Frequently Asked Questions

NECOOP is a parent cooperative, which means that it is a volunteer, parent-run, education organization that promotes children, parents and teachers learning together. We are a nonprofit organization, and every co-op member is a volunteer involved in the operation of the school.

A big difference between a cooperative preschool and a traditional preschool is that the parents are more actively involved at a co-op. You get to assist the teachers in the classroom on a rotating basis and share the preschool experience with your child.

Typical days vary based on the class, but each day has free play (many gross motor, fine motor, and sensory activities available), circle time (story, listening, group interaction), snack time (provided by participating parent), and outdoor play time (unless prevented by inclement weather).

The maximum child:adult ratio that we use is based on ICPC’s standards and varies depending on the age of the children. We always have at least 2 adults for each class (1 teacher and at least 1 parent participant). Additional parent participants depend on the class size and maximum child:adult ratio.

• Tadpoles (2-3yo): no more than 4 kids : 1 adult
• Polliwogs (3-4yo): no more than 5 kids : 1 adult
• Frogs (4-5yo): no more than 6 kids : 1 adult
• Kindergarten (5-6yo): no more than 10 kids : 1 adult

Families participate on a rotating basis, so the exact frequency depends on the required child/adult ratio, class size, and how many days a week the class meets. However, it generally works out to be once or twice a month.

NECOOP is a family commitment, and does require more parent / caregiver involvement than a typical preschool. However, it is possible for it to work for most family situations. Each family is required to:

• Participate in the classroom on a rotating basis, which generally works out to be once or twice a month (participating caregiver is not required to be a parent).
• Fulfill a job within the cooperative – some jobs are more time-intensive and hands-on, but there are some jobs available that can be done remotely or are once-a-year type jobs.
• Participate in a few school cleaning events throughout the year

For more detailed information, please visit the participation page.

It is still possible to be a part of NECOOP! NECOOP is a wonderful community, full of families just like yours! Some families with young children will trade off babysitting duties during participation days.

For full or part-time workers, we may be able to work around your schedule, and if not, some parents will use personal time to participate. Keep in mind that the participant is not required to be a parent. Some families have a grandparent, a nanny, or another family member take on the “participating caregiver” role. You can even do a combination of these –  multiple people can share the participating caregiver role, though each of them would be held to the same requirements as a typical participant (background check, etc.).

The Class Representative for each class is responsible for making the participation calendar each semester. Personal schedules / preferences are taken into account as much as possible. The participation schedule is then shared among the parents in that class and it is entered into the class’s Band app group.

We use the Band app to keep track of schedules. Each class has their own Band group, which will contain the participation schedule. Parents can easily open it on their phone to see who the participants are for a particular day and app notifications are used as reminders.

We also have a NECOOP group in the Band app, for all families in the school. This contains all of the school events and activities, so that everything is easily accessible in one place.

Situations come up! It is difficult to know all of your conflicts for the semester ahead of time, and we understand that. We are also dealing with young children, and we all know that kids get sick! We have a wonderful community of families, and if something unexpected comes up, the parents work together and are able to switch participating days. Ideally, this is done ahead of time, but it can also be done the morning of class if needed.

New participating parents complete a formal training called Classroom Participation Training (CPT). This is a six-hour professionally-led training program that prepares parents for all aspects of classroom participation. It is generally split into two 3-hr sessions on two evenings in the fall.

All participating caregivers are required to have a background check prior to being allowed to participate in the classroom. All doors on the building are locked on school days, and each family is given a unique passcode that must be used to open the door.

Fort Benjamin Harrison is a state park located on the east side of Indianapolis, near Lawrence (at approximately 56th Street and just east of 465). Forest Days are days that are spent completely at the state park. Kids love these days, as they are able to learn and play outside all day, completely immersed in nature!