I have friends in annandale that send their kids to the jewish community center....who are absolutely not jewish.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you need to do a little more research. Here are some options but not sure which school you are at so the options will vary school to school in Mclean area
Here is a list in your area. It has been posted before. Take comfort in that there are MANY people in your same situation.
Jhoon Rhee
Einshin Karate
Redeemer Lutheran
It's Elementary
Chesterbrook United Methodist Church
Metaphor Academic Center
Our small world
A house on Great Falls that has a huge sign outside that says school after with phone number around Tuckahoe Pool
A lot of people get after school sitters from Care.com, Sitter City, etc

OP here: My kid is already at one of those dojos, and we are SO not Christian or religious, nor are willing to get into a religious care situation. Yet you're right: we do need to beat the pavement a bit more.

The churches that run the program do not run them a Christian enterprises. My family is also not Christian and I would have no problem with my children going to either one. They run them because there was a need in the community.

Anonymous wrote:I think you need to do a little more research. Here are some options but not sure which school you are at so the options will vary school to school in Mclean area
Here is a list in your area. It has been posted before. Take comfort in that there are MANY people in your same situation.
Jhoon Rhee
Einshin Karate
Redeemer Lutheran
It's Elementary
Chesterbrook United Methodist Church
Metaphor Academic Center
Our small world
A house on Great Falls that has a huge sign outside that says school after with phone number around Tuckahoe Pool
A lot of people get after school sitters from Care.com, Sitter City, etc

OP here: My kid is already at one of those dojos, and we are SO not Christian or religious, nor are willing to get into a religious care situation. Yet you're right: we do need to beat the pavement a bit more.

Anonymous wrote:BTW, the amount of aftercare available outside of chain daycare and tae kwan do really differs throughout the county. In Reston/Herndon, I've looked at solid programs.

OP here: Yes, I'm seeing more things in Reston/Herndon, too.

I think I'm kind of in the "fuck-you" zone, both geographically and economically, if that makes sense? On the edge of McLean, so we cannot benefit from most good McLean options, and just a bit too far from Reston and Herndon to make things work time-wise (I'm in a nonprofit job, as is my husband, but our hours realistically stretch till six, and far later for DH).

I'm kidding with this comment, but if I had any real childcare skills beyond raising my own kid, I would seriously start an enormous marvelous afterschool program in Fairfax County. There's so much demand, and so few options.

(Or we'll move. Yay real-estate agents again.)

Anonymous wrote:Why is SACC so limited in Fairfax schools? We're considering houses in either McLean or Arlington and the afterschool care situation seems to be something we should consider. Getting in doesn't seem to be an issue in Arlington.

Space is at a premium. If you add more SACC classrooms, you move more regular classrooms to the trailers.

Anonymous wrote:very few is still a few, right? Still worth exploring

It depends on the ES, OP wasn't specific. Some have zero.

I think you need to do a little more research. Here are some options but not sure which school you are at so the options will vary school to school in Mclean area
Here is a list in your area. It has been posted before. Take comfort in that there are MANY people in your same situation.
Jhoon Rhee
Einshin Karate
Redeemer Lutheran
It's Elementary
Chesterbrook United Methodist Church
Metaphor Academic Center
Our small world
A house on Great Falls that has a huge sign outside that says school after with phone number around Tuckahoe Pool
A lot of people get after school sitters from Care.com, Sitter City, etc

Anonymous wrote:BTW, the amount of aftercare available outside of chain daycare and tae kwan do really differs throughout the county. In Reston/Herndon, I've looked at solid programs.

We loves ours. We aren't in McLean or Reston but we turned down our SACC spot to continue. The programs are different so look at them before you judge. DS wanted to continue with evening classes so it just made financial sense to keep him in their after school program instead.

This is why it's important for parents not to count on daycare costs going away or dropping dramatically. yes, they will be less than full time daycare but before and after care that is decent and then summer camp adds up.

what about a local high schooler?

Our child aged out of the SACC program by around 5th grade. There just wasn't enough time to do homework and they were bored of the activities. A sitter or au pair might actually give you more flexibility. We kept with SACC for awhile because our child had made good friends through it, but it would have been more cost effective to have just had a sitter.

Communikids in Falls Church City has an after care program now. Kids from Falls Church City can take a school bus there, but if there is enough interest, maybe they'd arrange transportation - can't hurt to ask....

BTW, the amount of aftercare available outside of chain daycare and tae kwan do really differs throughout the county. In Reston/Herndon, I've looked at solid programs.

Why is SACC so limited in Fairfax schools? We're considering houses in either McLean or Arlington and the afterschool care situation seems to be something we should consider. Getting in doesn't seem to be an issue in Arlington.

The TKD places also don't have to be licensed child care centers so it's a huge ca$h grab for them. The unlicensed nature is actually concerning to me as a parent.