Before/After Care
The YMCA of Greater Kansas City offers before and after school care at Prairie Elementary.
Welcome to Prairie Y-Club!
We are excited to offer before and after-school care at Prairie Elementary through the YMCA of Greater Kansas City. Our program is designed to provide a fun and educational environment for children from kindergarten to 6th grade. With engaging activities like arts and crafts, games, and physical fitness exercises, your child will not only have a great time but also learn new skills and make new friends.
Site Directors:
Jesus Rodriguez (jesusrodriguez@kansascityymca.org)
Amalia Silvan (amaliasilvan@kansascityymca.org)
Our staff is dedicated to providing a safe and inclusive environment for your child. The program is held primarily in the cafeteria, playground, and gym at the school, ensuring a convenient and secure location for the youth in our program. We continuously strive to create a fun environment while following the YMCA's core values of respect, responsibility, care, honesty, and inclusivity.
During Y-Club, children enjoy and benefit from:
- Healthy snacks and physical activity
- — Youth have the opportunity to enjoy healthy snack choices and 30 minutes of physical fitness daily.
- Small and large group activities
- — Youth make meaningful and intentional choices with hands-on activities focusing on arts and humanities, STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics), nutrition education, and service learning.
- Focus on building community — Team
- building activities and day-to-day interactions with peers and Y-Club staff focus on building positive relationships and enhancing conflict resolution skills.
- Youth voice and leadership — Youth
- are empowered through opportunities to provide input, from helping to develop daily activities to performing assigned jobs within the program.
- Homework enrichment — Qualified
- and trained staff enhance and support school-day learning while providing youth with homework help.
What does Prairie Y-Club typically look like?
Before School Schedule:
- 7:00 AM - 8:00 AM — Table Top Activities
- 8:00 AM - 8:10 AM — Clean-Up &
- Dismissal for Class.
After School Schedule:
- 3:10 PM - 3:25 PM — Arrival, Daily
- Schedule Review, & Announcements.
- 3:25 PM - 3:45 PM — Handwashing
- & Snack Time.
- 3:50 PM - 4:25 PM — Physical Fitness
- Activities.
- 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM — STEM, Art,
- Social Emotional, and Global Learning Activities, Cooking Club, Enrichment Time (different activities are prepared for each day).
- 5:30 PM - 6:00 PM — Free Choice: Table Top Activities, Lego, etc.
**This schedule is subject to change
*ALL SPOTS ARE CURRENTLY FILLED FOR OUR 2023-2024 PROGRAM — CONTACT OUR BUSINESS TEAM TO JOIN THE WAITLIST*
Registration typically opens for the following school year during the spring, please check back here then to receive more information.
Did you know the YMCA offers care during no-school days?
For those irregular days when school isn't in session, such as seasonal breaks, conference days, and in-service days the YMCA will offer care for youth, even if you are not enrolled in our Y-Club program. During the 2023-2024 school year, care will be offered at the following locations:
- Highlands Elementary (6200 Roe Ave, Mission, KS) (CLOSEST TO PRAIRIE)
- Comanche Elementary (8200 Grant Ave, Overland Park, KS)
Care is provided from 7:00 AM-6:00 PM. Please visit our website, or log into your account, to sign up today. Registration closes one week before the date of care. All registration fees are due at the time of registration and are non-refundable and non-transferable. If a child is not already registered for a '23-24 Y-Club, you will be automatically charged a $75 one-time registration fee. You can find more information about No School Days here.
Care is also offered during Inclement Weather Days (Snow Days)!
The YMCA offers care during Snow Days at the same two SMSD locations as stated above. No registration is required, spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Payments will be taken at drop-off and no discounts will apply. Care is provided from 8:00 AM-5:00 PM. Participants must bring their Emergency Packets, a sack lunch, and medication forms, if needed, to receive care.
Don’t forget, we also host Summer Camps!
Check out the Camp webpage in March for more information!
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much does Y-Club cost?
- - Please refer to the website for the specific rates for your school.
- How much do Snow Days cost?
- - The price for a snow day is $25 (subject to change).
- How much do No School Days cost?
- - The price for a No School Day is $30 (subject to change).
- What are the ratios for Y-Club?
- - The state of Kansas requires a 1:15 ratio. Since we are a licensed program we follow the state requirements.
- Is there required paperwork that needs to be completed before the child can attend?
- - Yes, there is a packet of information that must be filled out signed, and dated correctly before a child can attend a Y-Club program. This is different from the registration paperwork you fill out to enroll your youth. You can visit our website for a blank copy of the Kansas Emergency packet.
- Is Y-Club still running during the school's early release days?
- - Yes, care will be provided on early release days beginning at 12:30 PM.
For more information, visit us at https://kansascityymca.org/programs/before-and-after-school, or contact our Business Team at YClubSupport@KansasCityYMCA.org.
Additionally, you may call our business team at (816) 360-3390, Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM-5:00 PM, or get in touch directly with the Site Directors via email.