves. Parents are encouraged to remain alert and in tune with their child’s needs in order to best identify moments where adult intervention may be warranted.

Modeling a calm and alert demeanor communicates to your child that you are in control of the moment and that they are safe to mirror the same affect. Your child is therefore silently invited to release any anxiety and explore their environment more freely.

It can be tempting to sneak away when your child begins to move away from you and interact with their teachers; however, this perpetuates the child’s fear that their caregiver will leave if they are not vigilant in keeping tabs on them and, therefore, will make separations more stressful. A clear goodbye and reassurance that you will return for them may make for a harder moment, but will support more fluid transitions in the long run.

Families are always encouraged to reach out to their child’s Therapy Case Manager with any concerns relating to morning routines and/or transitioning into a therapy setting.