Who can subscribe?

You can subscribe to BPN as a class, camp, or other group if you meet both of these conditions:

• Your program is for groups of children 5-18 or specifically for parents or expectant parents.
• You are based in the San Francisco Bay Area, or you are a sleepaway camp, summer travel program, or other residency program that enrolls Bay Area kids.

Children under 5: If you enroll children under age 5, your program will need to be licensed as a childcare facility unless every child has a parent present. For more info see About Childcare Licensing in California.

Online programs: Normally BPN does not accept posts about online classes. However as of 2020 we are accepting posts about online classes from businesses that are otherwise eligible to subscribe.  See below.

Tutors and one-on-one classes: If you offer only one-on-one instruction, see instead "Subscribing as a Tutor or Teacher"

What are the benefits of subscribing? 

1. You can post announcements about openings in your programs, upcoming registrations, tours and open houses, kid-friendly events and activities such as carnivals and performances, and parent education events such as lectures. Your posts are public on the BPN website for 30 days in our listings such as: Classes now enrolling ... Summer & holiday camps with openings .. . Parent workshops.

2. New announcements and upcoming events are included in the weekly Announcements newsletter, which is emailed to subscribers on Fridays, and, if you target teens and preteens, in Monday's Parents of Teens newsletter.  BPN has 48,000 active subscribers as of Summer 2023.

3. We'll create a profile page for your program if we don't already have one on our website, which you will be able to update. Your profile page contains a description of your program, contact information, and a link to your own website. Your current announcements and events are displayed on your profile page. Parents who subscribe to BPN can post reviews of you directly to your profile page. If you are recommended in response to a parent's request, these will also appear on your profile page.

4. You will be included in the relevant category listings on our website, for example: Music Camps ... Soccer ... Cooking ... Coding & Technology. Your program's name will be highlighted in our listings with a special 'B' icon to show that you are a BPN Community Subscriber.

5. Your program will be included in our Classes & Camps Database, where parents can search hundreds of programs by city, ages, type of program, and activity type. 

How much does it cost?

Subscription fees are based on the type and size of the program you operate. NOTE: Nonprofits pay the same fees as for-profits, except as noted below.

• Programs that are operated and staffed by employees of a city, county, or school district
• Nonprofit programs that are free at all times for all participants
• Nonprofit clubs and groups that are run by parent volunteers and are free or low cost, such as scouting and some sports teams (see below).
• Volunteer-run support groups for parents
• Some cultural and religious groups that meet infrequently (see below)

• Capacity for more than 80 participants at a time
• More than 8 paid employees
• Multiple sites
• Residency programs such as overnight camps and travel programs
• Counseling, advising, or therapeutic support is a part of the program
• Online classes and groups with no published maximum enrollment (more info below).

All Others:  The yearly subscription fee is $75 for small programs or $150 for medium-sized programs, based on your enrollment capacity. View subscription fee levels here.  

How do I subscribe?

Click 'subscribe' at the top of the BPN website, or if you are already a BPN subscriber, go directly to the Subscribe page.

Programs operated by nonprofits

If your program is free for all participants, and you are a tax-exempt nonprofit organization, then you may subscribe as a free nonprofit. However if you charge participants a fee or dues, then you must pay the same subscription rate as all other camps and classes -- see How much does it cost? 

Volunteer-run nonprofit clubs, teams, and other groups

Subscriptions are free for nonprofit clubs, teams, and other groups for kids that are organized and led by parent volunteers. This includes scout troops, 4-H clubs, and hobby clubs. Low-cost or free sports teams that are coached by parent volunteers may also subscribe for free. Teams that have higher fees or paid coaches must pay the same subscription rate as all other camps and classes -- see How much does it cost? above.

See also: Volunteer-run parent support groups

Nonprofit cultural or religious classes, camps and other groups

These programs are eligible for a free subscription:

• Classes and groups that meet only a few hours a week in order to serve children of a particular cultural or religious background, such as after-school Chinese culture programs or get-togethers for Jewish teens
• Camps that only meet for a week or two in the summer, such as vacation bible school
• Very low cost or free camps and after-school activities hosted by a church or other nonprofit institution as a public service 

Exception: Religious and cultural groups that operate full-time schools and preschools or that charge the "going rate" for camps and classes, must instead purchase the appropriate paid subscription.

Programs operated by a city or school district 

City-run and school-district-run programs can subscribe to BPN for free.  To qualify for the free subscription, the camp or class must be operated and staffed entirely by employees of the city or school district.  This means that if you teach a class in a city park or at a public or charter school, you must be an employee of the city or school district that is hosting the class in order to qualify for the free subscription, and you must subscribe under a city or school district email address. 

Foundations and other non-profits that are associated with a particular school district are not considered to be a public school because their funding does not come from state and federal taxes, so these nonprofits must subscribe at the same levels as other nonprofit camps and classes. 

Online classes and workshops

As a result of the Covid pandemic, BPN is currently accepting announcements about online classes that are otherwise eligible to subscribe. Since enrollment in online classes is not limited by the constraints of a physical site, BPN computes subscription fees as follows:  If you publish a maximum number of participants for each session, your fee is based on the maximum you can concurrently accommodate at any one time (view subscription fee levels.) If your classes do not have a published maximum enrollment, your fee is $250 per year.