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BY JOHN SNYDER
OF PASCACK PRESS
Township of Washington, New Jersey — When the Westwood Regional Board of Education meets on March 29, parents who’ve been taking advantage of YWCA before- and after-school programs expect to learn whether they can continue to do so in the 2018–2019 school year.
At its March 15 meeting, after hearing anew from YWCA leadership and several concerned families, the school board tabled a motion to issue a facilities use permit for such programs not to the YWCA but rather to a for-profit company called Champions, part of KinderCare Education.
Superintendent of Schools Raymond Gonzalez said the administration did its due diligence and strongly recommends the change.
Gonzalez told the YWCA and parents on March 15 that it had been “brought to my attention” that a 15-year history with an organization is not in and of itself a compelling reason to extend it.
He said he had fielded numerous emails from parents asking about his recommendation and pointed out that the administration has been transparent in its process.
YWCA president Maura DeNicola and CEO Helen Archontou spoke at the two most recent school board meetings. On March 15 they succeeded in seeing the vote tabled.
They said their programs operate each day during the school year in 21 Bergen County schools, serving 1,000 kids including approximately 170 local families.
They said Westwood’s before-school program serves 107 children and that the after-school program serves 213 children.
The majority of program site supervisors have operated within Westwood schools for more than eight years and the program has served the district for the past 15 years, Archontou said.
Archontou, her voice breaking, told the board the YWCA has a network of 21 Bergen County locations where the YWCA Bergen County operates before- and after-school programs that collectively serve more than 1,200 children daily.
Its enrichment programming includes homework support, civic engagement opportunities, fitness programs, STEAM, a broad range of indoor and outdoor recreational activities, and a healthy snack.
She said that at the request of parents the YWCA school program would operate from 7 a.m. to the first bell of school each morning. After-school operates from dismissal until 7 p.m. daily.
She said proceeds fund a host of community initiatives serving the vulnerable and added that whatever the board decided her organization would stand by as an eager partner to serve local families with enthusiasm.
Parents who spoke at the recent meetings praised the YWCA staff they’ve gotten to know, said they should have been notified of the possible change, and said they didn’t know what to tell their children.
They don’t even have a basis to compare services and prices, they noted.
Gonzalez said that if the permit goes to Champions, the district would schedule a transition meeting for families.
There is no taxpayer expense associated with granting a facilities use permit. Parents do business not with the district but rather with the provider, Gonzalez said.
The school board’s Facilities Committee invited four providers to discuss services, pricing, and hours for school families, and two responded, Gonzalez said.
He said he based his recommendation on factors that included talks with the YWCA and Champions.
A request for comment and other information from Champions was not returned by press time.
On its website, Champions says KinderCare Education serves 200,000 children, preschool to K–6, in 39 states and that it serves more than 19,000 of those children in 16 states and Washington, D.C.
A parent speaking March 15 read staffers’ and parents’ online reviews of Champions offerings elsewhere, pointing out that Champions is new in the area and that there are reports of low employee morale and surprising add-on costs where it has operated, as well as some good reviews.