U-M Children's Centers Waitlist Frequently Asked Questions

Do U-M faculty, staff and students have priority for enrollment?

Yes, wait list applications are prioritized in the following order:

1. Siblings of currently enrolled children*

2. Children of current U-M faculty, staff and students**

3. Children of non-affiliated families from the community

*This means that many infant spaces are filled with new babies of families who already have a child enrolled with us.

**Michigan Medicine, Medical School and School of Nursing affiliates have higher priority at the Health System Children’s Center.

***The Children's Centers have a partnership with the Colleges of LSA and Engineering to expand infant care capacity to faculty and staff affiliated with those two schools. Read more about the agreement.

How do you determine my child’s place on the wait list?

When a space becomes available a child’s place on the wait list is determined by:

1. age-eligibility for the class
2. current U-M affiliation 
3. date of wait list application

How will I know when a space is available for my child?

When a space is available and we are at your child’s name on the wait list, we will email you to determine your interest in the particular opening. You will be given an opportunity to visit the center to speak with the director and visit the classroom to see if the available space and center fulfills your family’s needs.

When are openings generally available?

Many children are enrolled at the beginning of the academic year. However, openings can occur throughout the school year.

What happens if I’m not ready to accept a space when it is offered to me?

If you decline an enrollment offer, you may choose to remain on the wait list and your application date will not change.

Why are there fewer infant and toddler spaces than preschool spaces?

State of Michigan licensing rules limit class size of each age group. Infant and toddler classes are limited to 12 or fewer children while preschool classrooms range between 16 and 24, depending on the age range of the children and the size of the classroom. We have 13 infant-toddler classrooms and 16 preschool classrooms, and space for just 44 infants and 85 toddlers, versus 277 preschoolers.

Where can I find care while I wait for an enrollment opportunity at one of the U-M Children’s Centers?

U-M Child and Family Care provides child care resources to help you in your search for child care.

What if I have questions after submitting my wait list application?

After submitting your wait list application you will receive an email notification with a link to your wait list "ticket." When you have a question, click on the link to your ticket then click on the "Comment" button at the top of the feed. Enter your question in the text box and click save. Your wait list ticket will remain open and you can continue to ask questions there until your child is enrolled, you choose to remove your child from the wait list or your child ages out of our programs.