Parents will no longer have to worry about finding after-school care for their children during the school year.

Government has extended its after-school programme to 12 primary schools.

Acting administrative assistant of the after-school programme Deidre Otway told The Royal Gazette that Victor Scott on Glebe Road in Pembroke would be the latest school to join the programme.

Run by the Ministry of Youth, Development and Recreation, the programme allows school children to complete homework and engage in fun activities from 3 to 6 p.m., without having to leave their schools.

Parents, who enrol their children in the programme which cost $20 a week, can buy vouchers at post offices.

Qualified teachers with experience in counselling children and Bermuda College students enrolled in child development programmes supervise the youngsters, Miss Otway said.

"Children, after school, meet with the supervisors and have a snack,'' she explained. "Then, one group may want to do their homework and there is a room set aside for this. There are also areas for others who may want to do activities such as playing games, colouring, and/or making things for different occasions like a Valentine's Day card or birthday cards for their parents.'' Children in the programme -- held at Dellwood, Elliott, Francis Patton, Harrington Sound, Heron Bay, Port Royal, Prospect, Purvis, Somerset, West End, West Pembroke, and Victor Scott -- will also be taken on field trips with their parents' permission.

"We have qualified people working in this programme,'' Miss Otway stressed.

"They are also qualified in CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and first aid. We work with the children. We just don't say sit down there and leave them until their parents pick them up.'' The programme usually required the use of an assembly hall, art room, and a classroom, Miss Otway added. But extra rooms could be found, if needed.

Enrolment in the programme ranges from 25 to 72, she said. Harrington Sound has the largest group of students.

Victor Scott is expected to have 30 students, but can take more.

"We have three supervisors and three other workers for the expected 30 children,'' she said. "But if the enrolment is greater, they will add extra staff.'' "Nine out of ten times the children are from the school,'' Miss Otway added.

"Sometimes we group them together when there are not enough children at one school. For example, we grouped together Port Royal and Southampton Glebe because there were only six children at Southampton Glebe so we felt the need was not there for a separate programme there.'' She said the programme no longer existed at St. David's Primary and at East End Primary possibly because of the community centre in that area.

However, she added the programme could be extended to other schools based on the need.

"The programme runs from September 11 to December 13,'' Miss Otway noted.

"Then they will have the Christmas break and it will resume on January 1 and April 4 (mid term break) and continue until June 25, 1997 when school dismisses for the summer. Then, of course, the summer day camps will begin. So there is virtually somewhere for parents to send their children year round.''