Boys & Girls Club expands after-school program to Streamwood

Boys & Girls Club of Elgin held a grand opening event Wednesday afternoon for the 16th location of its after-school care program - and the first outside of Elgin - at Ridge Circle Elementary School in Streamwood.

Chief Development Officer Louise Borosak said the program addresses needs raised by the fact that about one in three children today go home to an empty house after school.

The schools where the program has been set up typically have a large number of students from low-income families. The program costs families only $25 per year per child, even though the actual cost of the care is about $975 per year, Borosak said.

The club seeks to ensure the program will be affordable to those who need it, she added.

The after-school program is designed to help build confidence through gym activities, an arts program, instruction on living a healthy lifestyle, finances, and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills.

Most of the schools that have the program have about 85 participants, Borosak said. The Ridge Circle program had only 45 members at the beginning of October but is expected to have about 60 by the end of the month.

Though this is the first school outside of Elgin to have the program, Ridge Circle is still part of Elgin Area School District U-46.

Leaders hope to further expand outside of Elgin, probably at the middle school and high school levels, during the current academic year, Borosak said.