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CityWide Cultural Access Program for Child Care Centers
Enroll in our program to see all that a Cool Culture partnership offers to your early child care center’s families.
Eligibility and Enrollment
Thank you for your interest! We’ve reached enrollment capacity for child care centers for 2022-2023. You can still check out the Enrollment Guide + FAQs to prepare for the next cycle when applications open again in May 2023.
Eligibility
To be eligible, your child care program should offer one of the following:
- A Center-based Early Head Start, Head Start, Child Care, 3K or UPK Program
- A Home-based Early Head Start Program
- A Family Child Care Program
- A Home Visiting Program
Additionally, at least:
- 70% of families pay tuition of less than $700 per month
- 60% of families pay tuition of less than $500+ per month
Enrollment Pricing
Program Capacity | 2022-2023 Fee |
|---|---|
1-74 Children | $540 |
75-124 Children | $720 |
125-224 Children | $900 |
225-324 Children | $1,110 |
325-375 Children | $1,380 |
375+ Children | $1,560 |
Timeline
Enrollment: We’ve reached capacity for child care center enrollment for 2022-2023. Please check the website in May 2023 for the next program application cycle.
Family Registration: Families at your center will be able to register for the Family Pass from October 3, 2022 to February 3, 2023.
Professional Development: Virtual and in-person workshops occur throughout the year, from late October 2022 through May 2023.
2022
Week of May 23 | Early Enrollment Opens for Centers |
|---|---|
September 30 | Early Enrollment Closes for Centers |
Mid- to Late September and Rolling Basis | Enrollment decisions announced |
October 1 | **We have reached capacity for Centers enrollment. Final Enrollment closed October 14.** |
October 3 – October 28 | 1st Round of Family Registration (ONLY centers and schools enrolled by Sept. 30 can sign up families; Family Passes will be distributed in November) |
October 31 – December 30 | 2nd Round of Family Registration (All enrolled centers and schools can sign up families; Family Passes will be distributed in January) |
Late November | Family Passes from the 1st Registration round are printed and distributed to educators |
2023
Late January | Family Passes from the 2nd Registration round are printed and distributed to educators |
|---|---|
January 2 – February 3 | 3rd Round of Family Registration (All enrolled centers and schools can sign up their families; Family Passes will be distributed in March) |
Late March | Family Passes from the 3rd Registration round are printed and distributed to educators |
May | Enrollment Application Launches for 2023-2024 Program Year |
October 31 | Current Family Pass expires October 31, 2023 |
week of may 23 |
About the Cultural Access Program
What does my early childhood program receive?
Family Passes for free general admission to NYC cultural institutions, Cool Culture Family Festivals and Cool Pops, Seminars & Dialogues for educators to harness the power of arts and culture, and artmaking and wellbeing resources will be available with your child care center’s enrollment.
What’s my program’s role?
All of our participating centers will have access to an array of creative and helpful seminars, symposiums and dialogues that will guide administrators and educators to:
- Register and distribute family passes and prepare families for visits to the Cultural Institutions.
- Design, plan and partner with a Cultural Institution to bring a Cool Pop to their families.
- Co-design experiences and activities for our annual Bring the Cool Family Festival.
- Create projects that engage and build family engagement.
- Empower families and communities to become civically engaged in dialogue that acknowledges critical community issues and creative opportunities to address them.
What is a Cultural Liaison, and how do I select them?
A Cultural Liaison is a child care center staff member who has a good relationship with and love for your community of children and adult caregivers. Your Liaison will need to have email access, know their way around a computer, be prepared to engage heavily through email and have administrative skills to keep the site’s program organized. This leadership role calls for someone who will enjoy leading family artmaking workshops and will be a voice for the community, sharing their needs and concerns.
DID YOU KNOW?
Cool Culture is aligned with National, State and Local Learning Standards. The Citywide Cultural Access Program is aligned with DOE Early Learn requirements for community partnerships and family engagement, NYS Pre-K Foundation for the Common Core in social/emotional development, approaches to learning, and literacy, and Blueprint for the Arts.
Further, our programs, pedagogical frameworks, and practices are rooted in Cool Culture’s social justice values and situates families at the center of our work.
Did You Know?
Cool Culture is aligned with national, state and local Learning Standards. Our Citywide Cultural Access Program is aligned with DOE EarlyLearn requirements for community partnerships and family engagement, Blueprint for the Arts, and NYS Pre-K Learning Standards in social-emotional development and approaches to learning. Further, our programs, pedagogical frameworks, and practices are rooted in Cool Culture’s social justice values and situates families at the center of our work.
Did You
Know?
Cool Culture is aligned with national, state and local Learning Standards. Our Citywide Cultural Access Program is aligned with DOE EarlyLearn requirements for community partnerships and family engagement, Blueprint for the Arts, and NYS Pre-K Learning Standards in social-emotional development and approaches to learning. Further, our programs, pedagogical frameworks, and practices are rooted in Cool Culture’s social justice values and situates families at the center of our work.
