Child Care and Child Care Assistance
Child Care | Co-Op Nursery | Public Preschools | Child Care Assistance and Other Resources
Pre-school is not mandatory in the United States. Nevertheless, there are various accommodations offered for those who need child care. Except for some public preschools, all of them are privately operated and charge a fee.
Child Care
Most child care centers (also called day care centers) are privately operated under a state license. Some will accept children as young as six weeks old.There are two child care facilities. One on the Caltech campus and one near Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). These two child care centers have enrollment waiting lists, so consider registering your child on their web sites before you move to Pasadena.
Children’s Center at Caltech (Caltech)
Child Educational Center (Jet Propulsion Laboratory)
The monthly tuition per child is $1,150 and above, so you might consider other options.For off campus/JPL facilities, the Child Care Information Service offers a comprehensive list of baby care and child care centers in and around Pasadena. Since the referral list does not give on-line information on the facilities, you may need to email them directly to get information. The normal cost of child care for one child is $500 and up per month for a 5-day/week. A good teacher-to-children ratio is 1 teacher to 4 toddlers.
If you need more information, please contact Barbara Avouac.
Co-Op Nursery Schools
Nursery schools are for children from 2 to 5 years old. Because parent participation in a co-op nursery school is mandatory, it helps to defray the schools operating expenses. The cost for attending a co-op school is more reasonable. Parents in a co-op take turns on a regular weekly basis to assist the teachers and/or to do minor maintenance chores around the school. It’s also a very good way to get involved in your child’s education and to meet different parents and make new friends. Most schools offer a 2, 3, and 5 half-day programs (a half day is either three hours in the morning or three hours in the afternoon). The average monthly tuition for a five half-day program is between $350 to $400. In the event your child needs an after-school program, the average fee is $7 per hour. You will find a list of co-ops in the following web site: California Council of Parent Participation Nursery Schools. For the Pasadena area, select San Gabriel Valley Council. Here is a list of nursery schools in the Pasadena area:
Cottage Co-Op Nursery School
Oneonta Cooperative Nursery School
Sierra Madre Community Nursery School
Altadena Nursery School
Hastings Ranch Nursery School (http://www.hrns.org)
Public Preschools
The public preschool program is totally free and it is for children between 3 and 4 years old. The daily school schedule is usually from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. There are only certain schools that offer a preschool program. For a list of preschools, please see the Early Childhood Education web site.If you need more information, contact Barbara Avouac
Child Care Assistance and Other Resources
Financial Assistance
Caltech recognizes that children costs impose a financial burden on many members of the community and provides a Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) that award eligible applicants to receive up to $4,000 per year to help defray childcare costs. Awards are available to eligible faculty, postdoctoral scholars, students, and campus staff with dependant children ages 10 years and under.Applications for this program are accepted annually, usually September, for the school year that begins in fall. For new hires, they have 30 days from the hire date to apply. For questions about the program, contact CCAP.
Other Resources
The Caltech Women's Club operates a baby furniture and household equipment loan pool that allows Caltech and JPL employees and their families to borrow maternity clothes, cribs, stroller, high chairs, baby swings, baby bathtubs and toys as well as pots and pans, plates, glasses, and other useful household items. A nominal donation is requested for some items (cribs $20, lamp $4…). Other items are free (including children toys and clothes). Donations of new and gently used items are welcome.The office is located within walking distance of Caltech, on 234 South Catalina Avenue (behind 230 South Catalina, just North of Del Mar Avenue). Please check office hours on their web site: Caltech Baby Furniture and Household Equipment Loan.
If you need more information, please contact Barbara Avouac