Dear Families,
We
would like to thank you for your interest in the Edgar L and
Rheta A. Berkley Child and Family Development Center (Berkley
CFDC) and take this opportunity to explain the
application/waiting
pool procedures.
To become
active in the waiting pool you must first return your
application card and application fee.
For families receiving MO DSS subsidy the application fee
are waived. Upon
receipt of your application, we enter your name into our waiting
list database and you will receive a receipt.
Once
an opening for enrollment occurs, we immediately look at the
waiting pool. When a
classroom spot becomes available we work with established
guidelines; siblings and applicants who qualify for MO DSS
subsidy (UMKC affiliate or community) have priority.
We also take into consideration diversity, age and gender
distribution and time in the waiting pool.
As a result of the application process, we are unable to
“number” our applicants.
Until an actual opening occurs for your child, we are
unable to give a definite time frame for enrollment.
The
majority of our enrollment occurs in the fall.
However, people occasionally make life-changing decisions
that affect their enrollment at Berkley CFDC (e. g. moving).
Life changes can result in an unanticipated opening for a
child. As a result,
we encourage you to join our waiting pool as soon as you become
interested in our program.
We
enroll the infants as a group in the fall.
We believe in creating a strong community between the
children, teachers, and families.
Therefore, the classroom of children and teachers remain
as a unit for the next two years.
When a spot in the infant/toddler rooms becomes
available, we immediately look at the waiting pool.
When
the children move to the preschool program, ratios of children
to teachers increase, thus more openings in our program become
available. The
ratios for two-year olds turning three are 7:1 and the ratios
for children three years and older are 9:1, thus increasing the
possibility of enrollment.
Therefore, we encourage you to remain in the waiting pool
as your child grows.
If
you have further questions do not hesitate to contact Polly
Prendergast, director of Berkley or Beth Liss, who coordinates
the waiting pool. We are an equal opportunity institution.
Once
again thank you for your interest in the Berkley Child and
Family Development Center.
Sincerely,
Polly
Prendergast, M.A
prendergastp@umkc.edu
Director, Berkley CFDC
Beth Kaplan Liss, M.A
kaplanb@umkc.edu
Special
Projects Administrator
816-235-2600. | 
