Dear Camp Fire Families,

Thank you for your understanding as we all continue to adjust and shift in response to changing health levels in our community as a result of the pandemic. We know many of you are now wondering what will happen with the return to school and Camp Fire’s Before and After School Programs.

Like the Anchorage School District, we are working through a variety of scenarios for what things might look like in the fall. One thing is certain—Camp Fire will look different in all of the school delivery options the district has proposed. Our programs may be smaller, in fewer locations, we may have full day or after school only programs, or we might be in your school or at another location that is not a school. As we continue ongoing conversations with the school district, we’d like to hear from you about your childcare needs.

Your input is important to us and will help guide our plans. Please take a few moments to complete this survey as to what you think your family needs will be as we begin a new and unique school year. We hope to hear from all of you. Complete the survey by July 20th.

Our plan is to take your feedback and do our very best to create program options for families given the health mandates, space requirements, and staffing needs we must work from. We will announce the program options in early August and will then ask each family to RE-REGISTER for those options.

We have closed registration for our 2020/21 Before and After School Programs and will cancel all previous registrations. We will re-open in August and everyone who had previously registered will need to re-register based on our revised fall program model. There will be a priority registration period for families who were already registered for the school year. We know this is frustrating and is one more change for you to absorb. We will be crediting any fees you’ve already pad for the 2020/21 school year in preparation for our new registration process in August.

We understand the added stress this brings to have to change your childcare plans. We ask for your continued patience as we all work to adjust to modifications related to the possible school models. We encourage everyone to have a back-up plan in case we are unable to operate at your school, and to be ready in the event that plans may change as community health levels fluctuate throughout the school year.

We hope you trust that our team is working hard to come up with plans to continue to serve our Camp Fire families to the best of our ability and we sincerely appreciate your patience as we all maneuver forward together.

Thank you making time to provide for your feedback, we are listening.

Sincerely,

Barbara Dubovich, CEO

 

2020/21 BACK TO SCHOOL FAQS

 

PROGRAM

 

  1. Will Camp Fire be in the same location/in my school?

We hope so but we don’t know. We are working on plans now in conjunction with the Anchorage School District and their plans for returning to school.

It is possible that we will be operating out of another location that is not a school

 

  1. If Camp Fire is in another location after school, will you be bussing them?

We are working on a plan, but it is possible that families will have to figure out their own transportation or pay an additional fee for transportation.

 

  1. Will you still have programs before and after school?

We don’t know. Based on survey responses and school district plans for returning to school, we may have to adjust the days and times we offer our programs.

 

  1. Will you offer full day programs if school is not in session?

We hope so. We are paying close attention to the needs of Camp Fire families and will do our best to meet those needs. It is important that you complete our survey and return it to us before July 20, so we know what your family needs.

 

  1. Will you start programs when school starts on August 20?

We don’t know at this time but it is possible that will have a delayed start to allow the school district time to get their back to school procedures in place.

 

  1. When will you have a plan in place for fall programs?

We are working closely with the school district and reviewing parent surveys in order to make a plan that meets the needs of Camp Fire families.

We will know more in early August. Please watch our website and your email for news.

 

  1. If I had a spot for fall when I registered in January/before June, will I get one now?

We cannot guarantee this. If you registered in January when priority registration opened, your chances are good because you will again be given priority to register.

We don’t know how many kids we will be serving, but we do know it will be fewer because of new health and safety protocols

 

REFUNDS & FEES

 

  1. Will costs be increasing?

Our registration and deposit fees will remain the same.

The monthly cost of the program will be changing. We will announce new costs in August when we know our new program model.

 

  1. Can I get a refund?

If you paid fees for school programs for 2020/21, we will be refunding these fees.

If you register in August, please refer to our regular refund policies posted on our website (changes must be requested before the 15th of the month prior and cannot be made in the same month as registration. No refunds for registration or deposit fees.)

 

  1. Can I get a refund if my child gets sick or can’t attend all the days that I’ve paid for?

We will work with families on an individual basis to address possible refunds/credits.

Typically, we do not offer refunds for partial attendance.

Registration and deposit fees are non-refundable.

 

  1. I’m on a scholarship or have help paying my fees, will you still offer these services?

Yes, we are still accepting scholarship applications and working with third parties

 

  1. I’ve never qualified for a scholarship before, but my financial situation has changed/I’m worried about not being able to pay the increase in fees.

We encourage you to apply for a scholarship. We process partial scholarships as well as full scholarships and consider each one individually.

REGISTRATION

 

  1. Why do I have to re-register?

Because our program delivery will be changing. We know this for certain.

In order to obtain accurate information.

It is more efficient to start over than to call everyone and discuss changes, plus we want you to know what you are signing up for.

 

  1. I registered in January (earlier), what happens to my registration now?

Everyone must re-register in August because we will have a new plan.

Fees paid will be credited to your account.

If you decide not to attend, you can get a refund or keep a credit on your account

 

  1. Will there be priority registration for former/long-term families?

We will have a priority registration period in August for anyone who was registered for the school year. Watch for the notice in your email.

Your priority spot from January (earlier) will be lost and you will need to start over. 

COVID/SAFETY

  1. How do you plan to keep kids safe from COVID at your programs?

We have mitigation plans posted on our website and staff undergo rigorous training.

We’ve been running programs since mid-April and our staff has experience with new procedures and protocols around health and safety.

Attending programs is still a risk and we will ask you to sign a risk liability waiver before your child can attend. We cannot guarantee that your child will not be exposed to COVID, but we do have procedures in place to reduce that risk.

 

  1. Will we be notified if there’s an exposure or positive test in Camp Fire?

Please refer to our mitigation plans located on our website for detailed information on all of our new procedures.

 

  1. Will kids have to wear masks?

Yes

Our staff will also be wearing masks and we will ask that families wear masks when picking up, dropping off