The Most Important Thing to Know
Waitlists can be longer and more complicated than many families expect.
We have yearlong contracts that start in August and go to July. Care for new students typically does not start until August, even though enrollment happens in late spring. Enrollment is based on your child's age group, your family's priority tier, and application date, so there is no single waitlist number or guaranteed timeline for receiving a spot.
How the ECEC Waitlist Works
Learn how the ECEC waitlist and enrollment process works, including when spaces become available, how waitlist priority is determined, and what families can expect throughout the process.
How Enrollment Works
Annual Enrollment Cycle
Most enrollment offers are made in the spring and early summer for children who will
begin care in August.
Mid Year Openings
Openings during the contract year are rare and occur only when a currently enrolled
family leaves the program.
How We Contact Families
When a space becomes available, families are contacted using the phone number and email address provided on their application. Families have three business days to accept or decline an enrollment offer before the space is offered to the next eligible child on the waitlist. website wait list information
How Waitlist Priority Works
Enrollment is based on three factors: your child’s age group, your family’s priority tier, and your application date.
Age Groups and Waitlist Placement
Children automatically move into new age groups as they grow, which means their waitlist position may change over time.
Priority Tiers
Families are organized into priority tiers, with application date determining the order within each tier.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! We are happy to provide a rough estimate of your child's position on the waitlist.
Please keep in mind that waitlist positions change frequently as children move into new age groups, families receive enrollment offers, and new applications are received. Because of this, we can usually provide only an estimate rather than an exact position, except during our enrollment offering period.
Please contact us at early-care@uwyo.edu or call 307-766-4816
Your waitlist position is a snapshot in time. It is not guaranteed to stay the same.
Positions may change because:
- Children grow into new age groups.
- Children age out of the program when they become eligible for kindergarten.
- Families accept enrollment offers and are removed from the waitlist.
- New families join the waitlist.
- Children in higher priority tiers apply.
- Additional children become eligible for the same age group.
Many families are surprised to learn that most children on our waitlist are also affiliated with the University of Wyoming. In fact, approximately 70%-80% of the children on our waitlist are in Priority Tier 2.
While University affiliation does place a child ahead of families in Priority Tier 3, there are often dozens of other University-affiliated families waiting for the same age group. Within each priority tier, children are ordered by application date, so University affiliation alone does not guarantee a high position on the waitlist.
We cannot estimate wait times. Enrollment depends on age group, priority tier, application date, and available openings. Some families receive offers quickly, while others may wait several years.
Yes!
Families are welcome to join the waitlist before their child is born. You may use your baby's due date as the birth date and enter "Baby" or "Unknown" as the child's name on the application.
While you can apply for the waitlist before your baby is born, infants must be at least 3 months old before they can begin care at the ECEC.
Yes.
All ECEC contracts run from August through July. If you are offered a space and would like to reserve it, you must sign the annual contract for the full contract year.
This is especially important for infants. For example, if your baby is due in September and you are offered an infant space for the upcoming contract year, your child may not be old enough to attend until December. However, you would still need to sign the contract to reserve the space.
Please note that tuition is charged for the entire contract year, regardless of when your child begins attending. We understand this is a significant commitment, and we encourage families to carefully consider whether reserving a space before their child is eligible to attend is the right choice for their family.
No.
We do not keep a separate waitlist for babies who will turn 3 months old during the year. When a space becomes available, it is offered to the next eligible child on the waitlist based on age group, priority tier, and application date.
Because openings during the year are rare, we cannot hold or reserve a future space based on when a child is expected to become eligible. We encourage families to join the waitlist as early as possible. However, most openings are offered in late spring and early summer for the upcoming August through July contract year.
No. We do not maintain a separate call list for families who are hoping for a later start date.
When an opening becomes available, we return to our waitlist and offer the space based on the child's age group, priority tier, and application date. While we will make a note of your preferred start date, enrollment offers are not based on when a family would like to begin care.
If you are not ready to accept a space when one is offered, you are welcome to decline the offer and remain on the waitlist for future openings.
We understand how discouraging it can be to join the waitlist early and still be waiting.
Infant care is one of our most in demand programs. The ECEC has only 8 infant spaces, while the infant waitlist often includes 50-70 children.
Because enrollment depends on age group, priority tier, and available openings, applying before your child is born does not guarantee an infant space when your child becomes eligible for care.
It is not uncommon for families who apply for infant care to remain on the waitlist until their child is eligible for the toddler or even preschool program before a space becomes available.
We know waiting can be difficult, and we appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to serve as many families as possible.
No. Once your child is on the waitlist, you do not need to reapply each year.
However, it is important to keep your contact information current and respond to any communication from the ECEC. Families who have been offered enrollment multiple times and repeatedly decline, or who cannot be reached for an extended period of time, may be removed from the waitlist.
We understand that the timing of an available space may not always match your family's needs.
Declining an enrollment offer once is generally not a problem and does not automatically remove your child from the waitlist. However, families who decline enrollment offers multiple years in a row may be removed from the waitlist so we can prioritize families who are actively seeking care and ready to enroll.
If you are waiting for care at a specific age, such as toddler or preschool, please let us know. We value communication and are happy to make note of your family's enrollment goals when future openings become available.
The University of Wyoming has earned its Research Level 1 (R1) status from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, placing Wyoming's only four-year university with the top research universities in the United States.