Note from BPN (10/19/22): In 2022, the Oakland Unified School District elected to cancel Adventure Time, the popular after school program at 8 Oakland public elementary schools that has been up and running for 38 years. Below is the letter sent to parents whose children were enrolled in Adventure Time, followed by a letter written by Neil Tuller, Executive Director of Adventure Time, which he has submitted for publication to The Montclarion. Adventure Time is still operating in the Castro Valley and Fremont school districts. View BPN reviews of Adventure Time at Chabot, Glenview, Hillcrest, Joaquin Miller, Kaiser, Montclair, and Thornhill.
Spring 2022
Adventure Time families,
We are sad to inform you that after 38 years of providing licensed, high quality before and after school child care and enrichment activities in the Oakland public schools, Adventure Time will not be providing care at your school beginning in the fall.
The State of California Department of Education is providing funds for the “Expanded Learning Opportunities Program” which is being implemented in many of California’s public schools. This program, as described by the Department of Education, applies to “before school, after school, summer, or intersession learning programs that focus on developing the academic, social, emotional, and physical needs and interests of pupils through hands-on, engaging learning experiences.” The Expanded Learning Opportunities Program Plan Guide further states: “It is the intent of the Legislature that expanded learning programs are pupil-centered, results driven, include community partners, and complement, but do not replicate, learning activities in the regular school day and school year.” School districts in California have chosen to use these funds in various ways, in accordance with the guidelines from the California Department of Education. The Oakland Unified School District issued a “Request For Proposal” to interested organizations to administer and operate child care programs at a number of Oakland schools including all of the Oakland Adventure Time sites.
We prepared a comprehensive proposal answering all questions in the Request For Proposal, outlining our qualifications and experience for over 38 years in the Oakland schools. We were informed this week that Adventure Time Extended Day Care was not qualified to operate these new programs, and our organization would not be included in the list of qualified organizations being provided to school principals. The school principals make the decision regarding which organization will operate the child care program at their school, but they are required to choose an organization from the list of qualified organizations provided by the Oakland Unified School District. Although we expected to be included on the list based on our 38 years of service in the schools and the longevity and quality of our teachers and staff, we were disappointed to find that we were not included.
We are offering our exciting science and art based Summer Day Camp program at Montclair School from May 30 through July 29. We look forward to sharing special times with your children. Enroll by the week choosing from many half day and full day options.
Although we are extremely disappointed, we want to thank the supportive school principals, and the many talented, dedicated Adventure Time teachers and staff members for so many years of dedication and the love they have put into their jobs. We wish the new programs and school community the best. We will truly miss all of your wonderful children and families.
Warm wishes,
Mimi Albert
Director
Neil Tuller
Executive Administrator
Fall 2022
Thanks to all the Montclair and Oakland families for the privilege of being an important part of your lives for the past 38 years! Adventure Time was the on-site before and after school child care provider at Montclair, Thornhill, Chabot, Joaquin Miller, Kaiser, Hillcrest, Crocker Highlands, and Glenview Elementary Schools. Founded in 1984, Adventure Time Extended Day Care provided fully licensed, nurturing, dependable child care with an emphasis on arts, crafts, sports, games, drama, music, language arts, and our very popular Homework Heroes Clubs. Our dedicated, caring teachers and staff members have loved working with your children and families, and we are forever grateful to you for trusting us with the development of your children. Many of our Site Directors, teachers, classroom aides have been serving our families for 25 years and have been and important part of the community. Our management team has remained consistent over all the years of our operations.
Several months ago, the Oakland Unified School District made the decision to end lease agreements with Adventure Time and other child care organizations in favor of bringing in other companies to provide before and after child care in the Oakland schools. This change occurred as a result of California state funding for the Expanded Learning. Opportunities Program (ELOP). A Request For Proposal was published by the Oakland Unified School District to find providers for these programs. Adventure Time submitted a proposal, but unfortunately, we were not chosen as one of the qualified providers. The ELOP programs are dedicated to the positive and essential goals of equity, inclusion, and disrupting the cycle of poverty. Adventure Time strongly supports and shares these goals and has a long history of providing hundreds of thousands of dollars of reduced and free child care to our families.
Adventure Time continues to provide high quality, licensed, nurturing child care as well as academic and enrichment activities in our Castro Valley and Fremont schools. The Fremont Unified School District is partnering with Adventure Time to provide ELOP programs, and we are pleased and honored to participate with the District in providing these important programs. Although many ELOP programs are not licensed and require a teacher to child ratio of one teacher to twenty children, our ELOP and other programs continue to be licensed and provide a maximum of one teacher to fourteen children. We believe we can be more supportive with these lower ratios.
Thank you to all the families who have partnered with us over these many years. We look forward to seeing you again next summer at our Summer Day Camp at Roberts Park in Oakland. In the meantime, we will be looking for locations in the Montclair area where we may be able to provide high quality before and after school programs again. Best wishes to all of you.