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Boys & Girls Club is a Positive Place for Kids

At the 2007 annual conference of Boys & Girls Club of America (BGCA), the Boys & Girls Club of Fond du Lac received one of only nine gold-level Centennial Partners Program awards presented, having been selected from more than 4,000 eligible clubs nationwide. The Centennial Partners Program is a way to recognize Boys & Girls Club organizations that demonstrate an exemplary commitment to quality programming with positive impact.

Membership at the Boys & Girls Club of Fond du Lac has increased nearly four-fold and daily attendance has nearly quadrupled in the last five years. Of the more than 1,100 registered Fond du Lac club members in 2007, an average of 400 per day attended one of nine Boys & Girls Club program sites located throughout the community, and an additional 2,781 children and youth participated in special events and activities. By comparison, the Boys & Girls Club of Fond du Lac serves more than three-times the number of average daily school-year attendees as the national and state average for other Boys & Girls Clubs. In 2007 alone, in partnership with the Fond du Lac School District, ARAMARK Food Services Division and the US Department of Agriculture, the Boys & Girls Club of Fond du Lac served more than 35,000 meals and 17,000 nutritious snacks. 

Out-of-School Time Key to the Success of Children and Youth

Whether school is out for the day, or for the summer, the time children spend in out-of-school activities has an enormous impact on their health and well-being. The programs children engage in while school’s out can play a key role in their ongoing learning by providing opportunities for exploring interests and gaining important lifelong skills such as problem solving, conflict resolution and teamwork, as well as positively connecting with adults. A growing body of research suggests that after-school programs can also have positive effects on outcomes such as, motivation, engagement in learning, expectations of success, and social competencies. Children who gain these “intermediary” skills do better in school and are more successful as adults. For children from low-income families and children of color, after school programs actually help narrow the opportunity and achievement gap. Furthermore, after-school programming provides an important ingredient to parent's employment stability. Wisconsin's relatively high rate of parents in the workforce means that children are less likely to have a parent waiting for them at home after school. A study by the Urban Institute found that seven percent of 6 to 9 year-olds, whose mothers are working, are primarily responsible for themselves after-school and more than one quarter of 10 to 12 year-olds are on their own. After-school provides a safe environment. From education experts to law enforcement to parents, there is universal agreement that afterschool programs reinforce student learning and provide safe havens and enrichment opportunities during non-school hours. 

School-age children and teens who are unsupervised during the hours after school are far more likely to use alcohol, drugs, and tobacco; engage in criminal and other high-risk behaviors; receive poor grades; display more behavior problems; and drop out of school than those children who have the opportunity to benefit from constructive activities supervised by responsible adults. In a 1994 Harris poll, more than one-half of teachers singled out ‘children who are left on their own after school’ as the primary explanation for students’ difficulties in class. 

The five key elements that enable Clubs to make a difference for youth are:

 -  A Safe, Positive Environment: The Club is a safe haven where members feel physically and emotionally secure at all times.

-  Fun: The Club facility, staff and program offerings create a welcoming, positive environment that allows members to engage in play, enjoy their playtime and be happy and eager to come to the Club.

-  Supportive Relationships:The Club ensures that every young person feels connected to one or more adults and  has friendships with peers.

-  Opportunities and Expectations:Club staff and programs consistently communicate the expectation that every child has the potential to excel, be productive and succeed at the Club and in life.    

-  Recognition:The Club takes every opportunity to recognize and validate Club members’ achievements and accomplishments

Boys & Girls Club staff members and more than 200 volunteers from within the community, work hard to make learning fun and interesting. The reward has been improved grades and behaviors, and children and youth who are civic minded, involved in the community, and better citizens.

Though the total percentage of the number of persons of color residing in the county accounts for less than 6% of the overall population, 34% of our club participants are African-American, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, and Southeast Asian. One-fourth are English Language Learners and one-third are classified as learning disabled, requiring Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), with many being prescribed psychiatric medications for Attention Deficit Disorder, Hyperactive Disorder or both. An average of more than 80% of our member participants are from economically challenged families and more than 60% are from single-parent households. In addition, 22% of our line staff members and 14% of management personnel are persons of color.

Higher acuity needs such as these ultimately require the provision of more specialized support, which frequently translates into the need for lower staff-to-child ratios and resulting higher personnel costs, as well as the need for a broader range of program services and the materials to support them. In addition, we continue to add bi-lingual staff members to support Spanish and Hmong participants and have added a full-time Masters degreed social worker/guidance counselor to coordinate community-based wraparound services for high-needs children and youth.

The addition of the aforementioned full-time position of Coordinator of Community Services is driven by the challenges facing children and youth as traditional family guidance is replaced by peer pressure, media images and unhealthy cultural values, subsequently requiring the need for a different response from Boys & Girls Clubs. The resulting crisis in mental health may partly be due to enhanced sophistication in diagnosis and a greater sensitivity to the problems children are manifesting, but the incredible stress and emotional strain our children are under is certainly a significant cause. 

As, you can see, the Boys & Girls Club is dedicated to serving all kids, and providing the best, complete services to youth and their families as possible.