Can I temporarily pause my child’s enrollment?

• Flexibility to Pause: We do not bind families into long-term contracts that absolutely lock you in if life circumstances change. You are generally free to withdraw your child at any time with appropriate notice (usually we ask for a written notice, e.g., two or four weeks in advance, per your enrollment agreement). If you intend to pause and return, you would essentially be withdrawing for now with the hope of re-enrolling later when ready.
  
  
• Holding a Spot: We cannot guarantee that your child’s spot will remain open indefinitely without tuition. In other words, if you choose to pause enrollment and you are not paying for that slot while your child is out, we may offer that spot to another family who needs it. This is simply because we have to manage our capacity and staffing. For example, if you pull your child out for the summer months, we might fill their place with someone from our waitlist for summer. When you want to return in the fall, we’ll do our best to accommodate you, but it might not be the exact same classroom or schedule immediately if that spot has been taken.
  
  
• Re-Enrollment: We absolutely welcome families back whenever we have availability, and returning families often get some priority in the waitlist system because we already have a relationship. To facilitate a smooth return, we recommend staying in communication with us during your pause. Perhaps a month or two before you hope to come back, check in with the director to see what the space situation is and officially re-enroll if possible. We’ll need to do some paperwork to reactivate enrollment (updating any expired forms, etc.), but it’s usually simpler than the first time since we have your info on file.
  
  
• Tuition Deposits/Fees: Depending on how our center’s policies are set up, there might be an option to pay a holding fee to reserve a spot during an absence (for example, some schools allow you to pay a percentage of tuition to hold the spot). Playto’s policy on this can vary, so please ask your center director. If such an option exists and you know you’ll return by a specific date, you might choose to pay the holding fee to ensure your child’s place is saved. If no holding fee is offered or you choose not to pay one, then the spot is considered open for someone else as soon as you withdraw.
  
  
• Example Scenarios: If you want to pause for a short period (say one month), talk to us – occasionally we might be able to work out something creative, like using vacation credit or swapping days, etc., though generally we don’t prorate monthly tuition for temporary absences. If you’re pausing for a longer period (say 3+ months), it would likely be treated as a disenrollment and later new enrollment.
  
  

We truly do our best to accommodate families’ needs. We’ve had instances like a family going abroad for the summer or a parent on maternity leave wanting to keep an older sibling home for a bit – sometimes we had a waitlisted child take the spot in the interim and then managed to have a spot open when the family returned, but it’s a bit of a puzzle and timing/luck. We just want to be transparent that we can’t promise a spot will be waiting unless arrangements are made.

In all cases, communication is key. Let us know your plans as early as you can, and we’ll present you with the options. Even if you have to leave and later there isn’t an immediate opening when you’re ready to come back, we’ll do everything we can to get you back into the Playto family as soon as possible. We value the relationship we build with you and your child, and we’ll make an effort to continue it. Many families who leave temporarily do come back and continue happily with us.

So yes, you can take a break, just be aware of the enrollment logistics. We’ll miss your little one while they’re away, and we’ll eagerly welcome them back when circumstances allow!