Minneapolis Kids Resources

All contract requests for childcare are submitted online using the Arux platform: mplscommunityed.com. For help creating an account in Arux, view this help article.

Please see more below for the best registration tips and when you can expect to hear about your enrollment status.

General Registration Timeline

• Late January: Minneapolis Kids Jr registration opens
• Mid-February: Summer registration opens
• Mid-April: Before and After School registration opens, with current families registering one week prior to new families
• Mid-August: Non-School Days registration opens

View upcoming, specific registration dates and save them to your calendar. If you have questions about the registration process, please call the Minneapolis Kids central office at 612-668-3890.

1. Save time on registration day by creating an Arux account on mplscommunityed.com and/or updating your account information and emergency contacts in advance. 
   1. For help creating an account in Arux, view this help article.
   2. Make sure you can access your Arux account by clicking “Sign In” in the top right corner (desktop) or “Sign In” from the drop-down menu (mobile). 
2. Be sure to only have one account created for your child(ren). This saves confusion during registration processing (e.g., a child appearing as a new family because they were registered under a different account number the previous year.)
3. Accounts must be in good standing with no past-due balances prior to registering for any season. 
4. Register promptly at 7:00 a.m. for the best chance of being approved for your desired care days. Contract requests are accepted in the order they are received by timestamp and as space is available. 

• Before/After School: Minimum of two days per week per component (before, after school)
• Summer: Minimum of 25 days (pick the days you want)
• Non-School Days: No minimum
• Jrs: Full-Time, Monday-Friday Care Only

After successfully submitting your registration, you’ll receive an Arux confirmation email from minneapolis@arux.app. It may take up to 20 minutes to arrive at your inbox and is not a confirmation of enrollment. Please check your spam inbox if you didn’t receive it.

The Minneapolis Kids central office will review and process your registration within 10 business days (weekdays, not including federal holidays). You’ll either receive an approval email from Arux (minneapolis@arux.app) or a follow-up email from our central office (mpls.kids@mpls.k12.mn.us).

Once a site has reached capacity, families will receive a waitlist notification email from our central office.

Foster children receive enrollment priority when registering for Minneapolis Kids School Age Care. If you are a foster parent, please contact our office at mpls.kids@mpls.k12.mn.us or 612-668-3890 to discuss your child’s enrollment needs and how we can support your family.

Current families include one or more of the following:

• Families currently enrolled in Minneapolis Kids Jr. 
• Families with active before/after school care contracts as of registration day 
  • This includes registering a younger sibling entering MPS High Five or Kindergarten

Please see below to determine if you are a new family.

New families include one or more of the following:

• Families with non-school-day contracts only
• Families with summer contracts only
• Families who are waitlisted for before/after school care
• Families whose active contract ended before registration day 

No. Families can register for non-school-day-only contracts.

Note: High Five/pre-kindergarten students must be enrolled in Minneapolis Public Schools (or Minneapolis Kids Jr). to be eligible for non-school-day care. Children in grades K-5 do not need to attend Minneapolis Public Schools to be eligible for non-school day care.

Before/After School, Minneapolis Kids Jr., Non-School Days:

• Monday-Friday, 6:30 am to 6 pm

Summer:

• Monday-Thursday, 7 am-6 pm
• Friday, 7 am-5:30 pm

Childcare sites operate at a ratio of one staff member for every 15 children. If there are High Five/PreK children in the program, that group will be staffed at a 1:10 ratio. 

During their time at Minneapolis Kids, youth participate in choice-based activities led by highly qualified staff that focus on physical, social, emotional and academic development. Youth are also given opportunities to plan and lead activities. Youth can further explore interests through individual and group play. Each childcare site makes use of school building facilities with access to playgrounds, gyms and media centers. Youth are given time to complete homework as needed, and afternoon snack is provided.

No, Minneapolis Kids is not at every site and locations differ based on program. If Minneapolis Kids is not located in your child's school, you may be able to access care at another Minneapolis Kids site.

Please search our Directory of Sites to find the locations available or call 612-668-3890 to inquire.

While Minneapolis Kids is not located in every elementary school, there is a location in nearly every MPS transportation zone. If your school does not have a Minneapolis Kids location onsite, MPS bus transportation can be arranged by contacting the child's home school office or by submitting a Save Your Seat form on the MyRide app. 

Note: Transportation is not available between home and Minneapolis Kids. Families must drop-off in the mornings and pick-up in the afternoons (including on non-school days).

If school is canceled due to inclement weather, Minneapolis Kids care will also be canceled. If  after school activities are canceled due to inclement weather, Minneapolis Kids locations will remain open until the last child is picked up.

See our School Year program information for the current calendar year.

Viewing Registered Non-School Days in Arux

Note: If you are still waitlisted after the registration deadline has passed, you will need to arrange alternate child care for the day.

Cancel approved non-school days

Please contact our central office (612-668-3890 or mpls.kids@mpls.k12.mn.us) to cancel as early as possible so that we can offer the space to another family. All cancellation requests must be received by 11:59 p.m. Central Time on the date of the deadline.

Note: Non-school days cannot be cancelled after a cancellation deadline has passed, and families will still be billed for their registered days.

Cancel pending/waitlisted non-school days

Please delete any pending non-school days you don't need via your Arux account as soon as possible using the red Remove button so that they won't be approved if space becomes available.

A non-refundable processing fee of $30 per program is charged each school year when your contract request is approved. 

School Year 2026-27 Rates

*All rates are subject to change.

Summer 2026 Rates

Minneapolis Kids Jr. School Year 2026-27

Non-School Days School Year 2026-27

See Non-School Day registration deadlines in program information.

Currently enrolled children have the option of attending on days they are not scheduled, based on site availability. Requests must be made via your Arux account at least 48 hours in advance. Fees vary based on your contract:

• Before/After School: $5 drop-in fee will be added to the daily rate
• Summer and Non-School Day Care: $10 drop-in fee will be added to the daily rate

Accounts are invoiced on or around the first of each month, and payment is due on the 16th of the month. Families are billed for all days contracted, regardless of attendance. Monthly invoices and payments can be viewed and managed in your Arux account.  

While Minneapolis Kids does not provide scholarships, the state Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) helps families pay for child care so parents can pursue work or school. To see if you qualify for this assistance, please call 612-348-5937, or apply online at mnbenefits.mn.gov.

Learn more about CCAP

Rate Assistance for Select Sites

Loring, Pratt and Webster Minneapolis Kids locations offer reduced before and after school component rates for families that do not qualify for MN Child Care Assistance but are experiencing financial hardship.  Rates are determined by school bell times.

• Before School Early = $7.50
• Before School Late= $14.75
• After School Early = $19.75
• After School Late= $14.75

*These rates reflect the 2026-27 School Year

Please see the Terms and Conditions for season-specific cancellation and schedule change policies.

Before and After School 2025-26

Minneapolis Kids Jr 2025-26

 Non-School Days 2025-26

Summer 2026

Follow this help article to view, download, and print yearly tax statements. 

Email or call the Program Coordinator at your Minneapolis Kids site if your child will be absent on a day they are scheduled for care. A $5 Absence Confirmation Fee will be assessed (starting with the second occurrence) if a family does not inform their Minneapolis Kids site of an absence by the end of the child's school day. 

When there is a request to enroll a child with special needs, a pre-enrollment consultation with parents/guardians and the Program Specialist or Program Coordinator will be held to determine how Minneapolis Kids can meet the child's needs. The program will work with the family and other resource persons to develop a plan for serving the child.

If your child needs to receive prescribed or over-the-counter medication while attending Minneapolis Kids programming, you must complete a Medication Authorization Form before any medication can be dispensed. Medication must be in its original packaging or prescription bottle. All medication will be securely stored onsite. 

All of the following is provided at no additional cost.

• Before School: Breakfast
• After School: Snack 
• Minneapolis Kids Jr.: Breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack
• Non-School Days: Afternoon snack
• Summer: Provided meals vary by site, please see individual program information

Note: The MN Free School Meals program only applies to meals served during the school year. Summer meals is a federal program, not a state or local one. The regulations come from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Summer food program sites qualify by area—not by student. Eligible sites must be located in a school—or in the attendance area of a community school—where 50% or more students are eligible for free or reduced benefits. There are also a few areas that qualify strictly on census data.

Breakfast and lunch are not served on non-school days. Families must pack a lunch unless otherwise noted. Afternoon snack is provided at no additional cost. 

Please refer to our Family Handbook below for more information or reach out to our central office at mpls.kids@mpls.k12.mn.us or call 612-668-3890.