Boys and Girls Club gives families after-school help

More than 2,000 students participate in the Boys and Girls Club of West Central Missouri, but Executive Director Brett Barth-Fagan would like to reach more.

The mission of the Boys and Girls Club is to enable all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens. The club marked its centennial year in 2006.

A recent survey of 30,000 households, sponsored by the J.C. Penney Afterschool Fund, shows a marked increase in demand for after-school programs and that there are more unsupervised children in the afternoons than in previous years. 

The in-depth study, called America After 3PM, found that 32 percent of Missouri’s kindergarten through 12th-grade students are responsible for taking care of themselves after school. These children spend an average of nine hours per week unsupervised after school. The national average for self-care children is 26 percent.

“Missouri trails the nation and has a long way to go in making after-school programs available to all families that need them,” Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant said. “The data tells us that the great majority of Missouri parents who want their kids in after-school programs aren’t able to find them, usually because programs aren’t available, they can’t afford the fees, or transportation issues make it impossible.”

Although the Boys and Girls Club of West Central Missouri has clubs in Sedalia schools, La Monte, Leeton, Smithton, Cole Camp and Green Ridge, Barth-Fagan said there are still local children in need of an after-school program. 

“There isn’t a chance we are reaching every child,” he said.

Barth-Fagan cited funding as the main reason every child isn’t being reached. 

“It takes dollars to run programs,” he said. 

Barth-Fagan said each facility needs $150,000 to $250,000 to function annually. Costs include snacks, milk, workbooks for the tutoring program and supplies for the various clubs. The club also pays 37 full-time employees, 63 part-time employees and teacher stipends to man programs and provide tutoring. 

“Our largest expense is staff,” Barth-Fagan said.

But Barth-Fagan isn’t complaining. 

“Our staff has an absolute blast and they get kids,” he said. “We are offering them competitive salaries and great benefits.”

Another reason children can’t or don’t participate in the program is transportation. Barth-Fagan said low-income families often rely on the bus to drop their children at home after school. 

“Parents may not have a way to pick their child up at 6 p.m.,” Barth-Fagan said. 

While adding a 6 p.m. bus route would be ideal, Barth-Fagan said it would be expensive. The club would need to pay for fuel, maintenance, insurance and bus driver’s salaries.

The Boys and Girls Club, a nonprofit organization, is funded through grants and donations. One local corporate donator is J.C. Penney in Sedalia. The store holds four “Round-Up” events throughout the year, where customers are invited to round-up their purchases to the nearest dollar. The difference is donated to the Boys and Girls Club of West Central Missouri. The store donated $1,004 in April and $1,754 in August. Another $1,298 was given to the club by the store in October. Another round-up is planned in December. 

According to J.C. Penney Supervisor Sarah Martin, 43 percent of shoppers participated in the October round-up event. During the last six months, Martin said the shopper participation rate increased by nearly 10 percent.

J. C. Penney also has funded 20 children to participate in the program free of charge, which costs about $6,000 annually. 

“That is a huge commitment,” Barth-Fagan said.

One program funded by the donations is Power Hour, which is a comprehensive homework help and tutoring program designed to raise the academic proficiency of club members. Barth-Fagan said parents of club members are huge fans of the homework program because it enables them to spend quality time with their children. 

“Parents say thank you because they can have dinner and interact with their children,” Barth-Fagan said. “Parents don’t have to fight that homework battle.”

Even the kindergarten students, who don’t have homework, benefit from Power Hour. Barth-Fagan said older children with reading homework often read out loud to the younger students. 

“It is community learning,” Barth-Fagan said. “Retention is better when you read to someone.”

After snack and homework time, club-goers participate in a variety of activities including craft and science projects. During Halloween week, the students mixed common household compounds, like lemon and milk, to see how they reacted. 

“The kids loved it,” Barth-Fagan said.

Parents of club members pay $5 per day or $20 per week for their child to participate in the club and scholarships are available. 

“We have yet to turn anyone away,” Barth-Fagan said. “We will find a way.”

While money and transportation may limit the club’s reach, Barth-Fagan is confident in the future. 

“I hope to bring together a coalition of supporters that will enable us to grow,” he said.