Re: Cost of 3yo nursery school, 3x/week

Look into religious based programs. They are often cheaper.

Re: Cost of 3yo nursery school, 3x/week

I have twins too and we skipped nursery school. Simply could not afford it. Now we are in Queens with free UPK.

Re: Cost of 3yo nursery school, 3x/week

Please don't worry about disappointing me! I am so grateful for so many of your great ideas and responses and some personal $ info you put out there. It's exactly what I wanted to know- if the price was average, fair or not.
The $ I quoted is with a discount of 25% and while I think it's fair, it's just a lot since I'm not working. Even my part time teaching job was a help...
Thanks, everyone! I'm going to try my parish to see if they can help me through their nursery school program.

Message edited 11/20/2014 12:14:55 AM.

Re: Cost of 3yo nursery school, 3x/week

Yes...right now I pay $355 a month for 2 full days (5 hours a day) .

Next year I will be paying $465 (unless it goes up) for 3 full days.

For the 3 year old program, 3 half day is $295.

Cost of 3yo nursery school, 3x/week

I think that is pretty reasonable too. Our 3's program comes out to $480 a month if you split it up over 10 months.. so $4,800 for the school year. Its 4 days a week 3 hours a day and is the least expensive program in our area. Next year it goes up to $5,600 for 5 days a week. Good luck. I agree, if you cant afford to send, that's ok! There are free library activities and you can purchase a pass for the childrens museum for a couple of hundred dollars and go there often, or sign up for other activities , or even just do play dates.. your town may have a mother;s group that coordinates events and play dates to keep your LO's busy. Good luck!

Cost of 3yo nursery school, 3x/week

Where are you located? St. Patricks Parish in Bay Shore started a free nursery and Pre-K program. It's open to parish members first but I believe they were going to allow others in if the spots were available. They also offer reduced Kindergarten tuition. Our public schools have FD pre-k so they are trying to increase enrollment.

Message edited 11/20/2014 8:40:56 PM.

Re: Cost of 3yo nursery school, 3x/week

Honestly, I think that's a great price, but that doesn't matter when it's out of budget For my 3 year old I pay $485/month and that is for 3 days, 9am-1pm.

Cost of 3yo nursery school, 3x/week

ITA try local churches around you , I am of a different faith but my DS attended a local church program for 2 hrs x 2 days a week and fees was not high ..
In this economy I agree things are hard

Cost of 3yo nursery school, 3x/week

I called my own parish, whose outreach program allows us to apply and then maybe they will do a bogo kind of deal. I would have to wait to find out, which would be later than the registration deadline at the current school.
I didn't decide anything when I got a phone call from the lady at my school who does the registration. She was calling to re confirm my choices for next year's 3 day program. I told her that while I was more than eager to sign them up, I wasn't going to be able to afford the tuition, and asked if there was a tuition assistance program or outreach something for families in need.
She offered a great option for us that may work. First, she asked what I was comfortable paying, to which I replied $225-250/mo. She said that they were more than willing to work with us to make this happen.
She also told me that since I'm about to have my baby any day and that my schedule with a new baby may pose some hardship, there was a 2x/week program the girls could attend. Ok, now she had my interest. (In my mind, I thought 3 days was a lot for DDs since they were born late in the year, Nov. anyway). They're the youngest in their class, always.
Then, I was expressing my concern that they'd be behind their peers in pre-k come September. Here's what I decided to do:
They will go to a 2x/week program from Sept to Feb 1, at a cost that fits my budget. Then, in Feb, when they get to 3x week, they will go at a cost that's closer to my budget. I couldn't be happier! I thought it was so touching that they were willing to work with us and were flexible to address my concerns both academically/socially and financially.

Again thanks for your advice and suggestions. I hope this helps other people too. You were all right- if you don't ask, you can't know for sure what you can get!

Message edited 11/21/2014 3:44:53 AM.

Re: Cost of 3yo nursery school, 3x/week

That's great to hear they will work with you!

Cost of 3yo nursery school, 3x/week

That's awesome that they are working with you! Glad to hear it all worked out!!

Re: Cost of 3yo nursery school, 3x/week

Posted by LIRascal

I thought it was so touching that they were willing to work with us and were flexible to address my concerns both academically/socially and financially.

Again thanks for your advice and suggestions. I hope this helps other people too. You were all right- if you don't ask, you can't know for sure what you can get!

Cost of 3yo nursery school, 3x/week

Ds is 2 and we pay $900 a month for 3 full days a week.