Fredericksburg Parent

12 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • March 2024 THE IMPACT ON FAMILY BUDGETS The cost to take part in an after-school program varies by location and whether one is a member of the YMCA. In Spotsylvania, there's a $100 registration fee to enroll in care, and the weekly cost for before- and after-school care is $90 for members, and $110 for nonmembers. Next door in Fredericksburg, parents will also pay a $100 registration fee, and weekly costs for before- and after-school care are $85 for members and $105 for nonmembers. Membership at the Y varies depending upon the num- ber of people enrolling, but family memberships begin at $96 a month. This means a family with two children in Spotsylvania County requiring before- and after-school care will pay roughly $900 a month for care and membership fees. Should parents be late picking up their children, late fees do apply. The Y does have programs for families facing financial challenges to help with these costs. These programs are income-driven and can help families substantially lower their costs. In addition, the Y does not charge McKinney Vento chil- dren, who are classified as homeless. Childcare WRITTEN BY MARTIN DAVIS PART TWO Series: Disappearing Daycare There are many exciting things about children beginning school for the first time - first pictures, first friends, first refrigerator artwork. Parents enjoy all of these, of course, but they also often look to the transition from home to school as a time when the burden- some cost of childcare begins to lift. To be sure, the cost of before- and after-school care isn't as heavy typically as full-time day care, but it's not cheap. The YMCA is the largest single provider of after-school care in our region, and has a well-earned reputation for providing afford- able, high-quality after-school care. But even it has not been immune from the cost increases brought on by regulations and the cost of doing business. "Our pricing has gone up 26%" since the onset of COVID accord- ing to Alicia Kindred, executive director of Ron Rosner Family YMCA. That cost increase affects a lot of families. The YMCA hosts afterschool programs for children in the schools of Caroline, Fredericksburg City, King George, Spotsylvania, and Stafford. The programs are convenient because they're school-based, and the kids get to stay in a familiar environment after the school day ends. They're also needed and well-used. "If we went away," Kindred said, "the private sector could not handle the capacity issues."

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