Enrollment
Enrollment at Robin's Nest Children's Center
Robin's Nest is a small program that operates on a first come, first serve basis.
We work with up to 36 children per day, including:
Infants: Up to four per day
Toddlers: Up to twelve per day
Preschoolers: Up to twenty per day
Due to the size of our program, we are only able to offer a limited number of openings each year across the birth to age-five range. We welcome any family in our community to enroll their child(ren) at Robin's Nest based on available openings.
FAQ's on Enrollment
Do you have any openings?
Our school year runs from September to August. We are currently fully enrolled.
We do not have an official waiting list. Families are welcome to call our center to speak with one of the directors or one of our friendly teachers to express your interest in joining the Robin’s Nest community with the following information:
Parent’s name
Phone number
Child’s date of birth
Desired schedule
It is fine to check in monthly to let us know of your continued interest.
What is the enrollment process?
Current families will re-enroll their children for the next school year in May. By early June, we will have a better understanding of the available slots (ages) and schedules. We will then reach out to community members who have expressed interest in our center- spots will be filled with a family whose desired schedule matches the opening. The spot will then be reserved for the child and the formal enrollment may begin.
To enroll, parents may tour the center, fill out enrollment forms, pay deposit and registration fees, read the parent handbook, and plan a start date and transition into the program. To ensure the security of the spot, completion of this process should be done in a timely manner.
What does the center do to promote diversity in the program?
The Robin's Nest community is broadly diverse. Our children, families, and staff come from a range of cultures, traditions, socioeconomic status and family structures. Our multi-age, community oriented program fosters the appreciation of all people and as well as human responsibility to care for and support one another.
Are you a Prequalified Universal Prekindergarden Program?
Yes. School districts offer funding for preschool tuition for children who will be three years or older before September. Anyone who applies for funding will receive a tuition discount which will be subtracted from tuition. Families choose to use this discount through the school year or calendar year. Each family must complete a registration packet for the district of residence and be approved by the district prior to receiving the discount. Please contact your local school district to learn more out about the process.
The statewide rate for this tuition discount for 2019-2020 is $3,356.00
Do you accept families receiving Child Care Financial Assistance/ VT State Subsidy?
Yes! We reserve 25% of our total enrollment for families receiving state funded child care financial assistance and accept the state rate as full payment for care. We do not charge a co-pay to families receiving 100% state subsidy.
What is the tuition structure?
Robin's Nest is committed to supporting families of all walks of life. We recognize the financial burden of rising child care fees. Robin's Nest is also committed to providing wages, benefits and incentives that retain the dynamic and skilled staff necessary to maintain high quality services. We are committed to reaching worthy wages for our teachers. Our tuition schedule balances the challenges associated with family budgeting while raising revenue to support professionals in the field.
Tuition covers all costs associated with providing quality year round child care and education. It covers all time not paid by Act 166 state preschool funding. Realizing that all families have differing abilities to pay, RNCC has a voluntary 4 Tier pricing program.
Price A is our base rate and does not reflect true operating cost.
Price B more accurately accounts for true costs, including live-able wages for full-time staff and facility maintenance.
Price C allows us to provide liveable wages for assistant staff and professional wages for teaching and administrative staff.
By choosing to pay a slightly higher amount, families can take an active role in supporting the true cost of child care and help us support liveable wages for the staff.