HSNEI Education Policies & Guidelines

A few things to know before your family joins one of our programs.

Cancellation Policy

If you need to cancel an event, please provide at least 72 hours' notice so HSNEI can save resources by not doing the final preparation and reassign staff to other work.

Signs of Illness

Participants who become ill while attending a program will need to be picked up early by a parent or caregiver. Please monitor your child(ren) for signs of illness and keep them home when ill — if they show symptoms of infectious diseases, including COVID-19, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and gastrointestinal infections, please keep them home until tested and clear of symptoms.

Safety Requirements

We practice a safe staff-to-child ratio (or better), following state childcare guidelines of 1:15 staff-to-child.
All education staff and volunteers pass a public record check.
Our location has emergency preparedness/evacuation plans in case of severe weather, fire, etc.

Participant Behavior Policy

We review behavior guidelines with participants. While at our programs, all participants are expected to treat other participants, HSNEI staff and volunteers, and animals with respect and compassion.

Children and adults who are consistently unable to follow these guidelines may be asked to leave, or may be dismissed for the remainder of the session.
We have zero tolerance regarding fighting or using an object as a weapon.
The use of tobacco, drugs, and alcohol is strictly prohibited.
Violation of these policies is grounds for immediate dismissal.

Interaction Time with Cats & Dogs

Time spent interacting with our animals is very limited and closely monitored. Not all programs offer this interaction time.

Education Program FAQs

Please review our frequently asked questions below. If you have a question that isn't answered here, please contact us at 563-277-HEP or send us a message.

How will I know my registration is complete?