Who should I contact if my second grader's after-school application is submitted but nobody has confirmed a place or pickup arrangements?
My 7-year-old starts school this week and our after-school application still just looks submitted. I've got no clear start date or pickup instructions. I dont want to send him expecting someone to collect him if that hasn't been arranged. What would you check today?
I'd contact the named program directly and ask whether your child has an accepted place, not just an application. DYCD's current COMPASS update says applications are open in an initial round and more programs are being added. That isn't individual confirmation: https://www.nyc.gov/site/dycd/services/after-school/compass-expansion.page
Get the first attendance date in writing. I'd ask separately whether pickup is arranged for that date, because having a place and having the handoff sorted are two things I want confirmed.
I'd tell the school your backup dismissal plan while you're waiting. Your child shouldn't be the person explaining an uncertain after-school arrangement to a teacher at the end of the day.
Check whether the program needs anything else from you after acceptance. I'd ask them to list outstanding forms in one message, rather than keep discovering another missing item every time you call.
Make sure you're contacting the right site, especially if the organization runs several. I'd include the school, program location and application reference, but avoid posting your child's details in a public parent group.