BEND, OR -- The Bend Park and Recreation District will accept applications for its popular Kids INC after-school program, starting Tuesday. They’ll be accepted through 5 p.m. June 7. "We’re going to have the applications open for an entire week of time," says Bend Parks and Recs' Julie Brown, "So we can try to avoid that first-come-first-served frenzy of activity that tends to happen with our most popular programs; and I’d put this one at the absolute top."

Those applications will then go into a lottery to decide who will be accepted and who will be put on a waiting list. "And what we’re really going to try to do is prioritize, to the best that we can within a lottery system, families that really need this care in order to maintain their employment." Brown says, "For families that maybe need less than fulltime care or really just want the enrichment activities, we’re really going to steer them more towards our sports activities and our art programs."

For the 2022-23 school year, the district will offer both full- and part-time options. Brown tells KBND News the changes came after conversations with families, "For working families, we know that the after-school care program that we provide onsite at 14 elementary schools is incredibly important. So, we have taken some time this spring to have some town hall meetings and some listening sessions and try to meet with parents."

To learn more and apply online, visit the BPRD website between May 31 and June 7 at 5:00 pm. If online access is a barrier, applications can be accepted by phone at 541-389-7275.