We use this service for our meetings and attendance increased tremendously. We send home a sign up sheet for each meeting, provide a due date. We separate the kids by grades and use the co-teachers as the baby sitters. We pay the co-teacher 12.50 per hour. In addition, we provide dinner for the kids. We use the one time $10.00 membership dues to pay for this event but of course we have to use some operating funds before the year ends. The positive outcome compensates for the expense. Parents can focus without interruptions and they don't have to worry about dinner after the meeting.
We have used a teenager... they playoutside on playground or basket ball in the caf/gym. we pay her $20 each time. If we did not have one we would have about half of the attendance. I guarentee it. We have several single mom's and parents who work different shifts.
It's worth it!
I can say that when we started doing it last year, our attendance tripled. Of course, we did a lot of PR and communication that hadn't been done in the past, so I don't know that the "sitter" was the factor. We used a couple of high school kids. They were either paid $10 or got credit towards community service hours. This year we are working with a local church who is trying to raise money for their youth group. They are supplying the help and we are "donating" to their organization.
We have a school aide that does this for us and our district picks up the cost, all of the elementary schools do it here. It does make a huge difference in attendance, I am a strong believer of that so much that I fought to have it done for our volunteer breakfast as well. It is really such a small thing but can mean alot!
"When you stop learning you stop growing."
