CONEJO VALLEY : Change OKd in Fees for Child Care

Conejo Valley school board members have approved a new fee structure for the district’s child-care program that will result in lower charges in many cases.

Beginning in the fall, child care for kindergarten students will cost $300 a month, compared to the current $390. Parents of children in grades one through six will pay $200 a month, down from the current $270. Child care is provided between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m when pupils are not in class.

In addition, the fee for the kindergarten enrichment program held from 11:45 a.m. to 2:35 p.m. will drop from $120 to $100 in the fall.

Parents no longer will have the option of morning-only or afternoon-only care, however. They will have to pay the full fee no matter how long their child is in care.

The board has agreed to continue the 10% discount for the second and third child in a family. The change in fees was recommended by a district Child Care Advisory Committee in an effort to attract more students to the program. Programs that do not have 36 full-time students will be in jeopardy of being cut by the school board in July, said Barbara Ryan, director of elementary education for the district.

“People who are interested should sign up,” Ryan said. “It means having or not having a program.”

Registration information will be sent in about a week to parents whose children are now in the program. They will be required to pay a $25 registration now. Open enrollment will begin on April 6 for new families. New students will have to pay the registration fee and the first month’s fees in advance.