County, YMCA offer scholarships for after-school programs

Families of transitional kindergarten students are eligible.

After-school scholarships

This school year, Santa Clara County and the YMCA of Silicon Valley are helping more than 30 families with kids under age 5 access after-school care at seven sites. Students in transitional kindergarten in the Milpitas Unified School District can be registered in the program by referral.

With county funding, the YMCA offered nearly six times more scholarships than last year to families needing financial assistance for after-school programs for their students in transitional kindergarten (TK).

California’s TK program was established in 2010 by a bill proposed by Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian, who was then a state senator. TK was intended to provide age-appropriate instruction for 4-year-olds who didn’t turn 5 in time for the state’s Sept. 1 age cut-off to start regular kindergarten. In 2021, Assembly Bill 130 expanded TK to ensure all 4-year-olds have the opportunity to enroll. The 2022-23 school year is the first of a four-year program expansion.

“Now, as we expand the opportunity to even younger kids, it’s especially important we support kids and families beyond school hours, which often are half-days for our youngest students,” said Simitian in a statement. “Pairing (TK) with a supportive after-school program like the Y After School Program — where learning extends beyond the classroom — helps our most vulnerable kids succeed.”

The YMCA partners with local schools to provide targeted after-school childcare services. School districts, principals and teachers help identify, recruit and refer students and families who have a high need for support. For more information, visit https://www.ymcasv.org/child-care-camps/after-school-programs.