Getting messy is
part of the fun.
f
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CAMPFIRE COLUMBIA.
or Atkinson Elementary School fifth grader August Reinhart, after-school care is
as much a part of his day as school itself. His mother, Kate Reinhart says that over
the years, her family’s been very pleased with the continuity and care that on-site
childcare provider Vermont Hills Family Life Center has offered.
Adventures in
Afterschooling
BY CATHIE ERICSON
“There are people there I have known since Auggie started
attending in kindergarten,” she said.
At the program, Auggie can choose to sit quietly and work
on homework or throw himself into activities with other kids,
including games, small groups and outside play.
That freedom — and staff with the wisdom, enthusiasm and
flexibility to handle whatever kids throw their way — is key to
a good aftercare program.
Fun for Big Kids, Small Kids
Aftercare providers have to offer a wide range of activities that will keep kids
engaged — no easy feat when you consider the level of ages and interests of a
typical group.
Staffers at Vermont Hills, which provides aftercare to 30 schools around the
Portland metro area, as far out as Hillsboro, say the goal is to meet the needs of
its student and parent population alike. “We know that some of our kids want
to just breathe after coming in from a tough day at school,” said Jon Myers, who
oversees Vermont Hills’ aftercare program, “while others crave a wide variety
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August 2014 | metro-parent.com