After school programs expand in Vermont after increase in demand

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – After-school programs give kids a place to hang out after class, making life a lot easier for some working parents.

The programs are in high demand statewide, and they’re growing.

Vermont Afterschool says grants in 2021 and 2022 have allowed programs to expand and create over 6,000 new spots for children to participate.

26 students go to Apple Tree Learning Center’s after-school program in Stowe. But more children are looking for a place to hang when the bell rings, so they’re opening a new location in Morrisville for another 26.

Apple Tree higher-ups Sonja Raymond, Nicole Walker, and Bill Minter say there’s less demand for Afterschool programs when you compare the long waitlists for early childhood education and care.

“Kids have a lot of different opportunities after school. You know, there’s dancers, there’s sports, there’s a lot of different opportunities. So we fill the need for all those other days and for families that are participating in those things,” said Minter.

In the case of Morrisville, there were only 13 after-school spots available in the entire community. “I think that this need is pretty dire,” said Raymond.

Statewide, Nicole Miller of Vermont Afterschool says both the demand for programming and programming itself has increased since the pandemic.

“However, there are many areas of the state that still don’t have enough programming to meet the demand and needs of youth of all ages and their families,” said Miller.

In addition to the 6,000+ spots added over the past few years for students to attend Afterschool programs, another grant aims to add 300 spots and more this year.

“That’s the tension right there. There are funds available to help programs increase the number of slots they have, but staffing remains a challenge for many programs,” said Miller.

Miller says Vermont Afterschool and another program will coordinate funds and a plan to add more spots, but it will fall through due to staffing shortages.

Back at Apple Tree, they’re also expanding the Stowe building to add three more classrooms.

“We’ve hired several new staff at this time and we have a few more to hire, but it’s looking promising and we remain very optimistic and hopeful,” said Walker.

Act 76, or the childcare law, is now in effect. One element of the bill will be providing payments to eligible after-school programs.

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