Transportation between School and a Child Care Location
Section 3635(1)(e) of Education Law authorizes a board of education, at its discretion, to provide transportation between school and a child care location, for children in grades K-8.
Such transportation may be provided only for children attending public or nonpublic schools located within the school district.
A child care location shall mean a place situated within the school district, other than the child's home, where care for less than 24 hours a day is provided on a regular basis. This definition includes, but is not limited to, a variety of child care services such as day care centers and in-home care by relatives and non-relatives.
Children are eligible for such transportation when the distance between the child care location and school exceeds the district's eligibility distance for transportation between home and school. Consequently, a child may be eligible for transportation to or from a child care location even though not eligible for transportation to or from a school.
The district may restrict such transportation to child care locations within the attendance zone of the school the child attends, except where the child care program is licensed or registered pursuant to Section 390 of the Social Services Law. Transportation to such licensed or registered programs may not be limited to a school attendance zone, but must be provided anywhere within the school district.
Written requests for transportation to or from a child care location must be submitted by the parent or legal guardian not later than April 1.
A board of education is not authorized to provide transportation between a child care location and a child's home.
The cost of transporting pupils between school and child care locations is eligible for Transportation Aid if the pupils' homes are more than 15 miles from the schools they attend. Eligibility for Transportation Aid is not based on the distance between school and the child care location.
Webpage Reviewed by IGH, January, 2023