FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do I pay my invoice?

M & M provides secure and convenient online payment methods, through your Brightwheel account. Not only can clients pay fees online, clients can also view past charges AND payment history, pay multiple invoices at a time, save payment methods, setup automatic recurring payments, and even view year-end payment reports for tax or flex-pay reporting purposes! There are no fees to pay when using a bank draft (M&M covers that cost). A convenience fee is added for clients who wish to pay using a credit or debit card.

What if I do not want to pay online?

We may accept checks or money orders at the school sites for emergency issues. In some extenuating circumstances, cash might be accepted, but it is not our preferred method. Please make sure you receive a receipt for any cash payments that you may make – DO NOT leave cash without getting a receipt.

But ultimately, electronic payments are the requred method of payment. We utilize a secure payment processing provider.

Can I pay my bill with a credit card?

Yes, we do accept credit card payments. A service fee is added to all credit and debit card payments. Payments from valid bank accounts are free.

When are weekly invoices sent out?

Weekly invoices are posted on Fridays prior to the week of service coming up (due the following Monday).

When are weekly invoices due?

Payments are due on MONDAYS for the week of service in ADVANCE. Any accounts with a balance as of 8:00am, Wednesday morning are subject to a $5 late fee. You will receive a reminder email either Wednesday or Thursday if your account is not paid. Any account two or more weeks overdue are subject to suspension from the M & M program.

Why did I receive a suspension notice?

If at any time your account is two or more weeks past due you may receive a suspension notice. If an account continues to be unpaid you may be removed from the M & M program. Please call us immediately if you need to make payment arrangements or have extenuating circumstances that have prevented you from paying your weekly fees.

WhAT HAPPENS IF WE ARE SUSPENDED DUE TO NON-PAYMENT?

Clients 2 Weeks or more past due shall be suspended from utilizing services until full payment is made. Billing is also suspended. In addition, clients will be required to pay a $25 per student reinstatement fee to return to care, depending on space availability.

When are invoices sent out for Drop-In clients?

Drop-In charges are billed only a few times a week (after services are rendered) and are due upon receipt. You are responsible to pay these invoices when you receive them and may always pay in advance if you know you will be using the service ahead of time. (You will need to call the office 734-506-8239 to make a payment without an invoice).

Can I be billed monthly?

M & M offers weekly billing only. Families wishing to pay bi-weekly or monthly can overpay their bills. As each week's invoice is created, any credit remaining will automatically apply. Regardless of payment schedule preference, ALL invoices must be paid before services are rendered. Alternatively, clients may set-up auto pay on Brightwheel and payments will be deducted automatically on the invoice due date from your selected payment method.

What if my child will be absent?

Please send a message through your Brightwheel App and let us know your child will be absent (send one for each child, as classroom Enrichment Specialists cannot view messages for students in other classrooms), if he/she is normally scheduled on that day.

How do I request Drop-In Services for Drop-In Clients or Additional Days for Contracted Clients?

Please send a Brightwheel message to your M&M Site Leader and let us know you will need care for the day (through each child's account). We will reply to let you know whether or not your student (s) may attend on that day.

Are invoices adjusted when school is closed?

M & M does NOT adjust invoices for snow days, school holidays, emergency or unexpected closures or in-service days. The only times you are not required to pay your regular weekly fees are the two weeks of Christmas Vacation and the one week of Spring Vacation. Normal weekly fees are due at all other times. 

How do I notify you of a vacation or extended illness?

If your student will be absent from M & M care for an extended period of time due to illness (more than 5 days) or vacation (minimum one calendar week M-F), you must use the schedule change form to notify us. A vacation fee of 50% or $20 (whichever is less) per week is due during your vacation instead of your weekly invoice fees. This is considered a schedule change and a one week notice is required (advance notice is waived for extended illness).

what if my child is suspended from school?

If your student will be absent from M & M care for an extended period of time due to student suspension (more than 5 days), you must use the schedule change form to notify us. A "vacation" fee of 50% or $20 (whichever is less) per week is due during the suspension period instead of your weekly invoice fees. Since this event cannot be predicted, like an extended illness, the regular one-week vacation notice will not be required.

Invoices are not adjusted for suspensions of less than 5 days.

Why do I have to pay when the school is not open?

When we determine our prices, we create a budget that spans the school year, then divide the costs into a weekly amount. This allows parents to plan and budget as well. Among the operating costs that remain even when school is closed, are payroll costs, which naturally are the highest percentage of our expenses. Employees earn paid holidays and time-off for jobs well done. In order to budget and plan accordingly, our system is set-up so that these costs are paid within the weekly contracted rates, which are discounted from the daily drop-in rates. You will notice that drop-in services are significantly higher. Clients who do not wish to pay for “days off” may select drop-in and pay only when services are used. However, drop-in clients are not guaranteed a spot and may in the end pay more per year since the rate is significantly higher.

If my child does not attend on their regularly scheduled day do I still pay?

Yes. We do not adjust invoices when your child does not attend. Please contact us if there is an extended illness or extenuating circumstance that had prevented your student from attending aftercare services. If you need to make a schedule change or take a vacation, please submit a Schedule Change Request. A one-week advance notice is required to reduce a schedule (including vacation request) or remove a child from the program.

How do I change my schedule?

You must notify us using a schedule change form, at least one week in advance, when you would like to change your schedule. The first schedule change is free. For each additional schedule change you will be billed a $10 service fee.

Do I need to use a schedule change form for a one-time schedule change?

No. If you would like to switch a contracted day for another day of the week you can simply send a message through your Brightwheel app . Contracted clients may also utilize additional before or aftercare days as long as there is space available on the requested day. Additional days are billed at the daily contracted rate.

HOW DO I REMOVE MY CHILD(REN) FROM THE AFTERCARE PROGRAM?

We require a one-week notice for withdrawal from the M & M program. You must use the schedule change form to notify us of your withdrawal. If you are remaining at the school, you will be converted from a weekly client to a drop-in client, so you may use the program as-needed in the future. If your child will no longer be at the school, let us know and we will remove you from the system. If you continue to receive emails and reminders, please let us know and we’ll remove you from our lists (most message groups will also contain a link where you may remove yourself from future communication).

How do I register for M&M services?

You will need to visit the registration page of our website and complete the registration form and all required documents. Please allow up to ONE WEEK for us to process your registration materials during the summer. During the school year, we can usually process new clients within 24 hours (on business days). Clients are required to complete new forms EVERY school year.

What is the cost of registration?

There is a non-refundable registration fee of $45 for the first student and $25 per each additional sibling you are registering. Your registration is not complete until you have paid these fees.

What does the Registration Fee cover?

Each School Year, we are required by licensing, to update all client records, provide continuing education (24 hours per year) for all our specialists, perform background checks on all new hires and provide CPR/First Aid and BBP training for employees. In addition, we replenish our supplies, such as arts/crafts, homework tools, games, balls and much more, at the beginning of each school year. Furthermore, the administration team is busy at work throughout the summer, answering questions, processing the forms, checking for errors, setting-up the classroom sign-in sheets, interviewing and training new hires, as well as updating billing and communication systems. The registration fee makes a small dent in the costs associated with all of these annual expenses.

What are your weekly fees?

Please see the rate card on our Services Page. Contracted clients enjoy a slightly lower rate for daily services, a discounted rate for using weekly services and an even greater discount when electing to use full week before and aftercare. Contracted clients pay the same weekly fee every week, regardless of attendance. Drop-In clients pay a significantly higher daily rate but only pay when they attend and are NOT guaranteed a space.

Does M & M accept DHS assistance?

Yes. You must make sure you fill out all required DHS paperwork and turn it in to your caseworker for approval. Registration and full weekly fees are required to be paid by the client until we receive approval or childcare assistance for your case from the DHS office. Once we receive approval we will notify you of your expected weekly payment contribution.

Is snack provided?

At M & M we provide a light breakfast, such as pop tarts, oatmeal or cereal during morning care and a snack during after care. A snack menu is posted monthly so you will know what we are serving in advance each month. If there is a snack you do not want your student to eat or they do not like, please send them with an alternate snack for the day. While we try to have relatively healthy snacks, we are limited on what we are able to serve and we do serve cookies and chips occasionally.

How do I find out important information or about upcoming events?

Each school site has its own web page within our M & M website. A newsletter is posted on the website monthly and also sent via Brightwheel messaging.

Who do I contact if I have any issues?

Please visit our Contacts page for more information. Your student(s) classroom teacher and the site leader can view all messages sent through the Brightwheel app. If your message is sensitive in nature, and you wish the message to be viewed only by the program administrator, please send an email to mmextracare@gmail.com.

What are the hours of operation? Is there a late fee?

M&M is open for before care at 6:30 am and closes at 6:00 pm. Please do not drop your student off before our opening time or pick them up after the closing time. If you are running late, please notify us by messaging us in the Brightwheel app. You are subject to a $5 per 15 minute (or any portion thereof) late fee and the fee is due upon pick up. If you do not have payment it will be invoiced to you and is due immediately upon receipt of the invoice. If a client is repeatedly late the fee will be changed to $1 per minute. If late pickup occurs consistently you may be suspended or removed from the M&M program.

How do I provide feedback?

M&M sends out a yearly survey to our parents. To provide feedback at other times you can visit our tools and payments page and use the Customer Feedback link. You may also email or call us at anytime with your concerns or praise for our staff.

How are M & M Team Members trained?

We employ a diverse group of individuals here at M&M from all different educational backgrounds. Upon hire with M&M we provide an extensive training in the fall and new member orientation to all staff hired. The majority of our staff are CPR and First aid certified. Staff Team Members are required to complete 24 hours of continuing education annually in areas that pertain to children, such as but not limited to child development, strategies for engaging youth and curriculum planning. M&M will recognize two days per school year as professional development days, to correlate with the school's PD calendar.

Do you provide care in the summer?

Yes! M&M does provide care during the summer, with our Summer Camp programming. However, there are weeks in the summer when our program is closed. The schedules for each of our camp programs are available here. Because the school buildings require cleaning and repairs each summer we are limited as to the number of weeks we can provide care. We do not allow for Drop-In services during the summer months.

What type of programming do you provide?

M & M prides itself on providing quality childcare services are each of our locations. While the daily schedules vary from program to program and class to class there are basic elements that will be included in all program schedules. Staff are required to provide snack time, quiet homework time, group games and activities, projects, physical activity and free choice time daily. In addition, we offer themed clubs, such as science club or cooking club on a daily and/or weekly basis.

Is there outdoor play daily?

Yes, dependent upon the weather. M &M provides students with outdoor free play or group games daily when the weather permits. As a general rule as long as the real temperature (air temperature with wind-chill or humidity taken into account) is above 20 degrees and below 94 degrees we will take the students outside. This is the chart we use as a guideline: WeatherWatch

Will my student be in a classroom with their own grade level?

Yes. We try to group students of similar grade and age in the same classroom. Sometimes more than one grade level is in the same classroom because of space availability. Occasionally, with parent approval, we may need to place students in a different classroom due to space availability or behavior concerns.

How do I know if my student is having behavioral issues?

Staff will communicate with you if we are having any behavioral concerns with your student. Staff is required to document serious and repeated behavior issues and will ask you to sign a copy of any incident reports involving your student. You may receive a phone call or be notified at pick up time depending on the severity of the behavior issue. If we have continuous behavioral issues with your student your student will be placed on a behavior plan. M&M may suspend a student immediately for inappropriate physical behavior towards themselves, staff or another student.

Is there a parent handbook?

Yes, there is a parent handbook and most of the information on the FAQ page is contained within the handbook. You will find the handbook by this link.