Single mom Shannon Johnson likes knowing that her son, Quinten,
is in good hands. As an employee at Woltcom, a telecommunications
company in Hollister, she can’t be there to pick her 7-year-old up
after school, but that’s where an after-school program comes in
handy.
Single mom Shannon Johnson likes knowing that her son, Quinten, is in good hands. As an employee at Woltcom, a telecommunications company in Hollister, she can’t be there to pick her 7-year-old up after school, but that’s where an after-school program comes in handy.
Instead of going home alone, Quinten is immersed in a world of homework help, activities, play and art through the YMCA, the largest provider of after-school care in San Benito County. These programs are a vital source of care and support for parents who work, especially those that do so out of the area, allowing children to stay under the watchful eyes of adults until they can arrive. Plenty exist at the elementary level, but once children advance from elementary school to middle school, the number available falls precipitously. Those that do open their doors to teens provide a valuable service, though.
“(The youth center) is a place to go for them to belong and be part of a tight-knit group of people,” said Cecilia Clark, a spokeswoman for Community Solutions in Morgan Hill, which administers the town’s El Toro Youth Center. “It’s a place that’s safe, that helps create an environment that’s positive where there are caring adults who can be mentors to them. At El Toro, many of the families these kids come from may be dealing with a variety of issues. They may come from neighborhoods that are very poor. They may see violence regularly. They may be on the border of going into gang activity, so having a place that they can go that’s structured helps to keep them level.”
In fact, while after-school programs for elementary-aged kids are mostly about activity, middle school and high school programs are almost entirely devoted to helping teens acquire the skills and education they need to succeed outside of the gang system – study skills, health information and basic job skills, along with interview training.
Last year, 89 percent of the students at El Toro Youth Center improved their academic standing, school behavior and attendance, according to the center’s 2005 fiscal year report. It’s a vital step toward education and self-sufficiency in an area where nearly one third of adults older than 25 didn’t finish high school, according to the United Way Silicon Valley.
If you’re interested in getting your child homework help and safe socialization, here’s a guide to after school programs in your area.
GILROY
Mexican American Community Service Agency
Type: Income-based
Call: (408) 847-4686
Aimed at low-income families, MACSA’s after-school programs are designed to help children and young adults from the ages of 6 to 25 through a variety of programs. Mondays through Thursdays, the agency operates an after-school program focusing on homework assistance and play for young students, and a zero-dropout study program for older students. Also available are comprehensive services for high-risk youth on probation, health classes and classes on career and interview preparation.
HOLLISTER
YMCA of San Benito County
Type: Fee-based
Call: (831) 637-8600
Hollister residents can enroll their elementary-aged children in YMCA after school programs at San Juan, Spring Grove, Ladd Lane and Sunnyslope schools this year. Located on site at their schools, the YMCA programs offer
children homework assistance, healthy snacks, outside activity and art projects, said executive director Lou Bettencourt.
“Basically, we provide so that when a child goes home they’re not hungry and their homework is done,” said Bettencourt. “That way, they and their parents can go on with the rest of their day without being stressed or just ravenous.”
Five-day-a-week care from the end of school until 6pm usually costs around $340 per month, said Bettencourt, but financial assistance is available to those who qualify.
MORGAN HILL
Community Solutions
Type: Income-based
Call: (408) 779-6002
For low-income students in Morgan Hill, Community Solutions offers an important chance for success at the El Toro Youth Center. The community group offers students ages 7 to 15 homework assistance and tutoring, said
company spokeswoman Cecilia Clark. There are also fun projects – last year an artist in residence helped the kids create a mural over one six-week time period, and this year parents and kids are learning how to build and
troubleshoot computers, she said.
Morgan Hill YMCA
Type: Fee-based (scholarships available)
Call: (408) 779-0208
The YMCA operates after-school child care sites in town at Barrett, Jackson and Paradise Valley elementary schools. At Jackson, children who register for an additional class get to learn Spanish on Mondays, and at each of the sites, adults are on hand to help kids with their homework and projects, said Heather Dillon, an administrative staff member for Morgan Hill’s YMCA. Five days per week of after-school care costs an average of $393 a month, but financial assistance is available through an application process, she said.
There is also a new teen center at Morgan Hill’s YMCA that allows kids to come in as drop-ins. Priced at $10 per day or $180 per month, the teen center offers kids a place to hang out, watch movies and play pool under
adult supervision. There’s also an ice-cream maker in the room, Dillon said.
Morgan Hill Community Center
Type: Fee-based
Call: (408) 782-0008
With classes ranging from ceramics and cheerleading to dance, karate, golf and nutrition, the Morgan Hill Community Center attempts to offer a little something for everyone, said recreation coordinator Chiquy
Schoenduve. However, classes are fee-based with rates ranging from $25 to $150 for registration, plus a $3 registration fee and materials. Also, no transportation is provided to the site, and classes are not held daily.
