PROGRAM LOCATIONS
Somerville Public Schools
BEFORE CARE
Van Derveer Elementary School
51 Union Avenue, Somerville, NJ 08876
7:00am – Start of School
AFTER CARE
Van Derveer Elementary School
51 Union Avenue, Somerville, NJ 08876
Dismissal – 6:00pm
CONTACT INFORMATION
If children will not be attending the After School Care Program for any reason on any day, parents are required to let us know.
For any questions, please contact:
Jamie Norgard
Director of Youth Development
[email protected]
908 722 4567 ext. 8611
TUITION INFORMATION
PRICING
Grades Pre-K – 5
Van Derveer students walk with counselor supervision to and from school daily.
Before School Care
5 Days / wk = $171/mo
4 Days / wk = $137/mo
3 Days / wk = $114/mo
After School Care
5 Days / wk = $268/mo
4 Days / wk = $255/mo
3 Days / wk = $144/mo
PAYMENT
Payments are due the 15th of the month for the following month.
If families need to cancel, they must cancel by the 12th of the month. They can cancel by emailing Jamie Norgard at [email protected]
Tuition will automatically be withdrawn from the bank or credit card account on file. Any payments that decline on the due date are subject to a $25.00 late fee. We do not mail out statements or bills. Our payment procedure allows parents to pay for child care in one of two ways, either a Bank Draft Method or a Credit Card Payment. The Bank Draft Method allows parents to have the monthly tuition fee drawn from their bank account on a monthly basis. The Credit Card Draft allows families to designate which Credit Card they would like to use and we will automatically charge it on a monthly basis. Both the Bank Draft and the Credit Card Draft will be done on the 15th of each month.
PROGRAM POLICIES & PROCEDURES
SCHOOL CLOSING POLICY
The School Age Child Care Programs will not run on the days that school is not in session. Please refer to the program site’s calendar for specific dates located in the Emergency Contact Forms.
Half Day School Closings
On days when a half-day due to Teacher’s Conferences or In-Service Training occurs, the School Age Child Care Program will begin at the early dismissal time. These half-day closings are included in the monthly tuition amount if that day is a child’s regularly scheduled day to attend the School Age Child Care Program. If not, there will be an additional charge for that day.
Full Day School Closings
On days when a full-day closing occurs (e.g. Teacher’s Convention, In-Service, etc.), Somerville YMCA offers care through its Kids Day Out program located at the Y. Registration is separate and required.
Holidays
The School Age Child Care Programs do not operate on the following holidays: Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, President’s Day, Memorial Day and Juneteenth.
Vacations
During full-week closings, when space is available, vacation camps will be offered at Somerville YMCA. However, this will entail a separate registration and fee and is not part of the monthly tuition amount.
Note: During all half-day and week-long vacations, children must bring their own lunch and drink.
EMERGENCY CLOSINGS
When school has a delayed opening, the Before School Program will not be run that day. All After School programs will run as normal, unless otherwise notified.
When school has a weather-related early dismissal the After School Programs will be cancelled. Parents/guardians or authorized individuals are responsible for picking up children from their school or informing them to take the bus home. The school district policies take effect in cancellations and/or early dismissal and delayed openings. We will do our best to keep everyone informed of any changes.
If weather becomes bad during the After Care hours, parents will be called for an early pick-up.
SNOW DAYS POLICY
A Snow Day Program will be offered to our families. If the weather allows for the Y to be open, we will be able to offer a limited number of families the ability to attend a full day program at Somerville YMCA during a day when school is closed due to inclement weather. Sign up for these days will either be the night before or the day of using our on-line registration system. There will be an additional fee for this day as it is not part of our regular calendar.
Please note, the Y reserves the ability to not provide snow day care in the event that conditions would jeopardize the safety of our staff.
CLOTHING
We utilize the outdoor picnic tables and Carol Pager Park across from the Y when weather permits. Children should be prepared for outdoor play each day. Hats, mittens or gloves, boots, and coats are essential during the colder months. Sunscreen and sun hats are strongly recommended on sunny days and days with a strong UV warning. Shoes should be appropriate for walking, running and climbing. Please do not bring your child in open toe sandals or flip flops.
Children who will be participating in swimming should have a bathing suit and towel packed on swim days.
WALKS
When weather permits, children may take a walk around the block or across the street to Carol Pager Park.
Children who are attending Van Derveer elementary school and have elected a non-busing option will walk 0.8miles to and from the Y with counselor supervision. Please ensure that your child is dressed appropriately to walk to and from Van Derveer and the Y each day.
DAILY REPORTS
We recognize that daily communication between staff and parents/guardians is essential. We make every effort to communicate to parents daily on the kind of day your child had at the Y. We appreciate you sharing with the After Care counselors any information that can influence his/her progress. If anything arises during the day that the director, a counselor or a parent would like to bring to attention of the other, phone calls are the recommended way of communicating. Please note that if you cannot get through to the After Care Director, leave a voicemail. At the time of the phone call, the Director may be engaged in program activities.
PICK-UP OF CHILDREN
At the time of enrollment, parents/guardians will complete our Pick-Up Policy & Authorization form which asks for the names and dates of birth of all individuals who will be authorized to pick up their child. Only the individuals who are listed on this form are authorized to pick up children from the School Age Child Care Program. These individuals must be at least 18 years old and present a government-issued photo ID at or prior to the first time picking up. We will not release children to anyone who is not on the pick-up list and/or neglects to present proper identification. If parents/guardians would like to add an individual to the list; please do so in writing to the Director at least 24 hours in advance.
Authorized pick-ups will receive School Age Child Care Pick-Up cards. One pick-up card will be provided to each authorized pick-up of the child and will be unique to them. Each card will contain the following information: First Name, Last Name, Date of Birth, Photo, Name of Child the individual is authorized to pick-up, and Barcode of a Yellow YMCA Access Scan Card.
A Yellow YMCA Access Scan Card will also be provided to each authorized pick-up. This Scan Card must be scanned at the Welcome Center upon entrance to the building and will alert the staff that you are an authorized pick-up of a School Age Child Care participant.
Pick-Up Cards must be presented to School Age Child Care staff at each pick-up before signing out the child. If you forget your Pick-Up Card, the Yellow YMCA Access Scan Card may also be used to verify identity and pick-up authorization. If a Pick-Up Card and Yellow YMCA Access Scan Card are not presented, a government-issued photo ID is required to be displayed to staff before a child can be released.
If a Pick-Up Card, Yellow YMCA Access Scan Card, and Photo ID are not presented at pick-up, the child will not be released until the pick-up’s identity is verified.
Late Pick-Up Policy
Late fees at the rate of $10.00 per 15 min or part thereof will be assessed for anyone who arrives past their scheduled pick-up time. Late fee payments will be automatically charged to the credit card and/or banking information on file.
Please understand that our staff has additional responsibilities that they need to attend to after closing time. If parents/guardians are running late and are able to call us, please do so. This call however, does not release parent/guardian from paying the late fee.
HEALTH POLICIES
Parental Consent for Emergency Treatment
In the event a child gets injured, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Somerville will provide emergency treatment.
ALL OTHER PROGRAM-WIDE POLICIES, PROCEDURES & INFORMATION
Please review the School Age Child Care Handbook for all other applicable program-wide policies, procedures, and important information for families.