Help me think through aftercare...

[k3am]

Help me figure this out! DD starts kinder 8/15. That’s like… two weeks, if you’re counting. The fact that we don’t have this nailed down yet is driving me bonkers.


School is from 8:50-2:55 most days, 1:55 on Tuesdays. The typical fall/winter/ski/spring breaks. 

1. Option 1: Onsite before/aftercare, with care covering 6:30a-6:00p. ~$900/month. We’re waitlisted.
- Pros: On site. Same kids as at school. Good hours, minimum and in-service days as well as school year breaks.
- Cons: We’re waitlisted. Lack of communication. Premium price. Looks boring (but there may be more to it than I saw during my brief exposure to it)

2. Option 2: Existing daycare will bus her and do aftercare only through 6:00p. ~$615/month. Definite availability.
- Pros: They have availability. I’d have one pickup point for both kids. We know/like/trust the center. She’ll still get to see some of the same friends she has now since a lot of them are continuing on there for kinder.
- Cons: No morning care, still pretty pricey. Doesn’t cover in-service days or school breaks. (We can ship her off to the grandparents for breaks if we need to)

3. Option 3: Community center, aftercare only through 6:00p. ~$200/month
- Pros: Price. My coworker uses the program at another location and has been really happy with it.
- Cons: Not on site, no transportation (we would need to coordinate this, so the price would go up by some unknown amount). Her school doesn’t feed into it – it is located right next to a different elementary and a mile from her school (so yet another separate set of kids). Disclaimer: I don’t know much about this program.

For either option 2 or 3, DH can likely flex his schedule and let her watch TV/work remotely in the mornings to make the late drop off work. I can handle the days he can’t as long as I have enough notice.


Option 1 is obviously the easiest. And most expensive. And we're waitlisted, so it may not even really be an option... 
Option 2 is guaranteed. 
Option 3 has 24 spots remaining and registration opened up a week ago. I have no idea how many spots there were to start with. 

[waverly]

I vote option 2 at least for now/ for this year. Why don't they cover school breaks since they are a daycare and presumably open every day? You could also send her to a place that has a camp for winter break, it could maybe be the same community place that has summer camp. Since kids are a lot less for school breaks you might be able to get her into option 1 or option 3 for breaks as well.

Option 3 doesn't seem feasible because someone would have to pick her up at school and take her to the aftercare program, right? You would need to find out if transportation is an option, and what the price is. Unless everyone takes turns carpooling, or people work right by the community center or have super flexible jobs with no commute, I don't see how this is possible.


Does your elementary school bus to any place besides the house? Ours busses to 2 daycares and the community center. I would call and ask to speak with the transportation director at the school. Also ask the program about transportation. Price wise I like option 3, but it's a non starter for me without transportation.


You could always switch to option 1 once you get off the waitlist if you want.

[k3am]

Option #2 - I think - has the option to pay per day for inservice days/school breaks.

Option #3 - I know that some parents on Nextdoor are talking about trying to figure out transportation to the community center.

I don't think our elementary does any bussing at all. I don't see anything about it on their website. I'm pretty sure I'm doing this whole incoming student thing wrong...

[waverly]

k3am , having a new Kindergartner can be very stressful. As a mom of a now second grader, I promise next year you will know all the ins and outs, but the first year I was overwhelmed.


School websites are not going to have all the information. Your best bet is talking to the school directly, followed by a community group or school group in Facebook or Nextdoor like you are doing. For example there is nothing on the school website that they will bus for DD to go to private K.


She get bussed, goes to private K on site then public school same location then aftercare same location. I have your option 1 with bussing only mine also covers the half day K that public school is not doing (I wish we did have full day K) for $775 a month. 

When DS was a K- I did your option 2, but it was $1000 a month because of the half day K. 

[k3am]

waverly, the problem we're running into is that... everything is closed for summer. Calls and emails aren't returned - that's if I even know who to call in the first place, which I clearly don't.

[sdlaura]

Wow, $900 a month for onsite before and aftercare?! We are happy with our school's, but it costs $300 a month. I don't know if I'd pay $900 a month for it.

I'd go with option 2. The good news is that there are tons of camps here for breaks. Do you have a local YMCA? Ours has multiple camp options for summer, winter, fall, and spring break, and even 1-day camps for holidays that kids might have off but parents might need to work.

[k3am]

They didn't give us a fee schedule for 2018-2019. We have one from 2017-2018, and it was ~$800? I assume like daycare costs, it goes up every year, and I always round up. I'm not sure where it will actually end up at, but I'm guessing somewhere between $800 and $900. (And I'd rather be pleasantly surprised if it's less)

[k3am]

I tried calling the school district office (vs. the school) just now and they said "you need to wait until the first day to find out what your options are." I don't think she's right though... but apparently she doesn't know any more than I do.

[mustardseed2007]

Option 2 for now, stay on the wait list for the other option and see how it goes. Option 3 doesn't sound good at all.

[sdlaura]

Jul 27, 2018 16:49:09 GMT -5 k3am said:

They didn't give us a fee schedule for 2018-2019. We have one from 2017-2018, and it was ~$800? I assume like daycare costs, it goes up every year, and I always round up. I'm not sure where it will actually end up at, but I'm guessing somewhere between $800 and $900. (And I'd rather be pleasantly surprised if it's less)

Being used to daycare, I saw a fee schedule before we started and I assumed the $200-ish listed was per week, but then I realized it was actually per month, which was awesome.

[mommyatty]

Option 2.

[k3am]

Option 1 “thinks” they’ll have availability. $832/month.

[waverly]

Yeah she was no help. Our schools are open most of the summer at any rate they can’t just open 8/15 they would definitely open sooner my guess maybe next week. She sounded clueless. If you are asking a bussing question then you need someone in charge of transportation. I was also hoping they might be able to give you other options too but sounds like they are no help. Our bus paperwork says busses to daycare in district or home address. We filled it out when we registered them.

Glad you finally got ahold of some again at option 1. If it’s your first choice I’d make sure to get them a registration payment and paperwork to seal the deal and go with the “I was told we were in” line.

I personally go with the just aftercare option to make it cheaper but if DH really needs the before care option...

[shakinros]

Option 2 all the way. Known quantity, easier pickup. Decent price.

Late start is tough. Will they let you do before care at school and aftercare offsite at the daycare?

[k3am]

Jul 27, 2018 19:48:05 GMT -5 shakinros said:

Option 2 all the way. Known quantity, easier pickup. Decent price.

Late start is tough. Will they let you do before care at school and aftercare offsite at the daycare?

Before care by itself is still almost $450ish.

[xctsclrx]

This conversation makes me happy to be living where I do. They cater to the working parent with a low cost of living. The elementary school kids get on the bus at 7. After school care is 60 a week.

In your situation I would go with option 2 if you and your H can swing it. Use the kindergarten year to scope out what other working parents do and it keeps the pick ups to one place.

[ilovelucyvv]

Option 2 is the only one that sounds feasible at this point. Logistics make #3 too tricky. You can switch to #1 when you are 100% sure it is available.

[sunbutter]

Jul 27, 2018 16:57:59 GMT -5 mustardseed2007 said:

Option 2 for now, stay on the wait list for the other option and see how it goes. Option 3 doesn't sound good at all.

This is my vote too

[mellym]

Option 1 if you can get in because it has before care unless your DH doesn't mind starting his day late. Option 2 would be my next pick.

[186momx]

k3am, when do you have to decide and give $$$ over to Option 2? I would hold out until last minute to see if you get in with option 1 as it helps you out the most. Also, bug the living daylights out of Option 1, it helped me.