School’s Out

The Parker Bennett Community Center provides free after school care to the Bowling Green community and is located near the Housing Authority.

Photos and Copy by Grace Pritchett

Parker Bennett Community Center’s after school program is a free service hosted by Bowling Green Parks & Recreation in Bowling Green, Ky. Located near the Housing Authority, it provides free care to many families living in low-income conditions. The cost of childcare has been increasing significantly since the 1960s according to the USDA “Expenditures on Children by Families” report in 2015. Jkeyah Patterson, 22, is a recreation assistant for the after school program. Patterson says the most rewarding part of her job is helping to mold the children at the program into what they want to be, while taking into consideration the fact that most of these kids are coming from low-income households. “Realizing that all kids don’t come from the same area…from the same place. That’s why I’m really grateful to work here so that I can give my love and attention to them,” Patterson said.