Child care offered

Many parents who work outside the home face the challenge of finding child care for their children after school until they get off work. School and city officials are working together to provide a solution in Pea Ridge.

Pea Ridge School officials and members of the Pea Ridge Parks Commission are working with officials from the Rogers Activity Center to offer after school care for kindergarten through fifth-grade students in Pea Ridge. The program is set to begin Monday, Jan. 4, 2016.

"We're excited to do this; it offers more services for our students and their families," Keith Martin, assistant school superintendent, said.

The cost for the program is $30 a week, according to Martin.

An active Rogers Activity Center membership is also required, according to Marleen Heyns, child care director of the RAC, who said memberships are $20 per youth annually. There are also family memberships (two adults and up to four children) for $80 annually.

The children will be provided a healthy snack after school. The first priority is to make sure all the children go home with all their homework done, Heyns said. After homework, the students will engage in fun activities, crafts, outside time, etc.

Children from Pea Ridge Intermediate will walk to the gym on their campus. Primary School students will be shuttled by school bus to the gym.

The program will be DHS licensed and we will start the application for our Better Beginnings certification soon after opening the site, Martin said.

"We're just providing the square footage," Martin explained, adding that the Parks Commission is helping by adding HVAC in a room that is being transitioned for use in the program.

The RAC is a nonprofit organization. Martin said eventually the Parks Commission will oversee the program.

"In the past, this (childcare) has been a huge concern for our parents," Martin said.

"I think the working relationship we'll have with RAC and the city Parks Commission -- building those partnerships -- is exciting and beneficial for our community," Rick Neal, school superintendent, said.

There will be a parent information meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8, in the Intermediate Gym.

In order to open the after-school program on Jan. 4, there need to be at least 80 children registered by Dec. 18. Children can be registered at the RAC customer service desk. Parents are asked to fill out the registration form which is available at the RAC or printed from the website www.rogersar.gov/recreation. Scholarships are available and need to be turned in as soon as possible. The application form can be printed from the website or picked up at the RAC. Turn in the completed application, registration form (one for each child), last two pay stubs, and latest tax filing at the RAC customer service desk.

For more information and questions, please contact me at 479-631-0336 ext. 2505 or [email protected]. Email is usually easier to get a hold of me.