OK, the school bell has rung and your little ones are ready to come home. The trouble is, you still have a couple more hours of work ahead of you.

For many Baldwin County public school parents, the solution is right at their child’s school. For the past 20 years, the Baldwin County Board of Education has offered an “after school child care program.”

While the program is offered at many different schools and is for youngsters aged 5 to 12, it’s best to check directly with your child’s school to see if the program is offered at his/her school. Baldwin County Public schools offers after school care in more than 30 locations at schools around the county.

As of now, registration is $20 per child and the care is a bargain at $7 per day. The care runs from 3:05 to 5:30 p.m. It’s best to contact the school your child goes to for details.

Sharon Cooper, a fourth-grade teacher, is the director of the program at Elsanor Elementary School. Kathi Beck, a preschool teacher at Elsanor also teaches a class.

“Last year, we had close to 30 students,” said Cooper, who teaches fourth grade at the school.

“We’ve had outstanding growth,” said Cherry Penn, the after school care program supervisor. “In the 2004-2005 school year, we had about 900 kids. Last year we had about 1,800.”

The growth in the program Penn believes, comes from Baldwin county’s rapid growth.

“I enjoy it, I have been teaching the kids since they were little,” said Beck. “It’s a nice, easy balance.”

Having a familiar teacher around, and staying in familiar surroundings eases what is a stressful time for youngsters, both women say.

“I recall seeing a little girl sitting on a bench (outside school). Her mother was just 10 minutes late, and the girl was just crying,” said Beck.

“I have parents tell me all the time they don’t know hat they would do without this program,” said Penn.

Cooper usually takes the older children for homework.

“I have them until 4 p.m.,” said Cooper, “By the time we get roll and attendance done, the youngsters have about 45 minutes to do homework. Then we are all together.”

Last year, Cooper took the youngsters in the first through fourth grade for homework time. Some might be surprised to hear that first graders seem to take the longest.

“Not because they have the most, but they aren’t familiar with how to do it,” chuckled Cooper, adding that the youngsters “ask a lot of questions.”

For safety reasons, youngsters will have to attend after school care at their own school, Cooper says. That might mean that families with youngsters in different schools will have to do a bit of juggling.

“In the past, middle school students could come here,” said Cooper, “but that has changed.”

Still, the program is a blessing to parents who know their children are in good hands.

“The parents are very comfortable,” said Cooper. “They know this is a safe, secure environment. Only certain people, those on a list are allowed to sign children out, and we keep the front door to the school locked. People have to use a buzzer to get in.”

For Beck, seeing the youngsters after school means she gets a chance to see how her young charges have grown up.

“We have sixth graders here, and its as if we’ve grown up with them,” said Beck.

As the day winds down, all the children have a chance to have a nutritious snack and a little rest before going home. All the children are together, and siblings are reunited after a day apart.

“The still argue,” chuckled Beck.