Kindergarten in the Fall

I can't imagine letting any kindergartener get to school or back on their own. That would be very irresponsible and way too dangerous.
Another thing to consider for those checking out care centers that offer transportation to and from school: I would be very wary of trusting my child's safety to anyone transporting my child. Check it out thoroughly and make sure they follow state safety checks. Many children each year are forgotten and left behind in transportation vehicles and many die. Also, unfortunately, safety procedures in car seat use (which now are recommended until a child is almost 7/8) vary widely among parents and others. Make sure whoever is transporting your child is doing so smartly and carefully, not haphazardly (twisted belts, belts practically falling off, etc. How does that help protect the child in an accident?) If you must resort to before/after school care, I would try to use the care provided at most schools now, so transporting is at a minimum.

What district are you in? Most large day care centers have a bus that gets kids from certain schools and then to their site. Some schools even have a before/after school program on site. If you are in 204, there is a van service called Caring For Children that takes kids from school to daycare at home or a site.

Hi C.,
Which school your daughter will be going? If its McCarty in Aurora then we can talk more.
Maryam

In our area we have a children's transportation company called Kids-Kab. Please visit their website at www.kids-kab.com

I am sure there has to be something similar in your area.

C.,

My twin girls start kdg in the Fall as well. Our park district offers an after school program. My girls will go to school in the AM, and then a bus will take them to the park district. I woman I used to work with was from Bartlett and her son went to an after school program, so check with them first.

Also, most daycare centers do drop off and pick up kids from school. You just have to check with them on which school they transport to.

The park district option is usually cheaper then daycare.

Our school also offers only half-day K too. I was surprised that there were actually several options. There is onsite care offered by a local social services agency in the school. (which is what we did, and they were really good. I've heard that other afterschool programs in other districts are not as good or don't use experienced caregivers, but ours are really good and the teachers seem to stay around for a while.) There is a church-affiliated daycare that sends a bus to the school. And a montessori school down the street will send someone to walk the kids over for after-school care.

Or, in this area a "Kiddie Cab" company is available. I've seen them pick up the kids and they seem very on top of it (not actually a cab company - they are licensed and bonded for working with kids and they have vans.) It's expensive, though.

I don't know how large your current home daycare is, or if she has an assistant, but I would definitely ask if there's any possibility of having her help out, especially if there are other parents with kids in the same situation and the school is close (for example, our home daycare is just a few blocks from our school, and there is an assistant, so if we want to do that down the road with my younger son it might be a possibility.)