The Dominion Post recently reported the Preston County Youth Center opened an after-school program, which is staffed by volunteers and already has plans to expand.
The program’s director, Glen Larew, noted many of the kids participating were latchkey kids: children who went to an empty house after school while their parents worked.
There are plenty of arguments for and against kids, especially the K-8 students the program serves, being home alone until their guardians finish work. The reality, however, is many families don’t have a choice. Child care remains a scarce and expensive resource for parents: They may not be able to find it, and when they can, they may not be able to afford it.
Which is what makes the program at PCYC so important.
Its existence alone means there is a safe, supervised place for kids to be until the adult workday ends. That is surely a relief for many families who weren’t quite comfortable with their latchkey kids being home alone but had no alternative, or families where someone couldn’t work because they needed to be home for the kids.
But in addition to that, the program provides kids with an after school meal, activities and even a little bit of tutoring. It’s good for children to have a place to play and socialize outside the restrictions of the classroom; where they can talk, run around (within reason) and hang out with their peers without being scolded for not paying attention or not sitting still.
We’d like to thank the center and all the volunteers who make this program possible for creating a safe place for children to go after school. You may never know the full extent of your impact, but know that you are making a difference in your community — for the better.
