Columbia Association is currently seeking candidates for Part Time Director positions at our school aged services facilities.
Program Information
2023 & 2024 Registration
Registrations will be accepted on a first-come, space-available basis until August 4, 2023. Registrations will not be accepted August 5 to August 30, 2023, and will resume on Thursday August 31, 2023.
For information on availability please contact us at SAS@ColumbiaAssociation.org or 410-715-3164.
Programs & Pricing
The Board of Education voted to make significant changes to school starting times on February 23, 2023. As a result of these changes, the length of AM and PM programs may change based on the school. To reflect these timing changes, we have adjusted our rate structure to reflect the varying length of programs offered.
The plan adopted by the Board results in start times occurring in three tiers. Some schools may start slightly before or after the stated time for each tier. The exact start time for each school will be determined later this spring and shared with the community as transportation routes are finalized.
- Schools in Tier 2 will begin at 8:40am. These include a combination of middle and elementary schools with middle schools dismissing at 3:25 p.m. and elementary schools dismissing at 3:10p.m.
- Schools in Tier 3 will begin at 9:15am. and dismiss at 3:45pm. These include the remainder of elementary schools.
Pricing information for CA’s SAS program (listed below) is based on the start times as approved on Feb. 23, 2023 but are subject to change as school start times are adjusted.
Bryant Woods, Centennial Lane, Cradlerock, Hammond, Jeffers Hill, Phelps Luck, Swansfield and Talbott Springs are in Tier 2 and have one hour less time in the morning than in the afternoon program. The monthly morning fee will be $205 per month and the afternoon fee will be $320 per month (or $515 if your child attends both).
Atholton, Clarksville, Clemens Crossing, Guilford, Longfellow, Northfield, Running Brook, Stevens Forest, Thunder Hill, Waterloo and Worthington are in Tier 3 and will have equal morning and afternoon program times. The monthly morning fee and the afternoon fee will be $262.50 each (or $515 if your child attends both).
School will start the last week in August and go through June 11 both June and August will be prorated one week. The invoice for August 3, 2023 will include the August and September fees. Payment schedule is as follows:
Tier 2
Bill Due Date | AM only | PM Only | Both AM & PM |
August 3rd | $256.25 | $400 | $643.75 |
Sept- April | $205 | $320 | $515 |
May | $51.25 | $80 | $128.75 |
Tier 3
Bill Due Date | AM only | PM Only | Both AM & PM |
August 3rd | $328.12 | $328.12 | $643.75 |
Sept- April | $262.5 | $262.5 | $515 |
May | $65.5 | $65.5 | $128.75 |
Locations
CA’s Before & After School Care will be available at the following sites:
Atholton ES | Bryant Woods ES* | Centennial Lane ES |
Clarksville ES | Clemens Crossing ES | Cradlerock ES* |
Dunloggin MS (after care only) | Guilford ES | Hammond ES & MS |
Jeffers Hill ES | Lake Elkhorn MS | Longfellow ES |
Northfield ES | Phelps Luck ES* | Running Brook ES* |
Stevens Forest ES* | Swansfield ES | Talbott Springs ES* |
Thunder Hill ES | Waterloo ES | Worthington ES |
*At indicated schools, only: We provide before and after school care for 4-year-olds who attend the Full Day pre-K program. Children must be potty-trained to participate in these programs.
Parent Handbook 2023-2024
Download the 2023-2024 Parent Handbook by clicking on the button below.
Important Dates To Remember
School’s Out Program
On most days when schools are scheduled to be closed, i.e. teachers’ in-service days and non-major holidays, we will provide a program at the Columbia Association Art Center located at 6100 Foreland Garth, Columbia, MD 21045. The cost is $55 per day, per child.
September 15, 2023 | January 23, 2024 |
September 25, 2023 | February 9, 2024 |
October 20, 2022 | March 25-29, 2024* |
November 22, 2023 | April 10, 2024 |
December 26-29, 2023* |
*These dates are subject to change.
Program Closing
There will be no programs on the following dates:
September 4, 2023 | Labor Day |
November 23 & 24, 2023 | Thanksgiving Holiday |
December 25, 2023 | Christmas Holiday |
January 1, 2024 | New Years Day |
January 15, 2024 | Martin Luther King Jr. Day |
February 19, 2024 | Presidents Day |
April 1, 2024 | Easter Monday |
May 27, 2024 | Memorial Day |
Early Closing Program
When schools are scheduled for early closing, a program is provided for children enrolled in the after-school program at the child’s regular program site. There is no extra charge for these extra hours of care. When school is closed early due to an emergency, inclement weather, or mechanical failure, our programs will not operate. No credits or adjustments for unused time will be given.
Please note: We will not operate an aftercare program on Friday February 10, 2023.
October 31, 2023 | March 13, 2024 |
November 20 & 21, 2023 | May 17, 2024 |
December 13, 2023 | June 5, 2024 |
January 27, 2024 | June 7 & 10, 2024* |
February 7, 2024 |
*These dates are subject to change based on possible inclement weather makeup days.
Additional Information
Payment Options: How Do I Make Payments
Our payments are due one month in advance with billing on the 3rd and payments due by the 5th, starting in August. The payment made in August is for service from August 28 to September 30; the payment made in September is for service in the month of October, October is to pay for November, etc. Final payment for the year is in May, for service in the month of June. There is no payment due in June.
We have several options for making your monthly payment.
The following options can be used to make a payment for Before and After School Care:
- Option 1: an annual payment (Please note: There is no discount for paying annually)
- Option 2: an automatic debit from a credit card (debited on the 3rd)
- Option 3: an electronic funds transfer (EFT) from a checking account (debited on the 3rd)
- Option 4: a monthly bill which will be emailed to you.
For Option 4, payments can be made in one of the following ways:
- Directly into your School Age Services billing account. Please note that this is a separate account and login page from the CA member system. For returning families you should already have login credentials for your SAS Billing account, for new families we will be setting you up with credentials within the next week or so.
- By mail or in person:
- Columbia Association SAS
- 6310 Hillside Court, Suite 100
- Columbia, Maryland 21046
- Payments should be mailed with enough time to allow for mail delays, payment must be received by the fifth day of the month.
Credit card payment can also be made using our one time Secure Online Credit Card Payment Form
Tax Information
The tax identification number is 52-0823992. The Columbia Association’s School Aged Services Department does not provide a statement for taxes. A copy of your monthly bill should be kept for this purpose.
Income Qualified Information
Reduced rate is available for Howard County residents only for School Age Services, as the programs are held in the public schools, whose household income is within the Columbia Association guidelines. The income-qualified application and the required documents must accompany the registration form and required fees. For information about the reduced rate program, download the income-qualified application. Purchase of Care through the Maryland Department of Social Services is also accepted.
Medication Requirements
Any medication that may need to be administered during the before or after care program must be accompanied by a Medication Order Form that has been signed by a physician. This includes rescue inhalers and Epi-pens. Please check the forms section above to download the form.
What precautions will be in place to combat the spread of COVID-19?
CA adheres to all guidance provided to child care programs from The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). For families, this includes:
-Parent drop off and pick up outside of the program (no parents/guardians will be permitted into the program with children for any reason). Parents and children must wear masks covering their noses and mouths during pick up and drop.
-Families will have to complete both a symptoms questionnaire and a temperature check before their child is permitted into the program each day. Temperatures of participants must be taken in the presence of CA staff and recorded. Temperature checks will be also conducted mid-day for any child participating in the full day program.
-Children and staff are required to wear masks/approved face coverings that cover their nose and mouth for the duration of the program. There will be no exceptions to this requirement.
-Children will be required to maintain the six feet of social distance for the duration of the program day.
-Handwashing will occur upon arrival, before and after snacks/meals, upon return from outside and any other time during the program that bodily fluids may be present.
–All cleaning and disinfecting will occur per the current CDC recommendations. This includes frequent cleaning of all high contact areas used by children: before the start and at the end of each program, after children use an area, including bathroom door and faucet handles, and transition to another, before and after snack, after outdoor play and anytime bodily fluids are present.
What is the illness policy?
Childcare staff must monitor children for signs and symptoms of acute illness and notify a child’s parent or guardian upon observing signs or symptoms of acute illness. Staff must provide temporary isolation for the affected child in a suitably equipped separate area within sight and hearing of an adult. Staff may not admit a child to care or allow a child to remain in care when the child is exhibiting symptoms of acute illness. A child may not be readmitted to care for an absence of three days or more, due to an illness, without a written statement from their physician stating that the child is not contagious and may return to a regular schedule.
A child may be excluded from care if:
- The child’s illness prevents the child from participating comfortably in activities that the facility routinely offers for healthy children or mildly ill children.
- The child is displaying any of the signs and symptoms that require an evaluation from a health care provider as indicated by the child’s age and condition. In this situation, the parent is notified of the need for immediate emergent or urgent issues.
- The illness requires more care than the childcare staff is able to provide without compromising the needs of the other children in the group.
- The child exhibits an acute change in behavior. Examples may include lethargy, a lack of responsiveness, irritability, persistent crying, difficulty breathing, or a quickly spreading rash.
- The child has a fever at or above 100.4 degrees F, taken orally or a temporal scan.
- The child has diarrhea. The child will not be readmitted to care until diarrhea-free for 24 hours.
- The child is vomiting. The child will not be readmitted to care until vomiting has ceased for 24 hours.
- The child has impetigo/scabies. The child will not be readmitted until treatment has started, as verified by a healthcare professional.
- The child has Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease.
- Symptoms indicating a probable case of COVID-19:
People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
Fever or chills | Cough | Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing |
Fatigue | Muscle or body aches | Headache |
New loss of taste or smell | Sore throat | Congestion or runny nose |
Nausea or vomiting | Diarrhea |
This list does not include all possible symptoms. CDC will continue to update this list as we learn more about COVID-19.
Sick children and staff will be required to stay home. Sick staff will be sent home immediately and sick children are required to be picked up by a parent or emergency contact within 30 minutes.
- Communicate to parents the importance of keeping children home when they are sick.
- Communicate to staff the importance of being vigilant for symptoms and staying in touch with facility management if or when they start to feel sick.
- Establish procedures to ensure children and staff who come to the childcare center sick or become sick while at your facility are sent home as soon as possible.
- Keep sick children and staff separate from well children and staff until they can be sent home.
- Sick staff members should not return to work until they have met the criteria to discontinue home isolation. Physicians notes will be required for children to return to care and staff to return to work.
- Have a plan if someone is or becomes sick.
- Plan to have an isolation room or area (such as a cot in a corner of the classroom) that can be used to isolate a sick child.
- Be ready to follow CDC guidance on how to disinfect your building or facility if someone is sick.
- If a sick child has been isolated in your facility, clean and disinfect surfaces in your isolation room or area after the sick child has gone home.
- If COVID-19 is confirmed in a child or staff member:
- CA will contact the Howard County Health Dept. for guidance on next steps.
- Close off areas used by the person who is sick.
- Open outside doors and windows to increase air circulation in the areas.
- Wait up to 24 hours or as long as possible before you clean or disinfect to allow respiratory droplets to settle before cleaning and disinfecting.
- Clean and disinfect all areas used by the person who is sick, such as offices, bathrooms, and common areas.
- If more than 7 days have passed since the person who is sick visited or used the facility, additional cleaning and disinfection is not necessary. Continue routine cleaning and disinfection.
Should it be necessary to contact a parent regarding illness or injury, it is the parent’s responsibility to arrange to pick up the child within 30 minutes of notification.