Frequently Asked Questions
Please take some time to explore the Resources tab, our Presentation Slide Deck, and the Waitlist Handbook. Many common questions about our center and the waitlist can be answered in these sections.
Waitlist Related
The application is available on the Waitlist Handbook . Please email us your finished application to inquiries@ameschildcare.org.
Once we receive your application via email, we will enter your information as a lead in Procare. From there, you will have the option to pay the $50 nonrefundable application fee either by phone or in person. We only accept cards (Visa or Mastercard) or check as a payment method. You may also mail the fee or drop it off in person. *Note: our mail delivery service goes through NASA and is often delayed.
Notice: At the moment, in-person tours for waitlisted families are closed until ~September 2026. Please note that our tour process can change anytime and this may not reflect how we do future tours.
We are in the process of making a virtual tour video publicly accessible on our website. In the meantime, if you would like to view the ACCC presentation slide deck, you can click here to view the presentation.
We offer in-person tours every Friday at 9:30 AM for waitlisted families who would like a brief look at our facilities and classrooms. Spots for these tours are limited to three families at a time and invites are initially sent through Google Calendar. This tour will be led by the director or assistant director. We can only accommodate two adults per family however, you are welcome to bring your children, provided they are supervised at all times.We do not allow walk-ins and you must join the waitlist before requesting a tour.
We cannot provide formal estimates, timelines, or guarantees for when your child will be enrolled in our center, as there are many factors that influence the process.
Openings occur when:
- A child transitions to a new classroom, leaving a vacancy in their previous classroom.
- A child withdraws from the center, leaving a vacancy in their current classroom.
We first fill openings by transitioning currently enrolled children into available spaces. Any remaining spots after these transitions are then offered to families on the waitlist. Openings most commonly become available from July – September, as our oldest children in the Vanguard Pre-K class graduate from the program.
Our Waitlist Handbook explains the procedure the office follows when offering available spots to families on the waitlist.
Families who wish to accept the first available space should indicate “ASAP” as their preferred start date.
Note: Parents may decline their offer once without losing their place on the waiting list. After two offers of enrollment are declined, the child will be placed at the end of the waiting list. If you are designated as “ASAP” you might be called for an opportunity any time. Denying this opportunity is counted in this policy.
Waitlist placements are dynamic and can change for several reasons, including:
- A family with higher priority applying after your application.
- An existing family having another child and qualifying for a sibling priority
- Your child aging into a new waitlist group.
- Families withdrawing from the waitlist.
- Families being enrolled into the center.
Families with the same or higher priority who applied before your application date have advanced into your current waitlist age group.
Placements are continuously recalculated based on your child’s current age, priority level, and original application date. When your child ages they will automatically be transferred to the next room’s waitlist based on these conditions as well.
Your child’s move to the next waitlist group would also affect the placement of other families on the waitlist because of the same reasons and conditions.
We use WaitlistPlus to manage our waitlists. The system will automatically send you a message if there is any change in your child’s placement.
Your child will not be removed from the waitlist and the requested start date will change to “ASAP”. This means your child will have the possibility of being considered for any upcoming available space. If you would like to specify a new requested start date please let us know by emailing or calling us.
Note: Parents may decline their offer once without losing their place on the waiting list. After two offers of enrollment are declined, the child will be placed at the end of the waiting list. If you are designated as “ASAP” you might be called for an opportunity any time. Denying this opportunity is counted in this policy.
This date is considered a request only and does not guarantee enrollment by that time. If you are offered an enrollment opportunity the requested start date may or may not align with our scheduled start dates.
Our Waitlist Handbook explains the procedure the office follows when offering available spots to families on the waitlist and how we utilize the “requested start date” in our procedure.
Families who wish to accept the first available space should indicate “ASAP” as their preferred start date.
Note: Parents may decline their offer once without losing their place on the waiting list. After two offers of enrollment are declined, the child will be placed at the end of the waiting list. If you are designated as “ASAP” you might be called for an opportunity any time. Denying this opportunity is counted in this policy.
Children can only be added to the waitlist for their current age group. Once your child becomes age-eligible for the next age group’s waitlist, they will automatically be transferred by our system. You can view our age groups on our homepage under Classrooms.
Placements are continuously recalculated based on your child’s current age, priority level, and original application date. When your child transfers to the next room’s waitlist, their new placement will be based on these conditions as well.
What we can do is add a note that specifies that you do not want to be enrolled until your child reaches the preferred age group.
Yes, please call or email us at inquiries@ameschildcare.org if you would like to update any information relating to your waitlist application such as:
- Birth Date
- Names
- Requested Start Date
- Phone Numbers and Emails
- Employment (for Priority changes)
- Notes
If you see any information on the waitlist that is incorrect, please reach out to us as well. We use WaitlistPlus to manage our waitlists, and it will automatically send recurring messages with the information that has been inputted from our team.
It is the parent’s responsibility to keep ACCC updated with their waiting list information.
Enrollment Related
We will reach out to you by phone or email if a spot becomes available for your child, providing at least 2 weeks’ notice from the scheduled start date. Once an enrollment offer is made, you will have two business days to accept the offer with a security deposit, which is equal to two weeks of tuition. Once the security deposit is paid, the family will be given at least 2-weeks to enroll the child. We schedule start dates based on the tuition due dates (dates available on our Public Calender)
The security deposit will be applied to your final two weeks of tuition if you choose to withdraw from the center in the future and provide at least four weeks’ notice.If a shorter notice is given, the parent will be responsible for full payment for the four weeks following receipt of such notice and the security deposit will be forfeited.
After we have received the security deposit we will then send you our enrollment forms. To ensure your child is able to begin on their scheduled start date, please submit all forms no later than 10:00 AM on the Friday prior to your first day so that the office can thoroughly process your paperwork. We will let you know via email if your paperwork is complete and if your child is ready to start.
Parents may decline their offer once without losing their place on the waiting list. After two offers of enrollment are declined, the child will be placed at the end of the waiting list.
To help military and DoD families in need of care, Ames Child Care Center has partnered with Child Care Aware® of America to offer fee assistance for eligible active-duty military and DoD families. Military and DoD families are responsible for contacting Child Care Aware® of America, filling out paperwork, submitting the monthly attendance sheets, and updating certificates whenever documentation expires.
Ames Child Care Center also has the Tuition Assistance Council which provides limited financial assistance for currently enrolled children and is reassessed every six months.
If a family accepts a position at the Center and has paid the security deposit, then declines the position prior to actually enrolling, they must provide 2 weeks’ advance notice to the Center in writing and pay tuition for up to two weeks as well as forfeiting the security deposit.
For example:
A parent accepted a position via a phone call (on a Monday) from the Center director two weeks prior to the scheduled start date (also a Monday), and decided not to enroll by the Friday of that same week. The parent must submit a written notice to decline the position, even though the child never actually
enrolled.
Children may be voluntarily withdrawn from the Center at any time by their parents, without financial penalty, provided that a written four-week notice is given (with the last day on a Friday). The Center operates on a Monday-Friday basis; therefore, the four-week notice should be given on a Monday. If a shorter notice is given,
the parent will be responsible for full payment for the four weeks following receipt of such notice and the security deposit will be forfeited.
All withdrawal dates fall on Friday. If a child withdraws from the Center on a day other than Friday, the parent is responsible for the full week of tuition.
The written notice can be either emailed or given in-person.
The security deposit will be applied to the last two weeks of tuition. Remaining funds will refunded as a check.