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Little Ropers Home

Little Ropers Child Enrichment Center

Welcome to Little Ropers Child Enrichment Center

“We welcome you to come and grow with us” 

Little Ropers Child Enrichment Center

Thank you for your interest in our program. We are a child development facility providing quality care for children ages birth through 5 years of age located inside Sinagua Middle School. We are a play-based school and have highly qualified staff in a small group setting. Additionally, we are a lab for the Flagstaff Unified School District child development program and have a strong level of supervised participation from middle and high school students, as well as NAU and CCC students.

We are a licensed child care center, a 4-Star Quality First Program and we are accredited by the National Accreditation Commission for Early Care and Education Programs (NAC). We accept DES, Navajo Nation, and offer United Way scholarships based on availability.

We are open Monday-Friday 7:00am-4:30pm and we follow the school district closure calendar and are therefore closed when the schools are, including snow days and spring and winter break. We do provide an optional summer program. 

  • August - May  Fall/Spring Session: Our full time rates are available in the tuition section for infants’ age 6wks-5yr . All families enrolling pay a $150 annual, non-refundable, registration fee.
  • June -July Summer Session We offer care throughout the summer as well for infants age 6weeks - 5 years old and not yet attending Kindergarten. This is a full time program only.

Enrollment for our Summer and Fall/Spring Session: are separate and you must register every session, you are not guaranteed a spot without registering. We currently do not have any openings, but we welcome you to put your name on our waiting list so we can contact you when openings become available.

We have an open door policy once enrolled and you are welcome to visit by appointment for an initial tour, though we do ask that you do not come during nap from 12-3pm. If you would like to sit down to meet or you would like a tour, please call ahead to schedule a time to do so. I look forward to meeting you in person, and feel free to contact me with any questions.

**Due to Covid-19 the open door policy has changed.  Please call the Director's office at 928-527-5526 for details.**

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    • Monday - Friday
    • 7:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

  • Location & Map/Directions

    3950 E Butler Ave

    Flagstaff, AZ 86004

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    Application must be filled out to volunteer at FUSD, including but not limited to all NAU students, collaborating agencies, etc

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Mission Statement

Little Ropers Child Enrichment Center strives to provide children with daily experiences that will expand knowledge, arouse curiosity, foster creativity, enhance social skills and nurture self-worth.  We respect a child’s need to develop and grow in their own special and distinctive way and encourage them to respect the freedoms and differences of those around them.

Little Ropers Philosophy

At Little Ropers we base our teaching beliefs on the theory that play is fundamental to learning.  Research has shown that your child can attain “Kindergarten readiness” through play and hands-on experimentation. We promote a culture of strong family involvement, as you are your child’s primary teacher.

Little Ropers is composed of a team where directors, teachers, and parents work together to create the optimal learning enviroment for your children.  We encourage cooperative learning and age appropriate activities.  We strive to provide the benefits of a loving, safe environment.  We encourage good communication between Little Ropers staff and parents. 

These are the formative years in a child's life and it is our job to help children grow and develop in a loving, caring and stimulating environment.  Or staff strives to provide experiences that will encourage the development of your child's positive self-concept.  We believe that there are many styles of leaning and we incorporate these styles in our daily curriculum and learning activities. 

“As a child, I draped plaid blankets between the sofa and chair, and when the sunlight streamed in my shadowy forts became castles with stained glass windowpanes.  I lashed birch logs together to make walls for forest forts and turned tree stumps into tables and chairs.  My forts were a lot of work, but childhood was time of industriousness, of projects.  It was a time of secret chemistry experiments in the attic, of carefully fashioned yarn dolls, of elaborate dams along the Eighteen Mile Creek.

When I moved into my present house several years ago I saw that there was a swamp across the street.  I couldn’t wait to see the children pulling their homemade rafts through the tall weeds, searching for muskrats, and jellied strings of frog eggs to incubate in the bathtub and for their own magical Terabithia. But the neighborhood children aren’t there.

I wonder if they are sitting glassy eyed in front of the VCR, the television, the Nintendo game.  I wonder if they are being driven from soccer to computer camp, from gymnastics to aerobics, or if they are drifting around the shopping mall.”  James Howe, author of Bunnicula, recently said, “My greatest worry for children today is that they are losing their capacity to play, to create a city out of blocks, to find a world in a backyard, to dream an adventure on a rainy afternoon.  My greatest fear for today is that they are losing the capacity to play.”

Living Between the Lines

Lucy Calkins, Early Childhood Author

 

Kristen Cleveland

Director of Care

Registration and Admission Procedures

The Center is open to children ages birth to five years of age.

Priority Registration

Priority registration is held annually for two weeks in the spring.  This gives all currently enrolled children the first opportunity to enroll for the upcoming school year.  Open registration begins immediately after the two-week priority registration.

Annual Registration

There is an annual registration fee of $150.00 per child. You must also create an account with our on-line Eleyo system completing all required enrollment forms and billing information.  Please contact the Director of Care for the web address link.  We cannot guarantee a spot for your child without both of the aforementioned completed tasks.

  • Your submission of all required forms and information along with the $150.00 nonrefundable, annual Registration Fee indicates you agree and understand these terms.

There is no refund on registration fees if you accept a space in our program. You will be held financially responsible for the first two weeks of school, unless you notify the director at least two weeks prior to the start of the session/start date that your child will not be attending.

Tuition and Online Payments

  • TUITION

    Little Ropers offers full time care  Monday - Friday  for children

    6 weeks - 5 years of age

    • Infant Room: $280.00 per week
    • Wobbler/Toddler Room: $265.00 per week
    • Preschool Room: $250.00 per week
    • Annual Registration Fee: $150.00 per child, per year

    All tuition is due two weeks in advance and due on the first school day of the week. DUE EVERY TWO WEEKS!!!! 

    Late Fee of $25.00 per day starting Tuesday after 3:00 pm 

    Tuition payments and registration fee will need to be paid through the Eleyo system online.

  • Tuition is due by midnight the second day of the week (see payment schedule for due dates).  Late tuition will result in a late fee of $25.00 per day and enrollment will be denied by the third day of non-payment.

    A bi-weekly tuition amount will be based on coverage, co-pays, and amounts not covered by DES, Navajo Nation, and First Things First.  Any amount not covered by the bi-weekly tuition will be billed at the end of the month. No accounts will be allowed to accrue an overdue amount.  Any accounts not kept current may result in the termination of enrollment and collection proceedings. All co-pays and any additional fees must be pre-paid.

    Acceptable Forms of Payment

    Cash is not accepted.  All payments must be made with checks, cashier’s checks or money orders.  The preferred method is to pay on-line through your Eleyo account. A yearly statement of tuition for tax purpose is available by January 31 if requested.

    Credit Card Payment Procedure

    • Credit card payment are made online through Eleyo.
    • Every 2 weeks you will receive an invoice via email and your payment will automatically be debited from your account.
    • Please note that any pick ups - after 4:30 pm - will generate an automatic late payment fee of $1.00 for every minute you are late.  You will be responsible for this payment and be billed on the next tuition invoice.

    In Person Payment

    If you chose to pay in person we can only accept check, money order or cashiers check. we cannot accept cash. Drop payment in drop box at location and director will manually enter into the system and you can print your own receipt by following the link above. 

    Sick and Vacation Days  

    The Center has a flat tuition rate policy. Tuition will be the same regardless of closures or absences.  The exceptions will be a week at winter break, a week at spring break, and sick/vacation days. Each child is given four sick/vacation days to use per year, one per quarter. The director must be notified by 9 a.m. the day of absence for a vacation/sick day to be used. Vacation/sick days may not be used when the school is closed or used retroactively. Unused vacation/sick days will not carry over the next year and are not transferable to other students. Parents must request to use vacation/sick days; they will not automatically be deducted.

    Returned Check/NSF

    Checks returned due to non-sufficient funds are subject to a $25.00 fee. Payment of tuition and fee is due in full by the following Monday. If three NSF checks are returned from your account, all future payments must be received in the form of money orders or cashier checks for the remainder of enrollment.

    Late Payment

    Tuition is due by 3 p.m. the second day of the week (see payment schedule for due dates).  Late tuition will result in a late fee of $25.00 per day and enrollment will be denied by the third day of non-payment.

  • Various options are available to eligible families to offset the cost of childcare fees.  It is the families' responsibility to fill out the appropriate paperwork and abide by all guidelines set out by the programs for continuing coverage. All co-pays and amounts not covered by the subsidy program are calculated based on coverage and are due two weeks in advance. Any unpaid amounts due to illness or change in coverage will be billed at the end of the month and due with the next scheduled payment.

    DES

    The Center is contracted with DES.  Families that qualify for Department of Economic Security subsidy must apply for this service through DES.  Once the Center receives confirmation from DES of an approved childcare subsidy, the Center will apply DES payments to tuition.

    FTF Scholarships

    The Center receives a limited amount of scholarships from First Things First to offset a portion of a child’s tuition fees.  These scholarships are based on a family’s annual income and the number of members in a family. The scholarships are for low income families in need of assistance.  If you feel that you would qualify for a scholarship for your child please contact the center’s director.

    Navajo Nation Child Care and Development Fund Program

    The Center is a certified provider for the Navajo Nation Child Care and Development Fund.  This is a child care subsidy program that helps assist qualified Navajo families with tuition fees.  If you feel that you would qualify for this program you must apply through the Navajo Nation Child Care and Development Fund Program.   When this program has verified that you qualify, they will contact the center director with the amount that they will pay for your child.  The remaining unpaid fees will be the family’s responsibility to pay. Once the Center receives confirmation from the Navajo Nation of an approved childcare subsidy, the Center will apply Navajo Nation payments to tuition.

  • Enrollment Termination

    Your child's enrollment may be terminated at the discretion of the director for any of the following reasons:

    1. Tuition accounts not kept current.
    2. Failure to pay late fees or penalties.
    3. Three days of non-attendance without notice or payment.
    4. Child's behavior is presenting a physical or emotional danger to others.
    5. Child's behavior is unmanageable and does not improve after implementing a two-week behavior plan.
    6. Child's developmental level is inappropriate for the assigned classroom.
    7. Parent or parents are unwilling to comply with policies or procedures.
    8. If the child's enrollment poses a hardship on the program.

    Withdrawing Your Child

    If you choose to terminate your child's enrollment for any reason, a two-week written notice is required. If you terminate your child's enrollment without notice, you are subject to collections and fees for two weeks tuition and the $25 per day late fee. If payment is not made within 30 days from the last day of your child’s attendance the amount due will be submitted to a collection agency.