Cooperative Preschools: A Nurturing Introduction To School
~ By Nina McKay, North Seattle Community College
Previous articles in this series 'Choosing the Best Care for your Child' included:
Going Back to Work? What Will You Do for Childcare?, by A Nanny for U.
Nanny In-Home Care, by Annie Davis, Founder and CEO, Annie's Nannies Household Staffing
Is the Employment of a Nanny Really the Gold Standard for Childcare? by Julianna Ross, PEPS Mom
Licensed Child Care and What to Look for in High Quality Child Care, by Marty Jacobs, Family Services Director at Child Care Resources
A Community of Learning -- Cooperative Preschools, By Wendy Wray, PEPS Parent and PEPS Group Leader
The Live-In Au Pair Childcare Option, by Krista Rietberg, Cultural Care Au Pair and PEPS parent
Working with Babysitters, by Lisa Rizza, Seeking Sitters
What are Cooperative Preschools?
Cooperative Preschools (Co-ops) are typically non-profit organizations run by a parent board, which hires a professional preschool teacher to provide a developmentally appropriate learning experience for the children.
Co-ops that are part of a parent education program at a community college include a parent educator who provides parenting lessons and guidance to Co-op parents. Because these schools are non-profit and depend on parent participation, the fees are lower than most private preschools and scholarships are also available.
All Co-op parents are required to spend time working in the classroom and attending monthly parent meetings.
What are the benefits of attending a Coop?
For small children, Co-op offers a safe and nurturing place to explore and play. Because parents work some days at the school, it is a gentle introduction to school and community life. For parents, it’s a place to improve parenting skills, help shape their child’s first school environment and form lasting friendships.
How do I find a Co-op near me?
Many community colleges offer Co-op Preschools through their Parent Education programs. There are also independent neighborhood Co-ops. A quick online search will usually pull up several choices.
North Seattle Community College open registration coming up
North Seattle Community College (NSCC), for example, has 12 Co-op Preschool locations throughout north Seattle. You can find a listing of the locations on their website. Each school has a Parent Coordinator who can set-up a tour and answer any initial questions. It is recommended to have 2-3 choices in mind as some of the various coops have limited openings.
Open registration for NSCC will be held this year on Saturday, March 31st at 10AM at the NSCC campus. At open registration all new families register for a co-op. A lottery system is used to ensure that spaces are allotted fairly. The morning goes as follows:
10:00AM Doors open. Upon arrival, each family will receive a lottery number. Until 10:45AM, representatives from each Co-op will be available to answer questions.
11:00AM Lottery numbers are selected randomly. When your number is called, you are invited to register for any opening at a preschool, or join a wait list. There is often quite a lot of movement over the spring and summer, so don’t be discouraged if you are on a wait list.
Please bring your checkbook to open registration to pay a non-refundable registration fee to the Co-op you get into. There is no fee for joining a waitlist.
Unfortunately, this is not designed as a child-friendly event so please make arrangements for child-care, if possible. Coffee and pastries will be available for sale, with proceeds going to the PAC Scholarship Fund.
For more information about NSCC Coops, please visit coops.northseattle.edu.
Questions / Comments / Thoughts?
Email us how you decided what child care situation works for you and how you decided on it. Contact us at newsletter@peps.org.
