Before- and after-school programs offered to Cape students
Cape Henlopen school board has worked out a deal for before- and after-school care, with reduced fees for parents who need them.
The Sussex Family YMCA and the Boys & Girls Club, which already provide after-school services throughout the district, will continue to offer those services and also offer before-school care, said Donna Kolakowski, supervisor of elementary education.
“They've been flexible, and they would like that to continue to offer their programs,” she said.
The YMCA offers after-school care at Shields and Rehoboth elementaries, and it would extend services to the Lewes School while also providing before-school care at all three schools. Boys & Girls Club would offer before- and after-school care at Milton, H.O. Brittingham and Love Creek elementaries.
The cost at each school is $170 a month for morning only or afternoon only. For both morning and afternoon care, the cost is $328 a month.
Board President Andy Lewis said he worked out the prices based on about two hours a day of care over the course of the school year, and it comes out to about $10 a day or $5 an hour.
“This seems very reasonable in this day and age,” Lewis said, to which two moms on the board nodded in agreement.
Kolakowski said parents would directly pay the YMCA and Boys & Girls Club. There is a purchase of care option for parents who qualify based on income; other options could be worked out for hardship cases, Kolakowski said. There are also multiple-child discounts, she said.
“They're quality programs. It will be amazing and affordable,” she said.
Board member Jessica Tyndall said she was impressed with the services offered if school is delayed for snow or fog.
“That's huge,” she said.
On days schools are closed, Kolakowski said, Boys & Girls Club would consolidate its program at one or two schools – to be announced – while the Y would offer services at its Rehoboth location for an extra $21 per day.
Cape Henlopen will continue offering the after-school programs it currently offers at Milton Elementary, Rehoboth Elementary and H.O. Brittingham. Those programs are paid for by a 21st Century grant that also provides transportation home for students who attend. The programs would end about 30 minutes later to accommodate the later school start times, Kolakowski said.
The YMCA and Boys & Girls Club before- and after-school programs are not run by the district, so the board did not have to approve them. The board has already approved their use of district facilities as existing programs.
