A year ago, Deniece Hasson was thrilled when her children were accepted into free after care through the newly expanded PrimeTime program. She would no longer have to worry about costly child care after the elementary school day ended for her three kids.
But this year, when she signed up again, she was told she did not get a spot. Instead, her kids were 40th on the waitlist.
“I was pretty shocked. I was in disbelief. I was angry and frustrated. Right now, I'm just in a state where I don't know what we're going to do,” Hasson said.
After the initial shock wore off, Hasson began to wonder what had changed.
“There's definitely a need. I've spoken to many families. The majority of the families who I've spoken with were not re-accepted into the program. So there's a lot of us,” Hasson said. “And that just demonstrates that at our school site, there's a bigger need than what's currently accommodated.”
After school programs provide not only supervision but enriching activities and meals, as well as socialization with other children. And for working parents, they are vital, as many schools get out just after 2 p.m. and noon on Wednesdays.
Data requested by KPBS shows that San Diego Unified School District’s PrimeTime waitlists have shot up this year. Last year, the total number of students on the waitlist was about 900. As of August 15, that number is almost five times higher — about 4,200.
PrimeTime did expand to 19 new schools this year, so it’s now offered at every school in the district. The overall enrollment went up by 1,600, but 36 schools have fewer spots in PrimeTime than last year.
Shelby Jennings Gomez, executive director of child care at the San Diego County YMCA, said more families are in need of affordable child care.
“Child care is absolutely critical to a family's ability to work or go to school and do what they need to do to take care of their family,” she said. “So anytime that families can have access to a quality free child care program that meets their needs… that is such a burden lifted off of a family that is struggling to survive in this high cost of living county that we have.”
She said the average cost of afterschool care at a licensed center is $500 a month, and at a family run child care over $800 a month.
For some parents, this is out of reach. San Diego mother Heather Stark said last year, a PrimeTime site coordinator told her not to worry about her son being accepted again since they had been in the program the year before. She applied only to PrimeTime, trusting that there would be a spot for her son.
But in June, she found out he wasn’t on the list. Stark said she would have applied elsewhere if she had known the program wouldn’t be a stable option.
“You plan everything at the beginning of the year. You go get your school supplies, you go get your backpack, you go get everything all set. But now, what are we doing for after school care?” Stark said.
Now, she said their plan is for her disabled mother and her husband to help pick her son up from school. He’ll be at home while his parents adjust their schedules to work from home to be with him.
“I'm sad that (my son) can't be around all those kids. I mean, I think it was very helpful for him,” Stark said. “He went to PrimeTime and he was getting to know other kids that weren't in his classroom. I think that was really good for him, and I think that helped him grow.”
Tobie Pace, senior director of early learning opportunities at San Diego Unified, said grants determine which kids get priority in free afterschool programs. In past years, PrimeTime received additional funding from a grant called ELOP, the Extended Learning Opportunities Program grant.
But a new grant this year requires that homeless and foster youth be prioritized. Pace said the more narrow priority group paired with an influx of people applying is causing the longer waitlists.
“PrimeTime’s getting a lot more notoriety, and it's growing. Literally, back in 2022, we had about 11,000 students interested. This year, we have over 15,200,” Pace said.
In previous years, parents had at least a week to submit their applications and those with two working parents, military status and who had been in the program the previous year were prioritized. This year it was first come, first serve, and the application window opened at 8 a.m. Some parents who applied just 20 minutes late didn't get a spot.
The increased competition is leaving parents feeling blindsided.
“Had I known that there was even any chance that I wouldn't have been at least prioritized as a returning family, then I would have kept my space in the pay program because we're a family with three children and we need after school care. It's really not optional for our family,” Hasson said.
One mother, who asked to stay anonymous to not risk her job at San Diego Unified, was also surprised by the lack of priority for single parents like her.
“Finding child care for my younger two (children) is still going to cost me quite a bit of money. It's unfortunate and incredibly disappointing that there's no sort of priority free child care given to families that are in need of it,” she said. “It's going to cost me close to my mortgage to be able to pay for child care for my younger two kids, which is outrageous.”
The mother is a teacher in the San Diego Unified School District, and said the district could be doing more to support its employees.
“It's such an easy and inexpensive way for a district to support their staff,” she said. “And so, it is kind of a disappointment … It's been tough in all aspects of it as a teacher and a mom.”
Christiane Trout-McPhee, manager of PrimeTime’s summer and extended day programs, said the program is trying to welcome as many students as possible.
“Our goal is to continue to increase (the program) to serve those families. We're doing the best that we can with staffing, and every year, all families have to reapply because there's never a guarantee,” Trout-McPhee said. “We're really doing every effort on our end. If families could just reach out to the school to see what other options are available or they're welcome to contact my office.”
Pace also said they are trying to admit every student they can.
“So yes, some of those families may not automatically get in, but we are working closely with those families on a one-on-one basis to get them in,” she said. “So just because maybe in the first round, they might be put on the waitlist, we're working consistently to increase the staffing to get all of the kids that need it in right now.”
But Hasson, a parent without child care, said she has heard from countless other parents that their concerns were not heard despite emails and attempts to reach out. Now, she is left with nowhere to go.
“We're in a position where we don't even have the option of paid child care,” Hasson said. “So that is what stresses me out the most, because we both work full-time and we don't know what the care for our children will look like (as) the school year begins.”
