Children

Information for Students with Children
Schools
Child Care
Activities for Children

Information for Students with Children

Information for Students with Children The University of Michigan's U-M Students with Children web site has detailed information for parents.

Schools

Michigan State Law requires that all children between the ages of six and sixteen attend a public, charter or private school accredited by the State of Michigan. Most children aged five to eighteen attend school. The school year usually begins the last week of August and finishes in the middle of June. Classes are held Monday through Friday. Public schools and charter schools are free for all students.

Public Schools

Ann Arbor Public Schools

Ann Arbor Public Schools Enrollment Information: Enrollment procedures include documents needed to prove residency, appropriate grade levels, and which school your child should attend. Phone: 734.994.2249
Public schools provide free transportation to and from school, if the child lives more than 1.5 miles from school. For Ann Arbor Public Schools, call 734.994.2330 for more information

Outside Ann Arbor: If you live outside of Ann Arbor, your child may need to attend a school in another district. Please refer to Washtenaw Intermediate School District for more information

Charter Schools

Charter schools receive public education funds but operate independently from the local public school systems. As a result, they are not subject to many of the laws that govern the state school system but are organized by rules set forth in their charter. There is no charge to attend. The ArborWeb charter schools has a listing of these schools.

Private Schools

There are many private schools in the Ann Arbor area. Some are independent while others are affiliated with religious organizations. They charge tuition. For a listing of these schools and contact information, check ArborWeb.

Child Care

The University's Work/Life Resource Center

Has information about various kinds of child care available in the Ann Arbor area
Has Child Care Referral Specialists who can meet with you to help you find child care that fits your child’s needs and your family’s schedule. May be able to help you locate child care provider who speaks your language.
Can explain how to check the background of a child care provider and how to make sure that a child care provider or child care center is licensed
Has a checklist of questions to ask about child care programs

U-M Family Helpers is a listing of U-M students who are available for child care and other jobs including housekeeping, errands, tutoring, etc.

There are several child-care centers affiliated with the University.

The Ann Arbor YMCA Child Care Center provides child care services, including after kindergarten and after school child care for children from age 2 through grade 4. Their program includes sports and fitness activities.

Public schools have both before-school and after-school programs for their students available for a fee. Contact your child's school for more information.

Activities for Children

Ann Arbor Area

The Ann Arbor area has many cultural, recreational, musical, and educational opportunities for children of all ages. A few of these opportunities are listed below; for more, see Arborweb's Activities for Kids.

Ann Arbor District Library	Free check-out of books and videos to Ann Arbor residents. Family and baby story-times, child and teen activities. All activities are free. Four locations. The Downtown Library is close to Central Campus and the Traverwood Branch is close to North Campus.
Department of Community Education and Recreation	Arts, crafts, dance, gymnastics, martial arts, music, science, tennis, swimming and more. After-school, evening, and summer classes.
Ann Arbor YMCA	Activities and classes. Swimming, martial arts, yoga, etc.
Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum	Science museum where children can handle the exhibits. Entrance fee.
U-M Museum of Natural History	Great natural history exhibits. Dinosaur skeletons. Free admission.
Cobblestone Farm 2781 Packard Ann Arbor, MI 734.994.2928	City-owned historic farm.

Beyond Ann Arbor

The Metro Detroit and Toledo Areas offer a wide number of attractions for children and families:

Detroit Zoo	125 acres of exhibits and animals, including the world's largest polar bear exhibit. Admission charge.
Toledo Zoo	Located just south of the Ohio border, the Toledo Zoo offers another zoo experience close to the Ann Arbor area.
The Henry Ford	Combination of several different attractions, including Greenfield Village, the Henry Ford Museum, Ford Rouge Factory Tour, and an IMAX Theater. Many historical exhibits. Gets 1.6 million visitors per year. Admission charge for each attraction.
The Detroit Science Center	This large science museum has an IMAX theatre, a planetarium and many hands-on activities for children to enjoy.

Last reviewed: 07/10