2014 Mahomet Area Youth Club Family Handbook, Page 1

2014 Family Handbook

Dear MAYC Parents/Guardians and Members:

Thank you for your interest in registering for or continuing membership at the Mahomet Area
Youth Club! MAYC is an Illinois not-for-profit organization and we strive to provide activities in
five core areas for children between the ages of 6-18. Our members are encouraged to develop,
understand, and apply skills in:

1. Character and Leadership Development
2. Life Skills
3. Health & Nutrition
4. Creative Arts & Expression, and
5. Sports and Recreation.

MAYC provides families with a sliding scale fee and offers a MAYC Scholarship Program. This
ability to offer our families reduced or waived fees is made possible only by the funding,
support and in-kind donations received from: Champaign County Mental Health Board; MAKE
Foundation (Mahomet Area Kids Endowment Foundation); Mahomet Rotary; Mahomet Lions
Club, and the generous support of individual donors.

The purpose of this handbook is to provide guidance regarding the policies, rules and operating
procedures of MAYC. No handbook can answer every question or anticipate every situation,
and MAYC reserves the right to amend, deviate from, supplement and/or rescind any part of
this handbook from time to time, with or without notice.

Please take a moment to review this handbook and if you have any questions or comments,
please contact our Executive Director or Program Director.

Sincerely,

Mahomet Area Youth Club Administrative Staff
2014 Mahomet Area Youth Club Family Handbook, Page 2
MAYC Family Handbook
2014


2014 Contact Information:

Phone: 217-586-6323
Email: mayc_online@mchsi.com
Web: www.mahometyouth.org


Mission of MAYC
The mission of the Mahomet Area Youth Club is to teach and support young people to develop
their full potential to become responsible, respectful, caring and productive citizens.

To fulfill our mission, our programs are designed with various beliefs and goals in mind. We
believe:
1. All members deserve a safe and caring environment with positive adult role models.
2. All members deserve an environment to socialize with peers in a healthy manner.
3. All members deserve learning experiences that reflect their values, beliefs, interests, and
culture.
4. All members deserve the opportunity to develop a variety of skills through engaging
activities. Skills include sportsmanship, creative skills, academic, social-emotional, and
motor/movement.
5. All members can and should be actively involved in their community by participating in
service-learning projects.
6. All members deserve the opportunity to learn about their community through
experiences otherwise not available them through other means, regardless of socio-
economic factors.

MAYC Staff
The MAYC professional staff takes great pride in sharing the responsibility of support for each
child in their care. The goal of MAYC is to ensure that every child at MAYC is supported in a
secure, nurturing, and engaging environment in order to promote healthy social, emotional,
physical and mental development.

Familiarity with MAYC Policies
MAYC requires all parents/guardians thoroughly read MAYC policies. All parents must sign the
last page of this handbook, acknowledging that you have read and understand our policies. If you
have any questions about policies or our programs, MAYC administrative staff are always
available via email, telephone, or in-person meetings.

Parent/Guardian Information
2014 Mahomet Area Youth Club Family Handbook, Page 3
Nothing in this handbook is intended to create an express or implied contract between MAYC
and any parent/guardian or child or any other party, and MAYC shall have the right to apply
these policies in its sole discretion.

Enrollment
To enroll at MAYC, a parent/guardian must complete a membership enrollment form and submit
an annual membership fee of ten (10) dollars per child. Due to certain insurance restrictions, no
child will be able to participate in any program or service provided at MAYC until the
membership form is completed, the family handbook acknowledgement form is signed, and the
membership fee is paid in full.

Upon completing membership documents, MAYC recommends taking a tour of the facility with
your child to familiarize them with our physical location and to meet one or more of the
administrative staff. This will help them transition into our summer program more easily.

Summer Care
MAYC isnotadaycarecenterbut does provide summer care for children between the ages of 6-
12 based on a sliding scale fee (members ages 12 and up are FREE for daily child care, but must
pay the membership fee upon registering for the program). Our sliding scale see is intended to
ensure accessibility to MAYC services regardless of family income. To determine if a family meets
the income guidelines offered in the sliding scale, parents/guardians will be required to complete
an application and submit any supporting documentation as requested by the Mahomet Area
Youth Club, which may include recent pay stubs or a copy of last years tax form.

Please note that if you have outstanding after school, summer or membership fees and fail to
remit payment or establishapaymentschedule,serviceswillbeterminatedandMAYCmayseek
legalremediestoregainanylostservices.

Summer Hours
Our summer program is open Monday-Friday from 7:30am to 6:00pm. MAYC is closed on all
national holidays. MAYC reserves the right to close early or for an entire day, should the situation
arise. Although this situation is unlikely and rare, MAYC will make the best effort possible via our
webpage, local news stations, telephone calls, etc. to ensure that families are aware of
emergency closures. Parents/guardians are strongly encouraged to check the monthly calendar
schedule (www.mahometyouth.org/calendar) on a regular basis for information about closures.

Programming Schedule
Our daily programming schedule during the summer will be posted on our online calendar at
www.mahometyouth.org/calendar. Please check regularly for information about upcoming
programs. Although most programs are free, some programs may require an additional
admittance fee, in which case the calendar will state the cost of the program. The schedule will
also be posted inside of MAYC on our whiteboard calendar. MAYC reserves the right to cancel or
reschedule programs at any time based on interest, scheduling conflicts, acclimate weather, etc.
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MAYC will make the best effort possible to inform members and parents when schedules
change.

Field Trips
The MAYC summer program may from offer field trips and other special activities for
participants. Information regarding upcoming field trips will typically be available at least one
week prior to the trip, and announcements will be posted on the MAYC calendar. Some of these
activities may require additional money and/or transportation which will be the responsibility of
each parent/guardian.

Closing Policy
MAYC will be closed due to adverse weather conditions or if there is a power outage or
treacherous road conditions which warrant closure of MAYC. If MAYC will be closed,
parents/guardians will be contacted and will be asked to come and pick up their child
immediately. In the event of an early closure due to weather conditions, parents/guardians will
be responsible for a full daily payment according to the sliding fee scale.

Dropping Off Policy
MAYC members are to be dropped off NO EARLIER than 7:30am on open attendance days. Staff
will NOT be present at MAYC to provide supervision for members arriving prior to the scheduled
opening time and we are not liable for members on our property during closed hours.

Pick Up/Leaving Policy
Parents/guardians are required to pick up their child before the designated closing time. For
each child's safety, it is required that a parent/guardian or other authorized person enter the
MAYC building and sign each child out. An authorized individual should be at least 18 years or
older. Please note that MAYCstaffwillnotreleaseachildtoanyonewhoisnotonanauthorized
listwithoutthepriorapprovalfromtheparent/guardian.Parents/guardians are asked to be on
time to pick up their child from MAYC. If a parent/guardian has an emergency and will be late, he
or she should call MAYC and notify a staff member. If a child has not been picked up 15 minutes
after MAYC closes, MAYC staff will try to contact the childs parent/guardian and/or anyone
listed on the enrollment form as the emergency contact. If no one can be reached, local
authorities will be contacted. Excessive late pick-ups may result in a fee and or
suspension/termination from the summer program.

No MAYC member under the age of thirteen (13) will be permitted to leave the MAYC premises
without a parent and/or an authorized individual. For MAYC members 13 years or older, once a
child signs out and leaves the building, that child is no longer the responsibility of MAYC or its
staff, unless prior arrangements are made between a parent/guardian and administrative staff
(for example, in the case of a school sponsored sports practice).

***Members under the age of thirteen (13) will not be allowed to leave MAYC for any reason,
REGARDLESS OF PARENT PERMISSION or presence of an older sibling, without a staff member or
2014 Mahomet Area Youth Club Family Handbook, Page 5
authorized individual, including to school sponsored events/practices or to the local gas station.
Members ages thirteen (13) and up may leave for trips to the gas station or school WITH
WRITTEN CONSENT FROM PARENT.***

Parent/Guardian Involvement & Volunteerism
Parent/guardian participation is strongly encouraged at MAYC. Parents are asked to provide their
email to MAYC staff in order to receive important communication from MAYC administrative
staff. Parents are also asked to join the parents club, which is a program that allows families to
help MAYC staff establish policies and programs. Parents/guardians are also welcome to visit at
any time and are encouraged to become regular volunteers. Volunteers are often needed to
chaperone special events, to supervise or develop activities, or offer assistance to staff
members. Anyone who is interested should see a staff member for more information. Any new
volunteer may be required to submit to a background check prior to serving as a volunteer.

Discipline Policy
In order to maintain a safe, respectful, and engaging environment, MAYC staff will work closely
with each child and his or her parent/guardian to ensure appropriate behavior. MAYC members
are expected to follow the MAYC rules, policies, procedures and other site-specific rules
established by staff. Failure to adhere to any of the rules or procedures may result in suspension
or termination from MAYC.

When dealing with a child who has demonstrated inappropriate behavior, MAYC staff may:
1. Give the child a verbal warning.
2. Ask the child to physically leave the area, but remain in sight of staff.
3. Remove the child from the activity or restrict the child from participating in an activity.
4. Notify parents/guardians either at the end of the day or via immediate phone call.
5. Request meeting with parents, potentially to develop a behavior plan.
6. Suspension
7. Expulsion

Please note: This list is intended to be a list of possible consequences for disruptive behavior. It
does not describe a step-by-step progression of actions taken for any particular behavior.
Consequences for disruptive behaviors are situational based on the behavior, the individual
child, and the safety of others.

MAYC staff will take every measure to ensure the safety of each child who attends MAYC. If a
childs behavior becomes violent and poses a threat to the staff and/or any child at MAYC, the
authorities may be called first and staff will then contact the parent/guardian.

MAYC strongly encourages Restorative Justice. Restorative Justice is a way of helping children
understand that their emotions and behaviors may have consequences for themselves, as well as
others around them. This practice de-emphasizes punishments and focuses on teaching the child
to manage emotions in a healthy way, how to correct harm done to others, and strengthen the
relationship between the child and trusted adults and peers.
2014 Mahomet Area Youth Club Family Handbook, Page 6

Suspension and Dismissal Policy
MAYC reserves the right to dismiss or suspend enrollment of any child for the following reasons:
1. Repeated late pick-ups.
2. Repeated non-payment for child care services.
3. Behavioral problems that continue after being addressed.
4. Failure to comply with the policies in this handbook or any other rules adopted by MAYC from
time to time
5. Any other reason determined by MAYC to be grounds for dismissal or suspension.

Illness
If a summer program participant becomes ill, a parent/guardian or authorized person will be
called to pick up the participant.

Emergency/Health Information
Each parent/guardian is required to provide emergency information on the enrollment form for
each child registering. This information includes home and work phone numbers for each
parent/guardian, names and phone numbers of the childs physicians, and information regarding
the childs medication needs and relevant medical history. It is important that the MAYC staff
have this information and that the parent/guardian keep it current at all times. Pleasenotifystaff
ifthereareanychangesinhealthneedsorcontactinformation.

Medication
If a child requires medication during after-school program hours, a parent must inform
administrative staff in writing with the information regarding dose and time of administration. It
is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to inform staff as to specific medication requirements
for the child. All medications must be kept in clearly labeled original containers. Noover-the-
countermedicationswillbegiven(suchasTylenol,coughliquid,etc.).

Head Lice Policy
Each parent/guardian is responsible for notifying MAYC staff as soon as the parent/guardian
becomes aware that his or her child is infested with head lice. The child will be able to return to
MAYC when he or she no longer poses a threat of infestation to other children and/or staff.

Restroom Policy
Every child must be completely toilet trained. No staff member will escort any child into a
restroom. If an accident occurs, the childs parent/guardian will be called to come to MAYC and
take care of the child. Each child must be clothed so that he or she is capable of dressing and
undressing without assistance when using the facilities.

Child Abuse and Neglect
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Each member of the MAYC staff is required by law to report any suspectedcases of child abuse
or neglect.

MAYC Dress Code
All MAYC staff, members, parents and guardians will adhere to the MAYC dress code which
requires:
1. Shoes must be worn at all times.
2. Hats and caps must be worn appropriately.
3. No bandanas are to be worn at the Club.
4. Appropriate attire will be required for certain activities (i.e. swimming suit)
5. The following attire may not be worn at the Club:
a. See-through or mesh clothing unless worn over other apparel
b. Garments that expose the midriff
c. Halter tops and spaghetti straps
d. Biking shorts or short shorts (shorts should end just above the knee)
e. Garments or accessories which display emblems relating to gangs, abusive
substances, sex, or obscenities
f. Tight fitting or revealing apparel
g. Sagging pants (undergarments should not be visible)
h. Ripped or torn apparel, including shirts, pants, sweaters, jeans, shorts, etc.
i. Bathing suits when not participating in a water activity
j. Text or printed images that are or may be profane, inappropriate or insulting to
other staff, club members, or general public

Personal Items
The Mahomet Area Youth Club is not responsible for any lost, stolen or misplaced item your child
may bring to the Mahomet Area Youth Club. If a member or their parent/guardian does not wish
to have an item stolen, lost or broken, do not bring it to MAYC. Staff will not be responsible for
tracking, monitoring, storing, or guarding any item.

Members are not permitted to take photos, videos or voice recordings on any type of
equipment, of any staff member, MAYC member or visitor at the club. MAYC administrative staff
reserves the right to delete any recordings taken of any staff members or volunteers. The
equipment will be confiscated and will be returned to the parent/guardian.

Members will not be permitted to use any MAYC owned or operated equipment to download,
transfer or store any types of images, videos or voice recordings.

If any images, videos or voice recordings are taken of MAYC staff, members or visitors against
the expressed written permission of the Mahomet Area Youth Club, member or visitor, and same
are used, published or posted in print or in any electronic format, MAYC, individual members and
visitors may seek civil remedies for any damages incurred.

2014 Mahomet Area Youth Club Family Handbook, Page 8
*** Members are NOT permitted to bring video games (XBOX, PS3, etc.) for general public use.
MAYC strives to ensure the safety and protection of members in all aspects, including in
exposure to inappropriate video gaming. MAYC will provide appropriate video games for
member use, when applicable.

Language
All children are required to use appropriate language at MAYC. Use of profanity is strictly
prohibited. Children who use profanity at MAYC may be removed from an activity, asked to leave
for the day, or their membership may be terminated.

Maintenance
MAYC is a resource to be used by and for the children. All children of MAYC are required to keep
the premises safe, clean and sanitary, and each child is responsible for cleaning up after himself
or herself. Any child who intentionally damages or destroys any MAYC property or equipment
may be asked to leave and may have his or her membership terminated and damages will
become he responsibility of the parents/guardians. Children will be required to proactively
participate in team/group maintenance projects as they arise.

Respect
MAYC children will respect themselves, other children and staff by the things they do and say. All
children have the right to participate in a respectful and safe environment. Those who prevent
MAYC from being a safe, respectful, nurturing environment may be subject to suspension or
expulsion.





















2014 Mahomet Area Youth Club Family Handbook, Page 9
*****Please return ONLY this portion of the handbook*****



Acknowledgment of Receipt of Handbook

I have received my copy of the Mahomet Area Youth Club Membership handbook that outlines
the policies, practices, and rules of MAYC, and I have read and I understand the information
contained in the handbook. I understand that the handbook is not a contract and nothing in the
handbook creates any contractual obligations for me or for MAYC. I understand that MAYC
reserves the right to amend or modify or deviate from the contents of the handbook at any time
and that such changes may supersede, revise, or eliminate one or more of the policies in the
handbook.

Date: _______________________


Member Name [Please Print]: ____________________________________________________


Parent/Guardian Signature: ______________________________________________________