After-school child care: dilemma in a rural community - Project Home Safe, American Home Economics Home Association, Arkansas

Children Today, Jan-Feb, 1992 by Mary M. Warnock

The superintendent agreed to add another bus to the route in the event that one bus was not sufficient to serve all the "child care" students. Because of the program's growth, a second bus was added to the church route in the spring of l990.

Surviving

When the after-school child care program began on January 3, 1989, one child (the son of the Project Home Safe volunteer) was enrolled. Instead of becoming discouraged, however, we mounted an informal publicity campaign, utilizing the news media, flyers, phone calls and any other strategies we could to spread the word about the program.

At the end of the first week, two other children were enrolled. When spring break arrived in March, seven children were registered full time in the program, with several drop-ins participating. Somehow, the director was paid, snacks were purchased, and the children had fun while they learned.

The parents were so pleased with their children's progress in the after-school program that they requested a summer program. The matter was presented to the community coalition and the response to the idea was overwhelmingly positive. Brochures describing the summer initiative were developed and distributed throughout the elementary school. At the conclusion of the 1989 school term, 42 children were participating in the summer project .

Two assistants were hired and the program became self-sustaining. Weekly field trips were offered, classes were conducted to improve math, writing, art and reading skills, and a variety of physical education activities were introduced.

The weather during the summer of 1989 presented an unexpected challenge to the program's survival. Each day of that summer seemed to be hotter than the day before. Although rain was sorely needed, none came. Since the gymnasium was not air-conditioned, the incessant heat proved to be extremely uncomfortable, as well as unhealthy, for the children and workers. But once again, community support and ingenuity yielded a solution to the problem. A number of local residents donated fans--not ordinary fans, but the huge ones used in chicken houses--and despite the one hundred degree temperatures, the children and workers remained cool.

During the 1989-1990 season, the program maintained an enrollment of 16 children. Another summer program operating in 1990 served 32 children.

Meeting Needs

The community need for after-school child care has been met. The number of children loitering on the school grounds after hours, playing in parking lots or staying home alone and unsupervised has been reduced.

Parent needs have also been met. Program hours--from 3:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. Monday through Friday and from 6:30 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. on designated snow days--fit parents, work schedules, since most of them work shifts at local industries. The project is also nonprofit and charges a fee comparable to those determined by local service agencies.[5]

Parents have not expressed guilt about leaving their children in a day care situation.[6] Because quality, safety and caring are the cornerstones of the program, the children's happiness is ensured, and the parents, freedom from anxiety about their children's well-being is guaranteed.