Frequently Asked Questions

Tuition is due on or before the 15th of the month (August –May). Tuition is based on 180 school days, divided into 10 equal monthly payments with the first payment due August 15 and the last payment due May 15.

Statements are sent out via email and through your center mailbox around the 1st of the month. Be sure to mark ABC Care as an approved sender in your email account (or check your junk mail inbox).

Tuition can be paid at the center with a check or with an ACH withdrawal from a checking or savings account, or with a credit card through our main office over the telephone (410-751-3700); both of these options can be recurring. Families can manage their payment options through the SmartCare App. We do not accept cash in the Centers.

ABC Care provides drop in care for registered families who need service on an unscheduled day. Please contact your center Director at least 24 hours in advance of the date of service. Payment is due at the time of “sign in” or “sign out”. Drop in service can be denied if there is not enough space for the child. If you are unable to give 24 hours notice, we will do our best to accommodate your family but we cannot guarantee we will have space.

Yes, ABC Care has two (2) all day care locations for child care on days when schools are not in session. Parents can complete an All Day Care reservation form to secure a spot. Additional costs apply.

• Deer Park United Methodist Church (2205 Sykesville Road, Westminster, MD 21157)
• Sykesville Fire Department (6680 Sykesville Road, Sykesville, MD 21784)

Our staff will be on site at the time of dismissal. There is no additional cost as long as it is one of your regularly scheduled days. If it is not your family’s regularly scheduled day for afternoon care you can “drop in” and pay the drop-in fee at the time of pick up.

Please call your center phone number after 6:15am to hear when ABC Care will open and at which centers. If the weather is severe ABC Care may close for the day. Always call the voice mail for the most up-to-date information. Information will also be posted on our website and Facebook page. We utilize the following location for inclement weather closings. Additional costs apply.

• Deer Park United Methodist Church (2205 Sykesville Road, Westminster, MD 21157)

No. Unlike a scheduled all day care where pre-registration is required, a snow day all day care does not require preregistration. Families will have to complete emergency information at the time of drop off.

Our staff is notified and will be on site at the time of dismissal. There is no additional cost as long as it is one of your regularly scheduled days. If it is not your family’s regularly scheduled day for afternoon care you can “drop in” and pay the drop in fee at the time of pick up. Our centers are required to close proportionately early as the number of hours early school released.

Please call your center phone number after 6:15 am to hear what time ABC Care centers will open. We open our regular sites on a delayed schedule proportionate to the amount of time schools are delayed. Always call the voice mail for the most up to date information. Additional costs apply.

Yes, please be sure to write a note and/or call, and leave a message with the center Director so they will have a name/address to compare to the person’s identification when they arrive. If the person picking up will be a regular pick up person, the Director will have you add their information to the emergency card and take the necessary steps to get them their own Smartcare QR code or PIN number.

Check your center’s webpage on our website. Hours of operation differ from center to center.

Children are grouped by age at our centers. Typically kindergarten, first and second grade make up our “Juniors” group and third, fourth and fifth grade make up our “Seniors” group. At larger centers there may be a “Middies” group of second and third graders.

Check your center’s webpage for the daily program schedule (on the right hand side). Children have an opportunity for snack, homework, outdoor play, self selected activities, arts/crafts, cultural activities, sign language and team building activities.

Yes. ABC Care has an open visitation policy. We encourage you to check in with the Director upon your arrival so they can answer any additional questions you may have.

We communicate in several ways with families. Our website contains a large amount of information about our centers – the ticker, announcements box and each center’s webpage. At your center you have a family mailbox for any handouts and fliers. The parent table at your center will also have an announcements board for news and information. We also use email blasts to communicate with our families.

Our St. John location in Westminster provides childcare for multiple schools. Our staff walks children from William Winchester & West Middle to St. Johns School.

Yes, please contact Maryland State Department of Education for more information.

Your schedule change request must be in writing. Please complete a Schedule Change Form and provide one month’s written notice of the change to your schedule. The form can be printed from the website. A schedule change fee of $40 will be applied to your account for the first schedule change; each additional change per school year will be $50.

While we don’t have a scholarship program,  ABC Care accepts the MD State Scholarship (vouchers).  ABC Care does have an Angel Assistance Fund set up to help families in need of short term assistance so that they still receive child care services despite financial hardships or family emergencies. Families may request an application from their Director or main office staff.

Yes!

**Sibling, Military or Teacher Discounts may not be combined