Northwest R-1 School District Lion Care FAQ If you have questions not answered below, please reach out to our Lion Care staff or Program Manager. 1. Who can attend Lion Care? Lion Care is offered for students from pre-kindergarten through 5th grade at Northwest elementary schools and children attending Early Childhood Center. Please note that this does not apply to half-day classes at the Early Childhood Center. For ECC half-day classes, Lion Care will be available during the shift that aligns most closely with their schedule, but not both shifts. 2. How do I enroll my child(ren)?Visit https://northwestschools.ce.eleyo.com/LionCare and follow the directions shown. Each student must have their own contracts. 3. How do I make payments?You can view your latest invoices and make payments directly on your Eleyo account with a debit or credit card, or a banking account. Online payment methods can be stored for future use, allowing for more efficient check-out processes. The option to set up auto-pay is available as well, but it does not automatically activate upon saving a payment method. Cash, checks, debit and credit cards, and money orders are also accepted on-site. Our staff will write a receipt for on-site payments.4. What are the hours of operation?Early Childhood Center morning session 6:15 am - 8:05 am / afternoon session 3:15 pm - 6:15 pm. Early Childhood does not participate in Late Start Wednesdays.Elementary schools' morning session 6:15 am - 8:15 am / afternoon session 3:25 pm - 6:15 pm, except Maple Grove which has a morning session from 6:00 am-8:30 am5. Will Lion Care fit my schedule?At enrollment, families can select the days and shifts that best fit their needs. You can choose to enroll for mornings, afternoons, or both, depending on your schedule. Families have the flexibility to choose as many days as needed. For families needing care on Late Start Wednesdays for students in grades K-5, before the school's 8:15 am private transportation drop-off, children may be enrolled in Lion Care. Parents must enroll their child(ren) in advance. Students will remain in the program until they are released to the school's paraprofessionals at 8:20 am.6. What will my student be doing in Lion Care?Lion Care is a choice-based program, offering a diverse curriculum that is intended to reflect a variety of student interests as well as offer unique and fun opportunities that create new interests. During these activities, children learn to communicate, develop critical thinking, organizational, and motor skills, strengthen language, and encourage social development. Children will receive high-energy options in the form of group games and outside play when accessible. All children will participate in outside play, when accessible unless a doctor’s note indicates otherwise.7. What programs are available to assist my child?Lion Care assists children with social interaction and homework in a fun, safe environment. We are available for children who attend after-school club meetings, or for children who have special needs. Lion Care may also be an option for families who need to have an emergency back-up plan, even though their children will not usually attend our program. The program and its staff will do our best to accommodate the family and child's needs.8. How long has Lion Care been offered at Northwest?Lion Care has been proudly serving the families of the Northwest School District for 20 years! Beginning in March 2005, Northwest began our district-run before and after-school childcare program under the guidance of our first Program Manager, Caroline Meyers. Prior to March 2005, the program was offered as a "latchkey" program through the YMCA.9. Is Lion Care a licensed program? As a district, we are exempt from licensure requirements. However, we are fully compliant with state regulations and provide our Departmental Vendor Number (DVN) upon request.10. Can you tell me about the staff?On average, the Lion Care staff have 7+ years of childcare experience and live in the Northwest District. Most of our staff are Northwest alumni whose children attend or have graduated from Northwest. All of the staff are required to participate in professional development in the childcare field each year and maintain proper certifications. Several of our staff have early childhood education college credit hours and some have college degrees.11. I have more questions that aren't answered here. What do I do?You can find more information by viewing our Family Handbook here.You can also contact our Program Manager, Amanda Santure, at asanture@northwestschools.net or 636-677-3473.
