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FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
How many child care centers are on the ISU campus?
Three.
And
University Child Care Center
at Veterinary Medicine is located at the College of Veterinary Medicine
complex at 1700 Christensen Drive.
ISU Development Laboratory School is located at the Palmer Building
in the center of Campus. (Campus
map)
Who
is eligible to enroll in the campus child care centers?
We enroll children ages 6 weeks to 12 years of age.
Priority enrollment is
granted to all ISU community members (student, faculty, or staff).
The campus centers strive to maintain a target ratio of 60% student
usage and 40% faculty/staff. (Please see the ISU Child Development Laboratory
School website for a complete description of policies and procedures that
guide programming and enrollment at the facility.)
ISU campus child care centers includes a diverse group
of families and staff from different races, religions, and nationalities.
We do not discriminate against any applicant because of race, national
origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, handicap, age, veteran status, medical
condition, ancestry, or marital status.
We welcome and encourage the applications of all families.
We believe that parents and staff are partners in providing
a safe, reliable, appropriate environment for children.
We encourage active learning through organized play, loving interaction,
exploration and fun. Activities appropriate
for the children’s ages and stages are planned and presented by professional staff
trained in the principles of child development, early childhood education and
group care. All programs are accredited
by the NAEYC’s National Academy of Early Childhood Programs.
An opening is created when a child leaves the program;
this usually happens at the end of an academic semester or during the summer.
The opening is filled as quickly as possible to ensure full enrollment
in our centers. It may be filled
by moving up a child currently enrolled in a younger group or by enrolling a new
child. Siblings of currently enrolled
children are given priority.
As your child grows older, s/he becomes eligible for
a space in the next age group. The
children in your new age group may have been on the waiting list longer than your
child. This will change your position
on the waiting list.
Families on the waiting list are informed when there
is a place available for their child and given a short time to decide if they
will accept the place. If you do
not choose to enroll, the next family on the list for that group will be called.
If you decline the space for any reason, please tell us if you still wish
to remain on the waiting list. The
many variables involved make it impossible to predict exactly how long a family
may wait for an opening.
It is never too early to get on the waiting list.
Even if your child has not been born yet, you may add your name to the
list. Be sure to contact us later
with your baby’s birth date so your application is accurate.
We will give you general information about the centers,
program philosophies and the fee scales as soon as you contact us.
When your name reaches the top of the waiting list, we will call you.
You are welcome to call at any time to check on the status of your waiting
list card.
How
do I find child care if the campus programs are full?
There are a variety of child care settings from
which to choose, depending on your needs. You
are best qualified to judge which setting will be most appropriate for your
family. These may include child
care centers, preschools, family child care homes, playgroups, or recreational
programs.
The Center
for Child Care Resources is a service on the ISU campus to help parents locate
professional child care providers through a personalized referral process.
This is a free service to the ISU community.
Each ISU semester, parents contract for a set amount of hours for child care each week. Fees are charged according to this contract from the first day of the semester until the day prior to the beginning of the next semester. Monthly fees are based on student/staff/faculty status, income and in some cases, family size. Additionally, fees are based on the space reserved for each child or the days/hours listed on the contract.
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The programs at University Child Care Center at Veterinary Medicine open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 6:00 p.m. The programs operate all year, closing only for designated ISU office holidays.
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The infant, toddler, preschool and school-age programs at University Community Childcare at 100 University Village open at 7:00 and close at 5:30 p.m. and operate all year, closing only for designated ISU office holidays.
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The Flex-Care Preschool Program opens at 8:30 a.m. and closes at 5:00 p.m. and is open during ISU’s fall and spring semesters. The Flex-Care Program is closed during all ISU student breaks.
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The Comfort Zone is open, based on need, during ISU’s fall and spring semesters from 8:30a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The
Comfort Zone
provides care for children ages 6 months to 12 years of age
with routine childhood illnesses.
The Comfort Zone
is sponsored by ISU, ISU Student Health Center, the ISU Department of Residence, and University
Community Childcare.
It is available only to children of ISU students, faculty and staff
and the surrounding Ames community.
The Comfort
Zone is located at 100 University Village in a fully remodeled facility.
Fees for the Comfort Zone are on an hourly basis and on a sliding
fee scale based on family income.
Pre-registration is required.
For more information, call 294-3333.
If you still
have other questions, call the ISU Child Care Administration at (515)294-8827
between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday or email us at: jagraden@iastate.edu