High-quality before-and after-school programs offer tremendous benefits to children, working parents and employers. These programs have been run successfully in the private sector by large facilities, which often are certified by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). So, is it possible for a public agency to compete with these businesses and succeed?

In Buffalo Grove, witness the waiting list for the park district's "Clubhouse" and you'll know the answer is yes.

How the Clubhouse Started
The Village of Buffalo Grove serves a community of more than 2,000 people and is located approximately 30 miles northwest of downtown Chicago. It encompasses an area of approximately 9.04 square miles in southern Lake and northern Cook counties and serves three different school districts. Of the 15,708 households in the community, more than 6,500 households have one or more children under the age of 18. Of these households, more than 65 percent have one or more working parent. There are four private child-care facilities within the Village of Buffalo Grove, and competition is high in Buffalo Grove among local Jewish Community Centers. Of the four facilities available, only two offer before-and after-school programs for children in kindergarten through fifth grade.

In 1990, the Buffalo Grove Park District was approached by two school districts (Kildeer Countryside Community Consolidated School District No. 96 and Aptakistic-Tripp Community Consolidated School District No. 102) to consider a program for students who had one or more parent working outside the home. Parents of children at schools in both Buffalo Grove and Long Grove had approached their local schools and asked the school board to consider a pilot program, allowing parents to administer a before-and after-school program at their respective schools. These district believed there was a need for this type of program, however, they wanted to have it run in cooperation with another public agency, which would oversee the programming and safety concerns of program participants. The Buffalo Grove Park District was their ideal choice.

In the fall of 1990, the three local governments began to survey families interested in child care alternatives. The results were overwhelming: more than 90 percent of the surveys showed an urgent need for before-and after-school programming.

The Buffalo Grove community expected a sophisticated program, so focus groups were formed comprised of park district staff, parents and school district personnel. This group held meetings throughout the spring of 1991 to develop program goals and objectives. The primary goals of the program were to:
• keep children at their home school;
• keep transportation to a minimum;
• keep costs reasonable (allowing parents to afford school-day-off programming such as holiday breaks and institute days); and
• create a safe place where children felt valued and special.

It was during these meetings that the name "Clubhouse" was implemented as the formal program name. "Clubhouse" was suggested by the park district's director of recreation and facilities, Dan Schimmel, who recalled his own fond childhood memories of watching Disney's "Mickey Mouse Club" after school while he was growing up. Children could easily relate to a Disney theme/name, and the park district valued the philosophy of the Disney Company, placing heavy emphasis on safety and customer satisfaction.

Other research was compiled regarding quality programs. For example, the U.S. Department of Education identifies nine common elements of high-quality programs:
• Goal setting and strong management
• Quality after-school staffing
• Low staff/student ratios
• Attention to safety, health and nutrition issues
• Effective partnerships with community-based organizations, juvenile

10 Illinois Parks and Recreation

justice agencies, law enforcement and youth groups
• Strong involvement of families
• Coordinating learning with the regular school day
• Linkages between school day teachers and after school personnel
• Evaluation of program progress and effectiveness

The Agreement
The legal agreement between the park district and school districts 96 and 102 was formally introduced in the fall of 1991. Highlighted in the agreement was an outline of the program operation, operational costs, utilities, term and insurance.

• Program Operation
The Buffalo Grove Park District Clubhouse program provides the opportunity to participate in a structured, before-and after-school care program, available to children at participating schools, from kindergarten through fifth grade. If, after open enrollment ends, and space is available, non-district students then are permitted to enroll. The program curriculum consists, but is not limited to: homework, physical exercise, afternoon nutritional snack and educational offerings, which were in addition to the organized school day. The day-to-day operation of the program is under the administration of the park district, however, the school principal is designated as the chief administrator for the program at each site location.

• Operational Costs
Each school district agrees to provide normal utility services including heating, air conditioning, and electrical services during Clubhouse hours of operation. In addition, each school district provides custodial staff to maintain the facility/Clubhouse premises, equal to ongoing school custodial services. The park district agrees to leave each site location in the same condition, as on arrival, and is subject to incurred costs, should the site fail to meet said standards.

In addition, the park district agrees to be responsible for any repairs necessary to replace furnishings, fixtures and other improvements not under normal wear and tear circumstances.

• Telephone
The park district is permitted to install a telephone line and telephone equipment at each school for the Clubhouse program. The park district is responsible for payment of the installation and equipment and monthly costs thereafter. In addition, although not outlined in the formal agreement, a telephone answering machine is located at each site, and each site director carries their own pager and cellular telephone to stay in constant communication with the staff.

• Insurance
The park district and school district provide each other with respective certificates of insurance annually, and required General Liability coverage, specifically including bodily injury, personal injury and property damage, of no less than $3,000,000 per occurrence.

• Term
The program/facility agreement is reviewed annually, and subject to revisions each year thereafter.

Clubhouse Care 10 Years Later
The Clubhouse made its debut in the fall of 1991, and welcomed more than 300 children to the program. What made this number even more significant, is that the program never had the opportunity to be advertised in the quarterly leisure guide, or through sophisticated mediums such as the park district Web site or independent direct mailing. Today, in 2001, Buffalo Grove Park District has intergovernmental agreements with three school districts (consolidated school district No. 21 joined in 1991), serves more than 600 participants and is growing.

Registration for the Clubhouse program reaches capacity by March of each year, months before the start of the school year. Waiting lists are taken, and students are drawn from the list and invited into the program, if a current participant moves or if a parent changes work schedules. Clubhouse continues to evaluate the program demand for before-and after-school care at each school; follows trends in the early childhood and youth education and recreation industry; and relies on input from parent program evaluations to maintain clientele satisfaction.

The Clubhouse employs two full-time supervisory staff, and more than 75 additional trained and certified part-time staff, which allows for an 8:1 child/staff ratio. All Clubhouse staff must attend a one-week training and orientation before the beginning of the school year, which includes First Aid, Infant/Child CPR, methods of motivating children, proper methods of disciplinary action, and a leadership workshop. Buffalo Grove Park District Clubhouse staff is fortunate to have a diverse and talented staff. State certified teachers, high school and college students and parents are among the staff currently employed by the district.

In its 11 years. Clubhouse has never been advertised in the quarterly leisure guide, Web site, newspaper advertising or through other avenues. Program participants hear about Clubhouse program through the schools, word-of-mouth and personal referrals.

Challenges for the future include securing more space at current school sites, which would accommodate the increase in children requiring before-and after-school care and maintaining an economical cost to participate in the program.

According to Dan Schimmel, director of recreation and facilities: "The Clubhouse program is 'seamless.' Children, parents and school administrators feel safe knowing that these children will be at one location all day. I think the school will help us the best they can, to keep everyone involved satisfied."

Mike Rylko, executive director of Buffalo Grove Park District, sums it up best: "The school districts and the park district have a healthy diversity of ideas and opinions, but we share a common goal: to provide the best educational experiences for all children."

LORI MAGEE, APRP
is the public relations and marketing manager for the Buffalo Grove Park District. Buffalo Grove Park District is recognized as an Illinois Distinguished Agency.

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