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Old 04-08-2008, 09:11 AM
 
82 posts, read 237,481 times
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Hi all,

I am in the beginning stages of planning a move to the Bay Area from New England with my longtime boyfriend, who has accepted a job in SF. I am a single mother of two, ages 8 and 12 and am looking at areas with good schools in the East Bay that will allow my boyfriend to commute to work via BART. So far, we've narrowed the choices to Lafayette (his preference due to the shorter commute) and Pleasanton (my choice because I love everything I've read about it). I am hoping to continue my current job and work from home, however I may find myself working full time outside the home. My question is this...how do working parents juggle school drop offs, pick ups and after school care in these areas? It appears that there is no public school bussing systems, and in Lafayette, I've been unable to find after school programs. Where I live now, I'm able to depend on family for after school care, and we have busses that shuttle the kids to and from school. I'm a little worried about being a working mom in these areas and what sort of support I'll be able to find. I'd love to hear what sorts of programs and working mothers or single parent support groups exist in these areas. Thanks!
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Old 04-08-2008, 05:49 PM
 
Location: SF Bay Area
2,149 posts, read 3,312,585 times
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I checked the Lafayette School Districts website and they do have bus service (for a fee) at a few of the schools (here's a link Homepage). When school districts don't provide buses, parents have to find other alternatives (drive, walk, carpool). Bus service was discontinued at all of the schools in our district over 20 years ago!

I'm not aware of any California school not offering afterschool care for elementary schools. Call the school district and inquire about it.
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Old 04-25-2008, 03:38 PM
 
175 posts, read 794,466 times
Reputation: 47
Default Bus's and after school

Quote:
Originally Posted by JCPTNH08 View Post
Hi all,

I am in the beginning stages of planning a move to the Bay Area from New England with my longtime boyfriend, who has accepted a job in SF. I am a single mother of two, ages 8 and 12 and am looking at areas with good schools in the East Bay that will allow my boyfriend to commute to work via BART. So far, we've narrowed the choices to Lafayette (his preference due to the shorter commute) and Pleasanton (my choice because I love everything I've read about it). I am hoping to continue my current job and work from home, however I may find myself working full time outside the home. My question is this...how do working parents juggle school drop offs, pick ups and after school care in these areas? It appears that there is no public school bussing systems, and in Lafayette, I've been unable to find after school programs. Where I live now, I'm able to depend on family for after school care, and we have busses that shuttle the kids to and from school. I'm a little worried about being a working mom in these areas and what sort of support I'll be able to find. I'd love to hear what sorts of programs and working mothers or single parent support groups exist in these areas. Thanks!
You'll find most schools have very limited if any bus service. (Especially right now. Most of the schools are in financial trouble and bus service is always one of the first cuts made.) Many of the older children actually use Bart. A few area's have a service that is called Readi ride. They pick the kids up at home and drop them off at school for a discounted price. You'll have to check with the city you are looking at to see if that's available. The majority of us try to join a carpool (I didn't have to use it until mine started highschool). Taking turns picking up and dropping off. My oldest is turning 16 this summer so my days of carpooling are coming to an end. Most of the schools do have an after school daycare that is open until 5-6. I think most of them have a waiting list and I believe there are income restrictions. The other really good thing if you buy into a new neighborhood is most of them have neighborhood schools. Meaning the kids can walk to them. The downside of this is you usually have to pay a tax (Mello Roo's) for that school. It was worth it in my case. The elementary and middle school's were within view of my home and the high school is brand new (as were the 2 elementary schools for the neighborhood). Surprisingly, you'll find a ton of mothers like myself that do not work. Perhaps you could arrange something with them after you become more familiar with the area. If you can work from home life will certainly be much easier on you. I also moved to here from out east and prepare for a bit of culture shock.
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