Frequently asked questions

The teachers will let you know what classroom/curriculum supplies you may need to bring in within the first week of your child starting. For your child's health and safety, we do require that you bring in the following items each day: Spare clothing including underwear and socks (in a labeled bag) 1 sheet and 1 blanket for nap time Bookbag

Academic Explorers is committed to providing best practice, high-quality child care and early childhood education. All employees are up to date with New York State's child care provider training requirements. One of our commitments to families is Learning. This does not only apply to children learning, but the continued education of our team members as well. All Lead Teachers participate in year-round professional development and are dedicated to putting your C.H.I.L.D. F.I.R.S.T. There is always a team member on-site with a current valid certification in Pediatric CPR & First Aid as required by New York State regulations.

Parents have the option to download and use an app called Tadpoles Parent to view daily reports of how their child's day went. With the app, you can see the daily lesson plans, meals, pictures, videos, and notes from the teachers. Parents can also send notes directly to the teachers through the app. We do have an open door policy for parents of enrolled children and we encourage family volunteers, but visits and volunteering must be approved by the Director, to ensure the whole class is not disrupted. You may also call our main office to check in on how your child is doing.

All children enrolled in a toddler, preschool, or pre-k program will be offered to take a rest period after lunch time. We will encourage them to nap, however if they do not fall asleep after a few minutes, we offer them quiet activities. Parents of infants under the age of 18 months are required to supply us with their napping schedule, which our teachers try to follow while they are in our care as well.

At Academic Explorers, we put the C.H.I.L.D. F.I.R.S.T. One of our core values is Learning. All children participate in age-appropriate developmental activities throughout the day. Each class follows a routine daily schedule that challenges our students' communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem solving, and personal-social skills. Children enrolled in our Summer Program explore Teaching Strategies' Creative Curriculum. We also schedule field trips and community visitors occasionally throughout the summer. You will be notified in advance if there are any upcoming field trips. Guess what? You can see what your Little Academics are learning each day by downloading the free Tadpoles app and signing up with the same email you registered with. You will be sent a daily report each day that your child is present detailing the Teacher's lesson plan and any pictures and videos taken of his/her participation throughout the day.

Our Summer Program is open from 7:30AM - 5:30PM, Monday through Friday. The majority of our educational, curriculum-based, and field trip activities are conducted between 8:00am and 12:30pm. Parents are encouraged to drop their children off at the start of their session time.

For classes with the majority of: Children under 18 months: 1 teacher for every 4 children Children 18 - 35 months: 1 teacher for every 5 children Children 3 - 4 years: 1 teacher for every 7 children Children 4 - 5 years: 1 teacher for every 8 children Children 5 - 6 years: 1 teacher for every 9 children Children 6 - 12 years: 1 teacher for every 10 children

Absolutely! Academic Explorers receives funding from the New York State Child and Adult Care Food Program to provide free nutritious meals and snacks to all children enrolled in our program. Currently, our food vendor is Five Loaves Food Service. As long as your child is present during the meal/snack time, (s)he will receive breakfast, lunch, and snack every day. Five Loaves Food Service cycles their meals through a four-week menu. Each food item is subject to equally nutritious substitutions based on availability.

Tuition is billed weekly and the rates vary depending on the child's age, schedule, services and/or group placement. Additionally, tuition is billed based on enrollment in our program, not attendance. Therefore, tuition must always be paid in full regardless of child absences, vacations, or closings.

Yes! We accept most child care assistance programs such as DSS, ACS, AmeriCorps, 1199SEIU Funds, etc. If you have a different type of assistance program not listed, we may still accept it, just give us a call at (516) 378-5656.

We do offer transportation services. We transport children to and from their homes and/or elementary schools. Transportation is not guaranteed for all enrolled children because availability is limited. There is usually a waitlist and requests may only be granted based on the availability within our program's route and schedule.

Our center is required to follow the policy's outlined in our State-approved Health Care Plan. According to our Health Care Plan, we can not provide care for children who: Are too ill to participate in the program activities Have illnesses resulting in a need for care greater than our staff can provide Have an acute change in behavior Have a high fever (according to specific degree measurements outlined in our plan) accompanied by other symptoms Have excessive diarrhea, vomiting, or abdominal pain Exhibit signs and symptoms of infectious diseases without a doctor's note approving them to be in our care Teachers will conduct a daily health check when each child arrives to our center. If they notice signs or symptoms that are criteria for exclusion, the parent will be asked to take the child home or to the doctor for treatment.