Lynn YMCA grant helps with parental involvement

LYNN-One of the largest challenges facing after school and out-of-school programs, such as the after school child care at the Lynn YMCA, is the effort to keep families involved in the programs their children are taking part in while parents are at work.After a long day, many parents and guardians are content with just picking up their children, stopping to talk for a moment, and heading home to make some dinner and get the kids to bed before another long day of work and school.Thanks to the Engaging Families Grant, sponsored by Bosnet and the United Way, the Lynn YMCA has been able to develop programs and special events to help get families more involved with the after school care their children receive.”We are trying to get the families involved beyond simply dropping off and picking up their kids,” said Child Care Director Tony Bellerose. “The feedback has been great. The turnouts have been very, very good – well beyond what we expected.”The grant money, awarded in September, has allowed the YMCA to host special events, such as a multi-cultural potluck dinner held earlier this year. With a diverse student body at the YMCA, many of the families that attended the dinner brought foods from their native countries, providing a wide array of treats spanning the globe.The dinner was so successful, Bellerose says the program is now looking to use some of the grant money to put together a multi-cultural cookbook, featuring recipes from around the world as provided by the families and friends of YMCA students.”Anyone who has a recipe, we’ll take it – parents and students alike,” he said. “We thought it would be a good way to end the year, to get parents involved and showcase the different recipes the kids bring in.”The YMCA has hosted game nights and movie nights, and have been rehearsing a rendition of You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, to be performed for the public at the Lynn Auditorium in City Hall this April.The grant has helped pay for much of that production as well, and the city has offered to waive the fee to perform at the auditorium for the April 29 show.In his first year as director, Bellerose admitted that he expected the effort to get parents involved would be a little bit more challenging. It is still a lot of work, but the dedication of both staff members and the families of students have made his efforts more successful.”It is extremely helpful to be able to see and talk to the parents outside of work time. We know it is tough – most days are long and parents just want to get home,” he said. “But a lot of nights the teachers aren’t even paid to come to the special events. They just realize that it is kind of our mission to have a good relationship with the parents.”It has been an eye opener for me. I was a little bit nervous in the beginning, but it has been a lot more enjoyable than I expected and this grant has been a Godsend.”