Enrolling Your Child at Cornerstone Center
First, please visit our Facebook and Instagram pages to see our programs in action and what day-to-day looks like at Cornerstone.
Next, please complete our Inquiry Form, here.
After completing the Inquiry Form, you will receive an email from Cornerstone’s Program Director with details and next steps relevant to your specific circumstance.
F.A.Q.
Q: During the application process, prospective families are asked if they are eligible for daycare assistance. What is daycare assistance?
A: Daycare assistance is a child care subsidy program that assists eligible parents/guardians with payments for child care in Missouri. To learn more and to see if you may be eligible, click here to visit the Missouri Department of Social Services child care webpage.
Q: After I submit the enrollment application, can Cornerstone provide an exact start date or position on the waitlist?
A: There is a nationwide staffing shortage, and the number of children Cornerstone can serve at any given time is limited not only by the physical space of our facility, but also by the number of teachers we have on staff. Meeting very strict ratios of teachers to children in the room is an integral part of being a licensed childcare provider. The ratios change based on the age of the children in the room. This is why we often have more openings in our preschool rooms than we do in our younger age group rooms.
Openings arise when a child graduates to an older age group room, or when a child leaves Cornerstone. The times when a child moves to an older room varies depending on that specific child’s birthdate as well as whether there is any availability in the next age group room. Furthermore, we usually receive notice that a child will be leaving Cornerstone only about two weeks in advance.
In addition, to maintain diversity in our Cornerstone community and to keep families together, some groups receive priority on our waitlist, such as emergency placement of children in foster care, children of families who are eligible for daycare assistance, and children of existing Cornerstone community members. From there, applications are enrolled based upon date of application.
For these reasons, we are unable to give specific start dates or a “number in line” for our waitlist, as we cannot accurately foretell when priority placements will come in or when a child will leave for another school. The best we can offer is a prediction based on past experience.
Q: What are your application and enrollment fees?
A: Application and enrollment fees depend on one’s individual circumstance. A detailed listing is available on our tuition page, here.
Q: Do you offer a part-time option?
A: No, Cornerstone does not offer part-time enrollment. Enrollment is for 5 days per week, Monday through Friday, all year-round.
Q: Other than childcare and education, what are the additional ways Cornerstone supports families?
A: In addition to licensed, accredited, award-winning education and care, Cornerstone children benefit from diapers and wipes, nutrition for healthy development, speech and occupational therapy, and family partnership and support, all at no additional cost.
Other questions? Contact Toni Jackson, Program Director, via email at tjackson@cornerstonecenterstl.org.