There just are not enough spaces but it is improving . There are also two off site aftercares

Bump. Could someone familiar with LAP and Lafayette explain whether the school is trying to address this problem? Is there any hope or does everyone just accept that there are nowhere near enough spaces for the community's needs?

This is not unusual. Many (maybe most) of Fairfax elementary schools have long wait lists for aftercare. We need to do something about the issue of the lack of sufficient, good quality extended hours care. We need to come together to demand change.

I had an incoming pre-K child last year and faced the same issue and couldn't believe that there aren't enough aftercare spots for the demand. I totally lucked out by trolling the neighborhood listserv and finding someone who wanted to share their FT nanny in an aftercare situation. There are many families who do this or who hire an AU student to babysit. Try those jobs boards at AU and Georgetown, and keep an eye out on the CC listserv for people looking to share an aftercare situation. Good luck!

You can't even sign up for the waitlist any more because it's closed. The web site says they only serve 120 students. They had 698 students last year.

http://lapprogram.wordpress.com/

Chevy Chase Presbyterian also offers an aftercare program for Lafayette students, but doesn't take pre-K kids.

http://www.chevychasepc.org/after-school-program/

Thanks to OP for posting this--we are considering where to move WOTP and it never occurred to me that a school would not have enough spots in the after-care program for all families. Since we have to have after-care, I am going to add this to the list of questions I ask at open houses next year and will definitely cross Lafayette off my list.

Not a Lafayette parent, but I don't understand why they don't just hire more people to that they can meet the need? Is there a space capacity issue? That is a real burden on families.

Curious here too. Very nervous that we are on a waiting list a month before school starts. Anyone have any experience with being on the waitlist?

Incoming Lafayette PK4 parent here (see you soon!) as well. We're keeping our au pair this year because we don't think we can get into the aftercare program this year, but hope we can in the following years!

Anonymous wrote:Our family has had a lot of experience with LAP (Lafayette Aftercare Program). We loved it! The teachers and supervisors are great with the kids, and there are many different activities for them. LAP also has a summer camp, which is an added bonus. They take the kids on field trips occasionally, and operate on teacher development/parent teacher conference days too, which was great for us.

Sounds great, but we can't get in yet. How long did you have to wait?

Our family has had a lot of experience with LAP (Lafayette Aftercare Program). We loved it! The teachers and supervisors are great with the kids, and there are many different activities for them. LAP also has a summer camp, which is an added bonus. They take the kids on field trips occasionally, and operate on teacher development/parent teacher conference days too, which was great for us.

Have you all contacted your PTA?

I don't have any insight, OP, but as a fellow incoming Lafayette parent, this also concerns me. We are hiring someone to pick my child up after school and sitting until we get home from work. But I'm wondering what we do when the person is sick or goes on vacation. Aftercare would be much more convenient.

Bump. Anyone?

Incoming pre-k parent, and curious about people's experiences with LAP. 1) Did you get in off the waiting list in time for the start of the school year? 2) what was your kid's experience with the program?

And as an aside, do any other schools have insufficient aftercare space for incoming students? I admit we were troubled by the fact that they don't have spaces for all the kids who need care. We both work full time, and paying a nanny is EXPENSIVE. What do other parents do?