Selena Flores, 27, says she was all the time drained whereas working evening shifts.
However she has younger kids — ages 3, 5 and seven, the youngest of whom lately began preschool — so switching to working daytime hours meant she and her husband wanted a baby care possibility for after college.
Not too long ago, Flores obtained a job as an administrator at a restaurant in Naperville, she defined. And it was an after-school program at West Aurora College District run by the Fox Valley Park District that helped her handle the job swap.
“My life did a full 180,” Flores stated about her change in work. She stated she’s in a position to see her kids after work, go to mattress earlier, spend the mornings serving to them prepare for college after which head off to her job.
Flores is one in all numerous West Aurora dad and mom whose kids are enrolled within the Fox Valley Park District’s new EPIC after-school program, which operates at 4 West Aurora District 129 elementary colleges — Smith, Schneider, Nicholson and Corridor.
This system is just like one supplied for over a decade within the college district by way of a partnership with the park district known as MyTime, stated Rachel Shields. Shields is West Aurora’s twenty first Century Challenge Director, which means she works on grants for the district.
That program was free for folks, and ran from Monday by way of Thursday. It was funded by the twenty first Century Neighborhood Studying Facilities grant, a federal funding supply.
The Fox Valley Park District was receiving the federal funds on a three-year grant cycle, which expired in June.
However uncertainty surrounding federal funding availability prompted the park district to search for different funding sources to proceed on with an after-school program at West Aurora, defined Fox Valley Park District Recreation Superintendent Becky Harling.
“The grant world … might be form of fluid at occasions,” Harling stated. “You’ll have funding one yr and never the following, and attempting to guarantee that there’s stability inside your program whenever you’re taking a look at grant funding generally is a little difficult.”
Based on a spokesperson from the Illinois State Board of Training, who emphasised that grant renewal isn’t assured, this federal grant was meant to supply “start-up funds” for brand new after-school applications, fairly than completely fund ongoing ones. Purposes for the fiscal yr 2026 grant competitors did finally open in October, in accordance with the state board.
The U.S. Training Division didn’t return a request for remark in regards to the grant.
So, not planning to depend on the federal funding supply, the park district revised its after-school providing at West Aurora, naming it EPIC, which stands for Discover, Play, Think about and Join.
The park district instituted charges for the brand new program, together with decrease charges for households who qualify primarily based on their earnings, in accordance with a information launch. The district additionally utilized for a grant from Aurora-area nonprofit the Dunham Basis, stated Harling, to probably assist cowl this system’s prices.
The EPIC program, which began initially of the present college yr, “seems very a lot the identical” because the earlier MyTime program, Shields defined. It contains nature and artwork actions, sports activities and health and discipline journeys, in addition to homework help.
It runs from 2:30 to five:30 p.m. Monday by way of Friday, and is open to college students in kindergarten by way of fifth grade. That this system additionally operates on Fridays now’s a distinction from the previous program, defined Shields.
Harling defined that the earlier program was referral-based, however EPIC is open to all college students. It’s additionally open to kindergarteners now.
A number of the program’s employees — made up of primarily West Aurora staff — is similar as for the earlier program, too.
“They know the scholars, they’ve relationships,” Shields stated. “So that’s one thing that we have been all grateful for, that it wasn’t this massive shift in all new individuals.”
Implementing the brand new program at West Aurora with out the federal funding meant the park district started charging households for this system: a normal price of $240 per thirty days, or lowered charges of both $120 or $60 per thirty days for households who qualify, in accordance with the park district.
However the park district finally obtained a $330,000 grant from the Dunham Basis, which means it’s now providing full scholarships for youngsters who certified for both of the lowered charges — Flores’ youngsters included.
Flores stated it was tough to search out reasonably priced day care choices.
“You get to a sure level the place, does the advantage of me having the ability to work the 9-5 … nonetheless provide you with some monetary freedom,” Flores stated. “Is it a possible change?”
However with the EPIC program, she certified for the half-price fee — and now her youngsters are taking part in this system without spending a dime due to the latest grant.
“I used to be over the moon,” Flores recalled when she heard that she wouldn’t must pay for this system for the remainder of the yr. “I cried like a child at work … it’s not some huge cash that we have been paying, however, you recognize, that may simply go in the direction of additional searching for the kiddos, additional college provides for the kiddos, additional groceries for the week.”
Dunham Basis President and CEO Vicki Morcos stated, within the park district’s information launch, that the group “noticed a possibility to make an actual distinction in how households entry after-school programming” when the park district approached them about this system.
“By funding full scholarships for households who want them most,” Morcos stated, “we’re not simply supporting a program — we’re investing in instructional fairness and ensuring each scholar has the possibility to discover, play, think about and join alongside their friends.”
Households can proceed to enroll as the varsity yr goes on, the park district says. It has capability for 250 college students throughout the 4 West Aurora elementary colleges this system is obtainable at. At present, the Dunham Basis grant goes towards 60 scholarship recipients, per the park district.
Although her youngest isn’t eligible for the EPIC program but, Flores stated it’s been “a weight off (their) shoulders” to have little one look after her older two youngsters — and that they get pleasure from it.
“There are occasions when my husband picks them up, they usually’re like, ‘We wish to keep a bit longer,’” she stated. “You’re feeling dangerous since you’re leaving them at college for an additional two to a few hours, however a minimum of you recognize that they’re having fun with it.”
Harling additionally spoke in regards to the worth this system has for folks.
“Dad and mom actually depend on after-school applications,” she stated. “I feel having the ability to present an after-school program the place we now have … licensed and high quality instructors to supply it, I feel is an actual massive spotlight for these dad and mom.”
This system has been notably useful for Flores’ household as a result of most of her and her husband’s households stay in Mexico, she defined.
“We don’t have that regular … anyone to rely on,” Flores stated. “I don’t have my mother to look at my youngsters or to seize them from college.”
So she’s glad to have the choice as a working mother or father.
“It’s an incredible factor that they’re doing, and they’re very, very genuinely altering individuals’s lives,” Flores stated. “And aiding dad and mom in a time the place lots of dad and mom are two-parent working households …you attempt to make it work the most effective that you may.”
mmorrow@chicagotribune.com
