By Arriyonna Allen
The Paducah Sun
December 17, 2024
Used with permission.
An after-school program at Morgan Elementary School in Paducah that began as a pilot program will continue next semester, helping families cut down on the cost of child care.
The program, provided in partnership with the Paducah Parks and Recreation Department, will continue thanks to the great response organizers said they’ve received from parents.
In Kentucky, some families can expect to spend on average $208 a week on child care, according to a LendingTree study. In stark contrast, the Morgan Elementary after-school program costs $100 per quarter, tax included. According to a brochure from the parks and recreation department, the program runs from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays.
“We’re here for our students. We’re here for our families,” Morgan Elementary Principal Tami Snyder said.
Snyder was previously a teacher at Morgan Elementary, and her kids also attended the school. She recalled that child care was relatively easy for her at that time, because her kids just sat with her at the school until she got off work. Now, with the after-school program, she hopes to help families who don’t have that same luck.
“It makes me realize that parents have to pick and choose what they can do,” she said.
For families whose children attend the after-school program, their children have more than just adult supervision. “By the time they get picked up at 5:30, they’ve had their homework done, they’ve had a snack, they’ve had a meal. That family can go home and be a family,” Snyder said.
The Paducah Parks and Recreation Department has partnered with Paducah Public Schools to host the program at Morgan Elementary, which means the school doesn’t have to worry about staffing.
Staff members include high school and college students, including some who aspire to be elementary school teachers. The program gives those students practical experience working with children. That dynamic benefits Morgan Elementary students as well, according to Taylor Morsching, assistant director of recreation with Paducah Parks and Rec.
“We have a lot of, you know, role models and people that the kids can look up to — not only adults, but high school aged kids as well,” Morsching said.
Morgan Elementary is the only school the city works with for the program. If the program continues to go well, Morsching hopes other schools will think about partnering to provide after-school child care as well.
“I think our goal is just for the kids to have a safe place to come and learn and hang out with their friends and have some role models,” he said.