For many Americans, gone are the days of small, closely knit villages with mothers at home and grandparents, aunts and uncles right next door. Many children now live separated from extended families, and more than half of mothers of children of all ages work for wages. In these circumstances the attention and care devoted to quality of life in communities becomes even more important to the well being of the children who live there.

Cortland Area Communities That Care is focused on quality of life for children and particularly on the contribution made by drug free communities. CACTC is a coalition of working and retired people collaborating to reduce and eliminate the use of legal and illegal drugs among children and youth by building strong families and communities.

The YWCA of Cortland is part of the coalition and has been focused on women, children, and families in Cortland for almost 100 years. Childcare at the YWCA is the program affecting the greatest number of children, over 900 annually. Of particular relevance to CACTC efforts are children at the YWCA enrolled in before/after school care, holiday care, and summer day camp. Not only do these programs provide meals, snacks, opportunities for kids to make friends, and exploration of the community and region via fieldtrips, they also provide nurturing oversight when parents are at work and grandparents live far away. What parent has not experienced anxiety when after school arrangements for their children fall apart and the only option seems to be letting a too young child come home to an empty house?

Licensed programs like the YWCA’s before/after school care are recreation based, allowing kids to decompress from a day of academic instruction. Portions of each session are unstructured, providing fertile ground for the development of imagination and creativity. Outdoor play is part of every day (pending inclement weather), as well as nutritious snacks and ample opportunities to continue learning how to get along harmoniously with peers. Homework time is provided for those who wish to study. Before/after school programs operated by the YWCA are located at Randall, Smith, and Parker Elementary Schools in Cortland City, at the Elementary and Intermediate Schools in Homer, at Hartnett Elementary in Truxton, and Appleby Elementary in Marathon. Our main building at 14 Clayton Avenue provides full day holiday and snow day care.

The majority of children who develop drinking and smoking habits do so after school, at home, before parents return from work. In addition, the majority of teenage pregnancies occur when youth are unsupervised after school. CACTC is interested in strengthening families and communities so that the likelihood of children developing harmful behaviors is reduced. Vibrant community institutions like the YWCA help in this effort.

Please call the YWCA at 753-9651 if you are interested in before/after school care for your child. The person answering the phone can answer questions, or ask for School Age Program Supervisor Brandon Morey. Enrollment for before/after school, holiday and snow day care began last week at the YWCA. Please call Judie Murphy at 756-5992 if you are interested in learning more about the Cortland Area Communities That Care coalition. All of us have a stake in raising healthy children.

Amy Simrell is the Executive Director of the YWCA of Cortland.