spilled milk social club seeks to facilitate creative play in unique, engaging and flexible learning environments in order to promote the development of problem solving and communication skills, calculated risk taking, and resilience. We envision a world where unstructured playtime is given back to children such that they are able to develop strong social-emotional skills such as problem solving, communication, resilience, and respect and responsibility to the community.

• Playfulness - Evidence supports that free play and a general sense of playfulness support one’s ability to learn, solve problems, and be creative. In all of our work, we will strive to embody a sense of playfulness both among adults and youth alike. 

• Community - We seek to ensure that everyone feels a sense of connection and belonging, as well as a responsibility for the impact of their actions on the community in which we coexist.

• Individual autonomy - Our program encourages and nurtures independence, confidence in an individual’s ideas and beliefs, and a sense of self-possession. We believe this builds a foundation for practicing self-advocacy. 

• Respect - In order to support a sense of community and belonging, our organization expects that all participants and leaders demonstrate sincere respect for others, our community, and ourselves. 

• Communication - We recognize that clear and honest communication is the greatest tool with which to build relationships and solve problems. As a program for youth, it is our goal to not only teach, but also model positive and open communication. 

spilled milk social club uses play as its central methodology for promoting healthy child development and learning. Our emergent curriculum is representative of this methodology. Substantiated by extensive research, play is a vital catalyst for critical thinking, cooperation, communication, and executive functioning skills.

In our interactions with the children enrolled in the program, smsc commits to treating each child with respect while keeping in mind our goal of guiding them to be the best version of themselves. We wish to instill in the youth a sense of independence and self-empowerment so that our community, young and old, is one that is welcoming, friendly, safe and exciting. 

Our actions and words reflect a language, tone and intention that is sincere, genuine and constructive. We avoid communicating and acting out of frustration in hopes of modeling the most respectful and effective means of interaction for the children. In short, we (smsc staff and collaborators,) carry ourselves in the same manner that we expect from the children under our care.

We understand that it is a child’s job to experiment and explore as they learn to navigate the world around them. We believe our task is to assist children to become independent, responsible, respectful individuals.

We believe discipline must be:

• Individualized and consistent for each child;

• Appropriate to the child’s level of understanding; and

• Directed toward teaching the child acceptable behavior and self-control.

We use positive methods of discipline and guidance that encourage self-esteem, self-control, and self-direction, which include the following:

• Using praise and encouragement of good behavior instead of focusing only upon undesirable behavior

• Reminding a child of behavior expectations daily by using clear, positive statements;

• Encouraging communication as a means to problem solving;

• Facilitating restorative practices to solve conflicts; 

• Using brief supervised separation or time out from the group, when appropriate for the child’s age and development, which is limited to no more than one minute per year of the child’s age. 

We believe there must be no harsh, cruel, or unusual treatment of any child. Our actions and words reflect a language, tone and intention that is sincere, genuine and constructive. We avoid communicating and acting out of frustration in hopes of modeling the most respectful and effective means of interaction for the children. In short, we (smsc staff and collaborators,) carry ourselves in the same manner that we expect from the children under our care.

We’ve mentioned all of the following more than once, but you have NO IDEA how dreamy our lives would be if every camper’s family always adhered to these expectations, so we’ll tell you again:

• Make yourself aware of our cancellation policies and deadlines. 

• Fill out your child’s enrollment form correctly! This means you CANNOT leave anything blank. Our childcare licensing inspections include representatives checking our forms. If you don’t complete your forms, we are in violation. Enough said.

• Label EVERYTHING! Your child’s lunchbox, backpack, clothing, water bottle, towel, goggles… EVERYTHING! It’s incredibly hard to keep up with everyone’s stuff. If it’s all labeled, your child is WAY less likely to lose anything.

• Don’t be late! Pay attention to your child’s schedule so that you arrive on time each day. Arrive early enough to give them a few minutes to CLEAN UP THEIR OWN MESS before leaving! Pick up no later than 5:30p, M-Th. Pick up no later than 4p on Friday!

• Pay attention to our communications! Read all physical signs, emails and your child’s schedule! You’ll know when/where to show up, what to bring, and how to prepare. You’ll be happy. We’ll be happy.
  

• Make smsc staff aware of any changes/special instructions for your child’s drop off/pick up. If anything out of the ordinary occurs/needs to occur, call us. DON’T depend on your child to relay messages to us, please!

• Know and trust that your child’s best interest is our priority. If you have a question or concern, please approach our staff and directors with kindness so that we can maintain a positive working relationship.

Keep your eyes peeled for future emails:

About a week before each session that your child is attending, you'll get an email with important details for the start of camp, a PDF of your child's weekly schedule, and a checklist for what you need to send each day. Paying attention to this email is a MUST in order to be ready for camp! *If you have multiple children attending any session and they're in different age groups, you'll get an email for each child, as the activity schedules vary for each age group.

During camp, we may send emails to all families attending that particular session, if there are any changes or updates to our field trip plans, an upcoming event, Friday’s pick-up plan, etc.

On occasion, we'll send big group emails to everyone registered for the entire summer. They'll come from "the spilled milk team", but they're actually coming via Mailchimp, so here's an article that might be helpful ahead of time, to make sure Mailchimp emails don't end up in your spam or promotions mailbox.  

If we need to communicate with your family on an individual basis, we may email, text or call you. Any of these communication methods are welcomed from all our enrolled families.

We encourage an open and ongoing dialogue with parents and staff at spilled milk social club. Feel free to call, text or email us, and if needed, we can arrange an in-person meeting. Our job is to ensure that every child in our care is safe and happy. We appreciate parental input about an individual child’s needs. 

spilled milk social club is the perfect camp for parents who want traditional summer activities (field trips, arts-n-crafts, water play, etc.) mixed with “specialty” activities and projects (cooking, musical theater, creative/athletic competition!) at an affordable cost, and with flexible hours. We have a little something for everyone, and as long as your kid is up for trying new things, we feel confident that we are a great program that caters to many interests!

While our program is widely appealing, there are a few things to consider when deciding whether or not to send your child to smsc:

smsc is not JUST “day care”. In addition to the free time that kids need on a daily basis, we go on field trips AND work on group projects and activities throughout the week. We take great care in planning themes and curriculum that are worthwhile and fun, and executing them requires some amount of focus and self-discipline on the part of our campers. While we don't force participation in projects and activities, we also believe that the experience is best if all parties (kids and staff) WANT to be present and participate. If you are looking for a camp where your child can be free to run around all day without the structure of group projects, small amounts of quiet “carpet time,” and daily outings, smsc might not be the best place for your child to be all summer.

Our curriculum and expectations are age appropriate for your child's assigned group. If you are concerned about your child’s ability to adapt at camp, please don’t worry! Contact the directors so we can work together to figure out what will work best for your family. If you are unsure how your child will handle being at spilled milk, consider signing them up for just 2 or 3 weeks, instead of the entire summer.

Parents, along with their kids, have an important role! In order to keep the highest quality for our program, we count on parents to do their part- greet and get to know our staff and directors, read signs and schedules, bring what is needed each day, BE ON TIME according to your child's activity schedule, volunteer to help when available, etc. Give yourself 5-10 extra minutes in the morning (ESPECIALLY on your child’s first day of camp) to come in and chat with us. We want to get to know your child AND you!

We do our best to serve all families and kids with various needs. Along with our age requirements, there are a few conditions that parents should consider before enrolling their child at spilled milk:

All children must be potty-trained. We anticipate and are happy to help with occasional accidents, but we are a “school age” program, so we expect that kids are able to use the toilet when they have to “go”. If you need help with reminding your child to go to the bathroom, just talk to us!

Children must have experience with playing in a busy classroom setting. Campers are placed in groups of 25- 35 kids at a time with 2- 3 adults, depending on their grade level. If your child requires a large amount (ie. more than once or twice for 15 minutes or less) of one-on-one time and/or a quiet/low-stimulation environment away from a big group, spilled milk might not be the right fit for your family. 

Children have to stay where our grown ups are. If your child displays a pattern of running away and/or hiding from our staff, we might not be able to accommodate their enrollment. 

Children must respect others with their words and bodies. If your child displays a pattern of physical violence or harmful language, we reserve the right to suspend enrollment. 

We believe that all children deserve chances to learn from their mistakes, and so there are very few situations and behaviors that we can’t take on as learning opportunities. That said, we have to keep groups of children safe, so if your child consistently demonstrates patterns of behavior that put the safety of any child in jeopardy and/or if your child requires more attention or skills/resources than we are able to provide, we will arrange a meeting with you to discuss solutions. This may result in us asking you to find alternate care for your child. In these cases, we will do our best to work with your family to allow for a smooth and healthy transition out of our program and into another. 

We do accept enrollment for children who are 5 but haven’t yet been to kindergarten. Because summer camp can be very fast-paced and intensive, we limit enrollment for rising kindergarteners to four weeks of camp (total-- 2 two-week sessions would count as 4 weeks). This is both in the interest of the children (for whom the transition can be a challenge) and the classroom staff. 

Our mission is to instill in all of our campers a sense of confidence and creativity, and part of that means making choices to suit one’s individuality. Throughout each week at camp, several different projects and guided activities are offered, from which campers are able to choose how they participate. While these activities are guided/facilitated by staff, our goal is that the kiddos are designing, planning, and executing the activities and we (the grown-ups) are merely the tools with which they can accomplish their goals. We do not require that every kid participate in all projects during camp. That said, we encourage parents to consider a session’s theme and whether or not it will interest your child before enrolling. 

We also believe that youngsters should have a choice in how they spend their time. When they are not actively engaged in a project, field trip, group activity, etc, campers have the opportunity to choose from a variety of adult monitored centers, facilities, and activities. These include a craft/art area, dramatic play, Legos, outdoor games and free play. 

We will host a Meet & Greet at our facility leading up to camp so that you have an opportunity for your kiddo to check out the space and meet our awesome team. Check the “General Info” section of our website for this year’s Meet & Greet date.

Prospective families who are unable to attend the Meet & Greet can email us to set up a tour, which will be guided by one of our supervising staff or directors.

We offer day camp for 5-13 year old children. We plan field trips and onsite events throughout each camp session. Parents are provided with a weekly schedule of activities. 

Please refer to the “Summer Camp Info” page for specific information about our hours of operation, fees, etc.

If you know your child will be absent, arriving late, or leaving at an odd time, please send us an email or text by 9a the day of, in order for us to plan accordingly. During the crazy months of summer, we don’t call families who haven’t arrived in time for a field trip or activity. If your child isn’t here by the arrival time on your weekly schedule, we’ll assume they are absent. That said, letting us know ahead of time makes our lives easier and happier.

We publish our summer calendar in January, before families sign up. The dates we are open and closed are listed on our website: nousecrying.com. Any last-minute closures due to weather or other emergencies will be communicated to families via phone or email.

Kids are placed in groups of approximately 30-35, with each group having at least two primary caregivers. Extra staff act as “floaters” between groups, to support whenever needed, like during special projects, field trips, etc. 

Campers are grouped according to age/grade level: 

• CUPS (rising Kinder/1st grade) 

• PINTS (rising 2nd and 3rd grade) 

• QUARTS (rising 3rd and 4th grade) 

• GALLONS (rising 4th, 5th and 6th grade). 

Why are certain grade levels listed next to multiple age groups?

When we receive the first wave of camp applications on February 14th, directors look at the number of applications for each grade level to determine the actual age breakdown for each group. Ideally, we are able to have all kids from one grade level assigned to one group. We will consider changing the group breakdowns if/when there is an overwhelming imbalance of enrollment requests from various grade levels; if we have plenty of space in one group and a long waiting list for another age group, we might need to expand which grade levels can be included in each of our groups. 

• Under normal circumstances, we keep the following child:staff ratios:

• At our facility- 15:1

• Field trips- 12:1 (for ages 6+) and 10:1 (for age 5)

• Swimming pools- 8:1

In most circumstances, kids will be grouped together by age/grade, and we don’t typically have more than one group to include kids from the same grade level. With that, if your child and their friend are the same age, they’ll most likely be assigned to the same group. 

On the off chance that certain age groups fill up quickly and we have to move campers to different age groups, it’s good for us to know if there are families who want their kids to be together. For this reason, there is a section on our camp application for grouping requests. If you are requesting that your child be placed with another child, please coordinate with the other child’s family to ensure that you are BOTH making the request on your application. This will increase the likelihood that we are able to accommodate your request. 

Please note: We do our best to honor grouping requests. If your child and the child they want to be grouped with are more than a grade or two apart, we likely won’t be able to accommodate the grouping request. In that case, we’ll try to make time for the two kids to hang out together while they’re at camp.

When is tuition due and how can I pay? 

Tuition is due at the beginning of the month; any weeks of camp that fall in June will be charged on June 1st, and so on. You have until the 5th of the month to make a tuition payment, unless you reach out to us about paying on a different schedule. We cannot issue refunds for absence or withdrawal past the deadline for schedule changes, unless a family on our wait-list can fill that spot.

 Instructions for how to make tuition payments are included in the email that accompanies your first tuition statement. Our preferred methods of payment are auto-draft or bank transfer through the link on your tuition invoice. If your family needs to pay using a credit card, we ask that you schedule a time to pay us over the phone or in person. Please understand that we are trying to move away from taking credit cards due to the increasingly excessive cost for us as a small organization. Auto-draft forms and instructions can be found on our "Forms" page under the "Grown Up Stuff" tab!

All fees associated with summer camp (registration, tuition, fees for late pick-up or insufficient food) can be found on the “Summer Camp Info” page. 

Child care is not a lucrative industry, and child care workers are historically underpaid and undervalued for the experts and professionals that they are. spilled milk social club rejects those ideas and seeks to disrupt that narrative, even if just in our own tiny corner of the industry. We strive to pay our employees a living wage, maintain our convenient location in the increasingly unaffordable Central Austin, as well as keep our rates as affordable and accessible as possible.

Due to the nature of our camp and in order to financially sustain our program, we do not offer part-time enrollment during summer camp, whether it be for certain days of the week or one week of a two-week session.. Our activities throughout a session will frequently be ongoing and connected with one another. We hate for kids to feel that they are missing out on a project or activity that they have taken some part in creating/imagining/designing. That said, if a child misses some portion of any camp session, we will always do our best to give them the full camp experience, along with all other campers.

For summer camp, children are enrolled for predetermined sessions as requested by parents and approved by smsc’s directors. While smsc is committed to being flexible for families whose schedules may change, we can’t guarantee that changes in enrollment, (specifically, changing from one session to another,) will be subject to a transfer of tuition payments, as sessions fill ahead of schedule, etc. Tuition won’t be reduced/refunded for families whose children are absent on any given day, or arrive late/get picked up early, as our expenses regarding staffing/budget don’t change.

During summer, we follow the National Weather Advisory. In the event of inclement weather, we will contact families by phone and/or email.

During each enrollment period, a parent signature is required (on the enrollment forms) stating that the child’s immunization record and health screening/test results are current and on file at the elementary school the child attends. Parents must also provide the name, address, and telephone number of the elementary school on the enrollment forms.

During summer, we ask that families send enough lunch and snacks for their child for the entire day. We do not serve meals or snacks during summer camp months. Additionally, we ask families to avoid sending lunches that require refrigeration or microwaving. While we can facilitate this occasionally, it slows down our day significantly if we must provide this service for all children. Parents must also send a labeled water bottle for their child each day, though we do have the capacity to refill water bottles onsite. 

We encourage families to send MORE food than you think your child might need, just to be sure that they have enough. If your child runs out of food, we’ll contact you and do our best to make sure your child has enough to eat, though we do not have a kitchen and don't keep a lot of extra food at our facility. Starting with the second occurrence, we’ll charge you a $5 “insufficient food” fee each time we are forced to supplement your child’s lunch/snack supply.

In the Cups and Pints classrooms, there will be snack tubs labeled for the morning and afternoon. When you arrive each day, place a snack (labeled with your child's name) in each tub, and we'll distribute it at the appropriate time. You're encouraged to send extra snacks, as campers are allowed to eat outside of the regular snack times, if they're hungry (and many of them usually are.)

Currently, we are NOT a nut-free facility! We do have a few nut allergies among our kiddos, but in each case, the family is fine with other kids consuming nuts. We'll notify everyone if we end up enrolling any new students with allergies that require us to become nut-free.

If your child has a nut allergy or any severe allergy that we should be aware of, you should make note on your child’s enrollment form. That said, please also email the directors once your spot is confirmed, so we can make a plan ahead of camp, in case it will affect other campers (such as restricting certain items from being allowed in lunches).

For summer camp, any cancellations to your child’s schedule must be made according to the deadlines outlined in your “summer camp confirmation” email. Any withdrawal after a session’s deadline will be subject to the family’s full tuition agreement.

In an effort to keep costs down, our directors take care of most administrative tasks in-house. Once summer starts, directors are very busy running the day-to-day operations with campers and staff, and their ability to deal with lots of cancellation requests/schedule changes is lessened. Please adhere to our cancellation policies, and stay on top of your kid’s camp schedule with us, so that we can continue to focus on running our fantastic program with your kids.

Each day, send a water bottle, lunch and snacks, and anything needed for projects or field trips, as detailed on your weekly activity schedule. We highly encourage campers to bring an extra change of clothes in a zip-lock bag, to keep in their cubby all week long in case of accidents or messy play.

P.S. Be smart. Label anything you expect to return home.

We ask that families leave all toys at home, such as stuffed animals, Pokemon cards, LEGO pieces, etc. Unless there’s a specific reason that your child needs to bring something with them to camp, we want to avoid items being lost, stolen or traded. We have SO MANY fun things to do and play with at our facility, so this policy usually works for families. Contact us if you have any questions.

At spilled milk, we operate with a “no electronics or devices” policy for kids. Since the inception of our program, we have sought to create an experience similar to those of our own childhoods, where creative play reigns supreme. While on our campus and in our care, kids have access to a multitude of resources with which to play and occupy their time, as well as fun, creative adults to help them generate ideas and guide their explorations.

This policy is similar for our staff as well. The use of electronic devices while children are in care is limited to Slack (our communication platform), cueing music, and the occasional search for “pictures of red-tailed hawks” or “how to fold an origami bullfrog” or “when is the next solar eclipse.”

We understand that an increasing number of children have devices (phones, watches, tablets, etc.) that allow them to contact and communicate with their parents. We ask that these devices be left at home or (if worn on their person) be set to “school mode” or an equivalent mode that does not allow calls, texts, social media or games while present at our facility. We will always assist a child in communicating with parents if the necessity arises, but we strongly prefer to do so through our own systems. Communication, independence, and an ability to advocate for oneself are all values that are embedded into our policies and procedures at spilled milk, and we have found that constant and immediate contact with parents can undermine our ability to support the development of those skills. 

If it is crucial to your family that your child have a device with which to communicate with parents while at our facility, this must be brought to the attention of and discussed with the directors prior to your child attending spilled milk.

We are open Monday through Friday.

Hours: Monday - Thursday 8a - 5:30p;  Friday 8a - 4p

About a week in advance of each week of camp, we’ll email all enrolled families a link to view their child’s activity schedule. It will include days/times for all projects, field trips, special events, etc., along with instructions on what to bring each day.

DROP OFF: We open at 8a each day, but your weekly schedule will tell you by what exact time each day you must arrive, (usually between 9:00 and 9:45a).

PICK UP: Monday through Thursday, you may pick your child up any time between 3:45 and 5:30p. On Fridays, you MUST pick your child up by 4p. SET AN ALARM! LEAVE YOURSELF A NOTE! DON'T BE LATE!

**IF YOU ARRIVE LATE TO PICK UP YOUR CHILD, BE PREPARED TO PAY THE LATE FEE IN PERSON THAT DAY. The late pick-up fee is $1 per minute. (If you call us on the day of to let us know that you’re running late, we are more inclined to be flexible. That said, please don’t be late. We’ve been here all day.)

Morning Arrival: Families are invited to drop campers off between 8 and 9/9:30a every morning, though you can drop off later than that window of time  as long as your child doesn't have a morning field trip that requires leaving at a specific time- check your weekly schedule! If you need to drop off after 9/9:30a, please text us to let us know: 512.317.6408

Drop-Off Procedure: Our address is 3804 Cherrywood Road, BUT the entrance to our one-way driveway is at 1605 E 38th ½ St, immediately west of Cherrywood Center (formerly Servant Church). Enter through the lower gate, using the gate/door code, and walk your child to their assigned classroom. A staff member will be at this entrance on the first day to greet and help navigate. 

You may also enter through our main entrance on 3804 Cherrywood Road, using the gate/door code. A staff member will be at this entrance on the first day to greet and help navigate you to your child’s assigned classroom through the building.

Afternoon Pick-Up Times and Procedures: You have until 5:30p to pick up your child Monday-Thursday, and until 4p on Fridays. 

Parents will be expected to come pick up their child from their designated classrooms. Parents may park in our parking lot and enter the building from the lower gate, or use street parking on Cherrywood or 38th ½ St and enter the facility from the Cherrywood entrance. Both entrances have codes, which will be communicated to parents in multiple emails prior to the start of your child’s session. For the safety of all enrolled children and staff, please do not share the code with anyone who does not absolutely need it.

In order for us to offer the highest quality care AND a compelling and enriching curriculum, it is crucial that we have time to come together as a team for planning and development purposes. Due to the very busy (and exhausting) nature of our summer camp program, we think it's most fair to our hard working employees to build that time into the week rather than asking them to work extra hours for planning.

With that, PLEASE be on time for pick up every Friday; this means that you have signed your child out in their classroom BY 4p. If we are waiting around for families to show up, we start our staff meeting late, end it late, etc. Set a reminder for yourself, so you don't forget!

Friday pick-up is made easier with our driveway  pass! On your first day of camp, you will be given a driveway pass with our logo on it. We ask that you write your child’s name on it and place it on your dashboard for Friday pick-up. Directors and staff will be stationed at the top of the driveway on Friday afternoons starting at 3:30, and they’ll communicate with staff in classrooms via walkie-talkie as to which parents are arriving, so kids can be ready to go quickly.

We will release your child to a primary parent/guardian OR an individual you've listed under the "Release of Child" section on your enrollment form. Even for these authorized people, we'll check the ID of anyone we've yet to meet, FYI. If anyone NOT LISTED on your child's form will be picking them up on any particular day, we ask that you notify us ahead of pick-up time, via text or email. We'll check that person's ID and make note of their license plate number when they arrive. We won't allow your child to leave with anyone who isn't listed on their form unless we hear from you. 

During summer camp, a weekly schedule will be issued to each family, outlining any and all activities that will take place outside of the camp’s facility. Permission to transport the children while being supervised by smsc staff via smsc-provided vehicles or on foot, is given on each child’s enrollment forms signed by parents.

Field Trip Practices:

• All children wear identical wristbands (to be worn on their wrists or ankles) inscribed with “spilled milk social club 512-317-6408.” They are instructed to wear them at all times while off campus in our care.

• Staff have an updated list of children in attendance, as well as all enrollment information for each child in case of emergency. Staff continually monitor the area and supervise children for safety and each staff member carries a cell phone in order to contact the director or parents in case of emergency.

• Each group goes on two or three field trips per week, for the most part.  Parents are given a schedule for all field trips at least 48 hours in advance, though typically on the Wednesday prior to the week in question.

Along with visiting area splash pads and occasional water play at our facility (inflatable pools, water squirters, etc.) each group will go on at least one swim field trip each week. We take swim field trips very seriously, have high behavioral expectations, set firm physical boundaries, and are actively counting children and monitoring the pool while campers are swimming.  

During the summer, field trips to city-run pools and splash pads are included in each weekly camp session. smsc follows the procedures outlined by the City of Austin Aquatics Department, and as such, we have strict guidelines regarding children to staff ratios, our reservation and scheduling of time spent at city pools, and the requirements of staff taking children to pools, which includes CPR/First Aid, and Basic Water Safety training. Upon request, details of the followed procedures can be provided to parents.

• On your child’s swim days, kids should arrive with a swimsuit, towel and sandals/water shoes/flip flops, in addition to his/her dry clothes. Feel free to send an extra cover-up or shirt, as all kids are required to wear some sort of clothing over their swimsuits, when traveling to the pool. Kids may bring goggles and/or diving toys, but please leave any water-squirting toys at home.

The City of Austin’s swim protocol and procedures

Effective September 1, 2023, Texas passed House Bill 59, also known as Cati’s Act. This bill seeks to address the issue of ensuring camper safety in “by requiring certain organizations that authorize a child to engage in an organized water activity to affirm with the child's parent or legal guardian in writing as to whether the child is able to swim or is at risk of injury or death when swimming or otherwise accessing a body of water and to provide each such child with the appropriate personal flotation device.” You can find the full description of H.B. 59 HERE. 

On your child’s enrollment form, the language and waiver regarding swimming align with the language set forth in Cati’s Act. Parents who do not affirm their child’s ability to swim competently (as defined by the American Red Cross) will be required to provide a US Coast Guard approved personal floatation device (PDF) in order for their children to participate in swim activities. 

How does the American Red Cross define water competency? 

The American Red Cross defines the skills of water competency as the ability to complete all of the following:

• able to enter the water; 

• get a breath;

• stay afloat;

• change position;

• swim a distance then get out of the water safely.

We take the responsibility of going swimming with your kids very seriously. All swim field trips take place at City of Austin pools with trained lifeguards present. Our pool protocol include keeping low ratios, designated groups, vigilant counting, a buddy system, and regular buddy checks. We set clear and firm physical boundaries at the pool, and maintain a stricter set of behavior expectations while in the pool. All staff are trained in Basic Water Safety and First Aid/CPR and will be stationed in and around the pool, actively watching all swimmers while our swim session takes place. 

For all groups, we generally take in 15-17 campers at a time with two to three staff members. We will have one or two staff members out of the water (1 for Gallons, 2 for Cups, Pints and Quarts), actively monitoring our group in the pool, and one staff person in the water to monitor and assist swimmers. Each group spends one hour at the pool and one hour at the park, switching at the hour. 

The pools we reserve for each age group change from summer to summer, depending on availability through the CoA’s Aquatics Department. We choose pools for each group based on a number of factors:

• the pool’s proximity to our facility

• which days the pool is open (almost every pool is scheduled to be closed for one day each week, and it’s different for each pool)

• the pool’s group capacity set by Aquatics

• whether or not there is a wading pool (for our youngest campers)

• whether or not the swimming pool has a shallow end that is shallow enough for campers to stand in 

• how well-maintained the pool is 

• whether or not there is an attached/adjacent park for the group that isn’t swimming

Please note: The pools we reserve for each group may suddenly close from time to time, due to a lack of lifeguards or pool maintenance. Unfortunately for us, we may only find this information out when we arrive for our field trip. In these situations, we have to decide whether or not to try and book another pool on the same day, go to a splashpad, cancel the field trip, etc. If/when a pattern emerges of a particular pool closing often, we contact Aquatics and pursue a different reservation that meets the needs of the group in question. Regardless of exactly which pool your child’s group uses, here are the general guidelines we follow:

• Cups only swim in wading pools, which reach a maximum depth of 3 feet

  • For this reason, Cups families only need to consider whether or not their child can be in a wading pool without a PDF (personal flotation device); most families give consent for their child to go without a PDF, FYI.

• Pints either swim in wading pools OR swimming pools with a shallow end that allows ALL campers to keep their heads/necks above the surface while standing in the pool. Ideally, we reserve a pool that has a wading pool AND a swimming pool.

• Quarts swim in swimming pools with a shallow end that allows ALL campers to comfortably touch the bottom while standing in the pool. We only opt for a wading pool if there are no swimming pool options that can work for us.

  • Pints and Quarts parents need to consider whether or not their child can be in a wading pool, with or without a PDF, and the shallow end of a swimming pool, with or without a PDF.

• Gallons swim in pools with an adequate shallow end and (ideally) a deep end. Depending on your permission, Gallons have the option to take a deep water test and swim in the deep end of the pool if they pass. This requires swimming a specific length of the pool, putting their face in the water and coming up for air, along with treading water for two minutes.

  • Gallons families must consider whether or not their child can be in the shallow end, with or without a PDF. Additionally, parents must decide whether or not their Gallon camper can opt to take the deep water test. PDFs aren’t allowed in the deep end of our city’s pools.

We provide transportation for field trips during our summer program in one of our three buses, driven by staff members with commercial driver licenses. All children to be transported by one of our vehicles must have a signed transportation consent on their enrollment form. All staff members are required to complete a child transportation safety training course on an annual basis. 

We don’t have a protocol in place to accommodate families who don’t provide transportation consent to us. When any child’s group goes on a field trip, all of their scheduled caregivers are a part of it, so we can’t provide alternate care for kiddos who aren’t allowed to ride our buses. If you do not provide consent for us to transport your child, we ask that you keep your child home during field trip times.

For the protection of all children and staff, a child should stay at home under the following circumstances: fever, vomiting, diarrhea, flu-like symptoms or any contagious diseases or symptoms. 

If your child has a fever, they must stay home from camp AND be fever free without fever reducing medication for 24 hours prior to returning. 

Under no circumstances may children be allowed to carry or administer their own medicine, whether prescription or over-the-counter. These must be given to smsc directors, who will have a parent fill out and sign a “Medication Authorization” form. The smsc directors will be in charge of following the directions outlined by parents for administering any medicine. 

*Please note: We are not allowed to keep any medication for children at our facility unless it is given to us by a parent or guardian (including Advil, Benadryl, etc.) Please bring whatever medications you anticipate your child needing to the directors.

If critical illness or injury requires immediate attention of a physician, a designated smsc representative will contact the child’s parent. If necessary, emergency medical services will be contacted and utilized, and/or a child will be taken to the nearest emergency room in order to get professional treatment.

Whether severe or not, parents will be notified of any incidents/injuries. If deemed severe by smsc supervisors, (ie. requiring medical attention or exclusion from activities, or placing a child at serious risk,) a parent will be notified by phone immediately; in that case, we will provide written documentation of the incident to the parent as well. If the incident is less serious, a parent will be notified via text/email or upon arrival to pick up his/her child of the less serious injuries that might have occurred.

Our emergency action plan is as follows:

Medical Emergencies:

• Immediately notify Director or Acting Director

• Use First Aid Techniques

• Call 911 (if necessary)

• Director or Assistant Director contact parent or guardian

• Other staff supervise and/or move children as necessary

Severe Weather – Tornadoes, Flood, Hurricanes:

• Listen for instructions

• Do not go outside

• Move children to Upper Level Stairwell

• Prepare items needed in safe area (Telephone, cell phone, Sign in/out clipboard, Enrollment book, Flash lights)

• Conduct head count of children

• Listen for “All Clear” Notification

Fire, Explosion, Toxins or Chemical Spills:

• Sound Fire Alarm Pull

• Evacuate to Lower playground

• Take sign In/Out Clipboard & Class Books

• Call 911 – Fire Department

• Conduct head count of children

• Listen for “All Clear” notification

Emergency ­­Evacuation Procedures:

• Listen for instructions

• Evacuate to Lower playground

• Staff take Sign In/Out Clipboard & Class Books

• Conduct head count of ALL children

• Listen for “All Clear” notification

Human Caused Events – Intruders or Violent Persons:

• Listen for “Code Red”

• Call 911

• Move children to a safe area in classroom

• Lock doors & draw curtains

• Take Sign In/Out Clipboard & Class Books

• Conduct a head count of all children

• Listen for “All Clear” Notification

In the event that the facility and property become unsafe, all groups shall relocate to the covered basketball court located at Maplewood Elementary, 3808 Maplewood Ave, Austin, 78722.

During summer camp, families sign an agreement to allow smsc to provide and apply broad-spectrum sunscreen and insect repellent to their children. If the family wishes to use a specific brand or type, the family must provide this to the directors or staff.  If the smsc-authorized version isn’t approved by a family, specific requests/directions are to be provided in writing to the directors of smsc before the start of the child’s first session.

• We use HEB Solutions Sunscreen, (spf 50). In the last couple of years, we’ve encountered a small handful of kids who develop mild skin reactions to the sunscreen. If you know your child should use a special sunscreen that you want to provide, please let our staff know on your child’s first day of camp. 

• We keep DEET-based insect repellant on site, but you are welcome to send a different kind or opt out of insect repellant for your child. Talk to our staff on your child’s first day of camp if you have concerns.

Typically, our staff apply sunscreen to all campers before swim and other outdoor activities. That said, on your child’s enrollment form, you can let us know that your child is allowed to apply their own sunscreen (though we ask that this only be considered for campers who are old enough to apply sunscreen thoroughly).

We ask that families not bring pets onto the premises, even if the family feels confident that their pet is “well behaved.” Because our facility is typically full of energetic kids, we don’t think it’s the best environment in which to set pets up for success, behavior-wise. On field trips, neighborhood walks and while waiting at schools for afternoon pick-up, we instruct our kiddos to not approach animals, out of an abundance of caution and respect for said animals. With that, if you have a pet with you when you arrive at our facility, talk to our staff about finding a safe spot for the pet to wait while you pick up/drop off your child.

Any time animals are brought or introduced to children within smsc’s program (such as a Zoo Show with professional handlers) parents will be notified through weekly schedules and/or posted signs.

Parents may at any time request to view a copy of the Minimum Standards as issued by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (TxDFPS). Our Licensing Report, as well as all other required postings, are available for review at any time and can be found in the Required Postings binder. 

Parents may contact DFPS at any time:

Child Care Licensing, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, 1400 Summit Drive, Ste 100, Austin, Texas 78728; (512) 834-3426 

Texas law requires caregivers to report suspected child abuse or neglect to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services or law enforcement. Failure to report suspected abuse or neglect is a crime. Employers are prohibited from retaliating against caregivers who make reports in good faith. 

Confidential reports can be made at:

1-800-252-5400 (TxDFPS)

We are required by law to inform all parents and guardians that we are a gang-free zone. 

A gang-free zone is a designated area around a specific location where prohibited gang related activity is subject to increased penalty under Texas law. The gang-free zone is within 1,000 feet of our center. 

ENGAGING IN GANG-RELATED CRIMINAL ACTIVITY WITHIN 1,000 FEET OF SPILLED MILK SOCIAL CLUB IS A VIOLATION OF THE LAW AND SUBJECT TO INCREASED PENALTY UNDER SECTIONS 71.028 AND 71.029 UNDER THE TEXAS PENAL CODE.