OXNARD : After-School Care Program Approved
Children in the Oxnard Elementary School District who would otherwise go home to empty houses may soon be able to stay at school for supervised play or homework until 5 p.m., under a program approved by the board of trustees.
The Oxnard Youth After School Program will open the doors of Driffill and Lemonwood elementary schools in the afternoon in an attempt to deter unsupervised children from joining gangs or otherwise getting in trouble.
The program, which was organized by residents and business owners, would give the children access to playgrounds and tutors at the schools.
The program will be valuable for all working parents, but especially for parents who do not speak English or cannot help their children with their homework, said Edmundo Chavez, principal of Lemonwood.
“A lot of the parents work, and the kids need to do something after school,” he said. “I think the program is very much needed.”
Beginning in August, children ages 6 to 12 attending or living near one of the designated schools can stay until 5 p.m. The centers will be staffed by high school and college students as well as volunteer senior citizens from the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging.
The program, which will cost about $44,000 a year, will be funded by donations. It will be free of charge to parents.
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