Program Expectations

Families should understand the following program expectations before enrolling their child:

• Children may be wet/dirty at the end of a Wildsong program day. Families should be prepared for some additional laundry.
• Families will need to provide seasonally-appropriate all-weather gear for their child, including snow and rain gear. A full list of recommended items will be provided in the Family Handbook.
• Children need to be potty-trained and able to use the restroom independently.
• Children should be up-to-date on routine childhood immunizations, with medical exemptions allowed. A strongly held religious exemption may be accepted on a case-by-case basis. Influenza and Covid-19 vaccines are left to the discretion of each family.
• Once enrolled, families are responsible for the full fees for the semester (paid monthly) unless a wait-listed child is available to take that spot. Program fees will not be adjusted for sick days, inclement weather days, or family vacations outside of the scheduled breaks at Thanksgiving and spring break.
• As a first-year program, families and staff will all be learning together. Some policies and expectations may shift during the year based on program operation requirements and family feedback.

Schedule & Fees

For the 2024-2025 programming year, Wildsong will operate for both a fall and spring semester. The fall semester will run from August 26-December 19 and the spring semester will run from January 6-May 22. Children are welcome to enroll for either one or both semesters, with fall families receiving priority enrollment for the spring semester. All programming days will run from 8:30 am until 11:45 am, with pick up and drop off at The Mishawaka Res in Mishawaka, Indiana.

1 Morning Option (Tuesday OR Thursday)	2 Morning Option (Tuesday AND Thursday)
$110/month	$220/month

Scholarships/Sliding-Income Scale Recommendations

As a new program, Wildsong is currently raising funds for scholarships and there is no guaranteed availability during the first year. We also recognize that a flat-rate program fee does not promote equity, as families in our community begin with varying levels of income. In order to promote a community where all children have access to nature-based programming, below is a recommended sliding-income scale. If your household income is above $75,000, would you consider donating an additional amount above the flat-rate program fee to our scholarship fund? If your household income is below $50,000 and you can’t afford the flat-rate program fee, please reach out to see if scholarship funds are available. When available, scholarships will range from 10%-40% of the total program cost.

Household Income	Recommendation
Below $50,000	Reach out if your family cannot afford the flat-rate program fee to check on scholarship availability
$50,000-$75,000	Pay flat-rate program fee
$75,000-$100,000	Consider donating an additional 10%-20% of your program costs to the scholarship fund
Above $100,000	Consider donating an additional 20%-40% of your program costs to the scholarship fund

Wildsong does not offer a sibling discount at this time.