Fairfax County - School Aged Child Care

[Anonymous]

Can someone explain to me how the SACC works in Fairfax County? Is it a lottery? What do working parents do for care if their child doesn't get in - especially if the school has 1/2 Day Kindergarten??

[Anonymous]

As I understand it, the number of kids in a SACC program varies by school and the space available in that particular school location's program (SACC is run by the county, not the school system). It is not a lottery system, it is a waitlist system. You call, you get on the list and wait for your numbers to come up. (As I understand it, some school locations have big waitlists, some have small waitlists, and some have no waitlists... Our school location had/has a pretty big waitlist.)

Before we even moved into FFX, we were told to get on the waitlist. We got on the waitlist for both before and after care in January 2009. Our kids transferred in from out of state for the beginning of the 2009-10 school year. We got the call that we were in before care for Oct. 1. We "made do" for the month before our number came up for before care. Our number didn't come up for after care until January 2010. By then, we had already made other after school arrangements, so gave up our spot in line for after care. (If you give up your spot, they will automatically move you back to the back of the line if you'd like... which we chose to do... I don't expect to get the call for after care SACC until spring or NEXT school year.) However, once you are "in", you are in. (So, we're in before care SACC until we quit, or no longer meet the criteria.)

I can't tell from your post whether your child is in school this year, or you're just asking in advance for next year. I have no advice for this school year, other than to wait it out (what number are you on the wait list?) If it's for next school year, get yourself on the list, if you haven't already.

Also, SACC has a great summer program... if you'll need Summer SACC, you should get on that list, too. (It's a separate list.)

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/ofc/sacc.htm

[Anonymous]

Yes, it's a waitlist system. and you can get on the list FAR in advance. For instance, my younger child will start K in the 2012-13 school year. We can call next summer, summer 2011, to get her on the waitlist for before and after care.

Some schools have no wait list for before care. My older DD has been in SACC at our base school and at our AAP center. Neither school had a before care waitlist. But it took her 18 months to clear the waitlist at our base school. But when we transferred to the center, she was #17 on the waitlist for after care, but within 2 weeks they called to offer us a spot. So there is a "priority" waitlist for transfers, kids with siblings already in the program, etc.

Also, each "extra" program has it's own waitlist/enrollment: spring break, winter break, summer camps, etc.

The good news is that even if you are just enrolled in before care, you have all day coverage for teacher work days.

[Anonymous]

If you don't make it into SACC, you do what everyone else does: shell out for private before/after school care. All the major daycares offer this.

[Anonymous]

Not to hijack, but, PP, how exactly do you find the private before/after school options? We are in the Haycock district and I've asked around and found exactly 1 option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not to hijack, but, PP, how exactly do you find the private before/after school options? We are in the Haycock district and I've asked around and found exactly 1 option.

Try asking the school principal/assistant principal. They'll know as they know who is on the pick-up list for dismissal.

[Anonymous]

I think that finding an after care place that will pick up varies a lot by school and area. But I know there are 2-3 after care places that pick up via bus from our school. One downside to this is that if a kid wants to be able to participate in an activity at school that takes place after school, this makes it hard. But if they are in SACC, then there is no issue with that. But OTOH, many after care places offer their own activities, so it is a trade off.

Also, people sometimes hire an afternoon sitter to pick up from school, healp with homework, run child to an activity, etc.