DFAS

 According to the After School Alliance, regular participation in afterschool programs helps narrow the achievement gap between high and low-income students in math, improves academic and behavioral outcomes, and reduces school absences. 

Students who regularly participate in after school programs improve their school attendance, class participation and behavior, homework completion, and reading and math achievement scores and grades. 

On school days, the hours between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. are the peak hours for juvenile crime and experimentation with drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and sex. 

Teenagers who do not participate in afterschool programs are nearly three times more likely to skip classes than teenagers who do participate. They are also three times more likely to use marijuana or other drugs, and they are more likely to drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, and engage in sexual activity. 

DFAS recognizes that families are diverse - some are single parent families, foster families, blended families, or families led by grandparents, or other family members. Providing quality care for your child in a safe, encouraging environment helps alleviate stress for parents while providing routine and stability for your children. Research shows that enrolling your child in after school care means fewer unscheduled absences and greater work productivity for parents. 

DFAS will be open and closed in conjunction with the Dothan City School (DCS) calendar.  

Hours of Operation 2:45pm-6:00pm Monday - Friday (following opening/closing dates of DCS calendar)

2:45pm - 4:00pm Students arrive and check in at the door 

3:00pm - 4:00pm Snack and Homework Check In. Students may use quiet rooms for homework with help and tutoring available from adult volunteers. Students may also read, or work in the computer lab.  

4:00pm - 4:30pm Interactive group student discipleship on Wednesdays and buddy group checkin on Thursdays; otherwise students continue homework until finished.  

4:30pm – 6:00pm Once homework has been completed, students may move to a different daily activity on the green space (weather permitting) such as flag football, soccer, obstacle courses, team building games, basketball, etc. or an indoors life skills class. Our computer lab is available for educational games once homework is completed.  

Our life skills classes will vary to include art, music, crafts, baking, cooking, science experiments, public speaking, etc.   

In the event of rain or extreme temperatures, outdoor activities will move into the main space when possible. Otherwise, movies or indoor games will be played in the main room during those times.  

**The above schedule may vary throughout the school year due to special events or activities. 

We use a non-denominational children's curriculum from www.thinkorange.com.

252 Kids is based on one of three basic, but powerful, truths modeled by Jesus in Luke 2:52. 

This curriculum is designed to provoke discovery and invite kids into a new understanding of how to grow in relationship with Jesus. 252 Kids is dedicated to helping children grow in wisdom, faith and friendship. Every lesson and resource we offer helps kids discover who Jesus is, and then shows them how to put their faith into practical action on a Tuesday morning when they’ve overslept or on a Friday afternoon when the teacher is playing favorites.

DFAS opens and closes following the Dothan City School calendar. If Dothan City Schools are closed due to inclement weather, a holiday, or school break other than summer, DFAS is closed. On school days, DFAS is open 2:45pm - 6:00pm CST. If schools close early due to a SCHEDULED, non-emergent, early dismissal then DFAS will open early to allow students to come straight from early dismissal at no additional charge. If your child has not had lunch prior to a scheduled, early dismissal, you will need to send him or her a sack lunch.  

We function as an after school program rather than a daycare; therefore, we cannot be open during inclement weather or school holidays at this time. Our goal is to help working parents cover daily afternoon care during the school year. We understand that closure for inclement weather, holidays, or school breaks can be inconvenient for parents, but our aim is to help our neighbors cover the largest span of time possible while also keeping the cost as low as possible.

DFAS was born out of a desire to help children and families in our community to thrive. We have purposely designed our program to provide high-quality care at the lowest possible cost. Because we are not seeking to make a profit, you'll find that our program is approximately 60% cheaper than traditional programs. 

DFAS is a program designed to care for the whole-person. We want to support your child's academic success while also encouraging growth into the person God created them to be. Our goal is to enable your child to love God and love people in all kinds of creative ways. At DFAS we want your children to grow into teenagers and adults with big, brave hearts that lead them toward servant leadership and compassionate community involvement. 

The DFAS Rate Sheet located at the back of the Parent Handbook and under our After School Program tab provide you with details about the cost of our program. There is an annual registration fee of $15 for after school care. The monthly fee per child for after school care helps cover our operating costs, such as school supplies, snacks, craft and project supplies, etc. We offer a multiple child discount of 25% for each additional child after the first one. There are no additional fees associated with our after school program. However, a late pick up fee is charged should you fail to pick your child up by 6:05pm. 

If your child is enrolling prior to the start of school, a $15 registration fee is due at the time of registration as well as the 1st month's fee. ALL fees must be paid prior to the start of school. Program fees are divided into 10 equal monthly payments (August - May) due on or before the 1st of the month for the next month's care. We accept checks, cash, or any major credit card. You may make payments in person or by hitting the “Review and Pay” button on your emailed invoice. Please remember that you will be charged a $25 fee if your personal check is returned for insufficient funds. If your check is returned, the $25 fee as well as the amount of the check are due to DFAS within 5 days and future payments may be required in cash. Please see our rate sheet for a detailed explanation of program fees, multiple child discounts, and our late payment fee schedule. 

Our computer lab is surveilled by our camera system. We utilize software that blocks social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram as well as YouTube and other searches or sites that may provide your student with inappropriate viewing material. The wifi password is not provided for student's personal use on smart phones or other electronic devices.

Each student must submit a completed Transportation Plan with his or her Registration Form. We are partnering with the Dothan City Schools transportation department to run the school bus from Heard Elementary to DFAS in the afternoons because that is the elementary school for which our building is zoned. Students coming from Heard Elementary will board a DCS bus, which will drop students off with us every afternoon. Elementary school students will be met at the bus stop in front of DFAS and walked directly into the building.  

If your student is coming from Highlands Elementary, our DFAS bus will pick those students up and transport them directly to our building. Each school is provided a bus list indicating which students we are transporting. 

If your student is homeschooled, or coming from a school other than Highlands Elementary or Heard Elementary, he or she may be dropped off by you or by your designee. If you live in a nearby home or apartment complex (Barstone, Biltmore Place, Sweetwater, Fox Run, Camelot), your child may bike or walk to DFAS with your explicit written permission. 

If your child has special needs that require accommodation, we ask that you discuss those with us before enrollment so that we may determine if we can provide the support your child needs. Our ability to accommodate will be impacted by the scope of your child's need. We want DFAS to be an encouraging and supportive environment for every student and will do all we can to help your child thrive. 

Yes! Students who are homeschooled are welcome at DFAS. We want learners of all backgrounds to feel comfortable joining us. The registration fee and monthly fee amounts are the same regardless of your child's method of education (public, private, homeschool. etc.).

Contact our director via email or phone to determine if there is current program capacity to include your child. If so, a complete registration packet will be provided to you. 

DFAS is led by Mrs. Tricia Felsmaier. She joined DFC in October 2015 and brings 13 years of experience, focused primarily on teaching and caring for preschool and elementary age children to the role of Program Director. She holds a B.Ed. in Elementary Education, and an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction. Tricia began volunteering at DFAS since it began in 2017 and became Program Director in August 2022. Mrs. Mandy Knight was the original creator of the program and is still an integral part of DFAS. She volunteers regularly with our students and works to help each student learn what it means to love God and love people by treating them with kindness. 

As noted above, all volunteers are required to undergo abuse awareness and prevention training and are subject to background checks. In case of injury, first aid kits are readily available. No medication is administered without a signed consent form provided by a student's parent or guardian. In the event of dangerous weather, our Emergency Preparedness Plans are laid out in the Parent Handbook.  

All areas utilized by DFAS are monitored by security cameras to ensure that both students and volunteers are safe. All rooms have windows that remain uncovered. We require two volunteers be with students at all times and that no individual student be alone at any time.  

DFAS also requires that appropriate volunteer-to-student ratios be maintained at all times. These ratios can vary based on the age of the children enrolled in the program. Regardless of student age, DFAS operates with a ratio of 1:16. Lower ratios make it possible for each child to receive one-on-one attention and care during their time at DFAS.  

Yes! We absolutely welcome volunteers from other organizations or denominations that support our mission of loving God and loving people. We recognize the love of Jesus takes many forms and we believe in sharing it in creative ways. Any volunteer must complete a Volunteer Application, submit to a thorough background check, and complete DFAS training and abuse prevention and awareness training.  

Our church's name is Dothan First Church of the Nazarene so it’s clear that part of our name stems from that of our church. However, Dothan First After School was chosen with dual intention. We wanted our community, Dothan, to know that we are intentionally putting you and your family first. We want to support your family connections and help your children grow into the lives God has for them, but that doesn't happen by accident. DFAS recognizes putting you and your children first in small ways, every day, can lead to greater freedom, grace, and growth in the lives of our neighbors. 

This is a question we get a lot and it has a wonderful answer! The Church of the Nazarene is smaller than many other denominations and is most similar to the Methodist denomination. We separated from the Methodists in the early 1900's when our founders felt an urgent call to minister to the poor and marginalized in their communities. The first Nazarene church was planted in downtown Los Angeles because our founding fathers wanted to purposely love those many considered a lost cause. One of the founders of the Church of the Nazarene was a man named Phineas F. Bresee and people challenged him to change the denominational name many times, but Phineas wouldn't do it. He had a great reason: Jesus was born in Nazareth - In the ancient world, no one thought anything good could come out of Nazareth. It was tiny, backward, and poor. The savior of humanity comes out of the poorest, darkest place in ancient Israel. There is no better news for people who find themselves on the outside or who are left to the margins. We are proud to be the Church of the Nazarene because our very name recognizes that we are a church of perfectly imperfect people on a faith journey together. We believe God's love never runs out - not on you and not on us. We are people of hope; and we always have room for one more.