after-school
Caring for kids
Linda Huntzinger is concerned – and rightfully so – about how some people rationalize the decision to give up afterschool child care.
Huntzinger, the daycare manager at Park Elementary School in Avon Park, said parents and guardians have told her they can't afford it or they are not going to be working as much. But one comment that worried her was when a parent said, "I think my oldest can watch him."
"It's a little scary," Huntzinger said.
The downturn in the economy and higher unemployment have deeply affected afterschool programs around Florida, a survey conducted by Afterschool Alliance has indicated. The Afterschool Alliance is a nonprofit public awareness and advocacy organization working to ensure that all children and youth have access to quality afterschool programs.
According to the survey, nearly eight in 10 Florida programs report loss of funding due to the recession, 88 percent expect the recession to impact their budget for the coming school year and two in 10 programs reported a significant loss of funds that will cause cutbacks or force one or more of their sites to close.
"Quality afterschool programs do incredible work keeping kids safe, inspiring them to learn and helping working families," said Jodi Grant, the executive director of Afterschool Alliance. "These programs also provide students with healthy snacks, sometimes dinner and breakfast, and a range of school services that students and families urgently need. But afterschool programs cannot serve all the children who need them when they are badly underfunded," Grant added. "Even in these tough economic times when there's tremendous pressure for resources we have to find a way to do better. Investing in afterschool programs pays off over time in healthier, more successful students and youth."
In Highlands County, attendance is down for the summer care program in some of the public schools. Huntzinger said it is about 20 percent lower at Park this summer. The number attending varies between 13 and 18. The children are in kindergarten through fifth grade.
There is a set fee of $60 a week. The hours are 7 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Monday through Friday. Afterschool programs will be offered when school begins in August. The hours will generally be 2 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.
Velma Lumpkin, executive director of the Avon Park Community Child Development Center, said enrollment there has been dropping since 2007. There were 65 children from infants to 5-year-olds then. A total of 50 were enrolled last year and the number this year is 43. Lumpkin said she had to lay off about half of her staff for six weeks. She added she can't do any intensive training because of that. "It has impacted my program that way," Lumpkin said. Lumpkin noted that private donations have decreased.
Carol Disler, principal at Lake Placid Elementary School, said the summer program there averaged 50 students a day last year compared to 40 this summer. Disler said there are different children attending this year, but added that it makes sense to her that the recession is a factor in the fewer number.
"They can still do a lot activities and are doing things they normally do," Disler said. She noted the theme this summer is related to Broadway. The children are learning about set design and makeup and are working on a production that will be staged Aug. 7.
Walker Academy in Avon Park has been running a program since about 1999, said Principal Bill Farmer. Farmer said he knows he has lost three or four kids "because parents can't afford another dollar." Farmer said many of them are single parents who are disappointed at not being able to have their children in a Christian school setting.
Assistance available
There is financial assistance for those who are unemployed and
seeking child care. Anne Bouhebent, executive director of Early
Coalition of Florida's Heartland, said a parent or guardian has to be
collecting unemployment. She added that eligibility is based on income.
An application must be completed and can be done so at the Early Coalition of Florida's Heartland office in Sebring at 209 N. Ridgewood Drive. The office is open from 8 to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday and 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday.
The telephone number is 314-9213.
Daycare centers affected
Daycare centers have also been impacted by the recession.
Anne Lang, owner of Busy Kids Creative Learning Center in Sebring, said children started leaving in January of last year as parents were losing jobs or had their hours reduced. Many of those lost jobs were related to construction, she said. Some people had their homes foreclosed. However, Lang said there was a more severe decline in enrollment later in the year. There were 75 kids enrolled in August 2008. The number dropped to 35 in October.
Busy Kids had 16 employees at the time. Lang said one person was let go and another employee moved away. Employees had their hours cut. The cost of milk was high, so they stopped serving it and opted for juice. In March of this year Lang said the center raised its fee an additional $5 for those toddlers and preschoolers who had never been to Busy Kids before. The center was helped tremendously when it opened a Voluntary Pre Kindergarten location in August 2008, Lang said
Bill Rogers
26 July 2009
http://www2.highlandstoday.com/content/2009/jul/26/la-caring-for-kids/
