Closing the Gap: Before & After Care
Families deserve support. By listening, learning, and leading, we can ease burdens for parents, reduce traffic, and ensure every child has a safe and engaging place before and after school. Click any of the links below to navigate to current programming in Elementary School, Middle School, and High School.
NSH Position on Before and After Care in SOMSD
The South Orange and Maplewood School District is far from where it could be in providing equitable access to before and after care. This gap leaves families stressed, financially strained, and struggling to find reliable solutions, while students miss out on enrichment opportunities and safe supervision during the critical hours of 3–6 p.m. Research shows that teens are most vulnerable during these hours and yet, as a community, we have not built a strong enough safety net.
We believe the solution is not to ask the District to absorb these responsibilities into its already constrained budget. Instead, we must work hand-in-hand with our towns and the many community organizations that already have the infrastructure and expertise to deliver before and after care programming.
Impact on Our Community
For Students: Quality programming before and after school channels energy into activities kids love, from chess and soccer to dance, music, and art. This helps with self-regulation, reduces behavioral challenges, and builds community connection.
For Teachers: Extended programming can tap into teachers’ talents and interests, whether in arts, athletics, or academic enrichment. By leading programs they are passionate about, teachers build stronger relationships with students outside of the classroom, bridge curriculum to extracurriculars, and earn additional income.
For Families: Accessible and affordable before and after care allows parents to work full-time, reduces the stress of unreliable registration processes, and eliminates logistical challenges of piecing together childcare.
For Our Community: Expanding on-campus programming eases traffic congestion at start and dismissal times and creates opportunities for local businesses and teachers to contribute to student enrichment while earning additional income.
Our Action Plan to Close the Gap
Once elected, we will propose a special BOE committee dedicated to integrating and mobilizing community organizations to expand before and after care access.
We will work closely with the District and the South Mountain YMCA to ensure expanded capacity, establish rolling registration, and prioritize families most in need.
We will work to strengthen programs like Beyond the Bell by collaborating with fundraising partners. The most recent example of this type of initiative is the K-Pop Demon Hunters Dance & Crafts event that was organized by The Dance Mob raising $1400 for next year’s Beyond the Bell program.
We will support YouthNet by reestablishing BOE attendance at their meetings and helping extend their programming.
We will push to expand Family Connections NJ state-funded programs by increasing support for the HUB and the LOFT, which provide critical safe spaces for teens after school.
We will work with the District to engage small businesses and SOMSD teachers by inviting them to bring enrichment opportunities directly into our schools.
We will advance transportation solutions by exploring safe jitney access for teens, implementing Walk Bike Ride and Bike Bus programs, and aligning these efforts with township safety goals.
Our Commitment
This issue is personal for many families, including our candidate Meredith Higgins, who has faced the challenges of unreliable after-care access firsthand. She knows what it means to wake up before dawn to register, pay out-of-pocket for childcare, and scramble for coverage while balancing work and family. These challenges are shared across our community and we are determined to address them.
We will work in lock-step with the townships, the District, and community organizations to ensure every family has access to equitable, affordable, and enriching before and after care. By mobilizing the talent and resources we already have, we can lift a heavy burden from working families and create stronger, safer, and more connected schools.
*PLEASE NOTE: If elected we will remain on the governance side of this project in policy and the special committee. We will NOT micromanage the District, but we are well-equipped, experienced, and knowledgeable to be an effective guide for our superintendent. You can trust us to govern because our slate has a finance background, 2 education backgrounds, positive community mobilization background and know how to guide without overreaching.
