Admission

Schedule a tour of the center before enrolling. Tours are conducted daily between 9:00 and 11:00.

The Center is open year-round and is closed for eleven holidays each year. Hours are 6:30 AM – 5:30 PM, Monday through Friday. Children aged 6 weeks through 5 years are eligible.

The Creative Afterschool Program (CAP) is available to children enrolled in kindergarten through 5th grade. Classes are offered before and after school; full days during elementary school closings that do not coincide with CB holidays; full days in the summer.

Creative Afterschool Program teachers will meet the bus from Town Creek Elementary.  You may request a transfer into Town Creek through St. Mary’s County Public Schools.  We do not meet any other buses.

Enrollment

Confirmed enrollment and class assignment requires a non-refundable deposit and registration fee.

Fees

Fulltime Infants, Toddlers and 2’s, Fulltime Preschool, Before and After Elementary School, Summer Camp for Elementary School Children

Deposit: A deposit equal to one week’s tuition is required prior to enrollment. We cannot refund your deposit if you decide not to enroll your child, nor can the deposit be used for another enrollment date. Children can be withdrawn at anytime, but a four-week written notice is required for the return of your deposit. Withdrawal and subsequent re-enrollment will necessitate another deposit and registration fee.

‍Late Pick-Up Penalties: The center is scheduled to close at 5:30 PM. Parents will pay a late fee of $3.00 per quarter hour ($3.00 minimum) to the teacher who stays with your child when you are late. After 3 late pick-up events, a late fee of $1.00 per minute per child will be charged.

General Policies

Tuition fees must be paid each Monday through Tuition Express by Electronic Fund Transfer or Credit Card Payment.

Vacations and Illness: Regular tuition fees are paid in full regardless of your child’s attendance or the number of days the center is open that month, including closure due to inclement weather.

‍Withdrawal: When you plan to withdraw your child, please give four weeks written notice to the office. This four week written notice is required for the return of your deposit.

Admission

Admission is made on a first-come, first-considered basis. Preference in the infant room is given to families of children already enrolled at Creative Beginnings. Admissions are made throughout the year, as space becomes available.

Admission is made without regard to race, color, sex, religion, creed, or ethnic origin. The Center and its Staff do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, creed, ethnic origin, or physical challenge in the administration of the Center’s policies.

The Director reserves the right to discontinue child care services where:

• A child has special needs that are not met by this center.

• There is a major disagreement between family and the center regarding policies

• There is a serious failure of communication between the family and the center

• There is discourteous or inappropriate treatment of staff.

Wait List – when we don’t have a spot for you

If you would like to be put on the wait list, please pay a non-refundable fee of $50. Upon enrollment, this payment will cover your $50 registration fee.

Upon receipt of $50, we will input your name, address, phone numbers, child’s name and DOB. Your wait list date is the date of receipt of the wait list fee. Please keep us informed of all phone number changes and planned trips. If we cannot reach you by phone, we will call the next name on the list.

What does it mean to be put on the wait list?

The wait list means that you would like to enroll your child in the next available spot. This spot will be either an immediate spot or a projected date based on information of another child’s withdrawal. If an immediate spot becomes available, we will hold the spot for a maximum of 4 weeks to allow you to give your current caregiver notice. If you decide not to accept a proffered space, you will forfeit your spot on the wait list and your wait list fee will not be refunded. In order to enter the wait list again, you will have a new wait list date.

When we have an opening, we call the wait list according to wait list date. However, children of staff and children with currently enrolled siblings have priority over the wait list.

We will call wait list infants with periodic updates regarding space availability. We cannot predict infant space availability. While we know when each infant will turn two, we do not know if they will remain enrolled until your baby is born. Nor do we know when staff or parents of currently enrolled children will bump you lower on the wait list.

Does the wait list fee hold my spot?

NO! Only a deposit of one week’s tuition will hold your spot. When we call you with an available spot, it is your responsibility to pay the deposit quickly in order to secure your spot.

Your deposits will hold your spot until the agreed upon enrollment date. If you do not start on the agreed upon date, you will forfeit your space to another child and the deposit will not be refunded.

Can I enroll without getting on the wait list?

Generally, there is open enrollment when public school closes in the summer (third week of June) and when public school reconvenes in the fall (after Labor Day). You may pay a deposit for one of these spots at any time until they are filled. Remember that no spot is guaranteed without a deposit or a prepayment.