Letter to the Editor - Need more, not fewer, after-school programs

To the editor:

Too many Havre children leave school each weekday afternoon with no adult supervision awaiting them. It’s no coincidence that those afternoon hours are when children are most likely to be victims of crime and to engage in risky behaviors.

Afters-school programs provide a safe alternative, offering fun, educational opportunities during those sometimes-perilous hours. Here at the Boys & Girls Club of the Hi-Line, children have the opportunity to have a healthy meal, work on homework, play with their friends and participate in a myriad of engaging activities, all under the supervision of caring adults.

That’s why we need more after-school programs. Unfortunately, the current administration has proposed ending federal support for after-school. If Congress agrees to that, after-school programs here, around the state, and across the nation would be at risk of closing, leaving families in the lurch, and children without a safe place to learn, have a healthy snack and get some exercise.

  Last week, I joined hundreds of after-school supporters from around the nation in meeting with our U.S. senators and representatives in Congress to urge them to fund after-school programs, as part of the Afterschool Alliance’s Afterschool for All Challenge. We’ll all be better off if lawmakers heed our call for more, not less, support for after-school programs.

Tim Brurud, Havre

Club Director

Boys & Girls Club of the Hi-Line