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FORT CAVAZOS, Texas -- Each year, parents are faced with the daunting task of keeping their kids entertained during the summer. Fort Cavazos Child & Youth Services may be able to help.
CYS offers summer camps for school age children for grades kindergarten to 5th grade and middle school students in 6th through 8th grade.
Summer camp is an 11-week program that runs from the time summer break starts, until the Friday before the new school year begins.
Kids are provided breakfast, lunch and a snack, and participate in a variety of activities and weekly field trips that implement aspects of science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) and foster leadership and creativity.
Letitia Lesene, facility director at Muskogee School Age Care, said the camp provides peace of mind and reassurance for Soldiers and families.
“Parents work on the installation and their children are on the installation. They don’t have to run around outside,” she said. “Also, the security and staff training is always being done and there are constant inspections. Your child is in a safe environment.”
Pfc. Minelys Gonzalez, 13th Armored Corps Sustainment Command, shared that she is new to the Great Place, having only been here for six months. She said it’s her first duty station and first experience with the military, so knowing her children, six-year-old Dylan and five-year-old Ruby, are taken care of means she can focus on her new role as a Soldier.
“They make me feel confident that they will take really good care of my kids,” she expressed. “The most important thing for me is I feel my kids are in really good hands.”
Lesene explained that she understands the tendency to worry about children and encourages parents to communicate any issues they have.
“We do our best to work with the families on any concerns,” she said. “We work closely with the parents and try to keep communication going with them and make it a fun environment for the children.”
Lesene added that it may take time for children to get adjusted, but the initial discomfort is temporary.
“If your child has never been in the program, it’s a little overwhelming because you got a lot of different people that they don’t know,” she explained. “You got a lot of different children that they don’t know. They don’t know how things work so they feel out of place. But if you give them time, and let them learn at their pace, you’ll be surprised once they get the hang of it.”
Parents can drop children off as early as 5:30 a.m. and pick them up as late as 6 p.m.
Lesene said the camp is week to week and provides parents the flexibility of choosing which weeks they want their children to attend.
To request care, parents should visit militarychildcare.com and go through Parent Central Services to get registered. Lesene encourages parents to sign up early as slots for camp fill up fast.
Lesene said the camp not only provides a safe, fun and educational experience for children, it’s necessary to support the installation.
“A place for Soldiers to take their children and feel comfortable leaving their child with someone and know that they’re taken care of while they’re out doing their mission,” she expressed, “you have to have that.”
| Date Taken: | 07.06.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 09.01.2023 12:09 |
| Story ID: | 450516 |
| Location: | FORT CAVAZOS, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 32 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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