I was wondering if anyone is a member of their local MOPS group? It is a spiritual based support group for you guessed it, preschoolers. It is going to cost me a total of 74 dollars for the year. The first dues are due at the first meeting, 41 dollars and then you pay 33 dollars in January for the rest of the year. MOPS provides childcare and you meet twice a month to do crafts, listen to guest speakers and do other activities. They also have a book club. It sounds like it would be a lot of fun and worth the money. I told DH that it is what I want for Christmas. Hopefully he won't mind paying 41 dollars in a couple of weeks Anyway if you are a member or thinking about it what are your thoughts?

Let's see, this year will begin my 4th full year of MOPS. I'm actually serving on the steering team this year (publicity and the newsletter). I love the program and enjoy having a night out without the kids. Our MOPS group has meetings once a month (in the evening) and MOPS Mornings Out activities once a month as well.

Part of your membership fee goes to MOPS International which pays for the weekly MOPS to Mom emails (love 'em), MOMSense magazine which comes every other month, I think, and other goodies - usually a children's DVD, a book and some other stuff. Very cool.

Some MOPS groups (including ours) will allow you to attend one meeting for free before paying for the year - you should check and see if your local group does this. I would encourage you to give it a try ! Let me know if you have any questions!

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Stephanie
Mom to: Caleb (8/03), Ian (9/05), & Baby Boy #3 (EDD 11-9-2008)

I have been a member of MOPS since 2001 when my oldest was 18 months old. From 2002-2006 I was the Finance Coordinator on the Steering Team and last year I was the Discussion Group Coordinator. I love MOPS! This year, I am simply going to be a member again!

Ours lets us go for free and it is $5 per meeting for expenses. There is a $20 yearly dues for the national program which includes a lot of extra, but that is all. It is due in the fall. We try to get it before October 30th because each charter gets a discount. I guess ours was relatively inexpensive! We are fortunate as our host church pays for a lot of stuff for us. If you went to all the meetings ours would be $70, but you only pay $5 every week unless you WANT to pay ahead.

It is still worth the money, I am just surprised they are making you pay it all up front. That is unusual - at least for the MOPS in ours area. We also get to attend the first meeting for free.

Thank you, I will. I should ask about the free meeting. I think my DH is going to buy it for me though for an early Christmas gift.

That is nice that you pay $5 per meeting instead of all up front. So for yours you pay $20 then $5 per meeting.

Yep! The last year I was Finance, we did a program where if you paid up front (by semester not the full year) you ended up paying $4 per meeting instead of 5. Many people did that instead. I think it was $30 for the semester.

And, we NEVER turn anybody away if they do not have the money. There have been a couple who never paid, but still came. We have scholarships for them. Since I was the finance person, I know this. Every MOPS group gets a certain number of scholarships (free $20 registrations) based on when they pay for the group over all and how many they have sign up. You get one free scholarship automatically.

So, if you need it, don't be afraid to ask for it. Or pass the information onto somebody who does need it if you don't.

I would pay $5.00 to do a meeting and see what it is all about. That's alot of money if you later decide this certain group of women are not people you want to spend time with.

I was going to post on this .. I didn't know it was a cost over the $20 annual fee. I'll have to check on how my local group does it. DH is very clear on the importance of DS joining the group (and I'm psyched b'c I'll meet other moms!) so there is no doubt we're joining it. I just have to see how it's billed. Thanks for the heads-up though. It would have been a blow to show up and them say "hey welcome - where's your $70 check?"

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I didn't know it cost over $20 dollars either at first. Luckily I found out at the registration I guess it is still worth it. I have to pay $41 at the first meeting and then $33 in January. Some MOPS might be a little different though depending on how they are run and by whom.

Every MOPS group IS different. MOPS International requires that $20 from each person's registration fee be sent to them. Any fee above and beyond that is utilized by the local MOPS group to cover their financial needs - i.e. the cost of childcare, craft supplies, paper goods, etc. Some groups get funding through their chartering organization and others don't which I think is part of the reason why the amount of the fees varies so much. I was shocked the first time I attended too, but it really does make sense when you stop to think about it. The money has to come from somewhere, know what I mean?

Our group charges $55 per year or you can pay $5 a meeting (it was $35 when I first started going 4 years ago but our budget through the church was cut pretty steeply a couple years ago so we had to raise the registration fee). I almost fell out of my chair at our regional meeting this spring when I heard that some groups charge as much as $200 a year!

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Stephanie
Mom to: Caleb (8/03), Ian (9/05), & Baby Boy #3 (EDD 11-9-2008)