SEMO YMCA after-school care expands into New Madrid County

NEW MADRID, Mo. (KFVS) - Affordable after school care can be hard for parents to find.

Now, a second group is working to make that easier by expanding its services into New Madrid County.

New Madrid City Administrator Aaron Griffin worked to bring SEMO YMCA’s after-school program to the New Madrid Community Center this school year.

The after-school care will be available to all new Madrid County children in kindergarten through fifth grade.

“Childcare is something that is a problem in our region,” said Griffin. “It fills a gap, bringing things for children to be able to do to help them stay out of trouble. It will give them that extra education and extra values.”

Filling that gap is something that SEMO YMCA CEO Brandy Johnson said the YMCA strives to do.

“Homework tutoring, a snack playtime and then just really building relationships, teaching kids about values, caring honesty integrity,” said Johnson.

Johnson said she saw a need for the expansion into smaller communities.

“I think quality childcare is hard to find nowadays and as the leading childcare across the nation we are excited to provide that to southeast Missouri,” said Johnson.

Griffin said the new program will help out parents as well.

“This will give parents a way to have a place for kids to go to have some structure after school that may still be during their working hours. It will help with meals as well for those kids who may struggle to get a meal after school,” said Griffin.

The program kicks off on New Madrid’s first day of school on August 21.

For more information, contact Eric Chappell at echappell@ymcasemo.net or (573) 472-9622. A link to register can be found here.

The Boys and Girls Club also recently expanded into Dunklin County. You can find our previous coverage here.

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