The center will be open for care of children on the first day certified teachers are scheduled to return to work each August. The center hours for children are 7:00am-5:00pm. The center follows the AISD calendar and is closed on scheduled holidays.

Please Note:

• The center will need to close for 1 day of Professional Development for child care staff in early January each year
• The center will need to close 1 day each semester for conferences.
• The center will be closed on AISD PLED days because childcare staff are not scheduled to work those days

The Blackshear Child Development Center prioritizes welcoming a diverse group of children to the program. The center is open to both district employees and community families. The priority groups are as outlined below and all priority groups are ordered based on the date of the waitlist application.

• Priority Group 1: Siblings of currently enrolled families (currently enrolled in Blackshear CDC)
• Priority Group 2: Children of AISD Employees currently working at Blackshear ES
• Priority Group 3: Children of AISD employees currently working at district locations other than Blackshear ES
• Priority Group 4: Community families with children currently enrolled in Blackshear ES
• Priority Group 5: Community families that do not fit in any above priority group

There is an annual non-refundable $250 fee to cover enrollment ($50) and supplies ($200). Monthly tuition covers the salary and benefits of our childcare staff. Tuition is due on the 1st of each month. Payments received after the 5th business day of the month will incur a $25 late fee. If payments remain unpaid by the 10th of the month, students will be removed. Students may only return after outstanding balances are paid along with a new $50 enrollment fee, if space allows.

Austin ISD Staff Rates

Austin ISD Community Rates

Blackshear CDC welcomes families enrolled in CCS; please communicate updates, changes or concerns regarding any CCS support - we are happy to offer navigational assistance.

Late Fees: Children picked up after 5:05 will incur a $25 late fee plus an additional charge of $1 per minute per child.

• 3 late pick-ups: director will schedule meeting to discuss late pick-up policy
• 4th late pick-up: warning for dismissal from program
• 5th late pick-up: dismissal from program

Families receive a copy of the operational policies upon admission when receiving a link to this handbook as they are outlined in the Family Handbook. Families are notified in writing of any changes in operational policies or the enrollment agreement. Families are required to submit a series of documents prior to the child’s first day of attendance. Prior to a child’s attendance, families must complete and give to the director:

• Registration Form -required to be current at all times, update as needed with the director
• Medical Examination Form
• Up-to-Date Immunization Record for Child
• Child information form
• For infants: safe sleep form & monthly feeding form

Children’s files and forms are updated as needed. Please notify the director of changes in address, phone numbers, and emergency contacts any time they change.

The center follows the guidelines set by Austin Independent School District. The center provides classes for children with Texas Rising Star child/staff ratios. The classrooms are spacious, bright, colorful, well equipped, and are set up in learning centers. Room content changes regularly, presenting children with new opportunities for exploration and learning.

Any changes regarding policies or procedures for the childcare center will be provided in writing and given to parents and staff.

The program does not exclude participation or deny services to students on the basis of race, color, sex, disability, national origin, religion or family status. 

Due to excellent licensing visitations, the center is in good standing with CCR. Blackshear Child Development Center is working towards 4-Star Certification with Texas Rising Star. Certified programs receive annual unannounced monitoring visits, in addition to the annual licensing inspections, and recertification visits once every three years. This certification process is to ensure that Blackshear Child Development Center is operating under best practices in the field of early childhood, and well beyond the minimum standards set by the state of Texas. 

Supervision is key to keeping our infants and toddlers safe and secure, while also allowing staff continuous opportunities to address teachable moments as they arise and scaffold development throughout play. In order to best supervise our children, our supervision policy includes the following elements:

• Teachers and staff must be able to SEE all infants, toddlers, and twos at all times, both indoors and outdoors
• Teachers and staff must be able to HEAR all infants, toddlers, and twos at all times, both indoors and outdoors
• No devices (mirrors, videos, sound monitors) replace the necessity of teachers/staff being able to SEE & HEAR all children at all times
• We DO NOT USE mirrors, video, or sound monitors to make it easier to see and hear children - we rely on DIRECT SUPERVISION always
• While infants, toddlers, and twos are sleeping, teachers/staff are positioned in a way to directly SEE & HEAR sleeping children, even if teachers/staff are also engaged with awake children
• Daily sheets in the infant room document appropriate supervision, including eating, sleeping, health checks, moods, and activities
• Weekly sheets for toddlers, twos and preschoolers documenting activities and milestones achieved
• Daily communication and review of daily/weekly sheets with parents ensure that all children receive continuous supervision from drop-off through pick-up and act as a monitoring system of classroom supervision
• Each teacher/staff is to regularly reposition themselves to see and hear as many children as possible; this way at any time most children are under supervision by two teachers at a time
• Anytime one teacher or staff is a the changing table or preparing food or bottles, another teacher or staff is down on the floor with children to ensure there are no gaps is supervision
• On the playground, teachers/staff reposition themselves to see all children as they move through playground tunnels and around structures; this means that typically the teachers/staff are in different zones of the playground
• Infant teachers and staff supervise no more than 4 infants independently
• Toddler, twos and preschool teachers adhere to TRS ratios and, even when a staff member steps out for a restroom break, still always maintain licensing ratios and typically lower
• When a child becomes ill during the school day, we call his or her family for immediate pick-up. Ill children do not remain in the group with other children; they are made comfortable until they are picked up, typically with the director
• Older children at Blackshear who use the potty are supervised by sound and sight. One teacher or staff member stands in the doorway to give the child privacy from other children, but does not close the door completely and leave themselves alone with child

Blackshear CDC insists that caregivers are responsible for:

• Knowing which children the caregiver is responsible for;
• Knowing how many children the caregiver is responsible for;
• Knowing each child’s name and having information showing each child’s age;
• Providing the level of supervision necessary to ensure each child’s safety and well-being, including physical proximity and auditory or visual awareness of each child’s on-going activity as appropriate; and
• Being able to intervene when necessary to ensure each child’s safety.

Blackshear CDC requires caregivers to consider the following when supervising:

• The child’s chronological age;
• The child’s current stage of development;
• The child’s individual differences and abilities;
• The indoor and outdoor layout of the operation;
• The circumstances, hazards, and risks surrounding the child; and
• The child’s physical, mental, emotional, and social needs.