The Animal Behavior Society offers grants to enable families with children to bring a care-giver to the meeting or to pay a care-giver to remain at home with the children. Alternatively, the following options are available from local childcare providers. Society grants may be available to assist with the cost of local childcare. Please check here for information.
We have identified two well established local child care providers who are willing to take children of ABS participants as 'short timers' during the meeting as a community service. Both Country Day School and Columbia Montessori School will be open on Sunday 7/31, for the offspring of the meeting participants. The daily rates largely reflect their normal weekly/monthly rates pro-rated for four days. Both schools are long in business and well respected in the community. The children of several members of the organizing committee are alumni of one or both of them. Feel free to contact us for references or if you have questions.
In addition, an hourly child care service (Sitter Getter) is available in Columbia.
The Columbia Montessori School will provide care for 2 - 6 year olds at its facility located at 3 Anderson Avenue, about 2.5 miles from campus. Columbia Montessori School is a licensed childcare facility that has been in operation since 1967. They have offered to care for children of conference attendees on Sunday through Wednesday, from 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM. On Monday through Wednesday, the children will be integrated with local preschoolers attending the facility. Lunches and snacks will be provided. The cost of attendance is $50 per day. Evening care for an additional fee may be available if there is sufficient interest from parents.
A (very) limited number of spots for 0-2 year olds may be available during the meeting. Please inquire.
Columbia Montessori School will require pre-registration to complete the necessary paperwork. See below for registration information and the note regarding transportation.
Country Day School is a licensed summer day-camp for 6-12 year olds located in the countryside, approximately 5 miles from campus. Children rotate through a series of activities within same-age groups. Activities include the standard summer camp fare: swimming, fishing, crafts, group games and sports, as well as quiet time for reading. No electronics are allowed. Your children are guaranteed to sleep well (and to need a bath!) after a day at Country Day. The camp promotes respectful behavior among campers and includes an emphasis on environmental education; the local middle schools use the facility for overnight science camps in the fall. The camp has been in operation under the same director since 1985. Many of the counselors are local schoolteachers. Country Day is open from 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM. Snacks are provided, but campers bring their own lunch. The cost of attendance is $50 per day. Country Day School will require pre-registration to complete the required paperwork. See below for registration information and the note regarding transportation.
Country Day School is still 'old school' in publicity (i.e. it has not website) and advertises exclusively through word of mouth. However, an unofficial Facebook page gives you an impression of the setting.
Transportation. Transportation between campus and both Columbia Montessori School and Country Day School will be the responsibility of the parents. The conference hosts will be happy to facilitate car-pooling among families using the same childcare options (and help with organizing lunches for kid attending CDS). We encourage families traveling by air to the meeting to rent a car for their stay in Columbia rather than using the airport shuttle service; car rental is likely to be more economical than purchasing shuttle service for an entire family, and it will allow flexibility in transporting children to childcare sites.
Registration and payment. Registration and payment for childcare will be made directly to the childcare facilities and will represent a private contract between parents and providers, fully independent of ABS. Attendees interested in reserving childcare should contact the local hosts with the ages of the children and the dates for which care is required. You will be put in contact with the childcare providers to finalize the arrangements. The deadline to reserve childcare is 6/30/2016.
Sitter Getter
On-call child care services are offered by Sitter Getter. This company sends child care providers to homes and hotels. Child care can be booked in advance as needed. Please contact the company directly to organize your child care needs.