Child Development Center

Tuition-Related Information

The Child Development Center (‘Center’ or ‘CDC’) charges an annual tuition. Families may opt to pay the entire year in one lump sum or through monthly installments. For the convenience of parents, annual tuition payments can be made in twelve equal monthly payments, even though we are open more days in some months than in others (we close for a portion of semester breaks, all university and federal holidays, and for staff development).

You are paying for an enrollment slot and not for attendance, therefore the Center does not refund paid child care services fees for holidays, staff development, illness, vacation, discontinuation of child care services or the delay, closing, cancellation of days or reduction of operating hours due to inclement weather, public health concerns (e.g., COVID-19) or staffing availability. The CDC will not prorate a month’s fee for discontinuation of child care services.

Payment Method

Cash will not be accepted. Checks should be made payable to Appalachian State University. Permanent University employees may pay their child care fee through the payroll deduction plan. Payroll deduction occurs monthly until the University is notified to stop payments. You will be responsible for notifying Human Resources of any changes in amount or discontinuation of the payroll deduction plan one month before the change. The form to establish payroll deduction is attached and can also be found on the Center’s website. Credit card payment is also available via a Touchnet site. We do not accept payment over the phone. The Center accepts payments from HSA/FSA, Visa, Discover, Mastercard payments.

Tuition Rate Information

Tuition rates are based on the child's classroom, University affiliation and adjusted gross income (AGI). Families without an eligible University affiliation (ie. enrollment, benefit eligible employment) will be charged the unaffiliated rate. All University affiliated families, except ones receiving DSS subsidy, can apply for a lower tuition rate from the sliding fee scale. To qualify for a sliding fee rate your AGI from your most recent tax return must be at or less than $60,000. Affiliated families will be charged at the “Above $60,001” rate until required documentation is provided. Current tuition rates are listed in the tables below.

 

 

Sliding Fee Scale Application Process

Families who indicated interest in applying for a lower tuition rate on the Tuition & Agreement Acknowledgment Form will be contacted via email by the Center with instructions. Caregivers are responsible for providing the required documentation. A copy of ONLY the first page of your most recent tax return (1040) to document an adjusted gross income under $60,000 must be submitted using FileShare (opens in a new tab). FileShare is a web-based secure file sharing application that facilitates easy file sharing between users and promotes secure data sharing habits. An App State email address is preferred to log into FileShare. Notify the Center if you do not have or do not want to use your App State email address and a document request link from FileShare will be provided.

After your AGI is reviewed the Center will follow up via email to communicate if you are approved for a reduced rate. Families must apply annually. Approval is only for the current contract period. Lower rates will not be retroactively applied to invoices. Approved families will have tuition adjusted accordingly in the following month’s invoice. For instance, families submitting tax information in May will have their June tuition adjusted. Caretakers who want to apply after the enrollment process due to a dramatic change in financial situation should contact the Center by emailing [email protected] to initiate the application process .

Department of Social Services Payments

You may have fees subsidized through the Department of Social Services (‘DSS’). Payment of the monthly parent fee, established by DSS, is due on or before the 1st day of each month for services provided that same month. The subsidy amount provided by DSS plus the monthly parent fee must equal the established monthly child care service fee, as listed in the Tuition & Agreement Acknowledgement Form. You remain responsible for the difference. Families receiving DHHS Child Care Subsidy will be billed at the AGI $60,001+ rate.

Late Payments

The operation of the Center is dependent upon tuition received from families; thus, timely payments are essential. It is the family’s responsibility to have a discussion with the Director BEFORE payments become delinquent in order to avoid any break in service. The key to avoiding breaks in service or termination is maintaining clear communication with the Director. Referral to resources that provide assistance with child care costs or establishment of a repayment plan may be possible options that prevent service termination if proactive communication is received.

In cases of late or non-payment of fees, the following procedure will be followed:

Consistent or repeated late payment of fees will be grounds for discontinuation of services (i.e., removal of the child from the program). Consistent or repeated late payment is defined as more than two times.

According to University Policy a fee of $25.00 will be charged for checks that are returned due to insufficient funds.

Operating Hours

The Center is open from 7:30am until 5:30pm during the academic schedule. Hours of operation during breaks (Fall, Spring and Summer) will be 8:00am until 5:00pm. The CDC closes promptly at 5:00pm during academic breaks or 5:30pm during the academic year. Families are expected to pick up their children no later than the closing times listed above. Families are required to notify the Center by phone if they are not able to pick up their child before closing.

The Center will charge a late pick-up fee of $10.00 per child if an App State Staff member is required to be in the building after closing for the first late offense. A second late pick up will result in a $20.00 fee per child, and third late pick up will result in a $30.00 fee per child. Invoices for late pick-up will be sent to families and payment should be remitted within a calendar week. If a family is late three times within a contract cycle, the Center may terminate child care services.

For children who are still at the Center 30 minutes after closing time, the Center will call the Department of Social Services if we cannot locate or communicate with the child’s family or emergency contacts. To avoid this, please make sure you have placed an emergency contact or more than one phone number for yourself on your child’s contact form and stay in contact with the Center should you find yourself running late.

Withdrawal

A minimum of a thirty (30) day written notice of discontinuation of child care is required from the parent or legal guardian prior to removing a child from enrollment in the Center. You will remain responsible for paying the child care services fee for the full thirty days after you provide notice regardless of the spot being filled with a new child. This is non-negotiable.

Grounds for Ending or Not Extending Contract

The University reserves the right to cancel this contract or not extend a contract for future terms for any reason deemed sufficient by the Director and/or Administration. The list of service termination reasons can be found in your Parent Handbook. The Office of Student Affairs will issue a written notice of cancellation or non-extension of a contract to an additional term.

Collections

The Center will report any past due account, regardless of your affiliation with the University, to the Office of Student Accounts for collection. Failure to make payment to the University will result in placing an account with collection agencies. In the event that collections are not successful the University may take all other legal actions necessary to receive payment, up to and including filing litigation.

Changes in Policies

The conditions of a child development facility at an educational institution are unique and may require adjustment from time to time for the mutual benefit of the University, the children and their families. The Center may make changes in official administrative policies as deemed necessary in the interest of health, safety, care of children or University employees or for educational purposes. Also, from time to time, rating agencies, accrediting, and certifying bodies may make changes to the child care standards the Center will be required to follow. Notifications of changes to these policies will be updated in the Parent Handbook and communicated to you via postings in the Center, electronic mail and/or other electronic media as available.

Location of Additional Policy Information

Detailed information on the Center’s policies and procedures outlined in this Contract can be found in the Family Handbook.

Modifications to the Contract

The University and the Parent(s) or legal guardian(s) may mutually agree to change or amend this contract, including, but not limited to, a change in the length of the contract. Both parties must agree to any changes or amendments to this agreement in writing.