1. Do you have subsidies for low cost child care as well as slots for those who can pay the full cost?
Yes. We have some slots designated for low income students and/or those receiving public assistance. We also have non-subsidized slots available for those able to pay for child care services.
2. I just found out I'm pregnant. Can I get on the waiting list?
No. We need to have a name and birthdate to place someone on the
list. You can call back as soon as the baby is born but he or
she will not be eligible for care until six months of age. A
sibling of a child already on the waiting list can be added to
the original application after he or she is born and will have
the original intake date.
3. How long is the waiting list? Will I get in next semester? Next year?
There are about 1000 families on the subsidized waiting list. We estimate that only 10% of that number will get in (therefore 90% of applicants will not get in). Our waiting list is prioritized according to state guidelines so at-risk families referred from Child Protective Services (CPS) or Teen Parent Connections have a first priority. At this time, the waiting list for fee-paying slots is approximately 200 and we currently serve 8 families enrolled in this category. While these statistics may seem daunting, we encourage you to get on the waiting list. Remember, some families do get in!
4. Do I have a better chance to get in if I'm a part time or full time student?
The number of units a student takes does not impact his/her chances of getting in the center on a subsidized slot. The rank you are assigned to on the subsidized waiting list is based solely on your family size and gross monthly income (exceptions to this are at-risk referrals and siblings of currently enrolled children). Most of our student parents are full-time students; however, there have been part-time students who work and are eligible. You must be enrolled in (and successfully complete) at least six units each semester. Subsidized slots can only be given to those pursuing a vocational or educational goal. We cannot provide child care to those interested in taking a class solely for purposes of self-enrichment. Preference is given to full-time slots on our fee-paying list.
Each family on the subsidized list is assigned a rank based on family size and gross monthly income. Most of these families will be receiving TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families). Do not include the food stamp allotment. Other income that is included is from employment, unemployment, child support, social security and disability. We do not deduct expenses to determine income, e.g. - we do not deduct rent. The only deduction allowed is if you are court ordered to pay child support. In reality, very rarely is there a person who has zero income and is living on his/her own. At that point, we need to include the total household income (i.e. if you are living in your mother's home, we need to include mom's gross monthly income). The exception to this is if TANF has considered the student parent and child(ren) a household on their own, we do not include any other household income.
6. I am a CPS client. Will I get in this semester?
Families referred from Child Protective Services (CPS) do have a priority within the subsidized list. This is also true for families referred from Teen Parent Connections through Sonoma County Public Health (these families are listed as CAR - child at risk - on the waiting list). However, getting in will depend on where we have openings - infant, toddler, twos or preschool. We can't enroll unless we have an opening! And although a CAR rank does increase one's chances on getting in, it does not guarantee it!
7. I've been on the list for over two years and I know a family that was on the list for just six months and got in. What gives?
The subsidized waiting list is not on a first come, first serve basis. Siblings of currently enrolled children and at risk families get first priority, with income eligible families following (the lower your income, the higher your priority ranking). You are in a group with the same income (for instance, families of two on TANF all have the same rank). Within this same rank, the families are prioritized by intake date. The other consideration is age. Chances of getting in the program increase at preschool age as there are more openings. For a family who got in with a limited waiting list time, it was probably because they were an at risk referral (information we cannot give out to anyone!) or they were a mid-semester replacement for a currently enrolled family (if a toddler dropped in October, we would have to fill the space with a 15-18 month old, etc.)
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