#207: cobbmom2 - question

For those who are in favor of the balanced calendar, has there been a discussion on the impact of those weeks off on children in low-income homes? Many of our non-affluent areas have schools where the only meals children receive are at school, and parents cannot afford/have the resources for childcare during those odd weeks off. There are programs in place in the summer for these children, but will enough be done for them during the breaks? Just curious on the proponents' thoughts on this.

I'm not affluent, but I am also do not have very low income, either. I do, however, volunteer, talk and work with many lower- income families.

In 2010, some of the older kids of these working families participated in different free programs located at various Cobb County recreation centers. They put the really young kids in daycare- and some of those daycares had programs for older kids. It really wasn't expensive because these facilities made sure that they had accommodations. As a matter of fact, it ended up being about the same or lower than if they had a longer summer, because the rates were lower in the fall.

But to tell you the truth, the families that put their kids in these types of programs were a small percentage in 2010. The great majority of lower-income families actually went on vacation in 2010... many of them for the first time! Most of them drove down to Florida, taking advantage of lower rates on hotels and discount theme park tickets. Many of them went on cruises. Some went to Tennessee and stayed there and had fun. And some stayed home and just relaxed.