1. Pay the annual registration fee
2. Any account balances must be paid at the time of registration or have a payment plan in place. Families with a payment plan may be asked to do a phone in registration
3. Complete/updated Child Profile Form in Daxko including with emergency contacts, authorized pickups, medical

Our enrollment options for the 2025-2026 school year are:

• Full Time- 5 days per week
• Part Time- up to 3 days per week with a minimum of 2 days (set schedule)

Our priority is to serve families with the highest care needs. As many families transition back to in-person or hybrid working hours, we’re returning to a program structure that prioritizes families who need full-time care while still offering part-time options where capacity allows. This means we may only offer full-time care at some of the schools we serve. In schools where we have additional capacity, we will offer part-time care as much as we are able. 
 

When a participant moves from full-time to part-time that would be a change in registration option. and require them to be unenrolled in one and re-enrolled in the other. This may cause the participant to be placed on a waiting list pending available space and current waiting list registrants. Part time schedule availability will vary by school.

The Y is committed to ensuring all families access quality and enriching programs. We accept Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) and other subsidies. In addition, the Y provides financial assistance and will work with you to find a tuition amount that works within your family’s budget.

Please complete this form to learn more about financial assistance. Once the form is received, our registrar will contact you within three business days.

We will make every effort to support your child and their needs. Please contact the BASE office at 360 255 0585 for more information. Additional paperwork may be required prior to your child starting care

Separate registration is required for all No School/Break Day programs and not included in monthly BASE fees. DSHS is accepted for these days.

A free youth membership is provided for all participants in Before and After School programs. Membership to the YMCA opens many doors for your child, including member rates for all our programs and use of the facility throughout the year. Contact the Welcome Desk for information on how to access your child’s Youth Membership or to inquire about Family Memberships.

At schools where we have space, we are able to offer temporary/short term options for care. All fees associated with the temporary/short-term care are due in full upon registration and are non-refundable. 
 

If your child will be absent, you have a change of schedule or you will be going on vacation, please contact the Y's Kids office at 360 255 0585 or email absences@whatcomymca.org. We will take the message and inform the site staff. If you leave a voicemail, please be sure to include your child’s name, school location and the date(s) you are calling about. 

A yearly $50 program registration fee is required for each child enrolled. Registration fees are non-refundable and non-transferrable. Additional registration fees may be required for other Whatcom Y programs. Monthly tuition fees are based on school arrival and dismissal times and may vary by school district. See our Rate Plans for more information.

Invoices are emailed around the 20th of the month for the next month of service. Fees are due on the 1st of the month but no later than the 5th (ie: a bill for September will be emailed around August 20 and payment is due no later September 5). You are responsible for payment even if you do not receive a bill. 
 

We will require all families to enroll in autopay using ACH bank draft, credit or debit cards. If you need additional options. Check or cash payments can be made in-person at the Bellingham YMCA. PAYMENTS CAN BE ACCEPTED BY THE STAFF AT SCHOOL LOCATIONS. Care will be paused on accounts that are 30 days past due. Payment in full or payment arrangements will be required in order to resume care. Past due accounts over 90 days are subject to collections and inability to register for other YMCA programs.

There is a $5 charge on all returned checks. Care may be suspended until NSF fees are paid in cash or by money order.

Children must be picked up by 6pm. If not, you will be charged a late fee of $1 per minute for pickup past 6:05 pm. These fees will be automatically applied to your Parent Portal account. Continuous late pick-ups may result in termination of care

We require notification of your child’s absence by 11 am. There is a no call fee of $5 per day if we are not notified.

For safety reasons, each time you make a change to your child’s permanent schedule, a variety of record keeping processes are necessary. As a result, schedule changes more than once a month may result in a $10 fee. This fee does not apply to temporary (one week only) changes.

Your monthly program fee pays for the direct operating cost of our program, such as staff, snacks and materials. All of these must be available for your child. When you enroll, you are reserving the time, space, staffing and provisions for your child whether the child attends or not. For these reasons, absences due to illness, behavior issues or other unforeseen circumstances do not result in financial credit or make-up time.

Credits for vacation (up to one week of registered days) may be arranged if we have two weeks notice in writing. This will be credited to the next billing month and is available once per school year. Requests can be submitted via the Change Form.