Some children are just weeks away from being ready for preschool, and those weeks matter. Preschool Pathways is designed for children who are right on the threshold, and our environment reflects that: structured enough to build the routines preschool requires, nurturing enough for children who are still very young. Our health and safety practices support both.

• Illness policy with no exceptions: Any child or staff member with a fever goes home and stays home until fever-free for at least 24 hours. No gray areas.
• High-touch surfaces sanitized throughout the day: Toys, tables, and shared surfaces are disinfected continuously, not just at opening and closing.
• Individual cots and blankets for every child: Each child has their own cot and blankets, laundered weekly. Nothing is shared.
• Handwashing built into every transition: Handwashing happens before meals, after outdoor play, after bathroom time, embedded into the daily rhythm so it becomes a natural habit, not a rule to resist.
• Ratios that allow real attention: Our classroom ratios give teachers the space to actively observe and respond to each child, not just keep order in the room.
• CPR and first aid certified, every teacher: Every staff member holds current infant and child CPR and first aid certification. All of them, not just some.
• Illness recognition training: Teachers are trained to spot early signs of illness in young children, with visual reminders in every classroom keeping it top of mind.
• A Safe School Plan in every classroom: Our customized Safe School Plan, developed in partnership with Burlington Police Department, is posted in every room and trained on recurrently, so teachers know exactly what to do, every time.