Grain Valley presents Valley Kids evaluation, seeks state subsidy to expand access

Amanda Hegarty, director of Valley Kids, told the Grain Valley R-V Board of Education that the district’s before‑and‑after school program offers before/after care, full‑day services during breaks and two distinct summer contracts, and is pursuing state subsidy certification to expand affordability.

Hegarty said the district submitted a state subsidy application for Matthews Elementary and that an inspection is scheduled for Jan. 22. "I believe if there are families in our district who want to be a part of this program, they should have access to services even if they can't afford it," Hegarty said.

Valley Kids operates three program contracts: (1) the school‑year before/after program (August–May) with full‑day care on teacher workdays and closures; (2) a June “Summer Soar” program tied to summer school; and (3) a full‑day July–August program that runs roughly 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Hegarty said. The program is fee‑based; Hegarty said those fees cover operating costs including field trips and special activities.

On staffing and quality controls, Hegarty said site staff must meet Missouri training and certification expectations, including CPR/First Aid, ALISH, VECTOR and other child‑care health and safety training. The program uses the Missouri staffing standard of one staff member per 16 children. Hegarty said she has optimized schedules to meet that ratio and developed a new hire orientation guide covering safety, emergency response and professionalism.

On capacity, Hegarty gave site snapshots used to plan expansion: Matthews Elementary currently enrolls about 69 students in Valley Kids and she suggested capping Matthews at about 100 (AM/PM combined); Prairie Branch shows about 102 on the district report but, she said, the site is not at capacity in the morning and she would cap Prairie Branch’s AM total at about 100; Snibar and Stony Point report lower percentages. Hegarty said the program has room to add students across sites before hitting the 1:16 ratio.

Hegarty described steps taken to reduce costs and improve operations: she said switching food procurement to a bid through Gold Star Foods is projected to reduce food expenses by approximately 30% this year; she also said she completed Missouri Buys registration and other vendor paperwork required for state subsidy payments.

Board members pressed for implementation detail. A board member asked what the state subsidy covers and how families receive it; Hegarty explained that families apply through the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and receive an award letter that specifies a sliding fee and the family copay. "The state will give them an allocable amount that they will supplement with," she said, adding that whether a family pays the full remaining difference depends on the award and household circumstances.

The board also asked about special‑needs students in Valley Kids. Hegarty said Snibar currently has three life‑skills students integrated into the program without one‑on‑one paras; the program will hire a para if a child requires toileting or intensive one‑to‑one assistance.

Hegarty listed program goals including achieving state subsidy certification for all four Valley Kids sites, expanding enrollment, increasing staff training and integrating Valley Kids staff into school events to boost enrollment and community engagement.

Board members thanked Hegarty and signaled support while asking staff to track enrollment and subsidy uptake as inspections and rollouts proceed.