VENTURA : Club Provides Haven for Kids on School Break

The Boys & Girls Club of Ventura has come to the rescue of working parents during the holidays, providing a safe and fun alternative to leaving children home alone during school’s winter vacation.

The Boys & Girls Clubs in Ventura and elsewhere in the county lengthened hours and expanded activities during the winter break to serve children and provide working parents a little peace of mind, said Shellie Patterson, program director of the Boys & Girls Club, located on Johnson Drive.

“It’s like a godsend for a lot of parents,” she said.

About 75 children and young adults ranging in age from 4 to 18 from throughout the county spend some of their winter vacation at the club in Ventura, she said. Many of them live in other cities, but their parents work in Ventura.

The children have free time to hang out with their friends at the center. But the youngsters also have a wide selection of activities, ranging from organized outdoor sports to billiards and photography classes.

The cost of the day care is $25 per week or $8 per day on top of a yearly membership fee of $12, Patterson said.

She said the special vacation activities are as much for the children’s enjoyment as for the convenience of their parents.

“These kids would be home alone or watching TV or out on the street,” Patterson said. “It’s their Christmas break and they have to go back to school next week, so we try to make it fun.”