Why hundreds more kids are getting after-school care

Simplified: The Sioux Falls School District has helped about 1,000 more kids access after-school and summer care in the first year of it's new community learning center (CLC) program. But the district has yet to find a sustainable funding source to keep the program going long-term.

Why it matters

• Last fall, the district opened community learning centers at all 22 Sioux Falls elementary schools. These centers replace the former Kids Inc. program, and they operate through partnerships with four nonprofits – Embe, the YMCA, Boys & Girls Club, and Volunteers of America.
• These centers, in particular, are aiming to help kids who previously had no place to go after school, and in year one it appears to be working, according to data presented to board members Monday. More than 400 kids received financial aid last year – a 50% increase from the year prior.
• The early successes are great and students in the CLCs are showing early improvements in academics and behaviors during the regular school day, said Rebecca Wimmer, the district's coordinator of community partnerships and after-school programs.
• But if the program is going to stick around, the district needs to figure out a sustainable funding model as costs of care increase.

"If we want to look long-term, we have to keep this up for generations," Wimmer said. "We can't offer it for five years and then have it disappear. This has to be generational."

Tell me more about the CLCs

Here's a great explainer on how they work:

In its first year, the district's CLCs helped about 1,000 kids more than the year prior between after-school and summer care.

• About 40% of those kids come from families with low or moderately low income levels (defined as 200% of the poverty line or below).

There are currently about 320 kids on the waitlist to get into CLC care, Wimmer said.

Meanwhile, the cost for parents has nearly doubled since 2020 – moving from $40 per week to $75 per week.

What happens next?

The district will put more focus on expanding its options for middle schoolers – including the work happening with a new Boys & Girls Club location adjacent to George McGovern Middle School.

• They'll also be working on adding more learning opportunities for kids in the elementary program.

Wimmer said the district is also planning to host more family listening sessions at the centers to give parents more of a voice in their kids' schools as well as creating community.

"Part of this is that our schools are the hub of the neighborhood," Superintendent Jane Stavem said. "And that means people gathering, people talking and caring about their school. This partnership gives us another way to continue to add value to what we do."