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NYU Family Care works to support you as you navigate the admissions process with individual counseling, educational programs, and other resources.

Child Care for children 5 years of age and younger

There are numerous child care programs within a 10 block radius of Washington Square Park. Full-time and part-time care options are available, with longer days more typically available for children beginning at age 2 years 9 months. Many of the child care programs in the Greenwich Village area operate on the school year calendar. The majority of families applied for September 2012 admission during Fall 2011 and registered during early Spring 2012. But don’t worry, there may still be spaces to be found.

  • Contact NYU Family Care (212-998-9085 or family.care@nyu.edu ) to explore family child care homes available through the NYU/University Settlement Family Child Care Program and other child care options in the area.
  • Contact Carebridge Life Resources, NYU’s child and adult care consultation and referral program, toll-free, 24/7 at 800-437-0911 for assistance locating programs with vacancies or hiring an in-home care provider.
  • Visit child care programs in the area and place your name on waitlists.
  • Consider a short commute from your home community to locate additional resources.
  • Recruit and hire an in-home care provider on your own: network with neighbors and friends, place an advertisement in local community newspapers, or post a flyer on local bulletin boards.
  • List your babysitting position on-line with the NYU Babysitting Registry for active NYU students and with the NYU’s Wasserman Center for Career Development for all active students and alumni.
  • For more information on child care options in the area, contact 212-998-9085 or family.care@nyu.edu .

Child Care for school-age children

Many public schools offer before-school, after-school and extended day programs to families enrolled at the public school. When you register your child at school, ask the school about after-school programs at the school or those which are frequented by other families.

Other ways to identify care for out-of-school time:

Public Elementary (PreK-5th grade) and Middle Schools (6-8th grade)

Eligibility

All NYC residents are eligible for free public school services for their children beginning at 4 years of age. Eligibility for public school is determined by the child’s birth date and place of residence. The birth date cutoff is December 31 of the year the child enrolls. Therefore, if you are seeking prekindergarten admission for your child in September 2012, s/he must be 4 years of age by December 31, 2012; likewise, if you are seeking kindergarten admission for your child in September 2012, s/he must be 5 years of age by December 31, 2012.

General Information

Pre-Kindergarten
NYC public schools provide a part day or full day program option. Some schools also offer school-day Pre-K programs. For a list of school programs, see the NYC Department of Education

Kindergarten
In NYC, kindergarten is a full school day (8:40-3:00) program.

  • Kindergarten is not mandatory in NYC. Therefore, depending upon the child’s individual needs, some families choose to continue to provide care for their children at home, in family child care, or in an early childhood program rather than register them in a public school. If you are interested in exploring this option, contact Carebridge, NYU’s employee assistance program (800-8437-0911) to learn about options in your community.
  • All children must enroll in school by the 1st Grade or receive approval to be home-schooled. If you are interested in teaching your child at home, contact William Harrington, Director, Department of Education Central Office of Home Schooling (917-339-1748 or wharrin@schools.nyc.gov ). More information about homeschooling, is available at
    http://schools.nyc.gov/StudentSupport/GuidanceandCounseling/HomeSchooling/default.htm

Public School Placement and Registration

  • Children are assigned to elementary and middle schools based on their home address. Students are guaranteed a seat in this school, referred to as the “zoned school.” Community registration in zoned schools is usually held during the Spring of the year before enrollment and continues throughout the school year. Registration resumes shortly before the start of the school year and continues throughout the year. You can determine your zoned school on the Department of Education website .
  • Families living in the NYU faculty housing are zoned for schools in District 2. District 2 is one the largest and strongest of the school districts in New York City. Each of the zoned schools are highly regarded and ranked among the top schools. In addition, you will find the children of many NYU families enrolled in each.

Elementary School: Individuals residing in the Washington Square Village neighborhood and 15th Street are zoned for and, if space is available, are able to choose from two elementary schools:

  • PS 3 : 490 Hudson Street, 212-691-1183
  • PS 41 : 116 West 11th Street, 212-675-2756)

Middle School: Families with children in grades 6-8 living in Washington Square Village and West 15th Street are zoned for the same middle school:

  • MS 104 : 330 East 21st Street [between First and Second Avenue], 212-674-4545

To determine the zoned school for your address, visit the NYC Department of Education or contact 311.

Registration

As a new NYC resident you may register your elementary and middle school-age child beginning the week before school begins. Registration hours are typically in the morning however it is recommended that you call the school first (see above) to confirm their availability and registration process.

To register your child for school, your child needs to accompany you, and you must bring:

  • Your child’s birth certificate, passport, or baptismal certificate
  • Proof of address may be verified by a utility bill (gas, electric, or water) or a deed to a house. Other proofs of address are medical or insurance cards, a statement that verifies the address from an employer. A telephone bill or driver’s license are not acceptable proofs of address. A lease by itself is not acceptable.
  • If you are subletting an apartment or home, or if more than one family shares a living space, you must present an affidavit from the leaseholder or homeowner and attach any of the above acceptable proofs of address, i.e. lease, deed, utility bill.
  • Your child’s immunization history (for more details see the NYC Department of Health factsheet )
  • Your child’s latest transcript or report card

Finally, if your child requires special education services, please bring the most recent copy of his or her Individual Education Plan (IEP), if available.

For more information, visit Inside Schools to learn more about the NYC public school system and read profiles on each school. NYU resources are also available to assist you
by phone, 212-998-9085 or email, family.care@nyu.edu

Transportation to and from School

Depending upon the distance from your residence to your zoned school your child may have access to transportation to and from school on a free public school bus, or may be provided with a New York City subsidized Metro Card. Be sure to ask about public school transportation options when you register. Contact the Department of Education for more details.

Public High School (9th – 12th grade)

All students entering high school who are new to New York City will be assigned to a high school at the Student Registration Center during the period of August 28 through September 14.

The Centers are open Monday through Friday during the hours of 8 a.m.-3 p.m. (Please note that the Centers are closed on Labor Day, Monday, September 3).

Students, accompanied by their parent/legal guardian, must go to one of the specially established High School Enrollment Center to meet with a High School Admissions counselor to identify school placement options. Families living in downtown Manhattan are instructed to go to the High School of Fashion Industries, 225 West 24th Street.

Additional locations are available throughout the five boroughs. Be sure to bring the documents identified above or you will be turned away and told to return once you have them in
hand.

In addition to school placement, be sure to ask about public school transportation options when you register. Transportation subsidies may be provided, upon request, to high school students; eligibility is determined by the distance between your residence and the high school your child will attend. See the Department of Education for more details.

Each year, there are a handful of seats available in the NYC Specialized High Schools. Students entering 9th and 10th grade who moved to NYC after November 1st and are seeking admission must register with the Borough Enrollment Office for the examination by August 24, 2012. The SHSAT examination will be held on August 29, 2012; auditions for LaGuardia will be held on September 1, 2012.

For more information about high school options in NYC, visit the NYC Department of Education or Inside Schools , a website which includes information about the NYC public school system and profiles on each school.

NYU resources are also available to assist you by phone, 212-998-9085 or email, family.care@nyu.edu .

Private Independent School

There are more than eight private independent schools in close proximity to the NYU neighborhood; many others are a short and easy commute from the University. Private school applications take place during the Fall of the year before admission is desired and admission decisions are made in the late Winter.

On rare occasions it is still possible to find a seat in a private school at the end of August/beginning of September. Therefore, if you have your heart set on exploring private school for this Fall, it may be worthwhile to place calls directly to the individual schools you are interested in enrolling. Alternatively, the Parents League of NY maintains a list of schools with vacancies that it makes available to its members.

For assistance with gaining access to private schools, information about the admission process and resources to help you identify private independent schools in New York City, contact 212-998-9085 or family.care@nyu.edu .

Sports Leagues and Other Fitness Resources

Supporting your child’s physical development is as important as taking care of your child’s intellectual development. Team sports, sports leagues and other organizations for youth are available in New York City as elsewhere. City-raised children in particular benefit from participation in classes and fitness programs. As always, other families with young children are the best resource. To help you get started, a sampling of resources follows:

New York University - Coles Sports and Recreation

A state-of the art sports and recreation center provides classes for individuals of all ages. View their program guide of recreational activities for more information.

Local Community Resources for a Variety of Sports and Physical Activities

New York City Parks and Recreation

The parks throughout NYC offer a wide range of activities for young and old alike. Use this site to
locate your special areas of interest(s). You can also access information about the three recreation
centers closest to Washington Square Village:

Asser Levy Rec Center
392 Asser Levy Pl.
at East 23rd St.
(212) 447-2020

Tony Dapolito Rec Center
(formerly Carmine Rec Cntr)
1 Clarkson @ 7 Ave. So.
(212) 242-5228

Chelsea Rec Center
430 West 25 Street
(btwn 9 & 10 Aves.)
(212) 255-3705

Baseball

Soccer

Music Programs

New York City is a center for the arts. There are an abundance of programs for adults and children from which to choose. If you or your child is interested in music lessons for voice or instrument, two conveniently located local music schools can provide individual and group instruction:

Pediatricians

Selecting a physician (pediatrician and other) is a very personal process. It can however be especially challenging when you are in the midst of a move to a new City or geographic region and are making a selection for a new health insurance program.

To help you get established in NYC below is a list of ideas to help you identify a pediatrician (and other physicians) as well as the names of a selection of pediatricians utilized by faculty and other community members.

  1. Seek a referral from your current physician.
  2. Ask colleagues at your workplace for their recommendations on this and other issues.
  3. Utilize the Physician Referral Service offered by the NYU Medical Center or speak with a referral specialist by phone (888-769-8633).
    If you decide to use the on-line search mechanism make certain that you are in the "Basic Search Mode," then choose your Medical Specialty (Pediatrics) and enter the zip code for your home address. You can also screen further by specifying which medical plan you will use. There are a fair number of doctors who specialize in "General Pediatrics."
  4. If you have selected a medical plan search for doctors using their site specific search engine.
  5. Review the information provided by New York Magazine in their annual Best Doctors issue , 2007 edition

The following are the names of some pediatricians or pediatric group practices that are commonly used by a number of faculty and others in the Washington Square community:

LaGuardia Pediatrics
Vicki Papadeus, M.D.
505 LaGuardia Place
(between Bleecker & Houston)
212-505-0222

SOHO Pediatric Group
568 Broadway, Suite 205
New York, New York 10012
212-334-3366

Tribeca Pediatrics
Jana DeHovitz, M.D.
Andrea Berne, Nurse Practitioner
22 Harrison St. (Greenwich & Hudson)
212-226-7666

Paula Prezioso, M.D.
Eastbridge Landing, 3
317 East 34 Street
212-725-6300

NYU Family Care Resources

This information is brought to you by NYU Office of Faculty Housing and NYU Human Resources-Employee Relations. We provide and connect you with programs and resources to support you and your family with your work/family balance. If you need additional information or are looking for answers to your specific questions, please contact us by phone, 212-998-9085 or email, family.care@nyu.edu .