MOPS of Community Covenant Church
MOPPETS Guidelines 2007-2008

The MOPPETS program is designed to provide MOPS members with comfortable and loving childcare for their children during MOPS meetings. Trained staff members and volunteers provide childcare in age-appropriate nurseries and classrooms. The following guidelines have been created to assist in providing a safe and rewarding experience for your child. Please read the guidelines carefully before the first MOPS/MOPPETS meeting.

  • Drop-Off and Pick-Up: Drop-off should occur between 9:15 and 9:30. Please do not drop off children before this time, as teachers will be setting up classrooms, and supervision will not be available. There will be a sign-in sheet outside each classroom–-please check off your child's name and list any allergies or special instructions. Pick-up should occur promptly after the MOPS meeting ends at 11:45. Many of our teachers have other commitments and would appreciate your promptness in picking up your child.
  • Classroom Assignments: MOPPETS classroom assignments are generally based on the age of each child. Please be aware that these assignments may result in siblings or friends being separated. Social and developmental concerns can be accommodated as needed—please discuss these with the MOPPETS Team Leader.

    Each preschool classroom will have a schedule of planned activities for each MOPPETS meeting. These activities will utilize age-appropriate materials and toys. The schedule of activities will include bathroom breaks and a snack break. Children in the Infant/Toddler nurseries will be provided with age-appropriate toys and snacks.
  • Illness: Please be considerate of all MOPS families and workers by keeping sick children at home. A child should not be brought to MOPPETS if he or she is vomiting or has diarrhea, has any contagious condition, or is generally not feeling well enough to play. In particular, please keep your child home if he or she:
    • Has a fever or has had a fever within 24 hours;
    • Has been taking an antibiotic for less than a full 24 hours;
    • Has a cold that is less than 4 days old; and/or
    • Has a heavy nasal discharge or constant cough.
  • MOPPETS Teachers will be advised not to admit children with any of the above conditions. This decision will be up to the judgment of the classroom teacher. MOPPETS Teachers cannot administer medication of any kind to your child.
  • Snacks: A snack will be provided for your child during MOPPETS, and the snack for the day will be posted at check-in. If your child has allergies, please make a note of that when signing-in your child AND inform the classroom teacher if your child cannot eat the provided snack. We can provide a cracker (graham or animal cracker) and water for any child not able to eat the snack for the day. If you prefer, you may bring a separate snack for your child—make sure it is clearly labeled with your child’s name. If your child is unable to drink from a regular cup, please provide a "sippy cup" labeled with your child's name.

    For infants, bottles of formula, breast-milk, or juice will be permitted as needed provided the bottles are clearly labeled with your child's name and do not contain medication. Toddlers may bring bottles or sippy cups as needed, also labeled clearly with the child’s name. Snacks offered in the infant and toddler rooms may include Cheerios, fruit/veggie puffs, and Ritz or animal crackers. Please let the classroom teacher know if your child cannot eat those snacks. Again, you may bring an appropriate snack for your toddler, if it is clearly labeled with his or her name.
  • Supplies: Each child should bring a diaper bag, backpack, or other bag containing a change of clothes, diapers/pull-ups/underwear as appropriate, and a "sippy cup" or bottle as needed. The bag and its contents should be clearly labeled with the child's name.
  • Comfort Items: Each child will be permitted to bring one comfort item such as a special toy or blanket to MOPPETS. The item will be stored in the child's bag until the child requests it or otherwise needs it. Each item should be clearly labeled with the child's name. MOPS cannot be responsible for any lost items.
  • Medications: Medication will not be dispensed during the MOPPETS meeting by our staff or volunteers. If your child is on medication and needs a dose during the meeting please step out of the meeting to administer the medication to your child. Also, please make a teacher aware of the situation in case of an emergency.
  • Behavior: Aggressive, disrespectful, or disobedient behavior is contrary to the goals of the MOPPETS program. If a child exhibits such behavior, the teacher's first course of action will be to redirect the child. If the child is unable to be redirected into positive behavior, the teacher will contact the child's mother.
  • Crying and Inconsolability: It is natural for a child to experience some anxiety about an unfamiliar setting or person. Teachers will make every effort to comfort anxious children and encourage them to participate in the MOPPETS program. In the event that a child is inconsolable or is otherwise unable to participate in the MOPPETS program after 10 minutes, the teacher will contact the child's mother.
  • Diaper changes: In the infant and toddler rooms, diaper changes will occur as needed. However, we do not have diaper-changing facilities in the preschool classrooms. A teacher will take each child as needed for a diaper change in the nursery for sanitation purposes. Please help our staff by making sure your child has on a fresh dry diaper when coming to MOPPETS. This will ensure that all children are able to play for the duration of the program.

    Volunteering in MOPPETS: Each mother in the MOPS program will be asked to assist in a MOPPETS classroom once per MOPS year, as needed. Exceptions are usually made for Steering Team members, Discussion Group Leaders, and moms who are new to MOPS; however, this will be at the discretion of the MOPPETS Team Leader. You may choose to assist in a classroom with your own child or in a different room. There will be a Lead Teacher with you in the classroom. Each MOPS mom will need to fill out a Volunteer Application, including a reference check, for this purpose.
  • Waiting List/Priority System: The MOPPETS program can accommodate a limited number of children each month. This is due to both space restrictions and appropriate teacher/child ratios in each classroom.

    Priority in MOPPETS will be based on the date we receive your MOPS registration. Children will be placed in MOPPETS classrooms in August, prior to the start of the new MOPS year in September. At that time, any children who cannot be immediately accommodated will be placed, in order of registration date, on the MOPPETS Waiting List. Children whose mothers register for MOPS after the start of the MOPS year will be added to the Waiting List as needed if they cannot be placed in a classroom.

    Due to overwhelming response to the MOPPETS program, the following priority system will be used, as needed, to assign spaces for children in MOPPETS. The priority system will only be used in case of extreme need, when space in MOPPETS is at a premium.
    • Children of registered MOPS members—these may be biological, adopted, or foster children, or any child who lives with the MOPS member full time—who are not on the Waiting List. This also includes children who are registered for MOPS with a regular babysitter.
    • Children of MOPPETS workers, as needed.
    • Children on the MOPPETS Waiting List.
    • Children of Guest Mothers attending MOPS for the first time.
    • Children coming to MOPPETS with MOPS members other than their mothers. This includes children attending MOPS with a babysitter, unless the child is registered for MOPS with that person. (This is so that MOPS can minister to as many mothers as possible. If you cannot attend a MOPS meeting, please try to avoid sending your child to MOPS with another MOPS mom.)
  • The MOPPETS Team Leader will work to accommodate as many mothers and their children as possible, based on RSVPs prior to each meeting. Notification of each meeting will be sent by e-mail (or by phone, if you prefer). RSVPs will be due on the Monday prior to a Friday MOPS meeting. Any late RSVPs will be subject to availability in MOPPETS—you may need to find alternate child care if you wish to attend MOPS, even if your child is not on the Waiting List. The MOPPETS Team Leader will contact Waiting List mothers before each meeting to let them know if there will be room for their children in MOPPETS that month.

Your children’s safety and comfort is the main concern of the MOPPETS Team, and we welcome your input. We realize that we cannot meet your needs as a mom if you are worried or concerned about your kids! We will do what we can to accommodate any special needs or situations—please feel free to discuss this with the MOPPETS Team Leader or another Steering Team member.

Revised 5/7/2007