NORWICH – The Place KIDS (Kids In Direct Supervision) program will soon be accepting applications for its summer program; a program that provides care for children K–6 grade – or up to the age of 12 – during the school year and summer.
In an effort to ensure the continued success of programs offered, staff at The Place are looking to spread the word that the help of families who intend to utilize the summer program is needed.
The summer program, slated to start June 30, is open Monday through Friday 6 a.m.– 6 p.m. and provides a summer full of fun for children while assisting the area's working families with an alternative to costly daycare.
An enriching variety of educational, cultural activities and thrill seeking field trips that include swimming, arts and crafts, trips to the park, and more are the staples of The Place KIDS summer program.
With the costs associated with child care during the summer months when school is not in session mounting, working families seeking viable all-inclusive child care option are being urged to consider the unique offerings at The Place.
The Place administration has kept a keen eye on state budget cuts across agencies such as the Chenango County Department of Social Services (DSS), which announced in October of 2013 that child care reimbursement programs funded through New York State Child Care Block Grant had dried-up, leaving DSS between a rock and a hard place.
Looking to pick up some of the slack and easily considered one of the most cost-effective daily programs, The Place is able to provide quality programming to local youths at a rate of $20 per day for each enrolled child. In addition to instruction and activities, The Place also provides healthy breakfast, lunch and snacks daily. The KIDS program is open to all families on a first–come, first–served basis.
Traditionally known for providing financial assistance to families in need so that all children are provided the same opportunities, The Place has also been faced with its share of funding cuts. In response, administrators have had to cut back on the level of financial assistance they can provide.
In a call to action and to address family needs, The Place is currently looking to secure funding which will provide assistance to families this summer – and is reaching out to families to learn what kind of financial assistance they will need.
“It is a priority to The Place to help families in our community afford to send their children to our program this summer,” said Rebecca Sands, Executive Director. “We are perpetually seeking out new funding opportunities, and in doing so we are collecting information from families who need our help; which enables us to illustrate the level of support needed to our funders.”
In order to effectively convey the needs of the community to local funding sources, The Place is asking families needing financial assistance and who plan to enroll their child(ren) in the summer program at The Place to contact Rebecca Sands by March 24 to complete one of the surveys.
“The surveys are very basic and non-invasive,” said Sands. “We're just looking for some basic financial information from parents who plan on enrolling their children at The Place this summer so that we can adjust our proposals and have the best chance at securing some additional funding for this important program.”
An open house at The Place has been scheduled for May 19 from 5 – 7 p.m. Families are invited to tour the historic building located just behind the Norwich Post Office to learn more about the programs at The Place, and to enroll children in the summer program as well as give parent the chance to complete the survey.
For more information, contact The Place at 336-9696.