Rebecca Veamm, chief executive officer of the Boys and Girls Club of Janesville, told the Rock County Board of Supervisors on Oct. 10 that the nonprofit provides low-cost after-school and summer care for youth ages 6 to 18 and is building a new South Side facility to triple capacity and offer meals and expanded teen programming.

Veamm said the club served 281 youth last year, 80% of whom were low income, and provided nearly 18,000 meals and snacks, almost 3,000 STEM activities and more than 5,000 literacy activities in the previous year. “We really truly are investing in kids because prevention works,” Veamm said, adding that many club members come from single-parent households and that the club’s programs are evidence-based and nationally developed.

Why it matters: Veamm argued the club fills a gap in affordable childcare and youth development in Rock County, enabling parents to participate in the workforce while providing prevention-focused supports that aim to reduce future social costs. She said only 27% of childcare spots in the county qualify as affordable and that the club’s after-school fee — $20 per month for elementary-age children and $5 for teens — is far lower than the county average after-school cost she cited at $80 per week.

Services and outcomes: The club runs school‑day and summer programs, evidence-based prevention curricula (including an opioid-prevention program called Smart Moves), a Be Great Graduate program with graduation specialists embedded in three middle schools and Parker High School, and workforce-readiness activities that include college and career tours with Blackhawk Technical College. Veamm said the club’s Be Great Graduate specialists helped students complete 1,300 missing assignments in a single school year and that 89% of member students raised their math grade during the year.

Facility and funding: Veamm described the South Side facility as a project that will triple capacity, add outdoor space and a dedicated teen center, and provide dinner in an area the county has identified as a food desert. She said the club has received support from the Rock County childcare grant, which helped with staffing wages and aspects of the capital campaign. The club is also a vendor for the Children’s Long-Term Support (CLTS) program and partners with the School District of Janesville and Blackhawk Technical College.

Board follow-up: Supervisor Stevens asked about community partners that work directly in neighborhoods with students of color and whether the club partners with grassroots organizations close to those communities. Veamm said the club has worked to diversify staff to reflect members and that she is open to further outreach; the board chair suggested supervisors take specific questions offline and coordinate follow-up through the county administrator.

Next steps: Veamm invited supervisors to visit the club and offered contact information for follow-up. No formal board action or funding vote took place at the Oct. 10 meeting.