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Health & Fitness

Program helps working parents when school is closed

ENFIELD—Parents can now enroll their children in Vacation Destination, a program open when school is closed to help working parents.

Located at Enfield Street School for grades K-8, Vacation Destination will operate from 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM during teacher in-service days, December and April Vacations, and non-federal holidays. The first Vacation Destination dates for the 2013-2014 school year are October 11th and November 5th when school is closed for teacher in-service days.

Larry Dube, ERfC Manager of Center Operations, said a calendar with all dates Vacation Destination will operate is available on the ERfC website at www.erfc.us.  Parents who work in Enfield, but live in other communities, can also enroll their children in this program.

ERfC Executive Director, Claire Hall said Vacation Destination was developed because employers were concerned about how to maintain productivity during the days when schools closed. Hall said, “Many working parents also told us they did not want to use vacation days during the school year and preferred to save their hours for the long weeks of summer.”  Vacation Destination gives parents a choice of when to use their paid time off days,” she added.

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Now in its second year, Vacation Destination offers a safe alternative to letting kids stay home alone when school is closed.  Dube said kids like to be with friends on days off.  “We offer fun activities throughout the day that keep kids active and engaged,” he added.

Vacation Destination provides a variety of activities throughout the day for all ages. ERfC Curriculum Coordinator, Cara Webb said children will work on a service learning project called ‘‘Operation Gratitude’”, which will connect kids with members of the U.S. Military overseas, participate in computer game challenges with friends, and art projects. Many indoor and outdoor cooperative games are also planned, including Capture the Flag and Four Way Soccer, added Webb.

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More information, including Vacation Destination dates and registration can be found on the ERfC website www.erfc.us or by calling the ERfC Administrative Office at 860-253-9935.  Applications are also available at the ERfC office at 50 Post Office Road in Enfield. All ERfC School-Age Centers are licensed by the State Department of Public Health.

ERfC, also known as Educational Resources for Children, is a community-based 501(c)3 nonprofit organization located in Enfield.  ERfC has been providing academic, enrichment, and recreational out-of-school time (OST) activities for the Enfield community since 1994. In addition to Vacation Destination, ERfC operates before and after School-Age Centers at Henry Barnard, Enfield Street, Eli Whitney, Hazardville, and JFK Middle School. Students from Parkman and Crandall schools also attend in-district Centers.

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