Before and After School Programs/Care (Springfield, Fairfax: spring break, day care, school district)

[got2moveon]

Hi,

I will be moving to NOVA in the summer and I am not sure exactly where I will be living. My hope is Fairfax or Loudoun county. With that being said, do they offer before and after school care for kids in elementary and middle school? I have two kids, one in elementary and the other will be starting middle school when we move there in the summer. They have always beein in before and after school care programs that were offered right at the school for those of us who have to be at work earlier than the normal time of school. If so, can you tell me where to find the information? and if they cost, how ,much are we talking? For the most part, my kids have been in free programs or they are first come, first serve. Only a couple of times they have been to the before and after where I have paid and of course it wasn't that much. I am trying to prepare myself for all expenses for this move and am doing preliminary research. Also, out here in Southern California, all the programs for arts have been cut in schools. Do the schools out in these counties offer activities for the kids besides student council? Perhaps, cheer or dance or track?

Thanks,

[choff5]

Originally Posted by got2moveon

Hi,

I will be moving to NOVA in the summer and I am not sure exactly where I will be living. My hope is Fairfax or Loudoun county. With that being said, do they offer before and after school care for kids in elementary and middle school? I have two kids, one in elementary and the other will be starting middle school when we move there in the summer. They have always beein in before and after school care programs that were offered right at the school for those of us who have to be at work earlier than the normal time of school. If so, can you tell me where to find the information? and if they cost, how ,much are we talking? For the most part, my kids have been in free programs or they are first come, first serve. Only a couple of times they have been to the before and after where I have paid and of course it wasn't that much. I am trying to prepare myself for all expenses for this move and am doing preliminary research. Also, out here in Southern California, all the programs for arts have been cut in schools. Do the schools out in these counties offer activities for the kids besides student council? Perhaps, cheer or dance or track?

Thanks,

Faifax county has SACC, School Age Child Care as the before and after school day care at the schools. It is a separate office of Fairfax County, not under the schools but located in the elementary schools. Here's the website, School Age Child Care Program*- Fairfax County, Virginia. Now, the issue is it is VERY popular and fills up quickly. I think all elementary schools have it but not sure. If you can't get into that, there are a lot of daycare, ie: Kindercare, etc., that provide it and the busing to and from schools. SACC is a sliding scale, others won't be. The middle schools, which in Fairfax primarily start with 7th grade, do not have that BUT what they do have is fabulous after school programs for all kinds of clubs, sports, tutoring, depending on the school. There is busing two days a week for that and parent pick up the other days.

That's a quick look at Fairfax. Hopefully someone can chime in for Loudoun.

[got2moveon]

Originally Posted by choff5

Faifax county has SACC, School Age Child Care as the before and after school day care at the schools. It is a separate office of Fairfax County, not under the schools but located in the elementary schools. Here's the website, School Age Child Care Program*- Fairfax County, Virginia. Now, the issue is it is VERY popular and fills up quickly. I think all elementary schools have it but not sure. If you can't get into that, there are a lot of daycare, ie: Kindercare, etc., that provide it and the busing to and from schools. SACC is a sliding scale, others won't be. The middle schools, which in Fairfax primarily start with 7th grade, do not have that BUT what they do have is fabulous after school programs for all kinds of clubs, sports, tutoring, depending on the school. There is busing two days a week for that and parent pick up the other days.

That's a quick look at Fairfax. Hopefully someone can chime in for Loudoun.

Thank you so much. That is very helpful.

[slduvall]

Great information on SACC. There are waiting lists - divided by morning care, afternoon care, winter break, spring break and summer break. Not all schools offer the breaks, but it is usually centralized at one school in the area. And you can get into one program, but might get on the wait list for others.

General pricing for B/A at a day care center is about $130 a week. Just before care is $90. There are other great alternatives for Winter/Spring/Summer break and that is the FFX County Rec centers, they offer great programs for all ages, which will be nice for your two kids during the summer, with one drop off location.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by got2moveon

Also, out here in Southern California, all the programs for arts have been cut in schools. Do the schools out in these counties offer activities for the kids besides student council? Perhaps, cheer or dance or track?

Thanks,

We don't have anything like prop. 13 or Serrano here so the schools in the two counties you're looking at are locally well funded and still offer a full range of activities. I'm sure you'll be pleasantly suprised how good they are. If you go to the school district websites you should be able to find details on activities and such. This page has some relevant links:

http://www.fcps.edu/academics/index.shtml

[Vectorhead]

Fairfax County schools have a very strong arts program -- choirs, bands, orchestras, etc, at the elementary, middle and high school levels. I believe, though, that there are no formal sports programs (outside of PE) in the elementary or middle schools. I know some districts have intramural sports at the middle school level but FCPS doesn't. That said, lots of schools offer after school activities such as running clubs. For cheer or dance you'll probably have to go elsewhere. There are lots of local organizations, depending on where you live, that offer that sort of thing. Here's a link to the one that our kids have been involved with: Springfield South County Youth Club

[cdmurphy]

Loudoun has limited before-care and after-care (CASA) . It is managed through the county Parks, Recreation, and Community Services division. As in Fairfax, it is extremely popular and fills up quickly.