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Delaware Cooperative Preschool (DCP) classes are held at 55 West Lincoln Avenue, Delaware, Ohio 43015 in the Education Wing of Asbury United Methodist Church. The phone number for DCP is 740-369-7808.
Delaware Cooperative Preschool is a parent cooperative, community based, not religiously affiliated child care center. It was formed as Delaware Cooperative Parenting in 1984 by parents who wanted greater involvement with the early education and development of their children. Today, it remains the goal of DCP to actively involve families in its organization and operation while also providing parent education opportunities and including families in the learning process whenever possible.
DCP teachers are qualified, caring and are often Active Members or Lifetime Members themselves. DCP’s curriculum is unique in Delaware, including a Toddler Time class for children aged 2-3. Children age three to pre-kindergarten are offered a stimulating and nurturing experience in Delaware’s only Montessori influenced mixed-age preschool classes.
DCP is licensed by the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services. DCP’s license, as well as copies of its articles of incorporation, by-laws, and policies are available in the DCP office.
Our mission is to provide a warm, safe, loving environment for children and families to come together to support children in learning. Using child centered methods, we seek to foster the emotional, social, intellectual, creative, and physical growth and development of our students and to inspire a lifelong love of learning. We seek to build a community of parents and students building lasting, supportive relationships.
Our mission is to provide a warm, safe, loving environment for children and families to come together to support children in learning. Using child centered methods, we seek to foster the emotional, social, intellectual, creative, and physical growth and development of our students and to inspire a lifelong love of learning. We seek to build a community of parents and students building lasting, supportive relationships.
A. Qualifications
To be an Active Member of DCP, one must be a parent and/or legal guardian of a child enrolled in class. As long as the member’s student is enrolled at DCP, that member is considered an Active Member. After completing at least one year as an Active Member in good standing, parents and/or legal guardians are considered Lifetime Members of DCP.
Since Active Members are provided unlimited access to DCP during school hours and participate in activities involving DCP children, no member, Active or Lifetime, may have ever been convicted of or plead guilty to child abuse or other crimes of violence set forth in section 5104.09 of the Ohio Revised Code.
B. Requirements
C. Withdrawal/suspension/revocation of membership
No tuition reimbursements will be made after March 1st. In no event will fees be refunded. Any Member who wishes to withdraw must inform the Board in writing.
Members may withdraw prior to the end of the session without forfeiture of tuition for the following reasons:
In such cases, withdrawal will be effective upon notice to the Board or last day of attendance, whichever is later, and the prorated portion of unused tuition (based upon the school’s 36-week operating calendar, not simply class attendance weeks) will be refunded.
If their child is withdrawn during the school year, prior to March 1st, for any reason other than those listed above, members must provide written notice and agree to pay all tuition for four weeks following delivery of the notice to the Board President, even if their child is not in attendance.
D. General membership meetings
The Board of Directors will schedule and hold 2 - 5 meetings between September and May for the General Membership. General Membership Meetings will be held to discuss the business of DCP, vote on items requiring membership approval, provide information to members, and ratify the actions of the Board of Directors. Each Active Member Family shall have one vote regardless of the number of children enrolled. Votes may be by voice, ballot, roll call, or a show of hands. It is mandatory for at least one adult representative of each Active Member family to attend each General Membership Meeting.
E. Rights of members
DCP is governed by its Members. As such, the Members have the right to attend all meetings, with the exception of any executive sessions convened by the Board of Directors. Members have the right to review Board meeting minutes and information related to the budget and finances of DCP upon request. Active Members have the right to request items be added to the agenda for any General Membership Meeting. Active Members may vote on any item requiring membership approval.
DCP is committed to providing students and families with equal opportunity to education without discrimination based on race, color, veteran status, religion, national origin, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, or age. DCP shall not discriminate with regard to accepting students, Memberships, service on the Board of Directors, other volunteer positions, or employment as paid staff.
A. Make up: The Board of Directors shall consist of President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Volunteer Coordinator. Terms of office shall be from June 1 to May 31.
B. Board qualifications:
C. NominationandElectionProcess:
D. Board of Director Job Duties:
E. Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be open to all staff and members. Meetings shall be conducted in a manner guided by Roberts Rules of Order, Revised. Each member of the Board is expected to attend all monthly meetings and called Executive Sessions. A simple majority of Directors shall constitute a quorum for purposes of conducting business. Meetings shall be scheduled on a monthly basis with additional Executive Sessions planned as needed at the determination of the Directors.
F. Members of the Board of Directors are responsible for attending all Board meetings. If unable to make a meeting, the member may discuss with the board the potential of shifting a meeting date so that he/she can attend. After 2 missed BOD meetings, a Board member will be warned by the Board President (or Vice President, in the case of a President missing 2 meetings) that their absences cannot continue. After 3 missed meetings, the BOD may vote to have the Board member removed from his/her position.
DCP shall maintain the following standing committees under the coordination of the Volunteer Coordinator. Each committee should be headed by a chairperson.
The following positions and required minimum qualifications shall comprise the staff of DCP.
A. Office Manager
The Office Manager position is responsible for accomplishing general office tasks including but not limited to basic informative communications with the Membership, the Staff and the community, keeping the office organized and stocked, marketing to and giving tours to prospective families, being available to assist Board members and Staff with tasks required to operate the Cooperative. The Office Manager shall complete a criminal records check as required by Ohio Code.
B. Administrator
The Administrator is responsible for overseeing the day to day educational operations of DCP, working with the Board of Directors to ensure compliance with applicable rules and regulations for Parent Cooperative Childcare Centers and serving as the primary contact with the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services as the state licensing agency.
The Administrator shall complete a criminal records check as required by Ohio Rev. Code 5104.01.3 and meet the requirements set forth in Ohio Admin. Code 5101:2-12-24 (C) and (D) as well as those set forth in Ohio Admin. Code 5101:2-12-25 for teachers. The Administrator is not required to be a member of DCP.
C. Teachers
Teachers are paid child care staff primarily responsible for planning and implementing the curriculum for each class which they are contracted to teach. Teachers are responsible for providing a nurturing, learning environment, imparting discipline in a non-physical and constructive manner when necessary, and providing direct feedback to parents regarding their child’s development and issues requiring further attention. Teachers are not required to be members of DCP.
Every teacher shall meet the following requirements:
1. Every teacher shall be mentally and physically able to carry out their duties, which includes recognizing and acting upon any hazards to a child’s safety and well being.
2. Every teacher shall receive a medical examination from a licensed physician or a certified nurse practitioner within three years prior to the first day of employment and every three years from the date of exam and provide proof of the same. The medical statement must include a) date of employment, b) date of examination, and c) signature, business address and telephone number of the examiner and certify that the teacher is a) free of communicable tuberculosis, b) physically and mentally fit to care for children, and c) immunized as required by the Ohio Department of Health or exempt from such requirement.
3. Each teacher shall be at least eighteen years of age and completed a high school education and provide proof of the same.
4. Every teacher shall provide three written reference statements from persons not related to the teacher attesting to the suitability of the teacher to work with children. Each written statement shall include the name, address, telephone number and signature of the person providing the reference and the date the reference was given. In lieu of a written statement, the Administrator or Board of Directors may obtain a telephone reference number along with the referent’s comments. If the teacher is also a parent member of DCP, the Board of Directors may provide a written statement of reference.
5. Every teacher shall provide a statement of non-conviction and complete a criminal records check pursuant to Ohio Admin. Code 5101:2-12:26.
6. Every teacher shall provide proof of currently valid training in a) first aid, b) management of communicable disease, c) cardiopulmonary resuscitation appropriation to children, and d) child abuse recognition and prevention, which meets the requirements set forth in Ohio Adm. Code 5101:2-12:27.
7. Every teacher who is not exempt per Ohio Adm.5101:2-12:28(D) shall complete at least fifteen hours of in-service training annually until forty-five hours have been completed pursuant to Ohio Adm. Code 5101:2-12:28(A).
DCP is a 501(c)3 registered non-profit Parent Cooperative Childcare Center. Control of the organization rests solely with its members. As such, parent members are expected to participate in the classroom on a periodic basis by assisting the teachers as an Onsite Cooperative Member (OCM). OCMs are not employees and child care staff as defined by Ohio Adm. Code 5101:2-12-01(M) and are not counted for purposes of the ratio requirements in Ohio Adm. Code 5101:2-12:20.
OCMs shall meet the following requirements:
DCP is a 501(c)3 registered non-profit Parent Cooperative Childcare Center. Control of the The Board of Directors shall establish policies as necessary to remain compliant with federal, state, and local laws, rules and regulations and for the day to day governance of DCP as a Parent Cooperative Childcare Center. The Board of Directors may add, delete and/or amend policies by a simple majority vote. A copy of DCP’s policies will be available in the parent handbook provided to each family each year and available any time.
An annual operating budget for the upcoming school year will be prepared by the Treasurer. The Treasurer’s proposed budget will be submitted to the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may revise the Treasurer’s proposed budget and will establish a recommended budget to be submitted to the General Membership. The Active Membership will vote on the recommended budget by the first general membership meeting held after June 1.
These bylaws may be amended and revised by a majority vote of the Board of Directors as necessary at a meeting at which a quorum is present.
