DUBOIS – On Monday night, members of DuBois City Council heard a proposal about starting up a summer park and recreational daycare program.
Ryan and Lynne Glass presented the plans for park and recreational activities, which included a daycare-like program.
The couple is currently residing in Littleton, NH. There, the couple’s current program has more than 200 children.
They were planning to move back to the DuBois area, which is Ryan Glass’ home, and they were hoping to bring their summer program with them.
If implemented, the program would be for children in kindergarten through the sixth grade. Drop-off would be at 7 a.m. and pick-up at 5 p.m.
The couple would not only tailor the aforementioned timeframe for working parents in general, but also for any parents who reside outside of DuBois City and work there.
They said the program would initially be operated under a private company owned by them. However, they have started working to establish a non-profit to operate their summer park and recreational daycare program.
In the long-term, Ryan Glass brought up the possibility of becoming more official and or collaborative with DuBois City.
Then, City Manager John Suplizio went on to mention that DuBois City may one day be able to hire an actual Parks and Recreation entity.
Solicitor Toni Cherry warned the city already has one – the public pool – that is responsible for filling frequent budget gaps.
Ryan and Lynne Glass promised many activities for children, which included:
- nature walks and lessons;
- weekly field trips to places, such as Parker Dam State Park, Altoona Curve, DelGrosso’s Park and the Pittsburgh Zoo; and
- swimming lessons
“All we want from the city is pretty much collaboration. We’re pretty much a city daycare,” said Ryan Glass.
The couple said they did not want money from DuBois City and only permission to use the public park as a drop-off and pick-up point for children.
The couple is working on a possible location in case of a rainy day. “We wouldn’t be limited to the park,” said Ryan Glass.
On the topic of lunches, they were working with the DuBois Area School District as part of its summer lunch program.
Program Concerns
Cherry warned several times about the program, saying DuBois City was officially backing it.
Also, the park’s schedule is often booked during normal weeks, as well as during events, such as Community Days.
Another concern included the parking being needed by other organizations, which offer similar services, such as the YMCA.
So far as scheduling, Ryan and Lynne Glass said it would be something to work out, and they could possibly use other areas of the park.
The couple discussed starting the program later – depending on the end of the school year – to avoid Community Days.
Ryan Glass said competition wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing.
“We love the idea. I can tell by the questions, but we have to protect the city,” said Councilwoman Diane Bernardo.
Council members appeared to be excited about the proposal, especially in regards to the children being outside and immersed in nature.
“We need to get back to the nuts and bolts and not sitting back with an iPad every day,” said Councilman Randy Schmidt.
Council authorized for city officials to continue to work with Ryan and Lynne Glass in regards to the program.
At this point, it’s not certain if a brief, trial program will take place this year or if the couple will hold off its launch until 2018.
The couple said there would be plenty of work to do before they could begin accepting children into the program.