The YWCA of Greater Newburyport has received overwhelming response to three new after-school programs that were launched last week in an effort to make after-school child care easier for parents.
The program, named "School's Out," is already near its capacity of 78 students and organizers hope to expand - and even add before-school care.
School's Out came to fruition after a January survey by Newburyport Youth Services highlighted the need for after-school programs on the elementary level. Out of 160 respondents to the survey, 84 percent said they wanted the city to provide after-school child care at the schools.
Newburyport Youth Services awarded the contract to the YWCA because of the high ratings the YWCA received from parents in the survey.
"I think at this point, the YWCA should be commended for getting up and running by the first day of school," Newburyport Youth Services Director Andrea Egmont said. Egmont works closely as the liaison between the YWCA and the schools to make sure everything runs smoothly.
Though the YWCA has been offering after-school child care for many years, this is the first time they have offered it on school grounds and expanded it to include more age groups and a more extensive program.
The School's Out program is offered at the Brown, Bresnahan and Molin schools five days a week from dismissal to 6 p.m. including some holidays, early dismissal days, emergency snow release days and vacation weeks.
"There is a big need for this in the city," said Ellie Davis, director of operations for the YWCA. "Before we were licensed for 47 kids between kindergarten and fifth grade, and we were always at full capacity; now we are licensed for 26 children at each site."
Full text available at the Newburyport News