Out of School Time Care FAQs

For all sites, there will be an option for Before-school care and an option for After-school care. If families want both, they must select both. 

For select sites, Drop-in Care is being offered, with limited capacity — see more information below. 

NEW member and non-member pricing for OST! 

Full Day Out registration option will be available late Summer. Full Day Out will include school holidays/teacher in-service or professional days, winter and spring break options. 

1. Register your child/ren online for OST at the location of your choice. This will reserve your child's spot.
    
2. Complete health and immunization information forms for your child/dren in your YMCA account by May 15. Per state law, your child cannot attend YMCA OST without completion of this online form. No exceptions will be made, and no refunds or credits will be given.

Online registration time: 5-10 minutes. 
Recommended web browsers: Chrome or Firefox browsers. 

QUESTIONS? Contact Us

2024-2025 Full-time OST Registration Opening Dates

• For YMCA staff and members and current OST participants: April 16, 2024 
• For non-members and new OST participants: April 23, 2024

More 2024-2025 OST Registration Opening Dates

• Full Day Out Care: Late summer 2024  
• Note: Registration closes four days before the date of care. Example: For care on September 17, registration ends September 13.  
   

Drop-in Before/After Care: One month before care date

• Note: Registration closes two weeks before the date of care. Example: For care on September 17, registration window is August 17 – September 3.

OST spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis. 

YMCA OST is offered at 25 sites throughout the Denver metro area. All sites — sorted by school district — will be available here the week of April 4, 2024: 

Drop-in Care offered at: 

• Excel Charter 
• Fairmount 
• Mountain Phoenix Community School (After-school care only) 
• Palmer Elementary 
• Park Hill Elementary 
• Peak Elementary 
• Samuels Elementary 
• Shelton Elementary 
• Sierra Elementary   
    

Early Start/Late Release Care  
This will be determined in the late summer in alignment with school calendars and availability. 

Children ages 5-12 years old are welcome at YMCA OST. Children must turn 5 by October 1, 2024.*

*Mountain Phoenix Community School enrolls 4-year-olds, and registration is handled through direct request with YMCA Staff member. If you register a 4-year-old, you will not be charged until your child turns 5 and is eligible to attend the program.

YMCA OST offers care for:

• After School
• Before School
• Early Release
• Late Start
• Full Day Out

Care hours vary by location and, at schools, are based on the current school calendar. You will see hours listed when you select your location during OST online registration.

Note: For pick-ups later than 5 minutes after site closing time, a fee of $1 per minute per child will be charged. Please call and/or email your OST Site Supervisor to notify them of a late pick-up. Repeated late pick-ups may result in the child’s dismissal from the program.

Currently, OST is available full-time or on a drop-in basis. There is currently no part-time option available.

The YMCA follows the Colorado Department of Human Services guidelines for the State of Colorado. YMCA OST has a 1:15 staff-to-child ratio. 

* Prices differ for Aurora Public Schools and Montessori Del Mundo. Afterschool care is free of charge for Glendale residents (zip code: 80246) at Glendale Branch YMCA.  

** Available at select sites 

Deposit
A non-refundable, non-transferrable deposit of $25 is required for full-time OST registration. A deposit will be issued for registrations made between April 1 and August 1. No deposit is required after August 1. The deposit will be deducted from your first month’s payment for OST. 

Payment Due Dates:

• Full-time Care: 15th of month prior to care
• Drop-in Care: At point of sale, by two weeks before care date  
• Early/Late Release and Full-Day Out: At point of sale, by four days before care date  

Yes. When all OST full-time care spots are filled, you can register for the waitlist. All program spots, including the waitlist, are first-come, first-served. There is no waitlist for drop-in care.

Registration Tip: During times of heavy traffic on the registration website, sometimes there appear to be spots available, but you are put on the waitlist. If you experience this, complete the waitlist registration and you will be notified if a spot is available for you. 

Yes! Member pricing and early registration for OST is available with the following membership types:

• Y-Premium Couple
• Y-Premium Household
• Y Your Way

The child being enrolled in OST must be on the member account. Y-Starter and Virtual Y memberships are not eligible for the member rate on OST.

Yes. Current, full-time YMCA of Metro Denver staff members are eligible for the staff discount of 50% off the member price for OST for eligible dependents. Eligible staff will receive an email from HR the week of April 8 with the discount code to use in online OST registration.

If you believe you qualify for this discount but did not receive an email with the coupon code, please contact Sandy McClain in Human Resources. 

Yes, teachers and school faculty receive a 50% discount on YMCA OST. The teacher or faculty member must physically work at the OST location where they wish to enroll their dependent. For a teacher discount, contact us to request a promo code to use in online OST registration. 

Not at this time.

Through the generosity of our donors, the YMCA is able to offer a limited number of scholarships for OST. Applications are considered in the order they are received.

Apply for a YMCA scholarship.

OST scholarships must be applied for separately from membership scholarships and are valid only for the school year you apply for. After you apply, check your email (including your Spam folder) for updates on your scholarship status. Once you have received a scholarship, you may register online for OST. 

You may be eligible to apply for benefits from the Colorado Childcare Assistance Program (CCCAP). Apply through the human services department in the County where you reside.  

• Colorado Child Care Assistance Program  
• Denver Child Care Assistance Program  
• Arapahoe County Child Care Assistance Program  
• Jefferson County Colorado  
• Clear Creek County  
• Douglas County (Colorado PEAK)  

Once you have applied for CCCAP:  

1. Confirm your family’s CCCAP acceptance for the applicable school year.
2. Find a CCCAP OST location that works for you.
3. Contact us to process your OST request. We will help you create a YMCA account, which you need to do before you can register for OST. We encourage you to contact us as soon as possible, so you can register immediately on your eligible date to register.

IMPORTANT: Enrollment in CCCAP OST depends on your family’s approval and verification of your acceptance in CCCAP for the applicable school year and capacity at the OST location. Without CCCAP authorization, you are responsible for the monthly balance to retain your child’s reserved spot.

Families accessing CCCAP benefits must notify site supervisors if they need to cancel or miss scheduled care. CCCAP families with excessive absences will be dropped from the program to open spaces to other families.

Find more CCCAP information.     

Opt back in to receive YMCA emails. Welcome back! 

After making a payment, you may download your receipt(s) from your YMCA account at any time. YMCA of Metropolitan Denver child care payments may be a tax deduction. Starting in January, you may download tax statements for the previous year from your YMCA account.

YMCA of Metro Denver Tax ID: 84-0402696 

Complete this online form to submit notice of your child’s OST withdrawal 30 days in advance to avoid being charged for the following session. Any outstanding balance must be paid at the time of withdrawal.  

Refunds for cancellations and withdrawals are subject to a 2% processing fee.

See the YMCA of Metro Denver program cancellation and refund policy.