Brainerd Public Schools

Fun & Friends is a child care program for students in kindergarten through 6th grade. It has served the students of Brainerd Public Schools for over 30 years with age-appropriate, fun, recreational activities. Care is provided before school, after school, on non-school days, and over the summer.

Sites include Nisswa Elementary, Baxter Elementary, Riverside Elementary, and Harrison Elementary (also servicing Garfield and Lowell). 

SCHOOL YEAR 25-26

School year registration will open in two different phases starting at the end of June. See the table below.

*Families must sign up during the correct stage for their application to be considered. Signing up before your registration window will result in a denied application.

• How to Register: Registration is done online (HERE). Choose the Fun & Friends location you would like to register for and click “Enroll Now.” *The site options will not show up on this link until registration opens.

• Scheduling:Schedules are due every other Wednesday by 4:00 PM for the upcoming two weeks. Invoices will be sent on Thursdays and are due by the following Monday. Email reminders will be sent out every other week by Cassandra Hale, Fun & Friends secretary, with schedule’s due reminders. Invoices must be paid on time to keep your summer registration active.

• Rates
  • School year rates are updated for the 25–26 school year and vary depending on the days scheduled per week.
    

    Program	Number of days a week	Rate per week
    After school	1	$17
    After school	2	$ 34 ($17/day)
    After school	3	$42 ($14/day)
    After school	4	$48 ($12/day)
    After school	5	$60 ($12/day)
    Non-school day	Any	$45/day

    
    

  • Registration Fee: Fun & Friends has a $30/year registration fee per child. If your child attends summer Fun & Friends, this registration was included with the summer contract and will not be added to the school year. If your child did not attend summer, there will be a $30 registration fee applied when your application is approved.

• Drop-In Days: If you are requesting child care with less than 7 days' notice, the daily rate will be $17/day for after school or $50/day for a non-school day. Please keep in mind that we are staffing and preparing our activities based on the number of kids scheduled, so we do ask for drop-in days to be limited. Please contact your Site Supervisor beforehand to make sure there is room for your child to attend as a drop-in. 

• Incoming Kindergartners: Per MN certified child care statutes, a child must be entering kindergarten within four months of their first day in school age care. Records will be reviewed with district enrollment personnel to confirm that a child will be attending kindergarten in the fall of 2025. If a child, even if they are 5 years old, will not be attending kindergarten in September 2025, they are ineligible to attend school age care.

For more information or to view our handbook, please visit the Fun & Friends website, HERE.