Aftercare availablity

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are third parties that provide bus pickup and aftercare if a threshold number of kids will be picked up from your school. Your best bet is probably finding the other parents on the waitlist and signing up together

Yeah this is the plan b at our oversubscribed DCPS. A bunch of parents banded to their and got a daycare to do afterschool pickup/aftercare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've gotta say as someone who will need aftercare, this seems absolutely insane. For 2-working-parent households not having aftercare is largely not an option. How can DC not provide it to everyone at least for a fee? I have never heard of that anywhere else.

It's not easy to find people who want to work roughly 3-6pm, less than 180 days a year, for what aftercare pays, and who can pass a background check. And who would actually show up.

And yet every other community I'm familiar with manages it. This seems to be a uniquely DC issue and a deeply backwards one at that. Daycares are open until 6 because obviously you need childcare until then if you work a 9-5, as most do. Shouldn't it be an axiomatic for public schools to do the same?

I don’t think this is true. My sister is in a different state and her child’s aftercare is constantly having staffing issues. Quite frankly I think they are just out of compliance in terms of ratio of adult to student otherwise they would have to kick some kids out of aftercare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have heard that Shepherd and MV have had this issue too.

I am one of the PP and MV had the issue during 2021-2022, but not anymore. I am not sure about Shepherd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've gotta say as someone who will need aftercare, this seems absolutely insane. For 2-working-parent households not having aftercare is largely not an option. How can DC not provide it to everyone at least for a fee? I have never heard of that anywhere else.

It's not easy to find people who want to work roughly 3-6pm, less than 180 days a year, for what aftercare pays, and who can pass a background check. And who would actually show up.

And yet every other community I'm familiar with manages it. This seems to be a uniquely DC issue and a deeply backwards one at that. Daycares are open until 6 because obviously you need childcare until then if you work a 9-5, as most do. Shouldn't it be a axiomatic for public schools to do the same?

We're looking at a year wait for aftercare in NOVA. And it's more expensive too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've gotta say as someone who will need aftercare, this seems absolutely insane. For 2-working-parent households not having aftercare is largely not an option. How can DC not provide it to everyone at least for a fee? I have never heard of that anywhere else.

It's not easy to find people who want to work roughly 3-6pm, less than 180 days a year, for what aftercare pays, and who can pass a background check. And who would actually show up.

And yet every other community I'm familiar with manages it. This seems to be a uniquely DC issue and a deeply backwards one at that. Daycares are open until 6 because obviously you need childcare until then if you work a 9-5, as most do. Shouldn't it be an axiomatic for public schools to do the same?

I don’t think this is true. My sister is in a different state and her child’s aftercare is constantly having staffing issues. Quite frankly I think they are just out of compliance in terms of ratio of adult to student otherwise they would have to kick some kids out of aftercare.

Pp is talking about DC schools. Most schools in DC are not having this issue right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've gotta say as someone who will need aftercare, this seems absolutely insane. For 2-working-parent households not having aftercare is largely not an option. How can DC not provide it to everyone at least for a fee? I have never heard of that anywhere else.

It's not easy to find people who want to work roughly 3-6pm, less than 180 days a year, for what aftercare pays, and who can pass a background check. And who would actually show up.

And yet every other community I'm familiar with manages it. This seems to be a uniquely DC issue and a deeply backwards one at that. Daycares are open until 6 because obviously you need childcare until then if you work a 9-5, as most do. Shouldn't it be a axiomatic for public schools to do the same?

We're looking at a year wait for aftercare in NOVA. And it's more expensive too.

+1 I don't know where people are getting the idea this doesn't happen outside of DC.

[Anonymous]

At Key, aftercare is not guaranteed and is very difficult to get into. We are a new family and were told that we will not get in next year and that almost no new families get in (you have to get on the waitlist). It's fine for us as we have alternatives, but does seem really annoying that not everyone who would want to go to aftercare can get in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've gotta say as someone who will need aftercare, this seems absolutely insane. For 2-working-parent households not having aftercare is largely not an option. How can DC not provide it to everyone at least for a fee? I have never heard of that anywhere else.

Op here. Yes I agree it is insane. I think our new exec director is aware of the problem, but so far nothing has been done. I think my only options right now are to go to my inbound (which has a lot of aftercare) or go to an way more expensive, not good option which involved a van transfer.

If aftercare is a problem everywhere i would be more inclined to try to make our charter work, but it seems that this is specific to our school.

I totally get that new kids might not get a spot at some schools, but at our charter there is some weird lottery so only teacher's kids and students who qualify for free/reduced lunches get priority. And again, this is fine as long as hundreds aren’t shut out every year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At Key, aftercare is not guaranteed and is very difficult to get into. We are a new family and were told that we will not get in next year and that almost no new families get in (you have to get on the waitlist). It's fine for us as we have alternatives, but does seem really annoying that not everyone who would want to go to aftercare can get in.

At our charter (op here) you don’t get a preference for being there the year prior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, they all have a max. Is that your only question?

Are there hundreds of students on aftercare waitlists all over the city? This is for next year, not this year.

I still can't figure out your purpose. If your school has a waitlist, what does it matter if others don't?

Because if this is a problem all over the city, it doesn’t make sense to leave our charter. It does NOT seem to be a problem all over the city. So I am going to look at other options for my kids for the following year. Our inbound school has lots of aftercare options, but I wasn’t sure if it was an anomaly. At this point I’m just trying to figure out if it’s worth staying at our charter.

But lottery is over and your only guaranteed choice is your inbound school. So knowing what's happening 'all over the city' still not relevant to you. Only your inbound school. Since you don't have a lottery spot somewhere else for the fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've gotta say as someone who will need aftercare, this seems absolutely insane. For 2-working-parent households not having aftercare is largely not an option. How can DC not provide it to everyone at least for a fee? I have never heard of that anywhere else.

Op here. Yes I agree it is insane. I think our new exec director is aware of the problem, but so far nothing has been done. I think my only options right now are to go to my inbound (which has a lot of aftercare) or go to an way more expensive, not good option which involved a van transfer.

If aftercare is a problem everywhere i would be more inclined to try to make our charter work, but it seems that this is specific to our school.

I totally get that new kids might not get a spot at some schools, but at our charter there is some weird lottery so only teacher's kids and students who qualify for free/reduced lunches get priority. And again, this is fine as long as hundreds aren’t shut out every year.

Aftercare is a major issue in DC--both in quality and availability. My son (now in MS, thankfully) attend TRY years and years ago and the quality was SO POOR and lacking that I ended up making a lateral job move to work from home so that I would have the flexibility to pick him up, etc. Yes, I admit absolute privilege in being able to make this move. It absolutely has impacted my career growth in a negative way, but I didn't feel like I had a choice.

I know that parents often lament that their children grow up to fast, but it's so damn hard to raise little kids in this city that I am relieved that he is out of that phase and in MS and can get himself home from school via public transportation and be home alone for a few hours.

[Anonymous]

This is unfortunately not uncommon in DC or elsewhere. Agree with PP that working on a paid option with other parents is the best bet.

When I was a grad student 15 years ago, I worked part time at an afterschool program in a DCPS school and it constantly had a waitlist as well. So this is definitely a long time issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, they all have a max. Is that your only question?

Are there hundreds of students on aftercare waitlists all over the city? This is for next year, not this year.

I still can't figure out your purpose. If your school has a waitlist, what does it matter if others don't?

Because if this is a problem all over the city, it doesn’t make sense to leave our charter. It does NOT seem to be a problem all over the city. So I am going to look at other options for my kids for the following year. Our inbound school has lots of aftercare options, but I wasn’t sure if it was an anomaly. At this point I’m just trying to figure out if it’s worth staying at our charter.

But lottery is over and your only guaranteed choice is your inbound school. So knowing what's happening 'all over the city' still not relevant to you. Only your inbound school. Since you don't have a lottery spot somewhere else for the fall.

Except that waitlists exist? Also why the tone? If you don’t like this thread go tf away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is unfortunately not uncommon in DC or elsewhere. Agree with PP that working on a paid option with other parents is the best bet.

When I was a grad student 15 years ago, I worked part time at an afterschool program in a DCPS school and it constantly had a waitlist as well. So this is definitely a long time issue.

Different poster- I have yet to find a school where hundreds of kids were shut out of aftercare and on a waitlist. This situation is extreme.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, they all have a max. Is that your only question?

Are there hundreds of students on aftercare waitlists all over the city? This is for next year, not this year.

I still can't figure out your purpose. If your school has a waitlist, what does it matter if others don't?

Because if this is a problem all over the city, it doesn’t make sense to leave our charter. It does NOT seem to be a problem all over the city. So I am going to look at other options for my kids for the following year. Our inbound school has lots of aftercare options, but I wasn’t sure if it was an anomaly. At this point I’m just trying to figure out if it’s worth staying at our charter.

But lottery is over and your only guaranteed choice is your inbound school. So knowing what's happening 'all over the city' still not relevant to you. Only your inbound school. Since you don't have a lottery spot somewhere else for the fall.

Except that waitlists exist? Also why the tone? If you don’t like this thread go tf away.

I didn’t write the above but I also have a hard time understanding leaving the charter. Presuming it’s a DCI feeder, what other option can you run to that doesn’t bring with it the bigger problem of what do you do after elementary school? A middle school path is not worth giving up over aftercare. Seems like cutting off your nose to spite you face.

If you don’t like expensive aftercare, you won’t like expensive private middle school or moving to Bethesda.