Eau Claire (WQOW) - During summer vacation kids get time away from school. Most parents, on the other hand, don't get a break from their jobs. Meaning children from families who can't afford full time care are often left home alone, unsupervised, during the summer months. That's why we're focusing on safe, fun places, kids can go for little or no cost.
"A child member ship could be as low as 4$ a month," says Suzie Slota at the Eau Claire 'Y'. That includes pool time, play time and most importantly, "It's also a really good sense of community here at the Y. And so for kids who might otherwise be home by themselves for the summer, without a lot of interaction, they can come down here at the Y and there are a lot of caring adults who will look after them and a lot of kids that they can spend time with as well."
Right now, a quarter of the families, or people who belong to the Y are receiving some type of help to bring down the cost of membership. "There's been a huge increase in the number of families that have asked for assistance to belong here," continued Suzie.
Down the street at the Boys and Girls Club, scholarships also provide free or no cost summer fun. Kids say, without the club, it would be an otherwise dull summer. "I would sit at home and just watch the TV," said club member Kuab Lor.
And while there are a lot of fun things to do, the activities are all part of a certified summer school program. Teachers from the school district work with kids each day. "We learn about places you would go and different languages," commented Kuab.
