Families in Karns City Area School District seeking child care will have a new option heading into this upcoming school year.

The Butler YMCA has partnered with the Karns City district to open a state-licensed subsidized child care center within the Karns City Area High School building.

The child care center will manage children age 3 through sixth grade. It will have two different program options: an extended-day program for school-aged children, where students can be dropped off as early as 6 a.m. and be bused to and from school to be picked up later by their parents, and a full-day child care program for 3- to 5-year-olds.

When students are dismissed from Chicora Elementary or Sugarcreek Elementary schools at the end of the school day, they'll be bused to the high school and participate in homework help and activities, and be given a snack before they're later picked up by parents.

Survey sent

Sandy Ihlenfeld, executive director of the Butler YMCA, said around 100 parents responded to a survey sent out to the district earlier in the summer, and that a majority indicated a lack of child care options in the district.

“We have received calls for the last few years from people in Karns City requesting child care because there are no local sources for subsidized state licensed child care,” she said. “The community felt strongly that there was a need, and so we stepped forth.”

She expects a class of about 10 to 15 children to start, but enrollment is still open.

“Paying depends on (families') income level,” she said. “Some are subsidized, meaning that the school assists them, and some are full pay. That's a statewide system.”

Tuition is listed on the Butler YMCA website as $98 per week for both before and after school, and $76 per week for before or after school only. For the full-day, 3- to 5-year old program, full time is $173 per week; Monday, Wednesday and Friday is $122 per week; and Tuesday and Thursday is $91 per week. Need-based scholarships and sibling discounts are available.

Program may expand

Ihlenfeld said that if there seems to be a need, the program may expand to a full center that would include infants and toddlers.

Working within school districts isn't unusual for the YMCA child care program, but using space in the high school was “plan B,” she said.

“It's an unused space,” Ihlenfeld said. “We've designed it for kids. There wasn't room in the elementary school to do that. We asked: Where can we assist the school in helping the parents?”

There has already been interest in the program, Ihlenfeld said.

“Parents call and they say, 'Oh, let me check into this. How does it work; how much does it cost?'” she said. “There's a lot of decision making right now because they've not had this option in the past.”

“I do think there will be interest, and I think the program is likely to expand and grow,” said Eric Ritzert, Karns City Area School District's superintendent. “In our area of Butler County, there aren't a lot of consistent options, unless you have friends or family that can watch your children.

“There seemed to be enough interest to pursue establishing a partnership to provide people in the area with the option.”