FAQs

How are classrooms organized?
HKLC organizes its waiting list by age cohorts, based on a child’s birth date between April 1 of one year and March 31 of the next (for example, 4/1/12–3/31/13, 4/1/13–3/31/14). This structure ensures that each cohort will be age-eligible for the next classroom by September 30.

• Children who are 18–29 months old on September 30 are considered for the Busy Bees classroom.
• Children who are 30–41 months old on September 30 are considered for the Buttercups classroom.
• Children who are 42 months or older on September 30 are considered for the Koalas classroom

What happens if a classroom is full?
When a classroom reaches capacity, additional applicants remain on the waiting list. Placement on this list is determined by three factors:

1. Enrollment priority

• Children of Georgetown University affiliates (the largest group)
• Children of Georgetown MedStar employees
• Children outside of these categories are considered after the above groups.
• Siblings of currently enrolled children within each of the above categories

2. Age cohort (based on birth date ranges described above)
3. Registration date — the date your application form and fee were received

Because each family’s position depends on these same factors for all other applicants, a child’s place on the waiting list may shift as new applications are received or as families accept or decline offers.

How soon can I put my child on the waiting list?
HKLC applications can be submitted after the child is born. Your child will be placed on our waiting list once a completed application form and fee is received (application fees are waived for those with a total annual household income less than $60,000).

How long is the waiting list?
This depends on the classroom. The younger the classroom, the more likely there is to be a waiting list. Families are advised to also apply to other programs or have alternate child care arrangements in the event that a space is not available when they need it, or at all.

What else can I do to ensure that my child gets into Hoya Kids?
In order to ensure that you are offered a space when and if available, please keep your email addresses up-to-date and schedule a tour of the center by contacting the Center. Each February, we will also send a “Mandatory Update Form” to all families on the waiting lists to clean up our waiting lists and ensure that everyone on the waiting list is still interested. This way, we can offer families the most accurate, timely, and helpful assessment of their likelihood of admission.

Please note that if your child is offered a space, the enrollment will not be finalized until at least one parent has taken a tour of the Center. Tours are generally for adults only; the exception is babies who are young and/or small enough to be “worn” in a Bjorn or wrap-type baby carrier. We recommend having both parents attend if at all possible.

When will my child get into HKLC?
Hoya Kids is a small center and we may not have space for all the families who wish to enroll their children. Families are advised to apply to other programs or have alternate child care arrangements in the event that a space is not available when needed.

Your family’s chances of being offered a space for enrollment at Hoya Kids depends not only on your child’s place on our waiting list and the number of spaces we have in each classroom, but it also depends on the families ahead of you that may decline our offers of enrollment. 

What happens if I leave Georgetown University?
If your child is on the waiting list and your eligible affiliation with Georgetown University ends (through graduation, resignation, or termination), your child’s enrollment priority will shift to the next applicable category. This means that your child will only be offered a space if there are unfilled spots that have not been claimed by GU-affiliated families.

If your child is already enrolled at Hoya Kids when your eligible affiliation ends, your child may remain enrolled (at the non-GU tuition rate) as long as space is available and the spot is not needed for a Georgetown-affiliated family. Please contact us as you are leaving the University or shortly thereafter so we can update your family’s status and discuss available options.

How far in advance will I be notified if a space is offered to my child? 
For summer and fall enrollment, we make offers of enrollment three weeks to three months ahead of the date the space is available (example: emailing a family on June 20 to offer a space with a start date between July 15 and September 30).

For enrollment in the “off-season” (between October 1 and May 31), we offer spaces with at least 3-4 weeks notice.

How much time will I have to make a decision about an offer of enrollment?
In general, you will have two to three business days to respond to an offer of enrollment. These offers are made via email. We send the enrollment offer to every email address listed on the family’s application form. Families should contact the Center to inform us of any change in their email addresses as necessary. Please note that if you do not respond to the offer by the deadline given, we will consider you to have declined the offer.

Once you have accepted an offer of enrollment, you will then have two weeks from the date of the offer to submit an ACH authorization form that will enable us to charge your non-refundable $500 security deposit; the security deposit holds your child’s space and is applied to your first month’s tuition. In the event you decide not to enroll your child in the program after paying the security deposit, the deposit will be forfeited.

Can I delay my start date?
If your family is offered a specific start date but you would like your child to begin attending Hoya Kids later than that date, please request this from the Assistant Director or Director. If permission is granted, your family will be financially responsible for the space beginning on the date you were offered. For example, if your family is offered a start date of September 5 but you would like to delay your child’s actual start until September 26, your family will begin paying for the space as of September 5.

I am medical faculty. What does that mean for my eligibility category?
If you are medical faculty you will be given University priority only if you are a benefits-eligible employee paid by the University (and not paid by Medstar). If you are an employee who is paid by Medstar, your child is extended a secondary priority after children of Georgetown University students, staff and faculty.

Hoya Kids eligibility will be verified through Human Resources or the Provost’s office after an offer of enrollment is made and prior to the enrollment date.

Can I put my child on the waiting list as a part-time employee?
Yes, you can put your child on the waiting list if you are a part-time GU employee. However, children are eligible for enrollment at Hoya Kids Learning Center only if at least one parent meets our specific eligibility requirements, which does not include part time employment. We conduct a verification of each family’s eligibility through the Registrar’s, Provost’s, or Human Resources office prior to or just following a contingent offer of enrollment. If we offer a child enrollment and discover that neither parent meets our eligibility requirements, the child’s enrollment offer is rescinded and the family is considered to have declined the offer of enrollment for waiting list purposes.

My child will be 18 months old in January. What are my chances of getting in at that time?
Children who turn 18 months between October 1 and May 31 will not be considered for enrollment until the following June 1 unless all other applicants in that specific cohort have declined offers and open spaces remain. For example, a child born on July 1, 2013 will turn 18 months on January 1, 2015. However, that child’s cohort (children born between April 1, 2013 and March 31, 2014) will generally not be considered for enrollment in Busy Bees until June 1, 2015, even though some of those children will be two years old before being considered.

I don’t work in the summer. Can I take my child out of Hoya Kids for the summer and re-enroll him in the fall?
If you wish to have a space for your child the following fall, you must pay for your space over the summer.

Where do I park to drop off and pick up my child?
There are six 15-minute parking spaces on P Street for parents’ use at drop-off and pick-up. Please note that the P Street spaces are monitored by DC’s Parking Enforcement and your car may be ticketed if it is parked in those spaces for more than 15 minutes, even if you are in Hoya Kids dropping off or picking up your child. For pick-up, overflow parking is made available in Lot 6 between 4:30 and 5:55. (You must exit Lot 6 before 5:55pm)

Does HKLC offer any summer-only programs?
No. We are a full-time, year-round program and do not offer any summer-only programs at this time.

Does HKLC offer any after-school programs?
No. We are only licensed for children ages 18 months through 5 years old.

Does HKLC offer part-time enrollment or part-time programs?
No. We are a full-time, year-round program and do not offer any part-time enrollment or programs at this time.

How can I be involved in supporting HKLC and my child’s experience there?

As your child’s “home away from home,” our Center will be a very special place both for you and your child. There are many opportunities for parents to participate in the Center’s programs. Your time and efforts are truly appreciated. When you demonstrate your support for the Center, it has very positive effects on your child’s attitude and feelings. There are many ways to support HKLC:

1. attend a PAC meeting–click on this link for more information including meeting dates and times;
2. volunteer to help in your child’s classroom–classroom enrichment projects, baking, storytelling, sharing talents, washing toys, minor toy repair, and many more. In addition, children always appreciate new voices reading books or new hands to hold on walks;
3. communicate freely with your child’s teachers–there are many events in the life of your family that may have a positive or negative effect on your child; we can respond and accommodate changes in your child’s behavior if we are kept informed about them;
4. and much more! Speak to your child’s teacher or to the Director if you have an idea to propose.

How often do I need to update my child’s forms? Where can I find the appropriate forms?

DC licensing requires families to update many forms annually and will distribute these to parents to be updated as needed.  Some forms in fillable PDF format are available on our Forms and Other Information page, or from the Center.

How much lead time will I have before my child transitions from one age group to the next?

We try to provide families as much lead time as possible; for transitions occurring during our Enrollment Period (June 1 to September 30 of each year), we try to begin informing families as soon as late May. At other times during the year, you will be emailed no less than three weeks before the transition starts.

It would be appropriate for you to start casually talking to your child about the move no more than two weeks ahead of the transition date. (Remember, “next week” is a time concept that young children have not yet fully acquired.) We also recommend that you talk to your child’s current teacher about other ways to prepare your child since each child adapts to change in their own way.

What is the actual transition process?

At least three weeks ahead of the transition date, one of the administrators will email you about the planned transition date. Shortly thereafter, one of your child’s new teachers will contact you to introduce themselves, share classroom-specific information, and solicit information about your child via an updated Developmental History Form and Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ’s). You will learn about any new routines and have the opportunity to ask either teacher any questions you might have. Together you can discuss ways to make the transition easier for your child.

On the day before the transition, you will drop your child off in the current (younger) classroom. After afternoon snack, one of your child’s current teachers will bring him/her to the new classroom with all personal items including his/her cubby box. Your child will be greeted by one of the new teachers; both teachers will assist your child in placing his/her things in the new cubby. Your child will be encouraged to stay in the new classroom for the rest of the day. You will pick your child up in the new classroom that afternoon.

Starting on the actual transition day and every morning after that, please drop your child off in his/her new classroom, even if it seems like it might be a difficult drop-off.  The teachers will be anticipating your child’s arrival and will be ready with open arms to facilitate a quick drop-off and smooth acclimation into the classroom.

Transitions most often go smoothly but we are always prepared for challenges. You can support your child’s transition by remaining positive about the new classroom and matter-of-fact if your child wants to return to the younger classroom for a short visit.

Isn’t there also a developmental and/or emotional readiness that teachers and parents take into consideration when determining whether a child is ready to transition?

This is considered to a certain extent. If a child’s developmental delay is such that the child’s needs could not be met within the larger (or more active) group or with the higher child-to-teacher ratio, then, with parental input, we might decide to delay the transition. When there is a question of readiness, many factors are considered in making a tough decision like this, and each case is treated individually.

As long as children are within the range of typical development, we will transition children in age order. For example, if there are two children who are age eligible and both are typically developing, but the younger of the two happens to have stronger verbal skills, we will still transition the older one first.

How does the Center strive to meet the developmental need of the older children in each classroom?

Meeting the individual needs of each child is one of the highest priorities for Hoya Kids teachers in every classroom. Ensuring that activities are challenging and appropriate for each child is always considered. For example, during a playdough-making activity, a young toddler might be given a spoon to mix the ingredients, whereas the older toddler with more developed fine motor and cognitive skills might be able to help the teacher measure the ingredients. Most activities can be adapted to meet the needs of children of different developmental levels.

It is important to note that even if your child is 3½ or 4 years old and there are no available spaces in Koalas, your child can remain in Buttercups until a Koala space becomes available. Some children will spend two academic years in Buttercups; the Buttercups teachers—and all Hoya Kids teachers—work very hard to meet each child’s individual developmental needs, even if there is a wide age range of children in their classroom (see below).

In addition, having a chance to be among the oldest in the classroom can be a very positive experience for children. They have the opportunity to help younger children with things that they have already mastered; this fosters patience and emerging leadership skills and builds self-esteem that is extremely important during early childhood.

Does my child need to be potty trained in order to transition to the Koala room?

No. Although “toilet learning” is a milestone that children usually reach before they enter the Koala room, it is certainly not a prerequisite. As mentioned before, we strive to meet the individual needs of each child.

I have heard that a large group of Buttercups typically advances to the Koala classroom at the beginning of the academic year (when the older children leave for Kindergarten). How does the Center seek to ease the transition difficulties this may pose for children who remain in the Buttercups classroom, who see many of their friends leave at once and may feel that they have been left behind?

Teachers and staff are very sensitive to this possibility. Although many of their friends move on, many of them remain as well. The key to easing feelings of being left behind is to emphasize the positive aspects of staying with their younger friends. In addition, children develop close bonds with their current teachers that are beneficial as well. As mentioned before, these children will have the opportunity to be the “big kid” in the classroom and help the new children adjust and learn new things. The children are reminded that they will still enjoy time with their Koala friends on the playground and at other times when the groups are combined. One thing that parents can do to help prevent feelings of disappointment is to avoid talking about the possibility of transitioning until it is actually confirmed by a member of the Hoya Kids administrative team. If you keep in mind that the Buttercups age range is 2½ to 4, this will help you maintain realistic expectations.