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Enrollment Requirements

The Center for Young Children follows the criteria for kindergarten eligibility established by the ; specifically, that a child must be 5 years-old by September 1st to qualify for enrollment. This rule also applies to newly enrolling 3 year-olds. Children must be three years of age and potty-trained by September 1st to be enrolled at the CYC. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the CYC will accept and accommodate children with disabilities for whom toilet training is still in progress. Because we provide an individualized, developmentally appropriate, play-based curriculum for 5-year old children in our Kindergarten class, we do not administer a readiness test, nor do we accept outside test results as an exception for early admission if a child's birth date falls after September 1st.

The Center for Young Children enrolls students ages 3 through 5 (Kindergarten) each school year, which runs from late August to early June. All students are enrolled for this 10-month period, not per semester. The CYC accepts applications from families year-round once a child has been born. Applications will only be accepted if the child has a recorded birth date. Due to the high volume of applications we receive, interested families are encouraged to submit an application early, well before the year their child will be age-eligible to attend. Once we receive an application and verify that the application fee has been paid, the child’s name is then placed on the corresponding enrollment list for the year in which he/she is age-eligible.  We do accept applications from families who do not have a ������Ů affiliation; however, they will only be considered if a space cannot be filled by a University affiliate.

Children with Special Needs

It is the goal of the Center for Young Children to work with the University, families, teachers, and children to create an accepting, inclusive environment that welcomes and provides an appropriate educational experience for all children. Please also see our Statement of Inclusion.

If requested at initial parent inquiry, members of the administration will discuss all aspects of the Center’s program including class size, daily schedule, staff/student ratio, curriculum, inclusive environment, educational background of the teaching staff, and other aspects of the CYC’s program. Should a child have identified special needs, the special educator may meet with the family prior to the family deciding whether or not to accept enrollment at the Center.

Should a family choose the CYC for their child with special needs, a meeting will be held prior to the start of the school year to share reports, evaluations, and IEP goals, if available. The special educator will be available to support the child in the classroom as needed once school begins. Although the Center is not legally responsible for implementing the IEP, every effort will be made to address the documented goals and objectives on the IEP (Individualized Education Plan).

If the child receives other related services (speech/language, occupational, physical therapies) while attending the Center, the special educator and teachers will make every effort to work collaboratively with any outside providers, with the permission of the family. The family is responsible for arranging all private services and services provided through the school system. The special educator can also provide families with the names of outside resources/contact information if it is recommended that related services/evaluations need to be acquired.

Visiting Day

The enrollment process for a new school year begins in January. Every family whose name appears on the enrollment list for the upcoming fall will be contacted via email and informed of our annual Visiting Day (Open House) that is scheduled for mid-February. We will email an invitation to the Visiting Day that confirms the time of your family’s visit. The invitation to the Visiting Day does not guarantee enrollment in the fall. Visiting Day offers families an opportunity to see the Center, hear from the Director, and meet the teachers. We advise that families should definitely consider all aspects of a child care program before making any enrollment commitment to make sure that the needs (hours, calendar, tuition, policies, curriculum, etc.) of the family will be met.

How admission decisions are made

In late March, emails are sent to families offering a space for the fall. Any space offerings are based upon the projected number of available openings in each classroom. Enrollment priority is given to University System of Maryland affiliates (current faculty, staff, students). Any applicants who are siblings of current (or past) CYC students are also given priority for admission as long as one of the parents is still a current affiliate of the University.

When admission decisions are made

Admissions is an ongoing process throughout the spring semester. Unfortunately, we are not able to call all families on the waiting list for whom we do not yet have available spaces. If an applicant family has not been contacted by our front office by mid-April, they are free to contact the CYC to check their status.

Financial Aid

Maryland Child Care Scholarship Program

We encourage families to look into the , which "provides financial assistance with child care cost to eligible working families in Maryland." This website provides much information on the program, including income eligibility requirements.

CYC will work with families who have been awarded support from Child Care Subsidy Central through this program.  Any funds received from the program will count as an offset to the full tuition due.

Center for Young Children Tuition Statement - School Year 2024-2025

All costs are for a five-day per week, academic year contract

• Core Day (8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.)      Preschool and Kindergarten program    $13,500
• Afternoon Gathering (4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.)   $1,000

• A sibling discount of 5% is offered on the tuition of the second child when two children are enrolled in the CYC at the same time.  

  

Afternoon “Gathering” is not a stand-alone program. It must be added onto a core day.

Request or download an application

Return this form to the CYC by mail or by email to Jennifer Haislip .
 The application fee must be paid online - please use payment link below. The application will be processed once both form and fee are received.

Application Form  

The CYC Enrollment Contacts 

Curriculum/Enrollment Coordinator:
Leslie Oppenheimer   301-405-0107

Program Administrative Specialist:
Jennifer Haislip   301-405-3168

Completed applications are placed on a waiting list for future consideration.
Placement on this list does not guarantee enrollment at the CYC.