9e. Field Trip Policy and Procedure

• Created 7/99
• Revised 3/24

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Policy

Field trips will be preplanned and emergency procedure prepared. Field trips will support the
classroom educational experience, current curricula, the level and cultural backgrounds of
children. Head Start staff will ensure that safety is the first priority on all field trips and outings
away from the Head Start site.

Procedure

Teacher Responsibilities

1. The field trip will be relevant to the curriculum (reflective of needs, interests and cultures of children).
2. Teachers must submit a Field Trip Request Form to their Area Manager at least 3 weeks in advance of the trip.
3. Bus transportation curriculum will be reviewed with children and bus emergency drill practiced if all children have not had one within 30 days of the Field Trip.
4. Rules of Field Trips are related to our three program expectations. They will be taught verbally and visually and referred to by teachers and children prior to and throughout the duration of the field trip. Teachers must feel confident that the children have had sufficient preparation, are clear about what to expect and the rules, and are ready to take a trip.
5. Teachers must ensure that medication or equipment needed to ensure the safety of a child with special medical needs (asthma, diabetes or other potentially life-threatening conditions) is taken on the field trip.
6. Emergency consent forms and properly stocked First Aid Kits must be taken on all field trips and other outings.
7. Staff will ensure that parents have received notification and give permission of the field trip using the Field Trip Permission (EDUC 9g). Children without a signed permission slip will remain at the center with a staff person. If a staff person is not available, the field trip will be canceled.
8. Activities and classroom discussion will happen both before and after the field trip to prepare children and assess outcomes. These will be documented on Lesson Plan.
9. Staff, parents and volunteers will accompany field trips to ensure adequate supervision with appropriate adult/child ratios. The adult-child ratio must be anywhere from 4:1 to 1:1. It is particularly important to have a high adult to child ratio when going places that have either a large number of people present or near water (river, lakes), areas that are remote and have few emergency facilities/phones nearby. Ratio will be determined based on the destination and the safety needs of the classroom.
10. Teachers will inform the Head Start main office of departure and arrival.
11. Active Supervision practices will be continued on the field trip. Plan for how you will monitor and make sure children will be safe. Children will be counted and names recorded on an attendance sheet prior to leaving and before returning. Counting and Name to Face during the field trip will happen throughout. Staff and volunteers will be assigned children to oversee and teacher will support the process.
12. Family members, volunteers and staff will need to be informed about expectations; their role during the field trip.
13. A Head Start staff person will always accompany children into off-site restrooms during field trips. If gender restrictions on the public restroom facilities might interfere with this, the teacher staff are required to make arrangements to assure that teaching staff can accompany either male or female children into the public restroom.
14. In the event of an unplanned walking outing:
    • At the beginning of the year and throughout the school year, teachers will notify
      parents through Remind and with classroom postings that the class will take walks
      on weather permitting days.
    • When a walk is going to happen, teachers will inform the Area Manager of the plan to take a walk and their destination and place a note by the door of their classroom.
    • The Teacher and Area Manager will assess if active supervision can be maintained with current dynamics of the classroom and walks can be done safely.

Area Manager

1. Will review field trip requests, upload to Google Drive and discuss with School Readiness Specialist to determine to accept or reject based on the needs of the classroom and safety concerns. The field trip may be rejected if bussing or food service is not available.
2. If approved, the Area Manager will coordinate with the Transportation Manager and Food Specialist.
3. Area Manager will notify the Out of Office daily email when a classroom is on a field tirp or taking a walk.

Transportation

1. Any field trip requiring bus transportation must be requested on the Field Trip Request Form and turn in to the Area Manager for approval. Area Manager will upload the form to Google Drive and email the School Readiness Specialist and Transportation Manager prior to the scheduled field trip.
2. The Area Manager will upload the request into Google Drive.
3. There will be not more than one (1) hour of travel time one way.
4. If the bus has extra room available, parents and siblings may be able to ride bus. Siblings must always be accompanied by the parent. Siblings attending field trips are the sole responsibility of the parent/guardian for supervision. Private vehicles can only be used by parent or authorized people to transport their own children. No other Head Start children may ride in that private car.
5. A minimum of two Head Start staff members will accompany on bus.

Nutrition

1. Education staff and Food Service staff will plan appropriate field trip menus that meet CACFP guidelines.
2. All potentially hazardous foods must be maintained below 40◦ or above 140◦.
3. All staff will follow safe sanitation practices.
4. Meal counts will be taken.

Parents

1. Parents will be notified of any details about each field trip.
2. Parents are encouraged to attend field trips; however, they may need to provide their own transportation due to limited seating on the bus.