After school child care programs

[jeffisjeff]

Our school district runs before and after school child care programs at the elementary schools. The programs are fee-based, and seem to be highly used. My kids go to the after school program. The before school program is highly used since the elementary schools don't actually start until 9:15am.

Anyway, our district came out with its new budget, which calls for eliminating the before and after school programs. In a news article about this, our superintendent was quoted as saying that most school districts don't provide any kind of before/after school childcare programs. That surprised me - it seems that everyone I know sends their kids to some kind of similar program run through the school district.

So my questions are: (1) Are these programs really rare or is the superintendent just making excuses? (2) What other options are there for a parent who cannot be home everyday to meet the school bus?

[Prancer]

Our school district does not run before or after school programs, but nearly all the local daycares and quite a few of the churches have programs, which always include pickup service. Most have some sort of homework program and activities and snacks and such.

Since your school district has provided programs until now, there probably hasn't been any need for anyone else to do it. But I would be really surprised if some enterprising soul with a gym somewhere doesn't see this as a great opportunity to fleece the masses provide a much-needed service.

[my little pony]

we don't have them

almost everyone I know hires an older lady to get their kids on the bus and/or take them off the bus

[danceronice]

The only ones I'm familiar with are private programs, including the one I worked for. Basically, they're day care for school-age kids but don't want to admit it. The district where I grew up never had them and the ones around here don't.

[numbers123]

my kids are long out of school, but when they were growing up there were programs in our school district. But I also had a daycare provider who would drop off and pick up kids from school.

[ArtisticFan]

Around here most all school districts have some kind of program for after school at least. It usually runs until about 6 p.m.

[skatemommy]

The private elementary my daughter went to had after school care. They charged just enough to cover the cost. If the program is breaking even or making money what is the point of stopping it?

[Hannahclear]

I don't recall school based programs when I was a kid. We used the Y. The schools around me don't have programs like that, though I think the building is usually open to about 4. You miss your busing if you stay though.

[jeffisjeff]

Thanks everyone for the responses. I guess the availability of the programs varies widely. Pretty much all of the suburban districts around here seem to offer those programs, but the city school districts don't seem to.

The private elementary my daughter went to had after school care. They charged just enough to cover the cost. If the program is breaking even or making money what is the point of stopping it?

The superintendent was quoted as saying that even though the program charges fees, there are costs involved. And, he said that while enrollments are down (across the district, not just in these programs), the cost to operate the child care program hasn't decreased. The fees really are quite reasonable (especially since we were used to paying full time day care costs ), so I'd be willing to pay more to cover the costs.

I was speaking to someone this afternoon who thinks the public threats to close the program are just ways to either (1) get people to accept paying more without complaints or (2) get people to accept bigger property tax increases. We'll see.

It seems that this is just one of many budgetary issues facing school districts. Last year, our district closed a school due to budget shortfalls. Apparently, this year's shortfall is even bigger, and there aren't any more school closing options, so things are going to be .

[timing]

When my kids were in elementary school the local YMCA ran after school program at their school. It was very popular and had a waiting list. There were also a few private after school programs not located at the schools.
At some point the after school program changed and is now run by the school district.

School starts at 8 AM and there is no before school program.

Many people higher someone to watch their child(ren) at their house.

[Aceon6]

Our district doesn't offer them, but coordinates with outside programs such as the Boys and Girls Club and YMCA. They run special bus routes to the centers.

[AxelAnnie]

So my questions are: (1) Are these programs really rare or is the superintendent just making excuses? (2) What other options are there for a parent who cannot be home everyday to meet the school bus?

So, first off, the extended care programs don't make money, as a rule, and I assume the school district needs to cut expenses.

And, your superintendent has chosen to publicize a cut in an area where parents are going to be in an uproar! Gets everyone's attention really fast.

I don't know if schools in my area offer extended care. I expect they do....with two parents working, and kids needing a place to be until after work, I would be surprised if they didn't. Where one set of grand kids live, there are several day care/school enrichment programs that run separately from the school (the kid gets on a bus and goes somewhere) but coordinate rather seamlessly with the school. The teachers all know who goes where, when...and the programs, know who comes from where. My grand kids get dropped of at 7:00 AM, are then given breakfast, and taken to school. They are then picked up, and taken to the after school care.

I just betcha whatever the shortfall is in your district, it could be handled by....oh say......a 5% across the board cut in expenses, and a small increase in the fees for the extended care.

It is hard times right now, and people are having trouble making cuts. And of course, who would want to. The Superintendent can shaft the parents (oops - ask the parents to make sacrifices) but won't have any luck with the teacher's union.

In the district here....the teachers tried to ban parents from helping in the classrooms. Why? Because there is a part of the contract that says you can't put a parent in the classroom if there are teachers and union workers available, who could be doing the job. So, eliminating a...........lunch supervisor parent would not work, if they were trying to cut payroll expenses somewhere else.

Good luck.

[FigureSpins]

Our elementary school only offered before/after school programs for kids who required tutoring or were in financial distress. (The morning programs includes breakfast.) The schools don't open the doors earlier than 20 minutes before first bell. In middle school, they have sports and clubs after school, but not for elementary schools.

There's a brilliant entrepeneur who opened a daycare/aftercare program in a small house next to an elementary school near us. School starts at 8:30am, so people who have to commute drop their kids off at the center and the staff walks them to the school building in time for classes. Their pre-school siblings spend the day at the center. At dismissal, staff members walk around the fence to meet their charges, then escort them back to the building. They have a snack, do homework and play outside in the fenced-in yard. It's a little pricey, but their clients said it's well run and very safe. Not having to worry about getting them from school to off-campus aftercare is worth a little extra money, imo. (We didn't need the program since I have a flexible schedule.)

There's a YMCA day care program at our community clubhouse with pick up and drop off to the elementary and middle schools.

[hoptoad]

I just betcha whatever the shortfall is in your district, it could be handled by....oh say......a 5% across the board cut in expenses, and a small increase in the fees for the extended care.

Easier said than done. Do you cut 5% of the bus routes? Use 5% less electricity?

That would be great, actually. A district near me had plans to upgrade some infrastructure that would save energy over the long haul. But that ended up being one of the things they cut.

Most districts will pay more for fuel and electricity next year, just like the rest of us, so it's hard to see those expenses going down.

In the district here....the teachers tried to ban parents from helping in the classrooms. Why? Because there is a part of the contract that says you can't put a parent in the classroom if there are teachers and union workers available, who could be doing the job. So, eliminating a...........lunch supervisor parent would not work, if they were trying to cut payroll expenses somewhere else.

That's stupid, no doubt.

More volunteers in schools would be GREAT, in addition to the basic supervision needs. Schools can't depend entirely on volunteers showing up when they say they will, though. They will still need a back-up for the minimum staffing needs.

and .... um, btw, I've been wondering for years, what is DH?

[barbk]

Ours are run by the YMCA, though they're not located in every school.

[nubka]

I've never heard of schools doing this. For those that do, it must be nice...

[Civic]

The city where I currently live has had before and after school programs in its public schools for 20 years at least. The town where I lived until this past November doesn't have either.

[Really]

I don't know of any school-operated before- or after-school programs in our school district or any surrounding ones. Any that operate are privately run and may rent space from a school, but the school or jurisdiction has nothing to do with the operation.

[jp1andonly]

we have them in our district HOWEVER..they are run by a private daycare and they are renting out aclassroom for a small fee, which helps keep the cost down for parents. However our district is growing and some of the before and after daycares are being forced about because the empty classrooms are now being used

[milanessa]

After school and school break programs here are run by the Volusia County's Parks, Recreation and Culture Division.