NEWBURYPORT - The YWCA of Greater Newburyport has received overwhelming response to three new after-school programs that were launched last week in an effort to make after-school child care easier for parents.

The program, named "School's Out," is already near its capacity of 78 students and organizers hope to expand - and even add before-school care.

School's Out came to fruition after a January survey by Newburyport Youth Services highlighted the need for after-school programs on the elementary level. Out of 160 respondents to the survey, 84 percent said they wanted the city to provide after-school child care at the schools.

Newburyport Youth Services awarded the contract to the YWCA because of the high ratings the YWCA received from parents in the survey.

"I think at this point, the YWCA should be commended for getting up and running by the first day of school," Newburyport Youth Services Director Andrea Egmont said. Egmont works closely as the liaison between the YWCA and the schools to make sure everything runs smoothly.

Though the YWCA has been offering after-school child care for many years, this is the first time they have offered it on school grounds and expanded it to include more age groups and a more extensive program.

The School's Out program is offered at the Brown, Bresnahan and Molin schools five days a week from dismissal to 6 p.m. including some holidays, early dismissal days, emergency snow release days and vacation weeks.

"There is a big need for this in the city," said Ellie Davis, director of operations for the YWCA. "Before we were licensed for 47 kids between kindergarten and fifth grade, and we were always at full capacity; now we are licensed for 26 children at each site."

The increase in students and expansion of the program has allowed the YWCA, under the direction of Tawanna Watts, to offer more and tailor each program to the age group it is serving at each site. YWCA directors and teachers work closely with school staff and administration to brainstorm ways of threading what the students learn in school during the school day into the after-school program.

"We design a curriculum and activities that will support what happens in school," Davis said. "In addition, we do arts and crafts, outdoor time, big muscle movement and exercise to give them a release at the end of the day."

At the Bresnahan and the Molin schools, students have homework time, when they work closely with after-school program staff to finish homework before they go home for the evening.

"The advantage of being in the schools is working as a team with classroom teachers, school nurses and staff that are involved with the children to feel like it is one community," Davis said.

With the thriving School's Out program almost to full capacity in just the second week of school, Egmont is already working with the schools and the YWCA to further expand the program this year.

"The YWCA is hoping to expand, and I definitely want to see that happen," Egmont said. "It's just a question of fine tuning the spaces available and letting them get a sense of what they need before hiring more staff."

Egmont foresees a before-school care program being put into effect during the current school year.

The after-school program is licensed through the state with a school-aged care license.

"We are so excited to be up and running and that parents are taking advantage of this great opportunity for the community to support parents that work and their kids," Davis said.

For information or to sign up for the School's Out after school program offered by the YWCA visit the website at www.ywcanewburyport.org or call 978-465-9922.