Parent guide
Questions to Ask on an After-School Program Tour
By Kaizen Kids ·
On an after-school tour, ask staff to walk you through one real afternoon from school dismissal to parent pickup. Then ask what changes on a difficult day. You'll learn more from a clear example than from a list of benefits.
How does my child get from school to the program?
Name your child's school and ask for a specific answer about the handoff. A general promise of school pickup does not tell you whether your school is covered.
- Is my school on the current pickup route?
- Who checks that my child has arrived?
- What should I do if my child is absent or leaving school another way?
- What changes on an early-release day?
- How do you contact me if the handoff doesn't go as planned?
What help does my child get with homework?
Ask to see the homework space and hear what an adult does when a child gets stuck. Understood's homework-program guidance points parents toward the workspace, routine, available help and communication at pickup.
Try a concrete question: 'If my child doesn't understand an assignment, what happens next?' Ask how you'll hear about unfinished work. Homework time and individual subject teaching are different services.
Who is with the children through the afternoon?
Ask which adults handle arrival, activities and pickup. Ask how children are grouped and how staff manage a transition between rooms or activities. Request the program's written procedures for parent pickup and urgent contact.
- Who is my point of contact?
- How do you verify who can collect my child?
- What happens if a child needs a break from an activity?
- How are food and individual needs discussed before enrollment?
- How do you let parents know about an incident?
What happens when the normal schedule changes?
Check the days your family actually needs. Ask about school closures, teacher workdays, late pickup and staff or transport changes. Record the answer rather than assuming every school-day exception is included.
Leave with answers you can compare
After the tour, write one short note under each of these headings. If an answer matters to your decision, ask for it in the enrollment information before signing.
Kaizen Kids' after-school inquiry lets you choose a location, send your school name and request a tour.
- School handoff
- Hours and exception days
- Homework help
- Activities and adults
- Parent communication
- Full price and written terms