After-school clubs offer families lifeline

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August 30, 2008

Anonymous The Joplin Globe Sat Aug 30, 2008, 03:43 PM CDT

By Melissa Dunson

mdunson@joplinglobe.com

It can mean the difference between dropping out and graduating, and for some, it may be the one real meal that day.

For students in one of Joplin’s after-school programs, the service is crucial.

“They wouldn’t be here if they didn’t need us,” said Rhonda Gorham, executive director of the Joplin Boys and Girls Club.

Julia Ayala, 11, Joplin, uses that program. Her mother cleans houses and her father owns a mechanic shop. She has no other relatives in the area and said if she wasn’t at the Boys and Girls Club in Joplin, she would probably be home alone until 7 p.m. each school day.

Four years ago, the U.S. Department of Education estimated that as many as 15 million “latch-key kids” return to empty houses after school. That’s a risky prospect, according to the National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center. That group reports the peak hour for juvenile crime is between 3 and 4 p.m. and children are at the highest risk of being a victim of crime between 2 and 6 p.m.

But many Joplin parents don’t have the option of being home with their children after school. The Jasper and Newton County Community Health Collaborative Status Report for 2005 noted the median Jasper County family income at $37,611 — nearly $9,000 less than the state median. That same report found that more than 20 percent of Jasper County’s children live in poverty.

Anne Webster, Joplin, said she has to work to pay bills and couldn’t afford a daycare program or even a baby-sitter for her three children. If it weren’t for after-school programs, she said her children would all be at home, fighting or maybe doing something worse.

“These days, (daycare) is $100 to $150 a week per kid — and that’s way too much for me,” Webster said. “There’s just absolutely no way.”

Instead, her youngest son, Jayden, 10, comes to the Boys and Girls Club every afternoon until 5:30 p.m. He does most of his homework during the afternoon, and he goes straight from the club to football practice each evening. Then, she said, he comes home and falls into bed. It helps, Webster said, in the battle to keep her kids engaged and out of trouble.

‘Staying engaged’

Angie Bessendorfer, Joplin R-8 assistant superintendent, said parents always have to deal with childcare concerns for students who are too young to stay by themselves, but not as many parents realize the dangers children face as young adolescents.

“Even for those children who are old enough to stay home, this can be really important for them staying engaged,” Bessendorfer said.

A 1995 study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found that teenagers have a lot of discretionary time, but little of it is spent building skills or character. At that time, the study found the average teen watches 2.5 hours of television a day, talks with friends on a daily basis and hangs out with friends in their neighborhood or at the mall twice a week.

Compared to students who spent one to four hours a week in extracurricular activities, students who did not participate were 57 percent more likely to drop out of school, 49 percent more likely to use drugs, 37 percent more likely to become teen parents, 35 percent more likely to smoke cigarettes and 27 percent more likely to be arrested.

“At least this way, they’re not just sitting at home by themselves, munching on whatever they can find in the house and watching television,” said Belinda DeMoss, director of the Joplin Family YMCA’s after-school program.

Power Hour

But Gorham and some other local program directors believe those hours after school can do more than just keep children out of trouble. The Boys and Girls of America has earned national attention for its Power Hour program that has children do their homework, with tutoring help before they can play. In May of this year, the Wal-Mart Foundation donated $700,000 to the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning in Lawrence, Kan., to develop a tutoring model based on Power Hour that can be used elsewhere.

Although it’s not her favorite part of the day, Tori Merriam, 11, Joplin, said if it wasn’t for Power Hour, there would be days her homework might not get done.

“Sometimes, it’s hard to do your homework,” she said.

Not satisfied to be baby-sitters, the Boys and Girls Club has gone beyond academic tutoring.

The CareerLaunch program allows students to explore different careers; the Citigroup program teaches financial responsibility and planning; SMART Moves emphasizes physical activity, nutrition and wellness; the Torch Club prepares children for future roles in student government; and Club Tech and the Tech Tools for Teens teach basic computer and electronic equipment skills.

The Boys and Girls Club also has a SMART Girls program and a Passport to Manhood program for boys that teach about the physical, emotional and mental changes during adolescence, as well as the importance of hygiene and a strong sense of self-worth.

“The idea is to break the cycle,” said Amy Malone, Joplin Boys and Girls Club development director and a former club member. “A lot of our members come from broken homes, and they don’t always have good role models.”

These programs provide positive role models in staff members and help students resist peer pressure.

The Boys and Girls Club also feeds dinner to every club member who wants it. Malone said a recent survey of club members showed that some would have gone without dinner each day without the club’s meal.

Growing need

The need for these types of programs may increase. The U.S. Census Bureau reported in July that more than 32.7 million children in the United States have both parents (married and unmarried) working. In addition, there are 12.9 million one-parent families in the country. And in the midst of turbulence in a variety of economic markets, more parents may be heading off to work than ever.

“It’s getting to where both parents have to work,” said Tawnjia Johnson, Joplin, who’s step-daughter, Khali, 6, attends the Joplin Boys and Girls Club every day.

Paul Bloomberg, Joplin recreation and events manager and head of the city’s after-school program, echoed those thoughts, saying there’s a good chance the demand for such programs will go up because it’s becoming harder for families to make it on one paycheck.

“It’s a tough economy out there right now,” DeMoss said.