There aren’t many options for child care in Lompoc once the school’s winter break starts, Samantha Scroggin told the Sun.
But parents can turn to the Lompoc Parks and Recreation Department for a helping hand during the holiday season through its winter camps for youth.
“Speaking as both a parent and in my role, this is an amazing opportunity,” said Scroggin, the city’s public information officer. “This is a unique opportunity to keep our kids busy during winter break, in a time where many of us work outside the home or have commitments that make it difficult to watch our kids full time. This is an opportunity to keep our kids active and having fun during the winter break.”
Lompoc’s winter camp is for children ages 6 to 11, with the 6-year-olds needing to have completed a full year of either kindergarten or transitional-kindergarten. The program has two sessions, with one from Dec. 18 to 22 and the second session from Jan. 2 to 5 at the Anderson Recreation Center. Days run from noon to 5:15 p.m. each day. While snacks will be provided, children are expected to have had lunch before arriving.
“These Parks and Rec camps not only keep the kids busy but they’re a lot of fun with arts and crafts, seasonally themed activities, a movie day, and sports,” Scroggin said.
The recreation leaders are enthusiastic about working with the kids, making sure they are included in the activities, and that they are having a nice time, she added.
“This camp is especially important because we know there can be a temptation for kids to turn to a lot of devices, maybe a little too much TV, and this is a way to keep those kids engaged, learning, creating, and having fun as well as socializing,” Scroggin said.
Many students have experienced heightened anxiety and mental health distress in schools since returning to in-person learning. The Lompoc Unified School District has been investing in ways to care for their students during the school day, and additional time with peers could help if students are still struggling with the in-person environment, she said.
“This camp provides the kids with an opportunity to keep socializing, much like they would in a school setting but in a more relaxed way so it might ease the transition [going] back to school,” Scroggin said. “It’s great to be able to return to having these types of activities that are keeping kids socialized and active during school breaks.”
Visit cityoflompoc.com for more information and to complete the required pre-registration. Parents must sign a waiver and pay a registration fee. Parents are required to sign their child in and out daily; once they are signed out, they won’t be able to return until the following day. The only exception would be a note from a parent or guardian excusing them for an appointment with dates and times.
The Parks and Recreation Department asks that children stay home if they are sick or have a fever, lice, or an unexplained rash. All children are required to have closed-toed shoes on their feet while at the program, and phones, tablets, or other technology must be left with the lead recreation staff or supervisor for the day.
Direct questions to Johanna Kinard at (805) 875-8089 or at j_kinard@ci.lompoc.ca.us.
Highlight:
• The Altrusa International Foundation awarded the Santa Maria Library a $2,540 grant to buy science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) kits for the Cuyama Library branch. The kits are designed to engage students in STEAM in creative ways and promote teamwork and creative thinking. The kits, once delivered to the Cuyama Library and Resource Center, will be available for students to check out with their library cards. The Orcutt, Los Alamos, and Guadalupe Branch Libraries have received their STEAM kits, which are available to check out. In the past, Altrusa International of Santa Maria has supported the Santa Maria Library with funds for the Children’s Theater and two large murals in the children’s library, according to Altrusa.
• After a year marked with painful reminders about the challenges faced by farmworkers—from investigations of labor violations to the workplace deaths of farmworkers in Guadalupe and Cuyama—the Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE) and the Mixteco/Indígena Community Organizing Project (MICOP) celebrated and honored Santa Maria farmworker families at an event called La Cultura Cura. More than 60 people attended the Dec. 1 event, which aimed to help build a more united community that connects and strengthens through art. Music, dance, song, poetry, and painting were the centerpieces of the night and community members of all ages enjoyed the event.
Reach Staff Writer Taylor O’Connor at toconnor@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Dec 21-31, 2023.
