Applying for Child Care Services
Application for Services
Families may apply for placement of their child at UH Mānoa Childrenʻs Center once their child is born. An actual birthdate is required. Applications are accepted year-round. Once a completed application and application fee has been received, the child is placed on our waitlist. The child will remain on the waitlist until an offer for enrollment has been accepted, the family requests removal, there has been no response to enrollment offer within the time defined in the offer, or the child has aged beyond program services.
- Click here to complete our Application for Services and be added to our waitlist.
a. Sign into an existing Brightwheel account, or create a new account.
b. Select the +Add a Student option to create a new child profile.
c. Complete the form fields.
d. To complete the form for siblings or multiple children, open the link again and repeat these steps for each child. - Pay the non-refundable application fee of $25.00 with your credit card (not through Brightwheel).
Please see below for payment through our online payment system:
Admissions Process
Children are eligible for admission at the age of 12-months old by July 31 prior to the school
year start. Children are enrolled on a first-come, first-serve basis, depending on availability in the most age-appropriate class.
The UH Board of Regents established UH Mānoa Childrenʻs Center with 75% of our child care spaces to be reserved for UH parenting students, and at least 25% of our child care spaces for
UH faculty and staff. At least one parent/guardian must be affiliated with the University to be
eligible for and maintain enrollment.
Spaces are filled from our waitlist according to the following priority system:
- UH Mānoa undergrad students
- UH community college undergrad students
- UH Mānoa Graduate students
- UH Jabsom students & UH Post-Doc students
- UH Mānoa faculty and staff
- UH Community college faculty and staff
- Greater UH: Public Health, Cancer Center, RCUH, UH Foundation, East-West Center
Offers of Enrollment
Enrollment offers are sent out beginning in late April for the upcoming Fall term starting in August. We run a continuous enrollment process for the current school year, so as openings become available during the school year, we will use the updated waitlist to fill these spaces.
Offers of enrollment are made based on the child care space available. Child care spaces are defined by the age levels addressed in each classroom, the maximum number of spaces available in the classroom that meet licensing and accreditation teacher-to-child ratios, and the number of weekdays not filled.
Child care attendance schedule
We offer full-time enrollment (5-day schedule, Monday through Friday), and two part-time enrollment schedules; a 3-day schedule (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) or 2-day schedule (Tuesday and Thursday) based on standard class schedules. We do not offer a four-day schedule or other alternative part-time schedules.
Child Care Fees
We established a 5-step sliding fee scale structure based on your family size and annual gross income. Each step is based on a percentage above the current federal poverty line. We do this so that families have a more proportional percentage of their income devoted to child care. Child care fees are assessed for the program year and are payable in monthly installments.
Fee Assistance
Families may seek assistance to help with childcare expenses. The types and amount of available assistance varies from year to year. Each program has its own eligibility rules and windows for application. You will need to submit the applications on your own, we cannot submit applications on your behalf. Some programs ask us to verify enrollment and child care fees, but often that request will come to you and we will need to return the verification forms to you so you can submit them.
Hawaii Department of Human Services
The Hawai‘i Department of Human Services (DHS) offers child care subsidies to eligible families
to assist with child care fees. They run two programs, Child Care Subsidies (CCS) and
Preschool Open Doors (POD) using the same application form. Child Care Subsidies is usually
for children under 3-years, but you may apply to it if you have an older child and missed the
POD window. Preschool Open Doors is generally for children 3-years and older. Application
windows and eligibility requirements vary between these programs. DHS contracts with People
Attentive to Children (PATCH) to run the program. More information can be found at
www.patchhawaii.org/programs/preschool-open-doors/.
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Alternative Care Options
As we may not be able to accommodate your child when you first are in need of childcare, we encourage you to visit PATCH as a great resource and explore other Preschools in the UH Area and beyond.