Hours of Operation

• AM: 7:15 am – Start of Bell
• PM: School Bell – 6 pm

Daily Schedule Monday-Friday

Before School

(Late Start Wednesdays – School Begins at 10 am)

• 7:15-7:30 am Warm Welcome & Emotion Check
• 7:30-8:30 am Low Structured Activities
• 8:30-8:45 am Bus Transportation for transfers (8:15 am for Fern Hill)
• 8:45 am Dismissed to classrooms (8:35 am for Stafford)
• 9:00 am School begins (8:40 am for Stafford/Fern Hill)

After School

• 3:30 pm – Dismissal from school (3:10 pm for Stafford/Fern Hill)
• 3:45-4:00 pm Transfer Bus drop off (3:30 pm for Fern Hill)
• 3:30–4:00 pmWarm Welcome/Emotion Check/Snack
• 4:00–5:00 pm    Community Circle & Outdoor/Gym Play
• 5:00-5:15 pm     Clean-Up
• 5:30–6:00 pm    Parent Pick-Up*

*Please note late pick-Up after 6pm is not allowed. Parent/Guardian will be charged a $25 late fee for first 15 minutes and $1 for each additional minute. After 3 late pick-ups, family will be withdrawn from care.

Inclement Weather Policy:

Before and After School Care will operate in alignment with the Tacoma Public School’s (TPS) plans and policies regarding inclement weather.

• If school is canceled: If TPS cancels school for any reason, Before and After School Care will be closed. Parks Tacoma programs are not allowed to operate if there are no school personnel on school grounds (per TPS and Parks Tacoma policies and procedures). Program fees are not refunded when the district closes your child’s school.
• If school is delayed (2-hour late start): If the start of school is delayed by TPS,  Before and After School Care will also be closed in the AM. PM care will resume as normal unless there is an early release.
• If school is released early: If school is released early by TPS, Before and After School Care will be closed after school.

Pricing

• Full-time Care: AM/PM, Mon-Fri: $550/monthly
• Part-time Care: AM ONLY, Mon-Fri: $325/monthly
• Part-time Care: PM ONLY Mon-Fri: $350/monthly
• Non-School Day (FULL DAY): $50/day
• Early Release Days (HALF DAY): $20/day
• Spring Break Camp at Stafford: Monday-Thursday 7:30am-5:30 PM: $175/week

Please note: No refunds will be given after session has started.

Discounts/Financial Assistance

• TPS Staff: 15% discount on all rates
• DCYF Subsidy is accepted. Please apply online or call Child Care Subsidy Programs Family Line at 1-844-626-8687.
  • SSPS Provider # Stafford: 499602
  • SSPS Provider # Larchmont: 500045
  • SSPS Provider # Reed: 499622
• If family does not qualify for DCYF Subsidy, financial assistance is available for families that qualify based on USDA Eligibility. (50%-75% discount on all rates)
• Please Note: Subsidy and Financial Assistance Application required before registration.

Payment Plan

A payment plan is available for this program. Please note no refunds will be given after the session has started.

Payment plan terms:

A deposit during registration and weekly debits from the card on file, every Sunday the week before care begins.

*Please note that if payment is declined, student cannot attend care until payment is made.

• Registration Deposit: $50 deposit (applies towards program fee), then weekly payments each week for duration of session.
• DCYF Subsidy is accepted. Please apply online at https://www.washingtonconnection.org/home/ or call
• Child Care Subsidy Programs Family Line at 1-844-626-8687.
  • SSPS Provider # Stafford:499602
  • SSPS Provider # Larchmont:500045
  • SSPS Provider # Reed: 499622

To register, please contact Savannah Hobson, Childcare Coordinator at [email protected] or 253-495-3955.

• Registration is on a first-come, first-serve basis.
• Max capacity is 30 students with a 1:15 adult/child ratio.

• Stafford, Fern Hill Registration
  (Fern Hill families register for Stafford and attend before/after at Stafford)
  • Contact Lori Eng, Site Director, to register: 253-678-6907
• Larchmont & Birney Registration
  (Birney families register for Larchmont and attend before/after at Larchmont)
  • Contact Sydnee Cuevas Contreras, Site Director, to register: 253-678-6827
• Reed Registration
  (Reed families ONLY register and attend before/after at Reed)
  • Contact Jessika Daniels, Site Director, to register: 253-426-0728

Transportation is provided by Tacoma Public Schools/First Student.

Parents/guardians should drop a child off and pick them up at the school where Before/After School Licensed Childcare is located. This is not always the location where the child attends school.

For example:
A child is a student at Fern Hill Elementary and they attend care at Stafford Elementary.
They are dropped off in the morning for before school care at Stafford.
The child will take a bus from Stafford to Fern Hill at 8:25 am.
After school, the student will be bussed to Stafford at 3:10 p.m. for after-school care.
The student will be picked up by parent/guardian at Stafford between 5:30-6 pm.

BEFORE & AFTER CARE PARENT/GUARDIAN HANDBOOK

All parent/guardians must read and agree to follow the policies and procedures outlined in the Childcare Parent Handbook. Each family will receive an electronic copy upon registering for program. A signature is required by each parent/guardian acknowledging and agreeing to follow outlined policies and procedures in the parent handbook. Failure to comply with policies and procedures could result in dismissal from Parks Tacoma childcare program.

These schools are not serviced by Parks Tacoma
Click on your school below to register with the appropriate childcare partner:

• Arlington
• Blix
• Boze
• Brown’s Point
• Bryant
• Crescent Heights
• Delong
• Downing
• Edison
• Edna Travis
• Fawcett
• Franklin
• Geiger
• Grant
• Jefferson
• Lister
• Lowell
• Lyon
• Manitou
• Mann
• NE Tacoma
• Point Defiance
• Roosevelt
• Sheridan
• Sherman
• Skyline
• Stanley
• Wainwright (grades 4-6)
• Washington
• Whittier
• Whitman

• AM– 7:15-am to start of bell
• PM– school bell to 6 pm

Before School

• 7:15-7:30 am            Warm Welcome & Emotion Check
• 7:30-8:30 am           Low Structured Activities
• 8:30-8:45 am           Bus Transportation for transfers (8:15 am for Fern Hill)
• 8:45 am                     Dismissed to classrooms (8:35 am for Stafford)
• 9:00 am                     School begins (8:40 am for Stafford/Fern Hill)

(Late Start Wednesdays – School Begins at 10 am)

After School

• 3:30 pm                     Dismissal from school (3:10 pm for Stafford/Fern Hill)
• 3:45-4:00 pm           Transfer Bus drop off (3:30 pm for Fern Hill)
• 3:30–4:00 pm          Warm Welcome/Emotion Check/Snack
• 4:00–5:00 pm          Community Circle & Outdoor/Gym Play
• 5:00-5:15 pm            Clean-Up
• 5:30–6:00 pm          Parent Pick-Up

*Please note late pick-Up after 6 pm is not allowed. Parent/Guardian will be charged a $25 late fee for first 15 minutes and $1 for each additional minute.  After 3 late pick-ups, family will be withdrawn from care.

• School Age – 5-12 years old.
• Children under 5 are NOT accepted due to school age licensing requirements.

Parks Tacoma Before & After School Licensed Child Care currently serves 5 elementary school locations:

• Larchmont Elementary
• Jennie Reed Elementary
• Stafford Elementary
• Birney Elementary
• Fern Hill Elementary

For child care options at other Tacoma Public School locations, please navigate to the Schedule, Pricing & Registration section under “For Other Schools.”

These schools are not serviced by Parks Tacoma
Click on your school below to register with the appropriate childcare partner:

• Arlington
• Blix
• Boze
• Brown’s Point
• Bryant
• Crescent Heights
• Delong
• Downing
• Edison
• Edna Travis
• Fawcett
• Franklin
• Geiger
• Grant
• Jefferson
• Lister
• Lowell
• Lyon
• Manitou
• Mann
• NE Tacoma
• Point Defiance
• Roosevelt
• Sheridan
• Sherman
• Skyline
• Stanley
• Wainwright (grades 4-6)
• Washington
• Whittier
• Whitman

For general child care information, please contact Savannah Hobson, Childcare Coordinator at 253-495-3955.

Stafford, Fern Hill Registration

• (Fern Hill families register for Stafford and attend before/after at Stafford)
• Contact Lori Eng, Site Director, to register: 253-678-6907

Larchmont & Birney Registration

• (Birney families register for Larchmont and attend before/after at Larchmont)
• Contact Sydnee Cuevas Contreras, Site Director, to register253-281-8979

Reed Registration

• (Reed families ONLY register and attend before/after at Reed)
• Contact Jessica Daniels, Site Director, to register: 253-426-0728

• Epact of Paper Epact with Emergency/Medical Information
• Certificate of Immunization (CIS)
• Individual Care Plan (if applicable)
• Parent Handbook Signature Page

• Full-time Care – AM/PM, Monday-Friday: $550/monthly
• Part-time Care – AM ONLY, Monday-Friday: $325/monthly
• Part-time Care– PM ONLY Monday-Friday: $350/ monthly
• Non- School Day (FULL DAY)-$50/Day
• Early Release Days (HALF DAY) (12:15-5:30 PM): $20/day
• Spring Break Camp at Stafford: Monday-Thursday,7:30am-5:30 PM: $175/week

Please note: No refunds will be given after session has started.

Yes, DCYF Subsidy is accepted. 

• Please apply online or call Child Care Subsidy Programs Family Line at 1-844-626-8687.

• • SSPS Provider # Stafford: 499602
  • SSPS Provider # Larchmont: 500045
  • SSPS Provider # Reed: 499622

Please Note: Subsidy Approval Required BEFORE registration.

• If family does not qualify for DCYF Subsidy, financial assistance is available for families that qualify based on USDA Eligibility.
• Proof of income is required.

Please Note:  Financial Assistance Approval Required before registration.

Students who have a disability are encouraged to participate in child care when they can safely and successfully participate in program with or without reasonable accommodations.

Families of students with disabilities can submit a Parks Tacoma Accommodation Requests before program starts to inform staff of any specific accommodations their student might need. Parks Tacoma review all requests to determine whether an accommodation can be met. Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.

Questions about accommodations and disability support can be directed to [email protected].

Professional development of the childcare team includes training in First Aid, CPR, Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), Youth Program Quality, as well as age-specific training related to cognitive and psychomotor skills, which are different at every stage of youth development. Training for the childcare team is a continuous process. In addition, the Parks Tacoma childcare team makes it a priority to remain informed about current guidelines and trends to most effectively serve each child’s needs.

All Parks Tacoma childcare staff undergo a national criminal background and fingerprint check to ensure safety of the youth. All volunteers and interns are required to undergo a national criminal background check. Additionally, staff, volunteers and interns participate in safety related training.