RATES, FEES & OTHER CHARGES

 
This center charges a set monthly rate for each age group as well as a $100.00 annual registration fee. Your bill is due between the first and third of each month for that month. A payment plan must be filled out prior to the first of the month if you need to pay later. It will cost you an additional $25.00 per month to use a payment plan.  After the fifth, your payment is considered late and we reserve the right to deny care until payment in full has been made.  Additionally, you will be charged a $100.00 late fee starting on the 6th.  PAYMENT IS REQUIRED to hold your child’s spot, which means that if the child is absent, regardless of the reason, (vacation, illness, etc.) the parent is still billed for that time.  Unforeseen circumstances do take place that can cause undue hardship on a family.  Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help, as we are more than willing to work with your family’s situation in times of stress. However all tuition must be paid in full every month to continue care.

FULL TIME= Up to 10 hours in care per day; PART TIME = Less than 5 hours per day School-age  In-service days will be charged regardless of attendance, unless prearranged and approved with office.   

• Refunds and prorating for closures and or quarantine will not be permitted.
   

INFANTS 6WKS-12M & Walking      

 FULL TIME                    $1135.00 

 PART TIME                         N/A 

 AM OR PM                          N/A 

 DAILY                               $69.00 

 PART DAY                       $40.00

     OR

 OVER 10 HOURS        $40.00 

TODDLERS 13M-3YR 

 FULL TIME                    $1148.00 

 PART TIME                         N/A 

 AM OR PM                          N/A 

 DAILY                               $70.00 

 PART DAY                       $43.00

     OR

 OVER 10 HOURS        $43.00 

PRESCHOOL 3YR-12YRS 

 FULL TIME                    $1019.00 

 PART TIME                         N/A 

 AM OR PM                          N/A 

 DAILY                               $62.00 

 PART DAY                       $35.00

     OR

 OVER 10 HOURS        $35.00 

 SCHOOL-AGE 5YR-12 YR 

 FULL TIME                    $900.00 

 PART TIME           BEFORE AND AFTER- $600.00 

 AM OR PM            AM OR PM ONLY- $450.00 

 DAILY                               $54.00 

 PART DAY                       $27.00

     OR

 OVER 10 HOURS        $27.00 

 If you are on child care assistance (pass1/nine star, pass2/3, CITC or OCS) you will we be responsible for anything not covered by that agency. Our rates are above what they cover so your overage plus co-pay must be paid in full the 1st of every month for that month. It is your responsibility to turn in your paperwork, change your address and communicate with your caseworker. Imagination Station Early Learning Center also requires a signed release of information giving us permission to talk to your caseworker to check the status of your authorization and co-pays. The above mention agencies can take between 30-60 days to pay after we bill. We can not bill until the month is complete so anything not covered at that time will be billed to your account in addition to your regular monthly charges. 

 In order to conserve paper we will not send you a bill in the mail. If you will need to pay your bill AFTER the 5th of the month, you will have to sign a written payment plan. The written plan will serve as notice for both parties so that there is no miscommunication. There is a fee of $25 per month to help offset the administrative staff time it takes to accommodate these special arrangements. If you do not stick to your payment agreement an late fee of $100.00 will be billed to your account. If you need to change your payment plan you must talk to the office prior to your agreed payment date. 

 We do charge for the following issues, but for new parents to our facility there is a 30 day grace period. We are not talking about the occasional “oops, I forgot my child’s blanket or their extra clothes.” This is for the parents who forget something every week!  It is very time consuming for staff to constantly make corrections to computer logs, and to do extra wash (not to mention extra use of soap, water, electric and the wear and tear on machines). 

 Extra Clothes                           $ 5.00 each time
  Indoor Shoes                          $ 5.00 each time
  Snow Gear                               $ 5.00 each item 
  Extra Blanket                           $5.00 for the week
  Forgetting to Sign in/out    $5.00 for every entry 

Bus Transportation Misconduct is $50.00 per infraction (see transportation forms)

If your family cannot afford clothing, snow gear, etc. please stop by the office. In some cases we can arrange to give your family whatever you need.

If a child is 3 years old, but is NOT FULLY potty trained, (Fully potty trained means: No accidents during the day, child can verbally tell caregivers they need to use the toilet, can wipe themselves and can get their own clothing up and down. An occasional nap time accident does not necessarily mean we will charge the higher rate.) It is our option to charge the higher rate of $950.00 per month until your child is fully potty trained. Child care assistance does not cover this difference and it will be your responsibility to pay. All children at IMS Express must be fully potty trained unless they are a special needs child. (A special needs child is classified “special needs” if: they have a valid IEP assessment or have physical disabilities which prevents them from fastening or unfastening their own clothing, are unable to wipe themselves or cannot get themselves on or off the toilet.) If your child has special needs, Imagination Station and Imagination Station Express Early Learning Center will make every effort to accommodate your child’s individual requirements.

• Parents needing their children in care over TEN hours in a day will be charged the part day rate after the 10th hour, IF prior arrangements have been made. With no prior arrangement, a late fee of $5.00 per minute will be assessed if your child is not picked by your prearranged time. If your family receives assistance from any of the state agencies you will need to call your case manager and request that they pay for your overtime when it is work related. Additionally, if you arrive to our building past our closing time of 5:30 pm, you will be assessed a fee of $5.00 per minute. NO EXCEPTIONS AND NO EXCUSES! If you are after 5:30 pm more than 3 times you reserve the right to terminate care immediately.
  
• Children arriving to our center after 9:00 am (when classes begin) are a disruption to the children who are already here and engaged in learning activities.  If your child will not be attending for any period of time due to sickness or for other reasons, please call us before 9:00 am so we can plan for the day’s meals, staff, and activities. After 9 am, we may take drop in children, let staff go home early or expand staff breaks. If you have not called to let us know your plans, you may be refused care for the day. It is the parent’s responsibility to notify us of any schedule changes to ensure we have staff to cover the change in your schedule. 
  
• If the center receives an NSF check from you, you will be responsible for any and all penalties charged to the center in connection with that check.  The center requires cash payment to replace any type of returned payment (credit card, check, or auto-draft) plus an additional $35 fee charged by our center.
  
• Prices include all meals, snacks, and beverages.  Other items included are art materials, bottles (for infants), toothbrush with lid, tooth paste, furnishings, and holiday decorations. We may, on occasion, require parents to pay for extracurricular activities such as admission charges during field trips. 
  
• Either the parent or the center may terminate care with a written thirty day notice.   If a parent chooses NOT to give the required thirty-day notice, you will still be charged for the full thirty-day period. If tuition is not paid in full within 15 days after your last day, your account will be turned over to Cornerstone Credit for collection. We will then add a 25% recovery charge to your account.
  
• Past due accounts with no payment arrangement in place will be turned over to Cornerstone Credit for further action. This is for families who no longer attend Imagination Station. Your account will incur an additional 25% recovery fee. Those parents utilizing Daycare Assistance may be denied benefits at other centers until your account is cleared with us. 
  
• If your work schedule changes you MUST let the office know. We have ratios to meet in every classroom every day. It may take us a day or two to move schedules to accommodate your child/children. This also includes those early morning “once in a while” office meetings. We keep a master calendar in the office for this reason.