(Latchkey Program)
Joseph Neves, Director

Our Latchkey Program began originally in 1986 and funding is granted through the State of Massachusetts Voucher Management Program locally directed by P.A.C.E. Inc. To inquire about eligibility for school age day care slots in our program, you may contact P.A.C.E. at (508) 999-9930. Referrals are made from P.A.C.E. to Dennison and then the parent should contact, Joseph Neves, Program Director, at our center, (508) 996-2691. This is a licensed school age day care program through the State of Massachusetts, Office of Early Education and Child Care. The license is renewable every two years and there are stringent requirements for renewal.

Requirements for licensing include mandatory staff to child minimum ratios presently set at 13:1. Mandatory ongoing staff training requirements, especially in first aid, CPR, and programmatic courses, along with safety issues are a prerequisite. Snacks are offered daily for all participants in this program, along the guidelines of the Massachusetts Bureau of Nutrition.

We now have 65 slots designated for this program and these slots are intended for school age children from the first grade until age 13.

The program is designed to be more structured than our regular neighborhood program. Children are transported by our staff by bus or van directly to Dennison. They are not allowed to exit the building until the homebound bus route begins. We drop each child off directly with their parents or guardians at their house at the end of the day. The buses leave Dennison at 5:30 pm on school days, and during the summer and school vacations the Latchkey Programs hours are 7:30am-5:00pm.