Advocates say Miami-Dade County families have hundreds of free and low-cost options for after-school care for their kids — but not enough parents know that. Thanks to a new community collaboration, families can find hundreds of programs by calling the local resource hotline 211.
If six-year-old Savannah Ducatel didn’t go to after-school, she says she’d probably just sit on the couch and “watch tv.” Instead, she gets to keep playing with her friends from Holmes Elementary School in Liberty City.
“I go to after-care and play,” the first grader said, “play at the park and dance.”
“We go to the park and play and then we play sports,” she added. “I know how to shoot the ball now.”
With Savannah and her siblings at after-school, their mom Octavia Adderley says she can now work full time.
“It’s a huge blessing,” Adderley said. “During the pandemic it was hard for me to work due to lack of child services and school activities. So now that Holmes and 211 has opened up the opportunity, I’m able to work again and have a safe environment for my kids.”
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Advocates say that after-care is a lifeline, especially for families that are struggling to stay afloat amid South Florida’s cost of living crisis.
“Beyond just the place to be, these programs provide snacks, homework assistance, academic guidance and enrichment activities,” said Shawnda Pagan, CEO of the Belafonte TACOLCY community center. “These are more than activities. They are the building blocks of a higher and brighter future.”
Advocates want more families to know about the offerings. Now, the Miami-Dade County, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, The Children’s Trust and Jewish Community Services of South Florida have teamed up to create what they’re calling a “one stop shop” for parents.
Instead of bouncing from one agency and website to another, families can find hundreds of local after-care options by calling 211 or going to 211miami.org/afterschool.
The helpline is free of charge and is available 24 hours a day, with information in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole and “most every other language” spoken in Miami-Dade County, according to organizers.
“By combining our efforts we have been able to help not just hundreds but thousands — thousands — of children and families in this community,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said during a press conference held at Holmes Elementary School. “Because we have so much to offer, sometimes it's hard for people to find out what is available for them. So it's critically important that we share this information and do it in an effective way.”
As many students are still working to overcome the learning loss and stress of the pandemic, MDCPS Superintendent Jose Dotres says it's even more important that families take advantage of the extra tutoring and instruction that’s available after school.
“After-care programming is extremely important,” Dotres said. “Every single opportunity that we have to extend learning and provide additional opportunities for them to learn is very, very significant.”
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