the Price of a Week of After School Daycare

My daughter was in need of after school care for about 1 hour each day. Her school also had early dismissal every Wednesday, and she needed care for about 4 hours on that day. She was enrolled in a day care's after school program. They provided the bussing between the school and the center.

I was pleased with the quality of service. It was a safe place for her to be after school with many children to play with. They had activities, snacks and crafts for the children. The only part that I understood, but didn't like was the fee was the same each week, no matter if she didn't attend due to school closing. I believe this is common practice. It was handy that they transported her. I was also comforted by the fact that it didn't matter how long she stayed. I was usually able to pick her up around 4:30, but the center was open until 6 and no additional charged would accrue if she stayed. This was a help if I had to work late or had an appointment.

I looked into different forms of after school care and found one that accepted students on an hourly fee basis would up being about the same as the flat weekly fee. By paying the flat fee, I was able to take her before or after school, any time the center was open. I liked this flexibility.