SUMMER
SCHOOL AGE CARE
Summer Care Registration Save the date!!
- March 9, 2023, at 6:00 AM
(2022 Summer Care Participants and current 2022/2023 Before and After School Care Participants only)
- March 28, 2023, at 6:00 AM
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- All Summer care deposits ($10.00 per week per child) will be due/drafted at the time your child’s care registration is processed. These deposits will be non-refundable once the registration is complete.
- All changes/cancellations in care must be submitted in writing via email to [email protected] at least 2 weeks prior to the Monday of the week you need to change or cancel to not be billed for the remaining weekly fee. Cancellations placed via phone will not be accepted as valid cancellations.
THE EXPERIENCE
YMCA School Age Care allows children the opportunity to explore, build friendships, develop new skills and discover their creativity. YMCA staff focus on character development and emphasize accomplishments and successes in all participants.
SAFETY
Our programs are safe and full of fun activities that encourage physical activity, social interaction, educational opportunities, personal growth and creativity. All YMCA staff attend trainings that cover YMCA mission, character development and child abuse prevention.
PROFESSIONAL ROLE MODELS
Our staff are “Professional Role Models” selected based on their experience, attitude, skills and their ability to EXPECT and demonstrate the YMCA Core Values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility.
KIDS LOVE US
YMCA programs offer your child a chance to have fun while building a healthy spirit, mind and body. Plus they get to…
- Build life-long friendships
- Be physically active
- Get messy and creative
- Learn new skills
- Have a blast
- BE A KID!
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
School Age offerings for 2023 will include two types of programming for different aged participants and different hours of the day.
Summer School Age Care – ages 5-11 is licensed child care offered at various La Crosse, Holmen, and Onalaska school locations. Weather permitting, each location will go swimming twice a week and have a fieldtrip once a week (shortened weeks will affect this). Hours of operation are 6:30 AM (6:15 in Holmen) – 6:00 PM
Adventure Programming – ages 9-12 is non-licensed programming with a combination of activities planned on and off site everyday. Daily transportation will be provided by the Y from a La Crosse and an Onalaska pick-up/drop-off location (exact location will be communicated once finalized) to the ‘home-base’ location at Viking Elementary (Holmen Lutheran Church July 10-28). Hours of operation: 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM depending on pick-up/drop-off location.
The Y always makes safety our priority. School Age programming operates to meet or exceed the WI DCF licensing requirements, DHS & La Crosse County Health Department guidelines, and in cooperation with local school district protocols.
Sunscreen with a minimum SPF30 rating is provided for all participants and is dispersed by staff for children to apply prior to all outdoor activities and reapply according to product instructions. We encourage children who are more likely to sunburn to wear swim shirts with UV protection. Participants in Adventure Programs may want to send child with an insect repellant of their choice.
Full time (4-5 Days a week):
1st Child – $196/week
2nd Child – $137/week
3rd Child – $118/week
Part Time (2-3 days a week) and the week of July 5-7:
1st Child – $145/week
2nd Child – $102/week
3rd Child – $87/week
At Holmen Lutheran for Onalaska district – August 9-11 (3 day/PT rate: 1st Child – $145, 2nd Child – $102, 3rd Child – $87)
At Dahl for La Crosse district – August 21-22 (2-day flat rate $78 per child)
At Holmen Lutheran for Holmen district – August 21-22 (2-day flat rate $78 per child)
Flexible pricing is available for school age care and for membership. Click here for more information.
SUMMER SCHOOL AGE (AGES 5-11)
A general day in the Summer School Age program consists of the following activities:
6:15 (Holmen locations only) or 6:30-8:30am Child Arrival-Choice Activities
8:30-9:30am Healthy Breakfast
9:30-11:30am Morning Activities Group Physical Activities and Small Group Arts & Humanities or S.T.E.M. Activities
11:30am-12:30pm Lunch
12:30-3:30pm Afternoon Activities – possible activities include swimming, field trips (at and away from childcare), group physical activities, small groups arts & humanities, and STEM Activities. Access to pools and field trips will be subject to availability and safety of traveling off-site. Updates will be communicated via email closer to start of the summer.
3:30-4pm Healthy Snack
4-6pm Choice Activities-Child Pick Up
Emerson: June 5th – August 18th, 2023
Harry Spence: June 5th – August 18th, 2023
Hintgen: June 5th – August 18th, 2023
- District Summer School is held for 3 weeks in July Monday-Thursday. We will not offer care on Friday at Northern Hills during these summer school weeks. Full-time AM and/or PM at Northern Hills (no part-time rates available for these weeks)- NH AM/PM care during summer school is only for children registered to attend Onalaska’s summer school; if you are not attending summer school, please do not select this location for those weeks.
- Regular FT or PT care at Irving Pertzsch and Eagle Bluff – children registered for Onalaska summer school but attending IP or EB will not receive a discount for attending summer school. Families must contact Onalaska School District transportation to arrange transportation to/from a school age care location
School Age Summer Swim lesson info for the web:
The School Age Care program is excited to offer swim lessons at the Y as part of regular weekly programming again. This important safety skill will be offered at most locations.
Registration for Swim Lessons will be emailed to participants in May after Summer School Age Care locations are verified.
Swim Lessons at the Y will be offered at the Dahl and Houser Y branches for the locations listed below. Each lesson is 30 minutes/once a week, for 8 weeks *Onalaska locations have 7 weeks of lessons – pricing adjusted. (no lessons the week of July 4th).
La Crosse:
Emerson – at Dahl on Wednesdays June 12-August 11
Harry Spence – at Dahl on Tuesdays June 12-August 11
Hintgen – at Dahl on Mondays June 12-August 11
Onalaska:
Eagle Bluff – at Houser on Fridays June 12-August 4 (*7-week rate)
Irving Pertzsch – at Houser on Wednesdays June 12-August 4 (*7-week rate)
Northern Hills – No swimming lessons offered
Holmen:
Evergreen – at Houser on Mondays June 12-August 11
Sand Lake – at Houser on Thursdays June 12-August 11
Prairie View – at Houser on Tuesdays June 12-August 11
All children should be sent to lessons with goggles if needed and long hair tied back out of their face.
Rates:
8-weeks: Family Member-$72 Youth Member-$90 Non-member-$180
*7-weeks: Family Member-$63 Youth Member-$79 Non-member-$158
ADVENTURE PROGRAM (AGES 9-12)
Adventure Programming provides an exciting and diverse outdoor and field-trip experience designed to engage youth throughout the summer! Each day brings a new opportunity to explore and discover the surrounding area through a variety of activities. Adventure programs will not be theme based and a schedule of activities will not be available until the week prior to programming.
A small sample of possible adventures:
- Biking
- Hiking
- Fishing
- Historical Society
- Creative Arts
- Variety of sports
- e-sports/gymnastics
- Swimming in pools and lakes
- canoeing/paddle boarding
- Norskedalen
- Beaches
- State Capitol Tour
New friends and challenges around every corner, our Adventure Program is a perfect way to keep children active and engaged throughout the summer.
Locations/Hours of operation: 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM depending on pick-up/drop-off location. Primary Program space is Viking Elementary (relocated to Holmen Lutheran Church July 10-28)
Adventure Program General Daily Schedule | ||
7:00-7:30 | Parent/Guardian Drop-off at Dahl Y (youth center) | |
7:30-8:00 | Parent/Guardian Drop-off at Houser Y (MPR A) | |
8:00-9:00 | Parent/Guardian Drop-off at Viking | |
9:00-4:00 | Fieldtrip/Off-site (times are subject to change) *example trips: swimming, canoeing, Wisconsin capital, fishing, sports, zoo, hiking | |
4:00-4:30 | Parent/Guardian Pick-up at Houser Y (MPR B) | |
4:30 | Parent/Guardian Pick-up at Viking | |
4:30-5:00 | Parent/Guardian Pick-up at Dahl Y (youth center) |
Program dates: June 5th – August 18th, 2023 (closed July 3-4)
This is an unlicensed childcare program and is not eligible for Wisconsin Shares Subsidy payments.
Due to the nature of activities offered for Adventure Programs, all participants’ behavior must be able to be redirected quickly. Any participant unable to follow group expectations or is creating an unsafe environment must be picked up immediately and will not be allowed to attend for the remainder of that week.
FORMS AND HANDBOOKS
SCHOOL AGE CARE LEADERS

Shane Drey
Senior Director of School Age

Katie Tischer
Director for Onalaska

Dani Hartman
Director for Holmen

Maddie LaCount
Director for South La Crosse

Ari Schermetzler
Director for North La Crosse

Courtney Mueller
Food Program Director

Holly Kleiner
Child Care Accounts Specialist
School Age Questions:
Please submit questions regarding registration for childcare programming, childcare site availability, childcare billing and all other topics.