October 21, 2011
YMCA Tauranga Starts Before School Care Programme
As the economic downtown continues to force families to tighten already taut belts, many parents are having to find
creative ways to make ends meet, including working longer hours, taking on shift work, or finding a second (or third)
job.
But simply finding work in the early morning hours is not a straight forward solution when children are involved. Many
schools do not open and officially start providing supervision until 8:00 a.m., making it tough for parents if they wish
to head into work earlier.
To help with the changing needs of its working parents, the YMCA Tauranga is now providing Before School Care (BSC) at
its Mount Maunganui and Welcome Bay locations.
“Families are really doing it tough out there so we put our heads together to see what we at the YMCA could do to help,”
said YMCA Operations Manager Theo Ursum. “After polling our After School Care parents for interest and fielding numerous
requests for Before School Care, we found we had sufficient demand to warrant its implementation.”
Opening at 7 a.m., kids are provided with a healthy breakfast of cereal, toast and fruit, as well as engaging activities
to wake up the mind and body. There is also the opportunity to complete any last minute homework before YMCA staff start
delivering participants to surrounding schools in time for the first bell.
“As with all our OSCAR programmes, we’ve placed a lot of emphasis on ensuring our BSC kids are eating healthily and
getting a balanced variety of mental stimulation,” said Ursum. “It is also very affordable at only $13 a day. For that
the kids are getting to school on-time and well nourished.”
WINZ subsidies for BSC are available for eligible families. For more information, please contact recreation@ymcatauranga.org.nz.
About YMCA Tauranga
To us, it’s all about showing your spirit. Ask yourself, when was the last time you showed yours?
Most people hold tightly onto theirs, often too shy to release it. Some people let their spirit run wild, and sometimes
have to rein it in- and we meet tonnes of people who have just never been shown how to find theirs. You also get the
occasional person who reckons they are just saving their spirit for later.
At the YMCA we work with people to help find their spirit, so they can make the most of their experience and unleash
their potential on the world around them.
ENDS