Oxford pre-school program gets aid for hungry kids

OXFORD — A local child care agency has been selected for an expansion of Kids Café, a national program that helps feed low-income children.

In November, Oxford School Age Child Care and Preschool Program started serving additional healthy snacks and meals in a partnership with Good Shepherd Food Bank, with support from Shaw's Supermarkets. 

A project of the non-profit Feeding America, Kids Café aims to feed and provide nutritional education to children at risk of hunger.

Last October, the first Maine Kids Café opened at the Mission Possible Teen Center in Westbrook in partnership with GSFB. The site currently feeds more than 40 children each week.

This fall, GSFB announced an expansion of the program to Oxford SACC and Tree Street Youth Center in Lewiston.

Tracy Cox, administrator at SACC, says the program is currently serving between 40 and 50 kids a day.

SACC is open for children age three to sixth grade, Cox says –  although it charges a fee for most children, some families who are on transitional assistance receive care through a government subsidy. 

The center has two programs – families across the area can enroll their children in a traditional full-time preschool program and the center also has a before- and after-school program for students at Oxford Elementary School. 

Children are provided with breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack, Cox says –  usually the snacks are light, like string cheese, fruit, vegetables and low-fat milk, but hot meals are served two to three times a week.

According to a GSFB press release, Kids Cafés are set up at sites where children already congregate. As an after school program, it gives students an environment to work on homework, explore new interests or hang out with friends.

Monthly nutrition activities, taught by GSFB staff, accompany the feeding program to stress the importance of eating healthy food and include taste-testing and recipe courses.

Choosing Oxford to locate the site isn't accidental – according to Feeding America, nearly a quarter of the children in Oxford County, 3,010, are considered food insecure. Only 73 percent of those children meet the income guidelines for food assistance.

Locally, Oxford Elementary has the highest number of students who qualify for free/reduced lunch – 79.5 percent.

Cox says the scale of need in Oxford influenced the decision to set up the Kids Café at SACC, but she acknowledges its fees are a barrier to many vulnerable families.

She hopes that with GSFB aid SACC can expand its programs and help children in need who aren't enrolled.

SACC staff are contemplating arranging community suppers during the winter and establishing a summer feeding program, but those plans are still in the preliminary stages as the center gets used to the new program, Cox says.