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, Harrison Elementary.
School Year 2026-2027
School Year registration is now full. If you'd like to add your child to the waitlist or have any questions please email Cassandra Hale, cassandra.hale@isd181.org
| Registration Windows | Phases | Who’s Included |
| July 13- July 19 | Priority Registration | All families who have students currently attending Fun & Friends summer programming.All families who had students attend the 25-26 school year. Families currently on the 2026 summer waitlist prior to today’s date, 7/7/2026. (These families will receive notification.) |
| July 20- July 26 | Public Registration | Open to everyone to complete enrollment. All public enrollments will be placed in a lottery. The number of spaces will be based on staffing availability. Families will be notified of their status by July 31. |
*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. Scroll down to Account Management and then login. Then click on Register a New Contract.
- 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 school year registration active.
- Rates
After School
Number of days a week scheduled: | Rate per week: |
1 | $17 |
2 | $34 ($17/ day) |
3 | $42 ($14/ day) |
4 | $48 ($12/ day) |
5 | $60 ($12/ day) |
Before School:
$7/ day
Non-school day:
$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. Your $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. 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 2026. If a child, even if they are 5 years old, will not be attending kindergarten in September 2026, they are ineligible to attend school age care.
Please note: Kindergartner's first day of school is September 10, we do not have all day care for Kindergartners on September 8 & 9 and their last day of school is June 2, Kinderfriend day. We do not have all day care June 3 & 4.
For more information or to view our handbook, please visit the Fun & Friends website, HERE.