Reach back into your childhood memories. The trip takes longer for some -- be patient. Once there, sift through thoughts of one of the most anticipated times to be found in a 24-hour period: the end of another school day. Seconds and minutes were counted down to that last bell and then -- freedom!
What came next' If you had a stay-at-home mom, you could probably count on cookies, a hug and the words "do your homework," (not necessarily in that order). But for many children, the prospect of an empty house loomed. These "latchkey kids" were on their own when it came to snacks, homework and making the right decisions, which depending on their age could be dicey. This happened in many cases because there was no alternative when both parents worked.
"To me, a latchkey kid is one that is allowed to stay at home by themselves for a few hours at a time after school. They go home, let themselves in, lock the door and wait until mom gets home. A lot of children aren't at an age that they can be left by themselves like this," said Dorothy Massey, lead program education technician for the after school program at Siegfried Youth Center.
Fort Polk's Child, Youth and School Services ensures that parents on post have an alternative to leaving their young child at home alone. Not only is it safer for the child, but the after school program can give parents the peace of mind they need to do their jobs. Michaela Brown, School Age Services program director, said that since many of their clients are in the Army, one of the main missions is to reduce some of the conflicts and stressors involved in providing children with quality after school care. She said the program also offers help in homework and activities that will build character skills.
"We practice 'character counts.' This is a framework used in schools, community centers and after hours programs like our own. The program is based on six pillars that include trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. It's a day-to-day framework that care givers go by. They plan activities that relate to the six pillars that help build morals, values and ethics," said Brown.
The after school program is similar to many of the child care programs offered by CYSS in that it offers a safe, caring and fun environment for children to thrive in, but there is something that sets it apart from the rest. "The biggest difference between the after school program and our other programs is the homework support. This is a good opportunity for young children to have a safe environment that not only offers fun activities like arts and crafts and field trips, but also educational learning and homework help if they need it," said Massey.
Brown said staff encourage children to bring their homework into the lab to complete it while they are here in case they need the help of the on-site tutor. "Many of our parents get up early to do physical training and by the end of the day they are tired and still have to go home and get dinner on the table. It helps parents if their children do their homework here," said Brown.
These programs are about to move from Siegfried Youth Center into their new building. John Stromberg, facility director for the new Child Development Center, said the LA-4, kindergarten and first grade before and after school programs are going to be moving to the new facility soon.
The before-care program opens at 5:45 a.m. School buses pick up the children from the center.
After school care begins when school buses drop off the children at the center. "Once the kids get off the bus, they have a snack. Then we offer homework help in the computer lab, fun activities and clubs such as 4-H, boys and girls club, photography club and computer club," said Stromberg.
Kylie Schmidt, 5, is in kindergarten and attends the after school program. "I like coming here after school because it is so fun. Legos are my favorite things to do because I like to build things. I know how to make a lot of stuff," said Schmidt.
Jaleel Parks, 5, also participates in the after school program. "It is very, very, very fun. My favorite thing to do is go outside and run and play," said Parks.
In addition to all that fun, Stromberg said the children work on portfolios. "Each week we have kids write some things in their portfolio. Then, at the end of the school, year we give the portfolios to the parents so they know what the children learned throughout the year. They'll get an idea of how their children's reading and writing has improved. We provide activities for our 4 and 5 year-olds like practicing their handwriting, letters and numbers. We want all of our kids to be successful, so we help them learn in fun ways that reinforce what they are already doing at school. They don't even realize they are learning," he said.
Stromberg said they had a recent staff meeting in the new facility, located at 7575 Colorado Ave., bldg 701. "Up to now, I've been the only one who has been able to get in the building and see what everything looks like. Everyone is so excited about their classrooms and the age-appropriate playgrounds. They can't wait to get in there. We just want to let people know about the programs and that we hope to be in the new facility soon and have an open house pending completion," said Stromberg.
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