As a parent, you may occasionally need help navigating a question or issue with a tuition payment. It is important to understand Wonderschool’s role and ability to help navigate these conversations and decisions.

Wonderschool is a business support service for childcare providers, and each of the programs supported on the Wonderschool platform is its own independent business. Tuition rates, policies and procedures, and any decisions to modify or adjust any rates or policies happen solely at the discretion of the program owner. Payment processing is one of the many services Wonderschool provides, but Wonderschool does not have the authority to override a program’s policies.

It may be hard to speak with your provider about a tuition question, unenrollment notification, or request to make an adjustment of some sort – we understand! It is so important to have that conversation directly with your provider though, especially in times of uncertainty like we’re currently experiencing with Covid-19.

Family childcare programs are micro-businesses and particularly fragile, but many programs have shown remarkable dedication and resilience to provide the best and safest care possible. And while they are working so hard to ensure they can stay open or reopen as quickly as possible, we have seen many programs willing to accommodate a variety of tuition considerations when a parent’s job has been impacted.

We recommend the following steps when beginning a conversation about tuition with your provider:

• Check your parent handbook to review any policies around notification periods for schedule changes or unenrollment policies. Typically, programs require 30 or 60 days notice. You can find this information in the “Tuition” section of your parent handbook. Please note: your parent handbook is an agreement between you and your provider (not an agreement between you and Wonderschool).
• Approach the conversation as a partner with your provider, and know your own end goal – is your plan to continue enrollment after things get back to normal? Sharing that information with your provider can help them make the best decision for both the short and long term.
• If you do plan to continue care, you should be prepared to pay a fee to hold your child’s space even if not currently attending – it is unlikely that your program will be able to guarantee enrollment if a space isn’t formally held.

We know these times are extraordinarily uncertain and how things will unfold for all of us is unclear. Working in partnership will help ensure the best possible outcomes for all parties.