needs in more ways in one we’re talking to the Y M C a after All right so many of your
children are back in class this
morning but for some education
doesn’t stop after the final
Bell for some families Mom and
Dad are still at work when
school ends so many children
should be turning towards
after-school programs but
that’s not the case. According
to afterschool alliance, one in
5 children do not have someone
to care for them after school
more than 11 million kids are
unsupervised between 03:00PM in
06:00PM S 3 hours
every day and here in Florida,
85% of parents say after-school
programs. They help keep their
jobs. The first course of the Y
M C A is looking to step in and
help parents
every child enrolled in the
program follows a diversified
schedule every week to help
them keep them engaged and here
to talk about the program and
what it has to offer
and why it’s such a big need
for these after
school programs is Chuck sign
Firth and Candace bureau’s
boroughs good morning guys were
good morning. So we were
talking, you know, it’s really
scary to send your
child off with strangers after
school. What are we looking for
when you find these after
school programs.
>> I think for a parent’s
Safety obviously comes first,
yes. So
don’t be afraid to ask
questions if you’re looking for
apps care for after-school
provider. Make sure this
environment that you feel safe
your child
feel safe. A lot of programs of
our license by the DCF the
Department of children and
families. So that you can ask
the fact the provider you know
let me see your
we cannot have a tour of the
program can I see examples of
the activities you do, I’m Kate
talked to the staff.
>> Yeah, anything recommended I
what is the one question that
parents usually don’t ask that
they should.
But I think the quality of
staff is really important.
I think to ask and I think
about who is watching your
children and what type of
training so they go through so
at the why we strive to ensure
that all the sack of ongoing
training throughout the entire
year. We hire professionals and
up front we provide them CPR
training and for states to
Vegas getting an eye on who is
watching a children’s one of
the most important things I
think sometimes parents hence
to forget about.
Yeah let’s talk about a little
bit about your guys program
it’s it’s amazing. But tell me
a little
about it.
>> Our program we have over 40
programs across the first coast
that are based in schools
summer based and community
centers some we provide
transportation to y M C A
and we feel good quality is
very
you know the child attends an
after-school program for every
day the school year that has
upped over
500 hours. And we know that
that’s a huge opportunity that
we can change their lives
during that time so we want to
make sure that we’re fill in
some gaps during that time too
help them both academically
socially physically. A quality
program is much more than a
babysitting service so yes we
provide time for them to finish
their homework. Yes, we provide
them with a healthy snack each
day. We also want to fill the
rest of those hours with a
quality activities. We want
them to stem projects want them
to literacy things to enhance
their academic skills we want
to make sure they’re physically
active can do outside playing
games, making friends building
character and those are some of
things that we try to strive
for every day our programs.
>> Let’s talk about Alice Pirro
for second after school
programs are expensive.
They’re very expensive, you
know, so you sometimes you what
you need to save money and I
mean cutting corners but when
it comes your children,
you shouldn’t be cutting
corners, you know what do you
recommend for those parents who
are in a tight budget. So here
at the Y
we asked for financial
assistance for families
that qualify. So that is one of
the to hang factors that helps
come into our programs.
Now.
>> And at the don’t to
sacrifice um safety. Yeah
price. So again making sure
that the programs are meeting
your needs. I’m not just
looking at Chua that
convenience and cost but making
sure that it’s something that
you feel safe leaving a child
that and knowing that sometimes
a price is okay with you’re
okay with that because your
child.
>> Yeah, of course, and you
know if you do have problems
paying for is that one of those
things you just need to ask and
more than likely someone will
come up with a solution.
>> At the wife say we don’t
want to turn anybody away to
the inability to pay so we
would love to work with
families um I think there’s a
lot of organizations that have
the
same philosophy.
>> How do you choose what
program to send your child into
and how do you tell maybe
they’re selling in our in
dancer sports test how do you
figure that out.
I think really for choosing
much type of program fits your
needs says
as looking at the quality of
the program, what are they
offering once the bell rings.
China’s after school hours but
are much activities they’re off
and what are your child’s
interests and are we meeting
those interests.
>> And a lot of programs of
ready to them we want to make
sure that we can chance
children a
chance to. Strengthen the
skills and all those areas and
may be exposing to some things
that they might have not known
about the past.
So if you can hit on each of
those areas that were just
making a child better working
and it has to learn grow and
thrive, yeah mean take away
from for parents who are
looking for these after school
programs.
>> Again we talk about quality we talk about safety and I think it’s a great program kind
of hits on all of the above.
>> Don’t sacrifice cost or