SACC program full - what to do?

[Anonymous]

We were thinking about moving into Fairfax County and someone told us about the SACC programs and the long wait lists. The schools in the areas we were looking at have very long wait lists. So, this may be a stupid question, but what do parents do? I assume hire someone but how does that work with the early release days too? Thanks! Sadly this may be the deal breaker for us moving to the area.

[Anonymous]

What do you do with your children now after school? There are daycares that will pick children up from elementary school.

[Anonymous]

Our child goes to the after school program in our school.

[Anonymous]

You can move up very quickly on the lists. Lots of people (like myself) get on the list in case we need it, but only as an option. Right now we're still using the day care and daycare bus to coordiante with the toddler.

Last year, in the month before school started, we got into morning and afternoon care, then declined both. I think we started as 38th and 16th.

But, if you're in one of the districts with 118 on the waiting list and little movement, then it could be a while. I have a friend in one of those areas - she leaves her child with a neighbor (and gets home around 4).

[Anonymous]

I've done in home day care in the neighborhood, Tae Kwan Do care w/ lessons and latchkey kids. Basically cobbled it together. Good luck, it's a challenge.

[Anonymous]

If you are still in the house-hunting stage, you may want to get in touch with the school offices in the areas you are looking. Most can tell you what after school providers work with their families and they also usually have a sense of how fast the SACC lists move. That way you can focus your home search in the school districts where you can get the after school care you need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are still in the house-hunting stage, you may want to get in touch with the school offices in the areas you are looking. Most can tell you what after school providers work with their families and they also usually have a sense of how fast the SACC lists move. That way you can focus your home search in the school districts where you can get the after school care you need.

This is good advice. There are a lot of centers that will pick up and drop off at school. Don't totally give up hope. We were #54 on the list at our school (the first day registration opened) and were still able to get in.

[Anonymous]

We were #36 and got in within 2 months (after we hired an au pair, of course). The list sometimes moves quickly.

[Anonymous]

We were on the afternoon SACC wait list for about 15 months before it cleared. We had a cobbled together program for awhile, decided that didn't work and then did an after care program elsewhere that had a bus. Eventually got into SACC.

Just get on the waitlist, that's all you can do. But I would not personally choose a school based on the availability of SACC.

[Anonymous]

I suppose tis is a stupid question, but why can't SAAC and other aftercare programs just add more teachers, instead of maintaining a waitlist?? It doesn't make sense to me. Obviously they are running a popular program if they have a long waitlist.

[Anonymous]

In addition to staffing they are also limited by the number and size of the rooms available to them, which varies from school to school.

For an incoming K kid, if you get on the wait list the very first day you can (the July the year before your kid will start K) then you should get a spot before K starts or shortly thereafter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In addition to staffing they are also limited by the number and size of the rooms available to them, which varies from school to school.

For an incoming K kid, if you get on the wait list the very first day you can (the July the year before your kid will start K) then you should get a spot before K starts or shortly thereafter.

It's actually June -- sometime around the 21st.

[Anonymous]

We looked at a house to buy in FFX county LAST January (2009). We immediately got on the waitlist for SACC for what would be our neighborhood school before we even put an offer on the house. We got into before care SACC for Oct. 1 (just one month into this school year). We got into after school SACC in January of this year, but turned it down (My work schedule allows me to get home in plenty of time before the bus drops off, so we found we didn't need the after school SACC.)

[Anonymous]

OP, I am sorry - no answer for you. This is exactly why we moved to Arlington with guaranteed after school care. I hope you find something that works out for you. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I am sorry - no answer for you. This is exactly why we moved to Arlington with guaranteed after school care. I hope you find something that works out for you. Good luck.

Arlington works out great -- unless you have a highly gifted kid.