The University of Missouri – Kansas City (UMKC) Edgar L. and Rheta A. Berkley Child and Family Development Center (CFDC) was established in 1993. Berkley is part of the School of Education, Social Work and Psychological Sciences and serves as a learning laboratory for early childhood students. As a NAEYC nationally accredited program, Berkley enrolls children of UMKC employees, students, and the community. We offer full-day, twelve month a year early care and education. Building an equal relationship between family, child, and teacher is a cornerstone of our philosophy. 

Enrollment

1. Call us at 816-235-2600 to schedule a tour of our program.  We strongly encourage you to schedule a tour of our program.  You receive much more detailed information and it gives you the opportunity to ask questions.
2. Read our brochure (PDF)
3. Complete the waiting pool application (PDF) and submit it along with your application fee. (For families receiving MO DSS subsidy, the application fee is waived but you must return your application card.)
4. Upon receipt of your application card, we enter your name into our waiting pool database and email you a receipt.

About the Waiting Pool

Once an opening for enrollment occurs, we immediately look at the waiting pool.  When a classroom spot becomes available, we work with established guidelines; siblings and applicants who qualify for MO DSS subsidy (UMKC affiliate or community) have priority.  We also take into consideration diversity, age and gender distribution and time in the waiting pool.  As a result of the application process, we are unable to “number” our applicants.  Until an actual opening occurs for your child, we are unable to give a definite time frame for enrollment. 
 
The majority of our enrollment occurs in the fall.  However, people occasionally make life-changing decisions that affect their enrollment (e. g. moving).  Life changes can result in an unanticipated opening for a child.  As a result, we encourage you to join our waiting pool as soon as you become interested in our program. 
 
We enroll the infants as a group in the fall.  We believe in creating a strong community between the children, teachers, and families.  Therefore, the classroom of children and teachers remain as a unit for the next two years.  When a spot in the infant/toddler rooms becomes available, we immediately look at the waiting pool. 
 
When the children move to the preschool program, ratios of children to teachers increase, thus more openings in our program become available.  The ratios for two-year olds turning three are 7:1 and the ratios for children three years and older are 9:1, thus increasing the possibility of enrollment.  Therefore, we encourage you to remain in the waiting pool as your child grows. 

Tuition and Fees

Upon enrollment, we assess a non-refundable registration and insurance fee. Families pay annual enrollment and insurance fees thereafter. Two-week advance payment of tuition is required at admission as a deposit. We refund the deposit when your child leaves the program by applying it to your last month`s tuition payment, provided families meet all of the terms of the contract. The deposit amount depends upon the classroom in which the child is enrolled. Families pay monthly tuition in advance. Each fiscal year a new payment schedule is available from the center.

• We assess late fees for each 5 minutes past the scheduled 6:00 p.m. closing or past the one-hour deadline for sick child pick up. Late fees are paid in cash.
• Early departure without a four – week written notice results in forfeiture of deposit.
• We assess fees regardless of whether or not a child attends.
• After a five-day grace period, we assess a five-dollar per day late fee for late tuition payments.
• Families must provide written notice of withdrawal from the center four weeks in advance. The deposit is refunded after the last day of attendance. 

Family Involvement Program

We view Berkley as a place for families, where we will all grow and develop together. We strive to nurture a culture of respect and trust; where the children and adults experience a sense of connection and new possibilities. 
 
The Berkley Family Involvement Program, Inc., or FIP, focuses on advancing and promoting the educational experience of young children, their parents, teachers and community. Parents are encouraged to participate in Family Involvement opportunities, which we consider more than just a Parent Teacher Organization. 
 
The Family Involvement Program’s purpose is to advance and promote the educational experience of young children and their parents. FIP is also dedicated to supporting teachers and staff at Berkley.  

Ways to Get Involved

FIP meets monthly to discuss the fundraising, community events and education programs that are provided by the involved Parents, Teachers, and Community to support our children. 
FIP invites all families and staff to attend and give input during the monthly meetings, or to send comments to the Room Reps or Board for sharing. The FIP stands as an independent non-profit organization with a board of directors. Although FIP is a separate organization, it shares a vision and supports the Berkley CFDC. There are also many special positions or committees allowing for participation in FIP. For details on positions and committees please refer to the parent handbook (PDF), page 32. 

Support the FIP

We have two donation opportunities to help keep FIP running:

• Gift fund: FIP collects money from parents at the start of the school year to then give to teachers and staff as a thank you on their birthdays and at the holiday season. This ensures that teachers receive a uniform amount regardless of their size of classroom or respective class donations. We request that parents contribute $125 for each child they have at Berkley, or a portion if unable to give the full amount. As FIP is a 501(c)3, the donation is tax deductible. We hope to have 100% participation to show love to the staff who loves our kids like we do.
• Activity budget: The FIP annual budget is roughly $2,500. This covers our educational seminars, fall and spring events, Month of the Young Child activities in April, a small contribution toward the music teacher and other small miscellaneous expenses all part of our Berkley involvement.

Family/Staff Handbooks and Resources about Berkley

• Family Handbook-May 2023 (PDF)
• The Importance of Outdoor Play and Its Impact on Brain Development In Children (PDF)
• Berkley Center Family Resource Child Nutrition and Recipes for Daily Living (PDF)
• The Infant, Toddler and Young Preschool Experience (PDF)
• Welcome to Edgar L. and Rheta A. Berkley Child and Family Development Center (PPT)
• Staff Handbook - May 2023

Calendar

(Berkley is closed the 2nd Friday of each month for Professional Development Day (PDD). May’s PDD will be the 3rd Friday of the month. There is no PDD in June or December.)