When can I come in for a tour?

Grace Kids Academy is currently is not conducting tours.  As a component of our COVID-19 response, we are instead ‘opening the doors’ to our classrooms for prospective families through photographs posted on our website. Please visit News + Events to see our learning environment and program in action.

 

When can I apply?

You can apply year round.

 

Does Grace Kids Academy charge a fee to submit an application?

There is no charge to apply to Grace Kids Academy.

 

How can I obtain the forms that I will need to enroll my child?

You can download the forms HERE or contact the main office, and we’ll mail or email them to you.

 

How can I obtain information on the fees for the programs?

You can download our Fee Schedule via the Enroll page of our website or contact the main office , and we’ll mail or email it to you.

 

When do openings typically occur?

Most openings occur in the fall, but whenever a child withdraws, we go to the waiting list to offer the opening to the next child on the list.

 

How do I get my child on the waiting list?

As soon as a parent completes and returns the Enrollment Application, the child is placed on the waiting list for enrollment.

 

What other forms do I need to complete and when do I need to return them?

If you wish to apply for Early Head Start, include the Eligibility Application for Head Start when you apply. You may submit the Child Health Report at the time of application, or you may wait until there’s an opening and your child is ready to enroll.  You can download these documents via the Enroll page on our website.

 

I have submitted the necessary forms, when can I expect to hear from Grace Kids Academy?

We will contact you when an opening occurs. You are welcome to call or e-mail the main office, , to make sure your application was received and that your child has been placed on the waiting list.

 

The enrollment coordinator contacted me to offer an enrollment opening to my child. What happens next?

After we offer an enrollment opening, we invite you to participate in an intake/ orientation interview.

 

What can we expect at the intake interview?

Here’s what you can expect at the intake interview:

• We gather contact information for anyone permitted to pick up your child as well as for those you would want us to call in event of an emergency.

• We will ask about your child’s food, medical, or activity restrictions.

• We will discuss your child’s daily routines (eating, sleeping, diapering, or toileting, favorite things to do) and how your child typically handles new situations.

• We will discuss the policy and procedures listed in the Family Handbook.

 

How do I prepare my child for enrollment at Grace Kids Academy?

We are here to help you prepare your child for enrollment. Enrollment in a group setting (or even changing from one program to another) is a huge step in a child’s life. A new routine, new environment, and new faces can be overwhelming. Fear, excitement, anxiety, anger, and joy are all normal responses to change (for children and adults alike).

1. Teachers, parents, and other family members can work together to help a child settle into a new routine and establish a sense of security at school.

2. Schedule to take a tour of the program.  Ask questions to learn all you can about your child’s daily routine at school.

3. At the intake/orientation interview, share information about your child and your family that will be helpful for the teacher to know.

4. At the intake and when you drop off and pick up your child from school, watch how the teacher interacts with the children. See what your child likes to do at school. Learn some other children’s names. Look at the weekly lesson plans, the daily schedule, and other photographs and artwork around the room that document class activities.

5. In the beginning, morning good-byes might be tearful. Farewells should be warm and reassuring but brief. Convey confidence with statements like, ‘The teacher will help you.’ and ‘I will come back after lunch.’

6. Shorter days at first help new children get used to the routine of school. Naptime can be hard for new children. Consider picking up your child around lunchtime for the first few days if you can. We recommend and will offer transition days where the child will "visit" us for 2 hours for a couple days before staying for their first full day.

7. Talk with your child at home about what you have observed in the class. Statements about what you have seen or learned about the class are often better conversation starters than the open-ended question, ‘What did you do in school today?”

8. When your child sees you talking warmly with the teacher, he or she feels like the important adults at home and at school are working closely together.

9. Is something bothering you? Talk to us. Feel free to see the teacher or an administrator. We can help. There might be something we need to do differently

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For more information on helping your child through transitions, please click HERE