YMCA representatives answer questions about upcoming summer care program

Parents who typically enroll their child in the Trussville City Schools Summer Care Program have a decision to make this year: either pay 50 percent more for summer childcare or enroll their child elsewhere.

The TCS Board of Education announced in January that they have partnered with the YMCA of Greater Birmingham to create a summer childcare program that will replace the program Trussville parents have been using for years. The camp will have two locations: one at the Trussville YMCA and another at Paine Elementary.

A two-child family under the TCS Summer Care Program in 2019 paid a $45 flat registration fee for the family, $90 per week of tuition for the first child and a discounted rate of $70 per week of tuition for the additional child. This amounted to $1,485 for a nine-week program for a family with two children.

But the YMCA program won’t offer a discounted rate for additional children, and each child will pay a separate registration fee. Registration will be $35 per child, and the tuition will cost $135 per week for each child. For a family with two children, this amounts to $2,230 for an eight-week program.

In addition to the increase in tuition, parents are concerned about the quality of care and have expressed anger at the school system for making this decision suddenly and without asking for input from parents. 

A group of concerned parents held a meeting at the Trussville Public Library Auditorium Thursday and invited representatives from the YMCA to answer their questions.

Some parents were concerned that their favorite summer program staff members would not be re-hired under the partnership with the YMCA. Elizabeth Walker, a Trussville parent who led the meeting, these former employees told her that they would not be guaranteed a job this summer and that they would likely receive a pay cut if hired.

Dan Pile, the CEO of the YMCA of Greater Birmingham, said the former employees are a priority.

“It is our desire to bring everybody back in,” he said. “So there may be some lack of communication. This has happened so fast, you know. … But we’re going to go through a little bit of a process where they have to apply and go through a process because it is a different employer.”

Another concern among parents was about staffing at the YMCA. Rhonda Elmore, director of youth development at YMCA of Greater Birmingham, said the YMCA follows DHR guidelines. In Alabama, a person isn’t considered an adult until age 19, so Elmore said counselors at the YMCA are always 19 or older.

“We do employ junior counselors,” she said. “It’s a way that we have a development program and prepare them to be counselors once they turn 19. Those staff that are 17 and 18 and work as junior counselors do not have their own group of children. They assist a head counselor with their groups.”

This helps raise the staff-to-children ratio too, she said. The YMCA follows a 1-to-12 ratio on average across all of the groups.

“Just for a point of reference, a licensed childcare for school-aged children for DHR, the ratio is 1-to-21,” she said. “So we keep that ratio much lower. … We believe that ratio is way too high for having a camp or after-school group.”

One parent asked if her first-grader could be placed in a group with fifth-graders. Elmore said the children are separated by grades in increments of two: there are first and second grade groups, third and fourth grade groups, and so on.

Elmore addressed the rumor that kids from other areas would be using the summer camp program at Paine. She said the YMCA location will have a summer camp open to everyone, but the Paine location will only be open to Trussville-enrolled students.

One parent asked if the YMCA is being considered to also replace the TCS after-school care program.

“We are in talks about after-school,” Elmore said. “We don’t have an answer yet for that.”

In talks about the price increase for the 2020 summer camp in comparison to previous camps at TCS, Pile said he anticipates the YMCA to break even at best.

“You’ve got to look at overhead,” he said. “When we price, we’re talking about all the costs of our business. It’s not just direct costs of supplies and employees. We’re building in liability insurance.”

Elmore said the YMCA summer camp won’t have field trips, but other programs will be available in house, such as archery and science experiments. 

Lashelle Barmore, a parent of a kindergartner and third-grader, said she was excited for the program to move into the schools. She has been using the YMCA’s childcare for the past three years.

“The counselors at the Y may be young, but I’m telling you, my daughter cheers, and one of them made sure that she was at most of my daughter’s games,” she said. “When my kids are sick, they call and are asking why they didn’t make the bus. I think it’s just the idea of something being different and new that may be concerning.”

Other parents at the meeting told the YMCA representatives that they are still unhappy with the change to Trussville’s summer care program.

“I’m absolutely shocked and saddened by the school board’s decision to privatize the summer care program this summer, especially without giving the working parents of our community any input into that decision,” Walker said.

Walker urged the parents in attendance to make their voices heard at the next Trussville City Council meeting. Council will meet Tuesday, Feb. 11 at 6 p.m at 131 Main St. There will also be a TCS Board meeting Monday, Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. at 113 N. Chalkville Road.