After-school programs don't meet demand
Green Bay area educators say after-school programming is important, but acknowledge supply does not meet demand locally.
A national survey found Wisconsin ranks among the worst states in the number of after-school programs available for its students. The report doesn't break down local numbers, but caregivers in the Green Bay area say there are waiting lists for affordable programs to keep kids occupied in the hours after school and before parents are finished with work.
The nonpartisan, nonprofit Afterschool Alliance recently surveyed more than 30,000 families throughout the U.S. about the availability of after-school programs for kids in the spring. The Washington, D.C.,-based organization looked into the number of programs available, the number of families who use them and satisfaction with the programs.
The survey found 13 percent of Wisconsin students — or 121,469 — are enrolled in after-school programs in 2014. That's up from 11 percent in 2009, when the survey was last conducted.
It found that about one in five Wisconsin kids — from kindergarteners through 12th-graders — is alone between 3 and 6 p.m., the hours when school typically ends and before parents return home from work.
Most families piece together a variety of after-school solutions, with 69 percent of Wisconsin's students in kindergarten through 12th grade spending some time after school in the care of a parent or guardian. Other arrangements include traditional daycare centers at 6 percent; sibling care at 13 percent; and non-parental adult care, such as a grandparent or neighbor at 21 percent.
About a third of families surveyed said they would enroll their kids in after-school programing if it were available.
Schools in the Green Bay area — following a statewide trend — typically partner with the Green Bay Boys & Girls Club or the YMCA to provide programs in a school building after classes are finished for the day. Eighty-fve percent of Wisconsin programs are hosted in public school buildings, according to the survey.
The demand
Officials for service organizations say demand varies from school to school and year to year, and note that the programs they offer typically depend on funding and space in schools.
The YMCA serves 650 students at 19 sites this school year, according to Connie Bykoski, school-aged childcare executive for the Green Bay Area YMCA. It serves a number of parochial and public schools in the Ashwaubenon, De Pere, Green Bay, Howard-Suamico and West De Pere districts.
"We do track numbers, but it really varies from year to year," Bykoski said. "Some years sites are full, sometimes they are open."
In addition to its regular after-school programs, the YMCA also works with another grant-funded program in five Green Bay schools considered at-risk. Its programs tend to focus on academics rather than recreation, she said.
For other sites, programming depends on staffing, space in school and school needs. Some schools provide cafeteria or commons space for after-school programming and can host 50 kids, for example, Bykoski said.
Smaller schools may need commons space for other activities and can offer after-school programs classroom space, which means they may be able to host just 20 or so kids, she said.
"We need to have certain space and staffing to comply with state licensing, so that usually determines how big of a program we can offer," she said.
"Schools can put out a request for proposals if they feel they need more, and agencies can respond. There are a lot of other options, including group child care centers and in-home daycare."
Changing needs
The Y has a sliding fee which makes it more affordable than private options, she said, and demand has grown over the years.
De Pere and Howard-Suamico typically have high demand, she said. At least one school in the De Pere district has a 20-person wait list for the Y after-school program.
Demand for the program in Green Bay and Ashwaubenon schools tend to vary year to year, Bykoski said. Officials meet with school administrators to discuss needs, she said.
"Schools also can call me if there is a need and we might expand if we're able to," Bykoski said. "We're servicing their students.
"I've been doing this for 25 years, needs have grown, with dual working parents. But lately there's been so many job cuts, and with everyone trying to save a dollar, if you can cut you might look at these programs. But with both parents working, there obviously is a need for this particular program."
By grade, 18 percent of kids in kindergarten to fifth grade are enrolled in after-school programs; 14 percent of kids in middle school participate in such after-school programs and 7 percent of high school students use after-school programs.
On average, parents spend about $109 a week for after-school programming, according the survey.
Nationally, participation in after-school programs is up, with 18 percent of students in programs up from 15 percent in 2009.
What parents want
In 2014, about a third of Wisconsin families are looking for after-school programming, up from 31 percent in 2009 and 22 percent a decade ago, according to the Afterschool Alliance survey.
Most parents agreed after-school programs can help students improve academically, and that they provide working parents with peace of mind about their children's whereabouts while they are away, the alliance found.
Barriers include cost, availability or a preference for other activities.
The Boys & Girls Club of Green Bay looks at the number of students that qualify for free or reduced-price lunches when determining program locations. It currently serves about 400 to 450 students per day at five Green Bay elementary schools and one Green Bay middle school, and about another 300 at its east side and west side independent centers.
The club asks for a $10 yearly fee that is waived for families in need. It mostly relies on grants, donations and the school district for funding.
"We would love to expand," said Eric VandenHeuvel, chief academic officer for the local Boys & Girls Club. "The only barrier we have is financial."
Programs typically have waiting lists, he said.
"There aren't many parents who get done with work by 3 p.m. when school is out," VandenHeuvel said. "They are looking for something that's recreational as well as educational for their kids. But it can be tough.
"I just talked to a mom at Washington Middle School. There's no program at that school, and we're not able to transport kids all over the city, so there isn't much we can do."
Johanna Wicklund, director of program development and evaluation for the Boys & Girls Club, said community awareness of the need for after-school programming is vital.
"We'd like to see that every kid who needs an after-school program has one," she said. "We need to develop the awareness of the important role a safe and enriching after-school program can provide."
Mark Smith, the Green Bay assistant superintendent of continuous school improvement, said administrators view after-school programs as vital.
"The opportunity to expand the classroom experience and to partner with community organizations to provide that is vital," he said.
The Green Bay district typically targets schools it considers most at-risk for after-school programs, he said. In addition to the Boys & Girls Club and the Y, the Green Bay district works with a number of other organizations, such as 4-H clubs, that may provide specific after-school activities.
"We believe after-school programs provide an extension of academics, as well as contribute to social and emotional well-being," Smith said. "We want it to be educational, and to also provide other opportunities, such as musical or karate or other interests, to be a blend of academics and fun."
— pzarling@pressgazettemedia.com or follow her on Twitter @PGPattiZarling
By the Numbers
In the Green Bay School District, which serves more than 21,000 students:
• The Boys & Girls Club has partner sites at Danz, Fort Howard, Jefferson, Keller and Nicolet elementary schools and Franklin Middle School. On average, about 450 students attend daily.
• The YMCA has partner sites at Doty, Eisenhower, Howe, Sullivan and Tank elementary schools. On average, about 400 students attend daily.
• The district also has 40 external agencies that partner with it to support students and schools during and after the student day.
— Green Bay School District