Wonders Child Care Center is dedicated to a policy of non-discrimination. We enroll children on a first come, first served basis, but do give alumni, siblings and children of staff priority at all of our sites. Additionally, due to our required lease arrangement, employees of the Montgomery County government receive priority at Leland Children’s Center and Edgemoor Children’s Center. The number of spaces available for enrollment at each site is determined by the licensed capacity of each classroom.
Steps to Apply
- Contact Wonders with any questions or to request additional information.
- Open houses are available at our ECE programs and program tours are available at our School Age programs.
- Submit an application with a $50 non-refundable Application Fee for the Early Childhood Program and $35 non-refundable Application Fee for the School Age Program.
- If a full or part time space is available, you will be asked to submit a deposit and a non-refundable registration fee.
- Drop-in only enrollment requires an annual nonrefundable registration fee and enrollment in the Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) for payment. No deposit is required for Drop-in only enrollment.
- There is an annual non-refundable registration fee in the School Age Program.
- If no spaces are available, your application will be held on a waiting list at no additional cost.
Refunds and Withdrawals
- Your deposit will be held until you indicate your decision to withdraw from the program. For your convenience, the deposit will hold your child’s space from year to year.
- Early childhood programs are 12 month programs. Written notice of withdrawal must be received by the Program Director at least 30 days in advance of the last day your child will attend. You are responsible for the full tuition during the last 30 days of enrollment.
- School age programs are 10 month programs. To withdraw you must submit 30 days’ written notice to the Program Director. Your are responsible for the full tuition during the last 30 days of enrollment.
- You may choose to use your deposit as a contribution to the Wonders Financial Assistance Fund or have it refunded to you. Failure to comply with the notification requirement will result in forfeiture of your deposit.
- Refund checks typically require six weeks’ processing time after the child’s enrollment ends.
- For early childhood, changes in days enrolled in the summer are subject to availability and are approved at the sole and absolute discretion of the Program Director.
Changes in Enrollment
If you wish to change the number of days your child is enrolled, you must submit this request in writing at least 30 days prior to the anticipated change date. We cannot accept requests for changes between August 1 and October 1. All changes are subject to availability and the discretion of the Program Director. Additional days will be granted only if space is available. Reducing days is not automatic, as we must be able to fill the newly vacated spot. Families are responsible for the full payment of the original schedule until notified
by Wonders that the change has been made.
Early Childhood Enrollment
DOWNLOAD EARLY CHILDHOOD APPLICATION »
Initial Inquiries
* Applicants will be placed on our waiting list one year before request start date Initial visits are conducted during open house hours held from October to February.
Call the site directly to learn more.
Application and Procedures
Application must be completed in its entirety and returned to main office or site. (Please see below for applications to Edgemoor Children’s Center.*) Applications submitted during a current school year will be accepted at any time.
- If space is available at time of submission, a deposit (see the Fee Schedule) will be required and a nonrefundable registration fee.
- If there is no space currently available, we request you submit a nonrefundable application fee of $50 to secure application’s placement on active waiting list. You will be called when an opening arises and, upon your child’s confirmed acceptance, you will be asked to submit a deposit (see the Fee Schedule) and a nonrefundable registration fee.
Applications submitted for an upcoming school year:
- Require a nonrefundable application fee of $50, which ensures placement on an active waiting list. You will be called when an opening arises and, upon your child’s acceptance into the program, asked to submit a deposit and nonrefundable registration fee.
Your deposit
- Will not be applied to the first month’s tuition and is held until such time as you submit written notice 1 month in advance of your intent to withdraw from the program, when it will be applied to any outstanding balance.
- Will be carried over from school year to school year until you withdraw your child from the program.
Please consult the Fees Schedule to determine the appropriate fee and deposit amounts. If you are unable to provide the entire deposit or anticipate needing tuition assistance, please click here for information about our Financial Assistance Program.
* Applications are accepted throughout the year for Edgemoor Children’s Center and placed on a waiting list. There are no age requirements to be placed on the list and applications are reviewed on a first come, first served basis with priority given to Montgomery County employees, Wonders’ siblings and alumni. Full-time and part-time enrollment are available, and any changes must be made in writing at least one month prior to the requested date of change. Based upon the availability of space, changes will be approved by the Program Director.
School Age Enrollment
DOWNLOAD SCHOOL AGE APPLICATION »
Visit preferred site and participate in an information tour. Submit an application.
If space is available, submit a deposit and nonrefundable registration fee. If no space is available, your application will be held on a waiting list and requires an application fee of $35.
Siblings of Wonders alumni and currently enrolled children have priority in enrollment, registration is on a first come, first served basis.
Drop-In Policy
Our Drop-in program offers families more flexibility in enrollment. To register your child, complete the Wonders school age application and submit it with the application fee. Drop-in only enrollment requires an annual nonrefundable registration fee and enrollment in the Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) for payment. No deposit is required for drop-in only enrollment.
Drop-in spaces are contingent upon staffing and space availability and offered on a first come, first served basis. Parents/guardians must sign up to use the drop-in spaces at least 24 hours in advance.
Application Policies
Currently enrolled children, their siblings, and alumni families of any Wonders program have priority in enrollment on a first-come, first-served basis.
For the Leland and Edgemoor Children’s Centers, priority is given to children of Montgomery County employees.
After priority enrollments, Wonders accepts applications on a first-come, first-served basis.
Applications are prioritized by the date received.
Openings for the upcoming school year will be offered the preceding spring.
If all spaces are filled, applicants will be placed on an active waiting list. As vacancies occur, families on the waiting list will be contacted in order of receipt of their application.
Withdrawing From Programs
Wonders Early Childhood Education is a 12 month program. Withdrawal of a child between October 1 and March 31 requires a 60 day written notice. Should you withdraw your child from the program between October 1 and March 31, any deposit amount in excess of the unpaid balance in your account will be refunded to you within 6 weeks of notification of withdrawal. Written notice of withdrawal must be received by the Program Director at least 60 days in advance of the last day the child will attend. You are responsible for the full tuition during the last 60 days of the child’s enrollment. Failure to comply with the 60-day notification requirement will result in forfeiture of your deposit. No deposit will be refunded for withdrawals occurring between April 1 and September 30.
Summer Enrollment
Wonders Early Childhood Education is a 12-month program. We do not offer the option of withdrawing for the summer and still maintaining your space for the fall: if you discontinue enrollment for the summer, you will forfeit your alumni and/or sibling status with Wonders for the following program year at all of Wonders’ sites. We are unable to give tuition credits during extended vacation time.
Changes in days enrolled in the summer are subject to availability and are approved at the sole discretion of the Program Director.
Wonders Family Handbook
For more information on our policies please download the Wonders Family Handbook.
DOWNLOAD WONDERS FAMILY HANDBOOK »
Financial Assistance
Wonders offers a unique scholarship program which annually provides approximately $160,000 in child care tuition assistance to families. The Wonders Financial Assistance Program is fundamental to who we are as a child care organization and a community. We strive to make our programs accessible to as many families as possible and in order to do this we ask that everyone in the community who is able supports the Financial Assistance Program through our annual giving program (CFC# 50753).
Applying for tuition assistance
- Families may apply for tuition assistance after enrolling in the program.
- Interested families must complete the application form (available at each program site, the business office and soon on our new website) and submit it with documentation to the Financial Assistance Committee.
- The Committee confidentially reviews each application.
- If tuition assistance is awarded, you will receive notification from the Committee.
- Applications will be accepted throughout the year.
- Families receiving tuition assistance must reapply annually and must be current in their tuition payments in order for their application to be considered.
- We also accept Child Care Subsidy vouchers such as Working Parents Assistance and Purchase of Care. All Program Directors have information about these programs.
Get more information about applying for financial assistance.
