GainesvilleMoms.com

Below is an email I received. Can we help her?

Hi! I read your blogs, and I thought that since you are in communication with so many moms, you might know what on earth I can do for summer care for my preteen daughter.

She is 11 years old and for some insane reason, many people think it's okay to leave a preteen girl home alone. I have research statistics and common sense to back me up to state that NO, it is not okay.

That being said, I have no family in the area, and as a single parent with sole custody AND a demanding work schedule, I am concerned about what I will do with my daughter over the summer that won't bankrupt me. I need a place that I can bring her all day Monday thru Friday so I can go win that bread...

Please, please, please, help me and the surely many other mothers who really don't have any other options for the preteen kids over the summer. It would be wonderful to find some super place where preteens and young teens can frolic and roll their eyes at one another, without having to have babies clobber them with sticky toys.

Sure, there's O2B, and a couple other really expensive programs, but I really can't afford it! The YMCA is the most affordable one out there, but even still, it would cost nearly $500 per month.

Could you start a blog about this and hopefully there will be some secret place that I just don't know about because I'm new to the area.

My sister is in the same position. Her son is 11 as well and she is the only parent involved. I know she found a sports program over at Trinity Church that is only (I believe she said) 200 for 5 weeks. But it is a sports program and I am not sure how late it runs. Have you looked into the Girls Club?
I looked it up...it is 75/week and it runs from 7:30-6 and they also offer scholarships.
http://www.girlsclubnet.org/p_summer.htm
Hope this helps

Hope that information helps...keep us posted.