Our Enrollment Process: Frequently Asked Questions

The Cyert Center recommends applying for a space as soon as the need arises. For those hoping to enroll infants, it is acceptable to submit the application when it has been confirmed that a family is expecting. Families beginning the adoption process are also welcome to apply. Prompt application ensures that your family remains active on the applicant list for consideration throughout the year, and receives the highest possible priority when a space becomes available.

If you have a specific timeframe in mind for enrolling your child, you may share this information with the Cyert Center Enrollment Team (Enrollment Team) once your application and fee have been received, and your preference will be noted. Please keep in mind, however, that this does not guarantee an enrollment offer can be made within your desired timeframe.

Enrollment offers are determined according to the Cyert Center’s Application and Enrollment Policy and the date each complete application is received.

Our primary enrollment period takes place in early spring; this is when the majority of offers for an upcoming program year, beginning in August, are extended to families on the applicant list. The number of available spaces varies each year and depends on how many currently enrolled families choose to re-enroll. The Enrollment Team begins extending offers to families on the applicant list once our annual re-enrollment process is complete. 

Most new children join the program at the start of the year in August; however, mid-year openings do occasionally occur. When they do, families on the applicant list are contacted in accordance with the Cyert Center’s Application and Enrollment Policy, beginning with the next eligible family for the age group with the opening.

If you are not ready to enroll when an offer is extended, please let us know whether you would like to decline the offer and be removed from the applicant list, or defer your application to be considered at a later date.

Please note that families may defer enrollment once while still maintaining their original place on the applicant list. If an enrollment offer is made at a later date and you choose not to enroll a second time, your application will be removed from the applicant list. You will then need to submit a new application and application fee to be considered for future enrollment opportunities. This policy ensures that the applicant list remains accurate and that enrollment opportunities are offered fairly to families who are ready to accept a placement. More information can be found on the Enrollment Deferral/Declination Policy in the Cyert Center’s Application and Enrollment Policy document.

Families who defer an initial offer retain their original place on the applicant list; however, a second offer can only be made if an appropriate space becomes available. Because availability varies, we cannot predict or guarantee when a second enrollment opportunity may arise, regardless of the reason for, or timing of, the initial deferral.

The Cyert Center operates as a single, unified program across two locations: one on campus (Morewood Avenue), and the other just two and a half miles away in the Bakery Square area (Penn Avenue). Though the settings differ, both locations share the same philosophy, curriculum, and food program offerings– ensuring a consistent, high-quality experience for all children and families. Our Morewood Avenue location has six classrooms, and our Penn Avenue location has 13 classrooms. Each location serves children aged three months to five years of age. Our Prek/Kindergarten program, serving children aged four years, six months to six years of age, is offered only at our Morewood Avenue location. 

Families are welcome to share their site preference with our Enrollment Team after they have completed the application process. However, the Cyert Center maintains a single applicant list for both locations, and enrollment offers are based on availability and your family’s position on that list. Because of this, offers may be extended for either site.

Enrolled families may share their location preference with the Enrollment Team by emailing ccee-info@andrew.cmu.edu. While every effort will be made to accommodate requests, any change ultimately depends on available space and staffing. If a transition can be accommodated, you will be notified during the enrollment period for the upcoming program year, typically in early spring. Please note that location transitions occur only at the start of the program year in August.

At the Cyert Center, classrooms are organized by six primary age groups: Infants, Young Toddlers, Older Toddlers, Preschool, Prekindergarten, and Prek/Kindergarten. Each child’s placement is determined by their age at the start of the program year, as shown in the chart below. 

At our Morewood Avenue location, there is one classroom for each age group. At our Penn Avenue location, there are multiple classrooms for each age group. For example, enrolling infants may be placed in Infant A, Infant B, or Infant C. 

Children remain in the same classroom for the full program year and transition to the next age group each August. Monthly tuition rates are determined by age group and stay the same throughout the program year.

No. Children remain in their classroom until the annual transition in August. This practice helps maintain a consistent age range and group of peers, fostering familiarity and strong, trusting relationships for both children and families. The transition between classrooms happens at the start of each program year to ensure smooth, planned changes.

The Prek/Kindergarten classroom at the Cyert Center is licensed by both the Department of Human Services and the Department of Education. Because of this dual licensing, the classroom functions partially as a state-licensed Kindergarten and includes curriculum elements aligned with Pennsylvania Kindergarten learning standards.

Our Prekindergarten classrooms also serve children ages 4–5 years old and provide rich, developmentally appropriate learning experiences that support each child’s growing independence, curiosity, and readiness for school. The Prek/Kindergarten classroom builds on these foundations, offering a slightly more structured environment with increased focus on early literacy, mathematical thinking, and other skills that help ease the transition into elementary school.

No. Tuition is tied to classroom placement for the program year, not to individual birthdays. Rates remain the same until the next program year begins.

Yes. Three-day and two-day enrollment options are available in the Young Toddler, Older Toddler, Preschool, Prekindergarten, and Prek/Kindergarten classrooms. We do not offer half-day enrollment options.

Part-time spaces are not available in the Cyert Center infant classrooms primarily due to limited physical space and the need for dedicated cribs, which cannot be shared between children due to Pennsylvania Department of Human Services health and safety regulations. Licensing and regulatory requirements, such as strict capacity limits and sanitation protocols, further restrict flexibility in scheduling part-time infant care in our program.

Requests to adjust enrollment status may be submitted to the Enrollment Team at ccee-info@andrew.cmu.edu. Approved changes take effect at either the beginning of the program year in August or in the first week of January, when families return from winter break. Families experiencing a qualifying life event or family status change may be considered for an exception to this schedule.