United Way is expanding its School’s Out program to help kids in more communities have a healthy meal and access to after school programming.
The program is expanding with four new sites in Nanaimo, as well as sites in Bamfield and Kyuquot. It is a donor-funded program that helps kids between the ages of six and 12 get access to after-school care, when affordability can be a barrier for families.
“In Nanaimo, there has been quite a gap in that out-of-school time space,” said Trisha Dulku, strategic initiatives manager for United Way British Columbia. “A lot of families have been facing the affordability crunch and that’s continued to be compounded over the past few years – not just with widening income gaps but of course Covid had a marked impact on the community and now we are entering an environment of uncertainty with tariffs.”
Dulku said after school programs are hosted in community spaces – sometimes schools, churches or community centres – and they offer access to healthy snacks, along with programming to support physical wellness, social developmental and academic enrichment.
“Ultimately the goal with School’s Out is to make sure that kids are in that safe space that they need during critical after school hours so that they have access to the academic enrichment and social development support that they need,” she said.
United Way offers the School’s Out program at 108 locations across the province. Anyone who wants to help support the program can visit United Way’s website to donate.
