General FAQs

Are you licensed by the state:

Yes, we are licensed as a Type II Center. What that means is we have more regulations to follow and we do not accept state funds.

How can I get more information about Fundamentals Early Learning Center?

Visit our Contact Us page to contact us at 225-435-4323.

Is there a waiting list?

Occasionally, we will have a waiting list for certain age groups. However, the list is always longer on paper than it is in reality. We do our absolute best to accommodate the families that are on our waiting list as quickly as possible.

What are your hours of operation?

6:30 am – 6:00 pm Monday-Friday.

As a prospective parent, can I tour your facility at anytime?

Yes; however, our top priority is caring for the children already enrolled. Therefore, unscheduled tours may result in a very brief walk-through of our center and limited information received. Tours are more informative if we are able to have a Director scheduled to give the tour. Tours can be scheduled any time of the day and we encourage you to bring the whole family to experience our curriculum in action. The best times to schedule a tour are 9:00 am – 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm. This will allow you to see the children during active times aside from our “rush hours”.

As a parent, can I visit/come into the center at anytime?

Yes, we have an open door policy and parents of enrolled children are always welcome! Anytime! If you are interested in enrolling your child, please call and set up a convenient time to visit and explore our program.

Do you have certain times during the day that children are not allowed to be dropped off?

Yes. Children are not allowed to be dropped off between the hours of 9:30 am and 2:00 pm without a doctor’s excuse. We prefer for children to be dropped of by 8:00 am. This allows for a consistent and structured schedule for each child and the group within the classroom. It also allows for proper lunch counts and teacher scheduling.

Do you close for holidays, and do I have to pay when you are closed?

Yes, we do close for selected holidays. Our list of holiday closures can be found in our student manual. We will also provide you with a Holiday Closure calendar upon enrollment and at the beginning of each year. You do have to pay for the full week of tuition even if we are closed for a holiday. We offer an unlimited number of Vacation credits throughout the year and your tuition will be reduced by half if child doesn’t attend the entire week.

Programs FAQs

What is “Preschool” and is Fundamentals a Preschool?

Preschool is : A beginning group or class enrolling children younger than 5 years old and organized to provide educational experience under professionally qualified teachers in cooperation with parents during the year or years immediately preceding kindergarten (or before entry into elementary school when there is no kindergarten).

Yes, Fundamentals is a preschool. We strive to have certified teachers in all classrooms. We will join with you and your family to offer your child programs that encourage, stimulate, and guide physical, social, emotional, and intellectual growth. We use Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP) as our basis when creating lesson plans for the classrooms. A developmental approach to curriculum design is dependent on the child’s developmental status, responsive to the child’s strengths, interests, needs, and experiences which are meaningful, relevant, and respectful of the social and cultural context in which children live. Because of this, our teachers are directly responsible for developing and implementing DAP lessons.

Are services offered during the summer?

Yes, we operate year-round.

Do you offer a before/after school program?

Yes. We serve children of all ages up to 12 years old.

Enrollment FAQs

How do I enroll?

Visit the center of your choice. Make certain we can meet your child’s needs. Complete the necessary paperwork. Pay your registration fee and first week’s tuition. YOUR DONE!

What happens if I need to withdraw my child from your center?

We require a two week withdrawal notice. It must be in writing. At the end of the two week notice, you pay your account balance in full and you may withdraw with no strings attached. However, if you fail to give a two week withdrawal notice in writing, we will bill your account for the two weeks tuition and send to collections.

Health & Safety FAQs

How does Fundamentals ensure my child's safety?

The safety of the children in our care is our first priority! Each of our schools feature:

  • Secured Entry
  • Secured Finger Imaging Authentication Check In/Out system
  • Live Web Cams
  • Age Appropriate Toys and Materials
  • Background Screening of all Staff
  • CPR and Pediatric First Aid certified Staff
  • Daily Safety Checks
  • Appropriate Child to Staff Ratios
  • Active Supervision
  • Escort/Guardian Screening

Will I be called immediately if my child should become ill or injured?

Yes, under most circumstances, our staff members will contact you immediately upon your child becoming ill or injured. Our schools closely follow the license regulations on exclusion of children due to health issues. If your child’s symptoms are any of those listed, you will be asked to pick up your child. Often, the calls are just courtesy calls that let you know how your child is feeling and give you an opportunity to contact your child’s doctor, pick up your child a little early, or make alternate plans for care the next day.

Will my child play outside during extreme weather?

Keeping children safe and healthy is very important to Fundamentals. Outdoor activities provide an important time for children to engage in physical activity while building their large muscles. Children should play outside for thirty minutes twice a day to give them fresh air and opportunities that only outside times can provide. Fundamentals follows the state license guidelines for outdoor play, which take into account the heat index, air quality rating, and wind chill factor. If the weather is extreme of these indicators, children will participate in gross motor activities in their classroom.

What if my child takes medication?

Medication, including any over the counter products, can only be administered with the proper Medication Authorization forms – Physician and Parent are required. Please help us secure all medications by handing the medicine to a member of management so we can lock it in our medication box.

What if my child has food allergies?

At Fundamentals, we want to ensure every child’s safety. If your child has any food allergies please notify the school immediately so we can add your child to our allergy list. Your child’s physician will need to complete our Allergy Care Plan to allow us to properly address their allergies. Our menu is available for parents to review. Substitutions will be made when possible; however parents must provide a substitute if one is not available.

How does Fundamentals handle potty training?

Our Teachers work closely with parents to determine when a child is ready to start potty training both at home and at school. Children are encouraged to regularly attempt to use the toilet or just to try as they are starting out. As the child experiences more successes, you and your child’s teacher will decide when to move from diapers or pull-ups to training pants.

How does Fundamentals handle biting?

Biting can be a very stressful time for all parties involved and it can be challenging to find a solution since biting happens for different reasons for different children. Not all children will go through this phase but it is usually unavoidable when children are in an early childhood program.

Our teachers will “shadow” a child who has bitten. This usually helps the child learn to resolve conflicts through redirection and/or role modeling. When a bite occurs, an Incident/Accident Report will be completed on both children and their parents notified. We follow our Confidentiality Policy and do not release the names of those involved. We also keep records of the biting occurrence to help our staff detect patterns so that we are able to deter future biting. These reports are useful to create an action plan to help the child move through the biting phase.

Financial FAQs

What are your fees?

We do not offer our fees over the telephone or internet. You must visit one of our centers and the Director will share our fees with you. Our fees are subject to change anytime and may differ from one center to another.

Do I have to pay full tuition even if my child is absent?

No. If your child is absent for an entire week, Monday-Friday, you can use a Vacation Credit for that week. The Vacation Credit will give you a 50% discount for that week’s tuition. You may use 4 Vacation Credits as you would like throughout the year.

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✨ WHAT A WEEK AT FELC! 💚🧡💛

From learning and growing to making memories and celebrating BIG wins, there’s never a dull moment around here! 🥰 We’ve had so many sweet moments, exciting accomplishments, and plenty of reasons to smile this week!

One thing is for sure… there’s something special about the little moments that make up our BIG purpose. 💚 Watching our kiddos learn, our teachers shine, and our FELC family continue to grow is what it’s all about!

Take a peek at a little of what we’ve been up to! 📸👇🏼

We are so thankful for our amazing teachers, wonderful families, and the opportunity to love, lead, and learn together every single day! 🫶🏼

Little moments. BIG impact. That’s FELC! 💚✨

#FundamentalsELC #FELCFamily #LittleMomentsBigImpact #LearningAndGrowing
... See MoreSee Less

✨ WHAT A WEEK AT FELC! 💚🧡💛

From learning and growing to making memories and celebrating BIG wins, there’s never a dull moment around here! 🥰 We’ve had so many sweet moments, exciting accomplishments, and plenty of reasons to smile this week!

One thing is for sure… there’s something special about the little moments that make up our BIG purpose. 💚 Watching our kiddos learn, our teachers shine, and our FELC family continue to grow is what it’s all about!

Take a peek at a little of what we’ve been up to! 📸👇🏼

We are so thankful for our amazing teachers, wonderful families, and the opportunity to love, lead, and learn together every single day! 🫶🏼

Little moments. BIG impact. That’s FELC! 💚✨

#FundamentalsELC #FELCFamily #LittleMomentsBigImpact #LearningAndGrowingImage attachmentImage attachment+Image attachment

🎉💗 Help us celebrate Michelle & T! 💗🎉

These ladies scored a 5.75 on their CLASS observation! 🌟 Their hard work, dedication, and commitment to creating meaningful learning experiences for our little ones deserve to be celebrated!

We are so proud of you both! Keep shining and making a difference at FELC! 🧡💚💙 #FELCProud #CLASSStars
... See MoreSee Less

🎉💗 Help us celebrate Michelle & T! 💗🎉

These ladies scored a 5.75 on their CLASS observation! 🌟 Their hard work, dedication, and commitment to creating meaningful learning experiences for our little ones deserve to be celebrated!

We are so proud of you both! Keep shining and making a difference at FELC! 🧡💚💙 #FELCProud #CLASSStars

Comment on Facebook

🤩 so good. I wish there was an easy way to let parents know what this means for their children’s future. Congrats and thank you!!

congratulations!!🩷

Congrats!! 🩷

Congratulations yall

Congratulations ladies!!!!! Y’all rock! ♥️♥️🎉🎉🎉🎉

So proud!! 🩷

Congratulations 🎉🎉🎉

Congratulations 🎊🎈

Congratulations!!!

Congratulations 💕💕💕

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What if building the good life starts long before you're old enough to even know what that means?

Our founder, Wyatt Graves, believes it does.

Fundamentals was never meant to simply be a place where children spend the day while their parents work. The vision was to create an early learning center -- a place where the years before kindergarten are treated like the incredibly important years they are.

Because children are already learning.

They're learning how to communicate. How to solve problems. How to make friends. How to follow directions, handle big feelings, become more independent and discover what they're capable of.

The foundation is being built whether we're intentional about it or not.

Wyatt talks a lot today about building the good life -- surrounding yourself with the right people, continuing to grow, serving others and creating a life you're proud of.

At Fundamentals, we just get to start a little earlier. ❤️
... See MoreSee Less

What if building the good life starts long before youre old enough to even know what that means?

Our founder, Wyatt Graves, believes it does.

Fundamentals was never meant to simply be a place where children spend the day while their parents work. The vision was to create an early learning center -- a place where the years before kindergarten are treated like the incredibly important years they are.

Because children are already learning.

Theyre learning how to communicate. How to solve problems. How to make friends. How to follow directions, handle big feelings, become more independent and discover what theyre capable of.

The foundation is being built whether were intentional about it or not.

Wyatt talks a lot today about building the good life -- surrounding yourself with the right people, continuing to grow, serving others and creating a life youre proud of.

At Fundamentals, we just get to start a little earlier. ❤️

They were the very first baby class at Fundamentals... then they came back dressed for their freshman homecoming ❤️

(And, yes, they are banging on the door to be let back in in one of the pictures 😂)

These girls started at Fundamentals as babies the day we opened our doors in 2013. They grew up here together, became some of each other's very first best friends, and all these years later, they're still friends.

When it was time to take pictures for their freshman homecoming, they came back to where their story together started.

MJ's mom, Katrina Ward, shared this with us:

“Fundamentals will always hold such a special place in our hearts. It was so much more than the place I trusted with my baby girl, MJ, it became part of our village.

The staff loved my baby. They truly knew her, her personality, her moods, what made her smile, and even when she just wasn’t having a good day. They knew when she needed a little extra love, a different approach, or simply someone who understood how to refocus her and help turn her day around.

And Fundamentals gave her something else that has lasted far beyond her time there: some of her very first best friends. These girls started out as babies growing up together, and all these years later, that friendship continues.

Fundamentals helped raise our babies. They loved them, taught them, redirected them, celebrated them, and gave them a place where they belonged.

It really does take a village and I will forever be grateful that Fundamentals was part of ours.”

As we celebrate 25 years since Wyatt first stepped into childcare, these are the stories that put those years into perspective.

You can count years.
You can count classrooms.
You can count how many children have walked through the doors.

But then the first babies you cared for show back up as high school freshmen, still best friends, suddenly you can SEE what all those years mean.

We couldn't think of a better picture of the legacy we're celebrating this month. ❤️
... See MoreSee Less

They were the very first baby class at Fundamentals... then they came back dressed for their freshman homecoming ❤️

(And, yes, they are banging on the door to be let back in in one of the pictures 😂)

These girls started at Fundamentals as babies the day we opened our doors in 2013. They grew up here together, became some of each others very first best friends, and all these years later, theyre still friends.

When it was time to take pictures for their freshman homecoming, they came back to where their story together started.

MJs mom, Katrina Ward, shared this with us:

“Fundamentals will always hold such a special place in our hearts. It was so much more than the place I trusted with my baby girl, MJ, it became part of our village.

The staff loved my baby. They truly knew her, her personality, her moods, what made her smile, and even when she just wasn’t having a good day. They knew when she needed a little extra love, a different approach, or simply someone who understood how to refocus her and help turn her day around.

And Fundamentals gave her something else that has lasted far beyond her time there: some of her very first best friends. These girls started out as babies growing up together, and all these years later, that friendship continues.

Fundamentals helped raise our babies. They loved them, taught them, redirected them, celebrated them, and gave them a place where they belonged.

It really does take a village and I will forever be grateful that Fundamentals was part of ours.”

As we celebrate 25 years since Wyatt first stepped into childcare, these are the stories that put those years into perspective.

You can count years. 
You can count classrooms. 
You can count how many children have walked through the doors.

But then the first babies you cared for show back up as high school freshmen, still best friends, suddenly you can SEE what all those years mean.

We couldnt think of a better picture of the legacy were celebrating this month. ❤️Image attachmentImage attachment

Comment on Facebook

Wow!!! How time flies.. I can’t believe how grown they are. Just beautiful, Definitely feeling old!!! ❤️ Nina

Suzanna Drewery Amanda Namie Juneau Jennifer Sinclair Jourdan S. Gill Brandi Feinberg Mallory Torina

My girls 😭🩷

This is the cutest!

That’s adorable!!!

Wow! My favorite story of the day! I love this! 🩷

❤️❤️

❤️❤️

My Blakes🥺

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