Children's Center

All Children presently enrolled at the Center may re-enroll for the next year for the same number of days they are attending now. Parents who wish to re-enroll are asked to note their specific requests on a personalized form you will be receiving in your child's folder or cubby on or about March 1st. Based on the requests received and the availability of space, we will begin working on our preliminary grids. We will not know until all of the forms are returned, whether it will be possible for already enrolled families to increase their days for the next academic year.

As a reminder about our process, there is no difference between presently enrolled Bowdoin and Community families with regard to re-enrollment; requests from all families are handled the same way. We try to accommodate all requests but may need to ask some families if they have any flexibility about specific days of the week.

Summer program/reduced days retainer policy:
Parents of presently enrolled children who wish to reduce the number of days their child/ren attends during the summer program and then return to a fuller schedule in the fall are asked to pay a retainer fee of $100. Parents of presently enrolled children who do not wish to enroll their child/ren in the summer program but do wish to return to their regular days in the fall are asked to pay a retainer of $200.

Transition to next program:
While our brochures and handbook state that the Infant Program is for children 6 weeks to 12 months, our Younger Toddler Program is for children 1 to 2 years, our Older Toddler Program is for children 2 to 3 years of age, and our Preschool Program is for children 3 to 5 years old, it is obvious that those ages are not absolutes and there is no automatic transition time at the actual moment a child turns one of those ages. The determining factors for movement from one program to the next include each individual child's readiness for such a move and the availability of space. There are lots of children in each program who have to wait beyond their 'official' birthday before moving up to the next group.

Timing of transitions:
The usual time for these transitions to occur is at the end of the summer program when the 'domino effect' begins; our older Preschoolers who are heading off to Kindergarten leave at that time, which then allows the Older Toddlers to move up, then the Younger Toddlers to move up and then the older Infants to move over to the Toddler space. In rare instances a child may move up to another program during the academic year or in the summer program but this would not happen unless there were an opening and the staff and parents, together, had carefully considered the wisdom of such a move.

The caregivers work diligently and thoughtfully to provide many transitional opportunities for children moving from one program to the next one. You will hear from your caregivers about plans for visits from the next program's caregivers, as well as many group visits to the next program prior to the actual transition date. Your program caregivers will also be talking with you individually about your child and his/her transition to the next program.

Wait lists:
When we have an opening, Bowdoin families with a sibling already at the Center are called first. The next ones to be called are other Bowdoin families in the order their applications were received. Only after the Bowdoin wait lists are empty are spaces offered to Community applicants, with Community sibling applicants being called first, This is, once again, out of respect for the extensive support the College provides for the Center.