Cornell Child Care Center : FAQ
Is it true that the university has built a new child care center?
Yes. Because of the shortage of child care options in the community, particularly
for infants and toddlers, Cornell determined that it was necessary to
build a new center to support the recruitment and retention of faculty,
staff and students.
Where will the child care center be located?
The center will be located on the north side of campus, just north of
the "A" parking lot on Pleasant Grove Road.
When will the child care center be open?
It is expected to open to children of Cornell employees in late summer/early
fall 2008.
How many children will the center accommodate?
The center will have a capacity for 158 children at one time: approximately
48 infants, 50 toddlers, and 60 pre-school age children.
Who will be able to use the child care center?
The Cornell Child Care Center will serve the children of parents and legal
guardians who are current Cornell-affiliated faculty, academic and non-academic
staff, and students. Because of space limitations, the center will not
be open to the public.
What will be the hours of operation? Will the center be open when
the university is closed?
The initial hours will be 7 am - 6 pm. The center will be closed when
the university is closed and for two scheduled staff development days
What is the tuition cost for the new center? Will there be a sliding
fee scale?
Please view the rates here.
There will not be a sliding fee scale, but the university's Child Care Grant Subsidy programs will assist faculty, staff and students with covering the cost of the tuition based upon their family's income. Please view the grant materials here.
What is the enrollment process?
For the initial opening of the center, parents were required to submit
an interest form by May 8, 2008. Since that time, a lottery process has
taken place and families have been offered spaces for their children.
Families that did not get an offer of space due to their placement in
the lottery have been invited to participate in the wait pool and will
be contacted when space becomes available.
Are there any priorities for enrollment?
No. All Cornell graduate, professional and undergraduate students, faculty,
and staff have an equal opportunity to enroll a child.
Will the center offer part time care?
Yes. There are designated part-time slots for infants, toddlers, and pre-school
age children. This is to meet the needs of members of our community who
are interested in care for less than full-time
Will the center offer backup care?
The center will offer limited back up care on the days a family's regular
child care is unavailable. It will be provided on a daily space available
basis, for infants, toddlers, and pre-school age children.
Will there be a sibling discount?
There will not be a sibling discount, however, priority is given if a
family has a sibling already enrolled in the center. Cornell's Child Care
Grant Subsidy programs will assist faculty, staff and students with covering
the cost of the tuition based upon their families income and childcare
costs.
How will the center handle situations when the child is away for an
extended period of time, such as vacation or meeting/conference attendance?
If a family is away for an extended period of time and would like to be
guaranteed a slot when returning, they will be required to pay for the
slot. Families will also have the option of providing 4 weeks notice prior
to leaving and being put on the enrollment waiting list if/when they are
returning.
What happens if I need to terminate my affiliation with the center
because of my employment status or because I have completed my academic
program?
A four week notice is required for your termination of affiliation with
the center. Should your family's affiliation with Cornell be terminated,
you will work with the center director to find an appropriate transition
time for your child.
How do I submit an application?
Contact the Child Care Center, at cornell@brighthorizons.com
or (607) 255-1010.
Will Cornell be running the child care center?
No, the center will be owned by Cornell University but will be managed
by Bright Horizons Family Solutions.
Why is Cornell using a for-profit child care provider?
Bright Horizons is an organization with a core mission of helping children
and families.
For those parents seeking additional resources beyond those that can be
provided through Bright Horizons, the center will have resource listings
of educational specialists, medical consultants, nutritionists, speech
therapists, and other community professionals who are available to work
with children, families, and staff. All of the New York centers are involved
with local school districts and agencies that supply resources for children
with special needs.
Bright Horizons' program for learning, The World at Their Fingertips,
is sometimes supplemented by offering enrichment "specialists"
from the local community, including guests sharing their music, dance,
and foreign language talents.
Who is Bright Horizons?
Bright Horizons, founded in 1986, is a leading provider of employer-sponsored
child care, early education, family support, and work/life services. For
more than twenty years, they have designed, developed, and managed child
care and early education programs for employers that insist on a very
high level of quality in their child care centers. Their founders, Linda
Mason and Roger Brown, are well known as pioneers in developing employer-sponsored
workplace services.
Today, as the leader in employer-sponsored child care with a depth of resources unparalleled in the industry, Bright Horizons mission is to provide the highest-quality early child care and education in the world. They currently manage more than 600 child care and early education centers for more than 700 clients in 43 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, the UK, and Ireland. These programs serve more than 70,000 children and their families.
What is Bright Horizons' experience in a campus environment?
Bright Horizons' has more than 30 higher education clients who have sponsored
child care and early education centers. Their experience with university
partners has given them important insights into the dynamics of university
communities. These insights, combined with the wealth of resources that
comes with being the industry leader in employer-sponsored child care,
enables them to develop and manage customized, high quality, responsive
university-sponsored programs.
Their partners include the following university organizations: Duke University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Iowa State, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Roosevelt University, and the University of South Florida, among many others. Their services provided to institutions of higher education include full-time and part-time/flexible care, back-up child care, sick child care, and programs for school-age children.
For more information about Bright Horizons and their track record, please
visit their website at www.brighthorizons.com.