Visiting and Volunteering
Families of enrolled children may visit any area of the facility at any time during the program's regular hours of operation. No advance notice is required. We also invite you to share your time and talents. Parent participation can improve and enhance learning opportunities, provide support for teachers and administrators, and help us maintain a safe and happy environment. You can enrich your child's experience at the center in numerous ways. Some parents volunteer to assist in the classroom or play yard for a few hours. Others collect materials for art projects and creative activities. Special interests such as music, gardening, or computers can be shared as well. Your visits to the center or presence on field trips can be a very special treat for your child and his or her friends. Please feel free to talk with your program manager about ongoing volunteer opportunities.
Parents are invited to participate in all areas of their child's day as a visitor or volunteer.
With the Children
Some examples of activities you can bring to the program would be: reading stories, doing an art project, doing a science project or assisting the teachers in projects.
We encourage parents to share their particular expertise with the children. For example, if you are a dentist, you could talk to the children about nutrition and teeth brushing. If you have a skill in music, you could play an instrument or teach a new song. If you dance, dance with the children.
The teachers plan activities around children's interests. You might want to bring some additional books or activities to enhance these: sharing a rock collection, bringing a pet in, adding items to the dramatic play corner.
We invite parents to come at lunch or snack to be with the children. This is a wonderful social time when children talk about their home activities as well as what happened during the day.
With the Staff
Suggestions for activities from the parents are considered by the master or head teachers and teachers. The teachers know the groups and what would be most appropriate for them.
A parent might volunteer to speak to teachers about a general topic in their field of expertise. For instance, in this university setting we have a wide range of parents who teach and do research in psychology, medicine, education, and the arts and humanities. Many of fields of study at USC touch on the work the teachers are doing with the children. Staff meetings are the usual venue for sharing parent expertise with teachers and are held regularly. Contact your master or head teacher to discuss your ideas.
Each year parents can participate in providing support with fundraisers (see fundraising guidelines) and in the Teacher Appreciation Week in the spring.
With the Programs
There are holiday celebrations and field trips, and we encourage your participation in these. These are great times to meet other parents or to gather for a potluck meal with the children and staff.
If you would like to volunteer your time at the centers, contact your master or head teacher to set a time to discuss ways you can be a part of your child's day and to support the staff in their work each day at the USC Child Care Programs.
Observers and Volunteers
USC Child Care Programs provide opportunities for research and observation performed by USC faculty and students. We also serve as sites for Child Development student teaching assignments and internships from local colleges and universities. USC research projects must be cleared with the Program Manager and be approved by the University's Human Subject Review Board, prior to inception. Projects may not interfere with a child's normal and appropriate daily activities. Parents are asked to give written consent for interviews, observations, and photographs upon registration. Additional consent will be requested for any research that manipulates the child's normal play environment. Children's names are not included in any research reports. All observers must be in good health and have proof of a negative TB test within the last year. Observers are supervised at all times by regular child care staff and must wear a nametag to identify themselves.
Parent Staff Organization (PSO)
USC Child Care Programs PSO meets to foster collaborative communication between parents, staff and administrators. The PSO provides parents and staff with opportunities for communication and input into program activities administration. All parents and staff are considered members of the PSO. Each program (Infant, Toddler, Preschool, and School-Age) has one to four Classroom and Community Representatives, who serve as liaisons to coordinate communications of the PSO and the parents at large. They also work with the Program Managers to welcome new families and gather parent volunteers for field trips, classroom events, special projects, and fundraisers. The PSO meets each month at UPC and every other month at HSC.
Cell Phone Policy
In general, we do not allow cell phone usage onsite. Please do not use your cell phone while entering or exiting our parking areas, and please leave your cell phone in your car when dropping off or picking up children. For parents who are onsite for meetings or other extended periods of time, please do not use your cell phone in yards or classrooms where children are present.
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