Frequently Asked Questions

WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE APOLLO AFTER SCHOOL?

We know you’re busy, and finding quality childcare is difficult. Instead of off-site daycare or babysitting services, Apollo’s Before & After Care Programs allow the convenient option of leaving your children in the comfort of their own school, from the moment you drop them off in the morning until you’re ready to pick them up, at an affordable price. Our well-trained educators ensure your child’s regular school-day experience is continued in a fun, meaningful way. Our primary focus is to enrich our students’ academic, social, emotional, and physical development. Each day, we provide a safe and secure check in/out process, a healthy snack, homework time, physical activity time, an enrichment experience, and supervised free play. Our project-based curriculum ensures your kids will be learning new skills and bringing lots of materials home. Your kids will love Apollo!

WILL YOU HELP MY KIDS WITH THEIR HOMEWORK?

Homework time is an important part of each day at Apollo. Our staff dedicates a set portion of the daily schedule to ensuring kids get the help they need. Through checking their work and answering directed questions, Apollo educators guide our students on the right track towards completing their tasks. We know how precious family time is during a busy week – it feels great to have your child show you that they’ve gotten the job done!

SHOULD I PACK A SNACK?

A healthy snack is provided with tuition, but you’re welcome to send an additional snack with your child. We require snack-time to be peanut free and will let you know if there are any specific allergic safety concerns with the group. Check out our sample menu!

WHO ARE THE APOLLO AFTER SCHOOL SITE DIRECTORS AND EDUCATORS?

Apollo AS Instructors are skilled, experienced professionals who come from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines. Our Instructors are social workers, teachers and college students devoted to fitness and academic enrichment. Apollo’s Training Team provides on and off-line training and our certification process must be passed by each educator before they are able to enter your school. They are also checked on frequently by our Area Coordinators to ensure programs of the highest quality.

All Apollo After School educators have extensive experience working with children in grades PK-8. They are all certified in Pediatric First Aid and CPR. All Apollo After School employees are subject to a criminal back-ground check before being permitted to work in our programs

TYPICAL DAY STRUCTURE

Actual times will vary, depending on your school bell times, and will be included in both your program flyer and your parent handbook. The “Daily Clubs” section refers to our enrichment content, which focuses on 5 of our 19 different learning curriculums. This will vary from school to school, and relies heavily on parent input during the selection process. It is also something we can change during the school year. Please let us know if there’s a topic you’d like to offer!

Prices & Discounts

HOW DO I GO ABOUT REGISTERING AND PAYING FOR APOLLO AFTER SCHOOL?

Registration and payment can both be taken care of with a credit card or an eCheck online. Click on the “Enroll” button and follow the registration process. Billing is processed monthly, each day on the same day of the month. Your bill is due 10 days after the bill is issued. Your account homepage will have all the information you need regarding deadlines, payments, and instructions.

WHAT IF I ONLY NEED THREE OR FOUR DAYS A WEEK?

For our monthly program we offer three days, four days, and five days as options. Please refer to the flyer for more information and details.

ARE DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE FOR SIBLINGS, OR IF WE USE MULTIPLE DAYS?

We offer a 10% discount for additional children in a household. Apollo offers one full scholarship for every 14 students enrolled, to be used at the principal's discretion. Students on free and reduced lunch can qualify for a sliding fee scale based on the credits available for reimbursement from state or local agencies, such as the Departmentof Agriculture. Apollo is currently not underwritten by any outside funding and we do everything we can to keep our costs low. We do offer a special discount for school and district employees - please contact our Administration staff at (855) 543-7277, ext. 1 or [email protected] for more information.

DO YOU OFFER DROP-INS?

Yes. You can manage your drop-in needs from your account page. The deadline for drop-ins is 11:59pm the day before the requested service date and it is $21 per day. If youhave need of our drop-in service, even if it is only a few days a month, you will have to register and create a profile with our registration portal. We will accommodate emergency situations, provided we have permissions and prior notice, which may incur a higher fee.

TAX ID NUMBER (FEIN) AND HOW CAN I GET A RECEIPT?

46-1188928. Receipts are emailed to you upon registration, but you can always retrieve one from your account page on our website. If you need a special letter to receive a reimbursement, please send your request to [email protected] with your requirements for our official letter listed in detail.

ARE THERE DEADLINES FOR ENROLLMENT?

You can register for $25 before the specified date on the flyer. Post registration is allowed for a $50 fee. Once the program has started, you can register at any time.

WHAT ABOUT SCHOOL CLOSINGS AND NON-ATTENDANCE DAYS?

If the school district is closed, or has cancelled school, Apollo will not be in session. If the school remains open but children are not in attendance, or with special cooperation with the school district, we may offer special one-day camps, or vacation day camps, on the basis of demand and availability. These will be special events which we will notify you of and advertise for registration separately.

If the event of a non-scheduled school cancellation exceeds 3 days, we will credit your account or issue a refund for the day(s) missed.

AM I CHARGED FOR THEM? HOW IS YOUR TUITION CALCULATED?

To keep things simple, our tuition model takes the number of days in the school year, and divides it by the number of months which school is in session. This is multiplied by the base day rate, which is the hourly rate X the number of hours of care. This will be slightly different for each school, depending on revenue sharing or facility usage fees. In trying to keep things simple, we don’t have a “clock in, clock out” procedure, although we do record what time you pick up your child. We do this so our educators and staff can focus their resources on the kids, and your tuition covers the entire day of programming. You will not be charged for scheduled non-attendance days – if class is cancelled due to inclement weather or other reasons, the difference will be removed from your next bill or offered as a refund.

WHAT ABOUT HOLIDAYS AND EARLY DISMISSAL?

Extended programming for scheduled early dismissal days is included in your tuition. On Federal Holidays or days where the district is closed, Apollo will not be in session. If the school remains open but children are not in attendance, or with special cooperation with the school district, we may offer special one-day camps, or vacation day camps, on the basis of demand and availability. These will be special events which we will notify you of and advertise for registration separately.

ARE THERE LATE FEES OR LATE PICKUP FEES?

Yes. There is a $50.00 registration fee if you register after the deadline. Late pickup fees are $15 for every 15 minute increment you are late. If a parent or other emergency contacts cannot be reached and the child has not been picked up 30 minutes after the scheduled program ending time, we will contact the local police and the child will be turned over to their custody.

Policies

SCHEDULE CHANGE POLICY

Schedule change requests must be made in writing to the Apollo After School office one month prior to the schedule change. Schedule changes are accepted October — April. No schedule changes will be accepted for the 2017—2018 school year after April 30, 2018. This applies to anyone who is withdrawing from the program or to anyone who is reducing the number of days their child attends. No notification is required to increase the number of days your child attends.

DROP-IN, ADDING ADDITIONAL DAYS, AND ABSENCE REPORTING POLICIES

All Drop-In notifications and/or absences must be reported to the Apollo After School office. Part-time students are not permitted to switch days. If care is needed on a day that your child is not regularly scheduled, you are welcome to call and ask that your child be added to the schedule. You will be billed at the Drop-In rate. Please call and leave a message or email the Apollo After School office at: [email protected] and send a note to your child’s school. Failure to notify the Apollo After School office of schedule changes, including absences, will result in a $25 fee.

FOOD POLICY

If food is going to be included in an Apollo After School Program event, the Site Coordinator will contact parents 7 days in advance of the event. This will allow a parent of a child with allergies ample time to provide an alternative special snack for their child. If a parent would like to supply food for the celebration, the food must arrive with an affixed food ingredient label.

MEDICAL POLICY

The Apollo After School staff will be understanding of your child’s medical needs and would like to be as much help as possible within our policy. Please read this policy carefully and plan accordingly. If your child requires any medicine, asthma pumps, inhalers, epi-pens, etc., please provide our site staff with these items with instructions on dosage and usage. When Apollo is in session, the school nurse is generally closed and we cannot access these sometimes necessary items. Apollo Staff are not licensed medical professionals. For injuries received while at Apollo, we are able to provide basic first aid including items such as bandages and ice packs. For more serious injuries, we will call 911 for ambulance care and notify parents or other designated emergency contacts immediately.

MEDICAL CONDITIONS AND DISABILITY POLICIES

Communication is very important and it is our expectation that parents provide us with any important health or behavioral information that is specific to their child before enrolling in the Apollo program. In cases of severe allergies, medical conditions or disabilities we ask that parents call their Regional Director to discuss how we can provide the best possible care for their child. Apollo After School’s policy is to accept children in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, along with any other applicable local, state, or federal laws regarding services to individuals with disabilities. Based on the information provided from parents, we review each child’s needs on a case-by-case basis, and will make reasonable accommodations for any child who can safely participate in a group care environment.

SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS POLICY?

Apollo Staff will work with parents and school staff regarding any students with disabilities and other special needs. It will be the responsibility of the parents to bring any issues to our attention; Site Directors, Regional Directors, and parents will discuss a plan to incorporate the student into our regularly scheduled activities. Certification to work with children with disabilities is not a requirement we place on our staff however we are happy to assign additional staff to help the student participate, and will make familiarity with the disability a pre-requisite during the selection process. If a principal requests a bi-lingual instructor we will add that pre-requisite to our hiring process.

ABSENCES POLICY

If your child will not be attending the program on a scheduled day, you must notify your Site Director as soon as possible. If your child is scheduled to attend the program and does not report to the program, the site staff will make every effort to verify the absence with the school staff, families and emergency contacts. If these efforts fail, the authorities will be contacted to help locate your child.

LATE PICK-UP POLICY

If a child has not been picked up by 6:00 pm, the Apollo After School Program staff will attempt to reach our student’s parent/guardians. If unsuccessful, the staff will call emergency contacts to pick-up the child. A late fee of $15 will be assessed at 6:01 pm. An additional $15 will be assessed for each subsequent 15 minutes that a parent is late. If arrangements to pick-up your child has not been made by 6:30 pm, the Apollo After School Site Director may contact the local Police. For parents who are habitually late and abuse this policy, we reserve the right to suspend or terminate services.

SNOW POLICY

The Apollo After School Program will follow each school or school district’s closing and delayed opening decisions. If school is closed due to weather related conditions, the Apollo After School Program will be closed.

CANCELLATION POLICY

No credit will be issued for missed days, but if you need to cancel, you can do so in advance before the next billing cycle. Requests to cancel after billing cycle has begun will be reviewed and refunds issued on a case-by-case basis. Our Administration department would be happy to speak with you about your situation and guide you through the process.

REFUND POLICY

No credit will be issued for missed days (including Early Release and Full Day Programs). No refunds are available after the billing period has begun.

BEHAVIOR POLICY

Our Educators and Site Directors employ a variety of positive classroom management techniques to keep the students engaged and prevent negative behaviors from occurring by addressing them before they become bigger issues. Staff will provide positive reinforcement for good behavior to encourage students to be on their best behavior. If a problem is elevated past the point where it is in clear violation of school rules and general standards of behavior, then our step-by-step process is as follows:

1. Removing the children involved from the environment where the problem occurred, and discuss the issue in a way that all parties get to voice their concerns. Students are encouraged to put themselves in each other’s place and understand each other, apologize, and return to class after the Educator has reiterated the expectation of behavior. Parents will be notified of the incident after class.

2. If negative behavior is repeated, a meeting is arranged between the parents and the Site Director where the behavior is discussed and a plan for addressing the behavior is established. Parents are notified of the next steps that can be taken if the behavior should fail to be corrected.

3. If the behavior still continues to affect the course of the class, students can be suspended from the program for a period of time.

4. If all of the above fails, the student will be removed from the program.

5. Site Directors will create Incident Reports for all behavior actions taken and submit to the parents, school administration and Apollo management for their records.

EXPULSION POLICY

All students that attend the Apollo After School Program or any Program operated by the Apollo After School are expected to behave in a respectful, kind and safe manner. The Site Director reserves the right to dismiss any participant when that participant’s behavior is disruptive to the program and/or interferes with the rights and safety of others. Inappropriate conduct on the part of a parent/guardian may be grounds for dismissal of the family from the program.

CHECK-IN/CHECK-OUT & OTHER SAFETY PROCEDURES

Apollo has a strict attendance and sign out procedure. Each day our Site Director will compare the Apollo roster with the school absence list and report any irregularities to Apollo Administration and the school main office upon taking attendance. If a child is scheduled to be in Apollo but not on the official absence list, Apollo staff will call the child’s guardian and work with the school administration to ensure they are accounted for. Each day, Site Directors plan their activities with safety in mind and inspect the program areas for hazards. Head counts are taken before and after any transition which involves the group moving to a different area on the campus. Strict boundaries are put in place for our students during activities such as recess and gym time, and violations are handled through our discipline protocol. If available bathrooms are in a different area of the school, group times are established so the transit to the restroom will be supervised by an adult. Only authorized adults are allowed to sign children out. A photo ID is required until our staff and the parents have developed a relationship. A late-pickup fee of $15/15min is assessed for parents after being late for the final dismissal time. Parents are called and texted at this time. 30 minutes after the final dismissal time, local police will be called and the parent informed that this step has been taken.

Administrative and Service

HOW CAN I SPEAK WITH SOMEONE DIRECTLY?

Apollo After School administrative personnel can be contacted directly by families during operational hours of 8:00am – 7:00pm CST by calling (855) 543-7277x1. You will be provided with your Site Director’s direct contact information and they will be available by phone 1 hour before and after the start of the program to discuss non-pickup related issues. Please feel free to email us anytime for non-emergency questions. Our Site Directors and on-site staff will be available in person every day to answer your questions, we encourage you to speak with us early and often!

CAN I SPEAK WITH MY CHILD'S APOLLO INSTRUCTORS DIRECTLY?

Of course! They will be available every day of programming for your questions. We even train them to seek YOU out, and get to know you. They will be spending a lot of time with their students- almost as much as their regular school teachers, in some instances- and having family involvement is critical to our success as educators. Brace yourself for a copy/paste: You will be provided with your Site Director’s direct contact information and they will be available by phone 1 hour before and after the start of the program to discuss non-pickup related issues. Please feel free to email us anytime for non-emergency questions. Our Site Directors and on-site staff will be available in person every day to answer your questions, we encourage you to speak with us early and often!

HOW CAN I AUTHORIZE A FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER TO PICK MY CHILDREN UP FROM AFTERCARE?

Yes. All adults picking up children will require your written permission, along with a photo ID. This includes you, during the first week when our staff are getting to know you. Please don’t take it personally!

THIS IS ALL GREAT INFO. SHOULD I READ THE PARENT HANDBOOK?

Yes! It will contain all the information specific to your school, along with our expectations for our students and their parents (you!). You will get details on our billing policy and the best way to resolve any issues or questions you have. While the information may strike you as common sense, and “read it if you need it,” you’ll get a full picture of our program that will inform you for years to come.

HELP! APOLLO IS NOT AT MY SCHOOL YET!

We can help you with that! Please call (855) 543-7277 ext. 2, or go to our Contact Us page, to speak with our Outreach Team for more information. We’ll have a quick discussion about your school’s needs and work out a path forward. As thanks for your help, scholarships are available for parent liaisons who can assist us with setting up successful programs alongside school administration.