For nearly a quarter century, The Neighborhood House has offered a wide array of after school activities, projects, games, and laughter for school aged kids every Monday thru Thursday. The “After School Youth Club” provides a safe and fun spot for kids to “hang out” each afternoon. This drop-in recreational program continues to serve as a flexible option for many families. Whether your child will be attending four days a week or just every once in a while, ALL kids in grades K and up are welcomed and we look forward to seeing them! This year’s program gets underway on Tuesday, September 3, just after the start of the new school year.

Note: The program is not open to children entering pre-Kindergarten. We look forward to seeing those kiddos next year when they’re better equipped to handle the longer day both socially and emotionally.

What does a typical day at Youth Club look like?

When your child is excused from school they will board our mini bus and head for The Neighborhood House, although on occassion (especially when it’s nice), we’ll walk from MDES. After arriving at The Neighborhood House, your child can stow their backpack away and we’ll have a quick bathroom break and chance to wash hands before providing snacks (please don’t forget to complete the registration form to alert us to any food allergies your child may have). After snack time we try to head outside when the weather cooperates for exploration or games, or play some active game in the Great Hall. This is often followed by a short craft project or game, and after 4:30 kids typically get “free time” in which they can choose their own activities. At 4:45 the group cleans up for the day and gets set to head home.

What Does Your Child Need to Bring to Youth Club?

We do our best to incorporate plenty of active play and exploration into the schedule. Your child should always have comfy footwear such as supportive sneakers— perfect for a game “freeze tag” or trip to the playground. We spend a lot of time outside as well, so packing weather appropriate clothing is a must (a sweatshirt or light jacket in spring or fall, and warm coat with gloves, hat, etc. in the winter). Most importantly, make sure your child’s outer layers are labeled with their names. Things your child should NOT bring with them include electronic devices or any other valuables from home. Snack is provided, but if your child has specific allergies or is a very finicky eater and you’d prefer to send them with their own snack, please give us a call to discuss that option.

PICK-UP POLICY

You can pick up your child at any point so long as it is before 5:00pm. Late pick-ups disrupt the schedule of our after school staff and also adds to our overall staffing cost so please be respectful of that by arriving prior to 5:00 (frequent late pick-ups may lead to removal from the program). If someone other than a parent/guardian will be picking them up or if their normal routine changes, please let us know in advance.

2023/24 Rates

(Unchanged from last year)

Daily Drop-in 1/2 School Year

$15.00 $500.00

Flexible payment plans and scholarship assistance is available (see below)

A few MORE key points about the After School Youth Club:

1. This is a drop-in program, so there is no need to sign-up for specific days in advance. You should alert your child’s teacher of their after school plans so that they don’t get placed on the regular school bus at the end of the day. Please double check that your child is fully aware of their after school plan as well.

2. There is a $15/day drop-in fee to attend Youth Club which will be invoiced on a regular basis. We split the school year into two halves (Sept. thru Jan. and Feb. thru June), and cap the maximum amount owed for each half at $425.00.

3. As with all our programs, options are available for those might need a little assistance or flexibility to make the program work as part of their family’s budgets. All such requests are handled on a strict confidential basis. For information and to discuss this further, please contact our Executive Director, Anne-Marie Hart at 276-5039, stop by, or send an email.

Got questions? Stop by or give us a call— we’d be happy to help!