Parent Involvement

Rainbow Daycare is a parent governed non-profit organization that relies heavily on parent participation. Parent involvement in the administration of, fundraising for, and maintenance of Rainbow Daycare is a unique and essential part of the success of our center. Parents provide RDC with invaluable labor and resources and help defray operating expenses. Parents, through their participation, also have the opportunity to influence the direction and purpose of RDC. Completion of parent participation hours is a term and condition of each enrollment contract.

Hours
Thirty parent hours are required each year (July 1 – June 30) for all two-parent families who have a child enrolled full time. Parent hours are pro-rated for families who are here less than a full year based on the month of enrollment. The following time commitment is required of every RDC parent:

TWO PARENTS
FT (4-5 days) 30 hours per year
PT (2-3 days) 15 hours per year

ONE PARENT
FT (4-5 days) 20 hours per year
PT (2-3 days) 10 hours per year

Recording
Parents are responsible for recording parent hours. Parent Hour cards are located in a binder on the table in front of the Parent Board. When parent(s) complete time on a volunteer activity, the parent(s) fill out the Parent Hour card indicating the activity with the amount of time worked or amount of money spent. All recorded parent hours require RDC staff approval in order to be valid. Parent Hour cards will remain at RDC at all times. The purpose of the Parent Hour card is to keep an accurate record of hours for that year. Each family will receive a new Parent Hour card every July. Any parent hours earned in excess of what is required may carry over into the next year. Parents are responsible for ensuring their new Parent Hour card reflects any carried over balances. The Executive Director will audit these cards periodically throughout the year and will notify parents of any parent hours owed.

Qualifying Activities
The Executive Director will approve all qualifying parent hour activities. RDC will schedule parent workdays on weekends periodically throughout the year to do extra cleaning, maintaining, and improvements to RDC – inside and out. Volunteering for parent workdays is one way to earn parent hours. The Executive Director and RDC staff will post on-going projects for which parents can earn parent hours. Examples may include purchasing/donating materials, repair of classroom items, making copies or typing forms, maintaining the yard, chaperoning field trips, attending Parent or Board meetings, or participation in fundraisers. All donations of supplies require pre-approval by the Executive Director of RDC and convert into parent hours at a rate of 1 hour for every $10 spent or fundraised. The parent must provide receipts for newly purchased supplies. For donated supplies second hand, the Executive Director will make the determination of how many parent hours to credit. RDC is committed to assisting parents in completing their parent hours. Parents may contact the Executive Director for help in finding ways to complete their requirement.

Enforcement and Payment
Starting in April, the Executive Director will notify parents of deficit parent hours. Parents who do not complete the required parent hours by June 30 will be required to buy their remaining hours out at a rate of $10 per hour. Parents must submit payment for deficit parent hours by July 15. Failure to pay for parent hours owed will result in the termination of enrollment and loss of their priority as a “returning family”. If your child leaves RDC prior to July 1, any unfulfilled hours will be pro-rated and billed to you at a rate of $10.00 per hour.