District 30 to offer morning child care

District 30 is partnering up with New Hope Lutheran Church to offer a new before-school program for children. Parents of Shaw Avenue and Clear Stream Avenue school students will now be able to drop their kids off as early as 7 a.m.

“Some parents had a expressed a need for child care in the morning,” said District 30 Superintendent Dr. Elaine Kanas. She explained that the idea for a before-school program was brought to the district by both the Shaw Avenue and Clear Stream Avenue PTAs.

Lisa Rutkoske, the assistant superintendent for business, then began exploring options. She contacted representatives from the YMCA which runs an after-school program at Clear Stream and Forest Road, and SCOPE which runs an afternoon program at Shaw. Additionally, she reached out to New Hope Lutheran Church in North Valley Stream, which has a day care center and is a place many District 30 parents already send their children in the morning.

New Hope, she said, offered the best price at $15 per week or $40 per month for each child. On Monday night, the Board of Education approved the agreement to start a pilot before-school program. It will begin on April 30 and run for seven weeks through the end of the school year. If it is successful, the program could be renewed for the 2012-13 school year.

The program will be held at Shaw Avenue. Rutkoske said New Hope would then provide transportation to for Clear Stream students to their school in time for the start of the school day. Initially, the program will not be open to students from Forest Road School.

The before-school program will be run by New Hope Lutheran Church, with District 30 simply providing the space. Parents will make all arrangements through New Hope.

Antoinette Ernest, director of New Hope’s before- and after-school programs, said morning activities will include reading, homework time and games. She said she expects the children to have a good time.

Ernest, a resident of District 30 herself, said she is happy to provide this morning care opportunity to working parents. “This has been an ongoing issue for parents in the district that we can remedy,” she said. “I’m really excited. I’m happy to try to be of service to the parents.”