Waterford Youth Services Launches After-School Program

Worried about what your child gets up to after school when you're not home? A new program offered by Waterford Youth Services could bring working parents some peace of mind. 

Starting on August 27, Youth Services is offering Loop, an after-school program for students at Clark Lane Middle School. The program runs from Monday to Friday until 5:30 p.m. Students can take the school bus directly to Youth Services, where they'll be given a snack, access to the computer lab, and enjoy supervised activities until their parents come to pick them up. 

The impetus for the program came from parent surveys, which suggested that a number of working parents were looking for after school supervision for their middle school students. College students and older high school students will act as counselors, said Youth Services Director Dani Gorman, adding that she hopes it will be a good opportunity for mentoring too. 

The cost of the program is $40 a week or $8 a day, which will cover the expenses of running it.  

"It’s self-sustained like Camp Dash, so what comes in for the program goes right back out to pay for the program," said Gorman. "You can pick and choose your days, or you can come the whole week. Parents have a lot of flexibility. They can go week to week and let us know what they need." 

The maximum capacity is for 30 students a day, so it's a good idea to reserve a spot at least a week in advance, Gorman advises, as "when the slots are full, they're full."  

Although Youth Services hasn't widely advertised the program yet, already seven students have signed up for it. 

"I think this is something that was really needed," said Board of Education member Jody Nazarchyk, who announced the program at last week's Board of Education meeting.