Frequently Asked Questions

All registration happens online through RecDesk, our registration system. Log in or create your family’s account through the Parent Portal, then choose a program from its page on this site.

New to RecDesk? Our How to Join guide walks you through it.

No. The Club has no residency requirement.

Our school-site programs at Robin Hood, South, and Colonial Park are for students who attend that school. For the Stoneham Club, we provide transportation from those three schools only. If your child attends a different school, you’ll need to drop off and pick up.

Our summer camps welcome families from all surrounding communities, including Saugus, Melrose, Woburn, Reading, Winchester, and Malden.

Request a spot using the waitlist form on the program’s page. It’s free to join. We’ll add your child and confirm by email within 1–2 business days, and we contact families in the order their requests were received.

If a K–4 school-site track is full and you need care while you wait, you can register at the Stoneham Club, which runs a daily bus from every Stoneham elementary school. Questions about your waitlist position? Email billing@bgcmetronorth.org.

You pay for your first month of care at checkout. There’s no deposit and no separate registration fee. Each month after that is billed on the 15th of the month before (for example, November is billed on October 15). Your monthly charge is your daily rate multiplied by the number of program days your child is scheduled to attend, so it changes from month to month. You’re never charged for scheduled school closures on the school calendar; fees still apply for unexpected closures such as snow days.

Membership is $12/month per teen. New members are charged on the day they sign up, then monthly on that same date. Returning members are automatically re-enrolled each September. Membership renews automatically until you cancel.

For Pre-K, summer camp, and other programs, see that program’s FAQ below.

With AutoPay, your stored payment method is charged automatically on the 15th of each month for the following month’s balance. It takes two steps:

1. Save your payment method. Log in to RecDesk, select “Manage Payment Options,” and add your credit/debit card or ACH.
2. Authorize AutoPay. Complete the AutoPay Authorization form during registration checkout.

Saving a card in RecDesk alone does not start AutoPay. The authorization form must also be completed.

1. Go to your RecDesk profile page.
2. Look for Manage Payment Options.
3. Click Add Payment Option and submit.

Note: we do not accept prepaid debit cards.

If a monthly charge doesn’t go through, your teen’s membership and Club access are paused until the payment issue is resolved. Keep your payment method current in your RecDesk account under Profile → Manage Payment Options.

If a payment doesn’t go through, we’ll follow up by email and phone so you have a chance to make the payment. Keeping your payment method current in your RecDesk account helps avoid missed payments.

Our tax ID (EIN) is 23-7025777.

Yes. We offer limited financial assistance for families enrolled in our licensed Child Care & Enrichment programs, made possible by our generous supporters. Priority is given to families who qualify for a state CCR voucher but do not yet have one, as well as families near that eligibility threshold.

Apply for financial assistance → Funding is limited and reviewed on a rolling basis. Completing an application does not guarantee assistance.

If the $12/month fee is a barrier for your family, email billing@bgcmetronorth.org. We’re happy to discuss options.

We accept Child Care Resource (CCR) vouchers issued through the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. Please do not register or pay online. Instead, complete our Voucher Intake Form. Our team will verify your voucher and complete your registration for you.

Don’t have a voucher yet but think you may qualify? Visit mass.gov/ccfa or call Child Care Circuit at 978-686-4288.

No. This is a quirk of how RecDesk displays forms. When you register for more than one child or program at once, RecDesk shows a separate copy of each required form for every program in your cart.

Once you complete a form for a child, RecDesk automatically fills in that same form for every other program in your cart. You only need to fill out each form once per child. Work top to bottom; when you reach duplicates for the same child, they’ll already be filled in. Just review and confirm them.

Stuck at checkout? Email billing@bgcmetronorth.org and we’ll help.

Once. Your enrollment forms are completed at checkout and apply for the entire school year. If your child’s information changes (medical, emergency contacts, etc.), notify your Site Coordinator in writing so we can update your file.

Once per calendar year: the Annual Family Information form, the Teen Center Member Purchase Agreement, and a Teen Center Membership Registration Form for each teen. Find them in RecDesk under Profile → Forms.

Yes. Transfers are available on a request basis and subject to availability. Please allow up to 2 weeks for your request to be reviewed. Email billing@bgcmetronorth.org with:

• Parent name, the email on your RecDesk account, and phone number
• Child’s full name
• Current program: site, track, and pickup time
• What you’d like to transfer to: location, track, start date, and pickup time
• Reason for the request

Email billing@bgcmetronorth.org as soon as possible.

• Before a monthly payment: no charge for that month, and your child’s spot is released.
• Mid-month (after a charge has been processed): two weeks’ written notice is required. Refunds are not issued after a monthly charge has been processed.
• Only need one month: reply to your payment schedule email before your next payment date. Returning later is subject to availability.

You can cancel at any time by emailing billing@bgcmetronorth.org. There’s no cancellation fee, and you won’t be charged again once your cancellation is processed.

Our programs are nut-free. Please do not send any food containing peanuts, tree nuts, or shellfish; a snack containing any of these will be removed and sent home. If your child has a diagnosed allergy or needs medication such as an EpiPen or inhaler, tell staff during enrollment so the right plan is on file.

Boys & Girls Club of Metro North follows local district closures. If the Stoneham, Wakefield, or Saugus school district cancels school, our Clubs in that town are closed. If Stoneham Public Schools cancels afternoon activities, our school-site locations close in accordance with the district.

In an emergency such as a natural disaster, fire, or severe weather, families may be notified that they must pick up their child at school and that children will not be transported. This happens only when all other options are exhausted. If it becomes unsafe to drive after children have boarded the bus, they will wait at their designated location with the driver and an additional staff member until parents arrive.