New Aftercare Provider at Lafayette

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are those vests really needed?!

Are the kids in an area where there are also kids who aren't in the program? If so, I'd say yes.

Yes: the kids wear the vests when they are outside and mixed in with non-aftercare kids.

I am not sure why this is a big deal. CLS kids at Murch were always using shirts or vests in specific colors (bright orange? green? i am not sure anymore) when they were using the playground at Murch (before the move). The playground was open to everybody and was also used by kids in the other aftercare program. for supervisors was obviously easier to supervise the kids when they were wearing a sort of uniform in a crowded playground. it seems reasonable to me and as a parent I would think it is safer.

One comment from another Murch parent. I HATED picking up kids from Language (CLS) vs XDay at Murch. XDay folks all know who I was, knew who my kids friends were and would let me pick them up and take them. Because, surprise kids often forget they are going home with you for playdate or you are their ride to something. CLS would refuse to release kids to me even when the kids told them who I was, even when I picked them up every week, they kept "losing" the authorization. While I appreciate the safety approach - it was overdone to the point of paranoia.

Another Murch parent, but one with the complete opposite experience. Language pickup has never been anything but easy. XDay pickup was always a game of, "Where are they playing today, and will their caregiver actually be paying attention?"

[Anonymous]

Is there a parent board for CLS? I know the LAP board disbanded but can a new parent body of some form work to help the situation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there a parent board for CLS? I know the LAP board disbanded but can a new parent body of some form work to help the situation?

No parent board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there a parent board for CLS? I know the LAP board disbanded but can a new parent body of some form work to help the situation?

Did they? Last I heard they were going to take a year to "figure things out"

[Anonymous]

Murch parent -- I commented on the older board that I had serious questions about the ability of CLS to scale up to providing care for hundreds of kids. I specificcly mentioned no snacks, no ability to handle discipline and accomodate, and I should have added a somewhat schizophrenic approach to safety and security and iffy staffing. Its a tough thing to serve 300 kids. But really bad idea to put this in place without an oversight mechanism like a Board. Because indeed parents have very little leverage to get complaints addressed and not a lot of other options for families that need the care.

[Anonymous]

Yup. That is the problem. They have a monopoly on aftercare as the "only game in town".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are those vests really needed?!

Are the kids in an area where there are also kids who aren't in the program? If so, I'd say yes.

Yes: the kids wear the vests when they are outside and mixed in with non-aftercare kids.

I am not sure why this is a big deal. CLS kids at Murch were always using shirts or vests in specific colors (bright orange? green? i am not sure anymore) when they were using the playground at Murch (before the move). The playground was open to everybody and was also used by kids in the other aftercare program. for supervisors was obviously easier to supervise the kids when they were wearing a sort of uniform in a crowded playground. it seems reasonable to me and as a parent I would think it is safer.

One comment from another Murch parent. I HATED picking up kids from Language (CLS) vs XDay at Murch. XDay folks all know who I was, knew who my kids friends were and would let me pick them up and take them. Because, surprise kids often forget they are going home with you for playdate or you are their ride to something. CLS would refuse to release kids to me even when the kids told them who I was, even when I picked them up every week, they kept "losing" the authorization. While I appreciate the safety approach - it was overdone to the point of paranoia.

another Murch parent and thank you for giving me a reason not to try Xday. frankly the idea that you can show up at an aftercare and take with you a few 4 year olds without a clear authorization from the parents "because they know who you are" is crazy. my experience with CLS at Murch has been very different than yours. all teachers know who I am and where my child is when I pick her up. I had no problem having my child picked up by a friend for a playdate, all I had to do was sending an email to the director in the morning saying "my child will be picked up by XYZ today with my permission, thanks". really no big deal, this looks to me just common sense, some kids are just 4 or 5. a few years ago at Murch a child was picked up by an out of state parent with mental problems and no custody and was missing for days. the fact that a small child is released to the parents or somebody with clear permission seems no brainer to me. I prefer having to send an email when my child has a playdate than showing up and finding out that my child was picked up by a stranger

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are those vests really needed?!

Are the kids in an area where there are also kids who aren't in the program? If so, I'd say yes.

Yes: the kids wear the vests when they are outside and mixed in with non-aftercare kids.

I am not sure why this is a big deal. CLS kids at Murch were always using shirts or vests in specific colors (bright orange? green? i am not sure anymore) when they were using the playground at Murch (before the move). The playground was open to everybody and was also used by kids in the other aftercare program. for supervisors was obviously easier to supervise the kids when they were wearing a sort of uniform in a crowded playground. it seems reasonable to me and as a parent I would think it is safer.

One comment from another Murch parent. I HATED picking up kids from Language (CLS) vs XDay at Murch. XDay folks all know who I was, knew who my kids friends were and would let me pick them up and take them. Because, surprise kids often forget they are going home with you for playdate or you are their ride to something. CLS would refuse to release kids to me even when the kids told them who I was, even when I picked them up every week, they kept "losing" the authorization. While I appreciate the safety approach - it was overdone to the point of paranoia.

another Murch parent and thank you for giving me a reason not to try Xday. frankly the idea that you can show up at an aftercare and take with you a few 4 year olds without a clear authorization from the parents "because they know who you are" is crazy. my experience with CLS at Murch has been very different than yours. all teachers know who I am and where my child is when I pick her up. I had no problem having my child picked up by a friend for a playdate, all I had to do was sending an email to the director in the morning saying "my child will be picked up by XYZ today with my permission, thanks". really no big deal, this looks to me just common sense, some kids are just 4 or 5. a few years ago at Murch a child was picked up by an out of state parent with mental problems and no custody and was missing for days. the fact that a small child is released to the parents or somebody with clear permission seems no brainer to me. I prefer having to send an email when my child has a playdate than showing up and finding out that my child was picked up by a stranger

Whoosh.....that was the entire point going over your head!

[Anonymous]

The shirts are a very good idea. What is the big deal?

[Anonymous]

We are at CLS again at Murch this year. Perfectly happy. No problems with pickups. No problems with the shirts.

I have seen so many unhappy posts about Lafayette generally on this board that I am beginning to wonder if the parents at Lafayette who say that there is just a group of parents there who can't be pleased are right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are at CLS again at Murch this year. Perfectly happy. No problems with pickups. No problems with the shirts.

I have seen so many unhappy posts about Lafayette generally on this board that I am beginning to wonder if the parents at Lafayette who say that there is just a group of parents there who can't be pleased are right.

I suspect CLA @ Murch is a very different experience than CLS @ Lafayette, just because of size and newness alone. I"m sure it's a big adjustment for those kids who were at the home grown after care, but having an after care option available to all students who want/need it should have been a priority for a while now and I"m glad to see that it is being addressed (albeit not perfectly).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there a parent board for CLS? I know the LAP board disbanded but can a new parent body of some form work to help the situation?

It's a private for profit company that, in effect, has been given a contract to be the monopoly provider. That's not how these things work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there a parent board for CLS? I know the LAP board disbanded but can a new parent body of some form work to help the situation?

It's a private for profit company that, in effect, has been given a contract to be the monopoly provider. That's not how these things work.

As happens at virtually every DCPS that isnt Title 1, and eligible for DCPS run aftercare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there a parent board for CLS? I know the LAP board disbanded but can a new parent body of some form work to help the situation?

It's a private for profit company that, in effect, has been given a contract to be the monopoly provider. That's not how these things work.

so how do these things work in your opinion?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there a parent board for CLS? I know the LAP board disbanded but can a new parent body of some form work to help the situation?

It's a private for profit company that, in effect, has been given a contract to be the monopoly provider. That's not how these things work.

so how do these things work in your opinion?

NP. Parents who enroll their children in a private aftercare are customers of that company-- and can take their feedback to the company's owners and/or stop using the service.

Customers are not that company's advisors or board members.