1. ADMISSIONS INFORMATION

1. Name & Physical Location

The Child Development Lab is located in Nancy Nicholas Hall at 1300 Linden Dr. Madison, WI 53706.

2. License & Capacity

The UW Child Development Lab is licensed as a group childcare center by the State of Wisconsin. The facility number is #1015116 and is licensed for 87 children, ages 0 to 5 years. State licensing certificates, rules, and any inspection, violation and correction plans are posted above family mailboxes (near the main office), for family and staff review.

3. Accreditation

The UW Child Development Lab is accredited by the City of Madison, Office of Community Services. Classroom reviews and accreditation standards are available on site.

4. Hours of Operation

The hours are 7:30 am - 5:30 pm, Mondays-Fridays. Programming is offered 12 months, January-December.

5. Academic Year & Summer School Sessions

For children ages 6 weeks to 5 years, the academic year begins the Tuesday after Labor Day and runs for 41 weeks.

The summer program begins on the Monday following the end of the academic year and runs for 10 weeks.

6. School Closing Dates

A calendar with actual dates is included in current advertising materials.

1. Nine legal holidays:

• • January 1st- New Year’s Day (if falling on a Sunday, Monday will be off)
  • Third Monday in January- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
  • Last Monday in May- Memorial Day
  • July 4th- Independence Day Independence Day (if falling on a Sunday, Monday will be off)
  • First Monday in September-Labor Day
  • Fourth Thursday in November-Thanksgiving Day
  • December 24th-Christmas Eve
  • December 25th- Christmas Day
  • December 31st- New Year’s Eve

2. Other scheduled school closings:

• • The first two days of the academic year program (for teacher in-service, classroom set-up, and an open house)
  • One day in October (for teacher in-service training)
  • The day after Thanksgiving (for family/teacher conference preparation)
  • The last two weeks in December (for winter break). Four legal holidays fall during these weeks, the other six days are designated for program/curriculum development, staff meetings, and continuing education time.
  • One day during the spring semester-varies (for teacher in- service training)
  • One day in April (for family/teacher conference preparation)
  • UW Spring Break week
  • The week of 4^th of July

3. Other possible undetermined school closings.

• • Inclement weather (see related section in Program & Policies handbook)
  • Unforeseen emergencies (see section on building emergencies in Program & Policies handbook)
  • Unforeseen staff shortages (for example a major outbreak of influenza), where the legal teacher-to-child ratios cannot be maintained.
  • State mandated furlough days.

7. Scheduling Options

The budget and staffing patterns are based on a certain number of “slots” for each of these schedule options.

1. Hours:

• • 7:30 am - 5:30 pm

2. Days of the week

• • M-F (5 days per week)

3. Class Composition

8. Adult-to-child ratio & group size.¹³¹

Our goal is to have the smallest group size and lowest teacher-to-child ratio that our budget will allow. Our staffing pattern always meets state law requirements and is usually much better than those minimum standards. Sometimes classrooms have smaller groups and are single staffed. Others have a group size that requires at least 2 teachers at all times. Additional “float teachers”, paid assistants, student teachers and volunteers are usually available to assist at various times of the day and complement established ratios.

1. The following charts indicate general enrollment patterns; however, group size and ratios may vary slightly from time to time:

Enrollment patterns: beginning August 19, 2020 - Meadow Neighborhood

Enrollment patterns: beginning August 19, 2020 - Pond Neighborhood

2. Moving children to a different age group/classroom.

• • Groups are sometimes combined at the beginning and end of each day as ratios allow.
  • Children typically stay together as a peer group, in the same classroom, for an entire contract period.
  • Requests from families for their child to be placed in a certain classroom are considered, but placement is not guaranteed.
  • Teachers plan several activities to help ease the child’s transition to a new room and teacher.

9. Enrollment Eligibility & Non-Discrimination Policy

1. The school is open equally to University and Non-University affiliated families.
2. Children do not have to be toilet trained to attend the program.
3. The CDL is in compliance with the equal opportunity policy and standards of all applicable local, State and Federal statutes and regulations relating to nondiscrimination in employment and service delivery based on protected status. Protected status includes age, race, color, disability, association with a person with a disability, gender, gender identity, creed or religious conviction, national origin and ancestry, physical condition, arrest or conviction record, sexual orientation, marital status, source of income, physical appearance, political beliefs, familial status, student status (as defined in MGO 39.03) or military participation. No otherwise qualified applicant for services or service recipient shall be excluded from participation, be denied benefits, or otherwise be subject to discrimination in any manner on the basis of a protected status. This policy covers eligibility for and access to service delivery in all of our programs contracted and services provided directly.
4. Enrollment opportunities shall not be denied because of the need to make reasonable accommodations to an individual's disability.
5. All individuals can participate in and use this program. Individuals may call 608-263-4579 if they need an interpreter, translator, material in an alternate language or format, or if they need any other accommodations to access this program. Allow at least three business days for an appropriate response.

10. The Enrollment Process & Timeline

1. Families sign up for a tour by contacting the Associate Director.
2. Written program information is provided year round via the CDL’s website.
3. January 1st-January 22nd: online open enrollment for current families enrolling new siblings.

Current families are given the first chance to enroll a new sibling. If there are more applicants than spots available, priority will be given by neighborhood (ex. A spot is open in the Honeybee room in the Meadow neighborhood. Priority would be given to families already enrolled within the Meadow neighborhood). After priority by neighborhood, the next step would be drawing names in a lottery.

4. January 1st online open enrollment begins for new families.

New families can apply for open enrollment. A non-refundable application fee of $25 must accompany each application submitted. Applications submitted without the fee will not be considered until the fee is received. Checks are made payable to the UW Child Development Lab mailed to SoHE Business Office (A27-7001), 2134 Nancy Nicholas Hall, 1300 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706.

Submitting an application does not guarantee a contract will be offered.

5. January 1st open enrollment for current families.

Current families are given the first chance to renew their contract, change their schedule (if a desired slot is vacant), and enroll in the summer program. Contracts for current families are due on January 22nd .

6. January 25th, vacancies are posted.
7. February 1st - 28th: Enrollment Decisions Are Made, Contracts Offered.

Decisions are made in 2 steps. First, we give siblings priority. Second, for research purposes we strive to maintain a balance of age and gender in each classroom, therefore we sort applications according to these factors and then make the selection via a lottery. Telephone or e-mail contact is made to offer contracts. If the person cannot be reached within a reasonable amount of time, (3 tries within 48 hours), the contract is offered to the next person. Families must sign and return their contract within 48 hours of receipt of the contract. To guarantee enrollment, a tuition deposit is due at the time the contract is submitted. This is calculated by multiplying the weekly tuition rate by the number of weeks in the contract period (52) and dividing by the number of payments in that contract period (12). Once the contract and deposit is received, families receive a, a copy of the signed contract and all of the required enrollment forms.

8. March 1st: waiting list maintained.

Applicants not admitted may choose to remain on the waiting list for openings until the next application period. Anyone wishing to be included in the next year’s application period, beginning January 1st of each year, must renew their application. Families on the waiting list will be prompted to renew by email. A renewal fee of $10.00 is required to remain on the waiting list.