kidsLINK Afterschool Program: supporting area families
The kidsLINK Afterschool program is designed to provide a high-quality, safe and afterschool childcare option for families. The program operates at each school from 3:15 pm - 5:45 pm daily. This enriching program provides an opportunity for kids to engage in enriching activities such as STEAM projects, literacy, math and coding. Greater Gallatin United Way currently serves more than 1,500 kids every day at 11 area schools across Bozeman and Belgrade. Additionally, GGUW sponsors 12 other programs across the region.
Learn More About Full-Day 8-Week Summer Programming in Big Sky, Bozeman and Belgrade, Click Here
kidsLINK Afterschool Program
Affordable:
The after school program fee is $12/day for a single student and $10 each/day for siblings, about a third of the average price of childcare in Gallatin County. We are committed to supporting families in our area. No family will be turned away for inability to pay. Please contact us for scholarship opportunities.
Bozeman School District Families:
$12/ day for a single student. $10 / day for each sibling.
Annual registration fee of $35 for one student or $50 per family.
Belgrade School District Families:
$12/ day for a single student. $10/ day for each sibling.
Annual registration fee of $25 for one student and $40 per family.
You are charged for the days that your child attends the program. Each week you will receive an invoice reflecting your child's previous week's attendance.
Convenient:
Programs take place on the school grounds directly after school until 5:45 pm. No more shuffling, no more bus rides. kidsLINK Afterschool is available in all elementary schools in Bozeman. In Belgrade, kidsLINK Afterschool is available at Story Creek Elementary, Saddle Peak Elementary, and Belgrade Middle School. The Ridge View Elementary Afterschool Program is being run by the YMCA in partnership with GGUW. Please refer to their website for more information about how to enroll.
Enriching:
Greater Gallatin United Way is invested in youth success and early learning. This investment means we spend a lot of time and energy developing our kidsLINK Afterschool Program to offer children something that will impact their lives and education in a positive way. Here are some of the activities we offer in our programs:
- Tech Club
- Robotics
- Art Club
- Theatre Club
- Coding Classes
- Snapology
- Nutrition Education
- Homework Help
- Emotional Well-Being Support
- And More
The kidsLINK Afterschool staff is trained in various curricula: social-emotional learning, conflict resolution, health, well-being, academic enrichment, and STEM/STEAM activities. Many of our staff members are school-day employees at the elementary schools and are therefore very equipped and qualified to provide your children with an amazing experience.
Enroll:
We use an attendance and billing system called Procare. If you are already a kidsLINK family, and you have a Procare account, visit your Parent Portal www.myprocare.com to re-register your child(ren) for the fall. If you have any trouble accessing your account, let us know. Don't hesitate to get in touch with us in the meantime to learn more about the value of the kidsLINK afterschool program.
Bozeman Programs:
New families may open a Procare Account here: New Family Open a Bozeman kidsLINK Procare Account.
Belgrade Programs:
New families may open a Procare Account here: New Family Open a Belgrade kidsLINK Procare Account.
Once you open an account, we will send you a confirmation letter with the next steps to enroll your child(ren).
Join our kidsLINK team!
There are openings for Program Coordinators, Support Staff and Roaming Substitute Staff. Click here for more information.
NOW hiring program staff for Big Sky Pre-K Summer Camp. Click here for more information.
Scholarship Information
To work toward our goal of NO child being home alone after school, we offer full and partial scholarships to help families who could use extra support. Complete the form linked below to apply for a scholarship. Our team will review the application and get back to you with any questions we might have. If you have questions, please reach out to us by phone or email.
We want to thank Tim & Mary Barnard, First Security Bank, First Interstate Bank, The Rieschel Family Foundation, The Dairy Keep Housing Project/Bozeman Interfaith Housing, The Gianforte Family Foundation and the Yellowstone Club Community Foundation for supporting afterschool scholarships for working families. If you would like to join in supporting the scholarship fund, please click here.
Contact Us
kidsLINK@greatergallatinunitedway.org
406-587-2194
Other Program Information
We're Here to Support Families
The COVID-19 pandemic has created unique challenges for Montana's families working to balance professional responsibilities, child care, and changes to schooling. We recognize the uncertainty families have about options for school-age children as we move into a new school year.
The ECCC (Early Childhood Community Council) and Southwest Montana COAD (Community Organizations Active in Disasters) are partnered to support families in Gallatin, Park, Lewis & Clark, Broadwater, Jefferson, Meagher, and Madison counties.
Together, they've created a website to connect families to programs who are offering out-of-school care options, and to provide local resources to ensure that the children in our region have a safe and healthy environment to learn and grow.
Greater Gallatin Childcare Providers
Do you have spots available in your program for school-aged children? Please fill out this form! With your permission, we will list your program information on our site to be advertised to local families. There is no cost to have your information on the website and you can update your program information at any time by resubmitting this form. Thank you for participating and working collectively to offer options to our community!
Employment Opportunities in Childcare
Follow this link to find current employment opportunities in childcare.
kidsLINK Staff
Greater Gallatin United Way Staff:
kidsLINK Program Director: Ben Frentsos ben@greatergallatinunitedway.org Phone Number: (406) 206-5271
kidsLINK Operations Director: Amy Revious amy@greatergallatinunitedway.org Phone Number: (406) 206-6971
Bozeman Schools:
Emily Dickinson Elementary School Coordinator: Hannah Blair
Hawthorne Elementary School Coordinator: Joseph Barrett joseph.barrett@bsd7.org Phone Number: (406) 206-9539
Hyalite Elementary School Coordinator: Jonathon Rudd jonathon.rudd@bsd7.org Phone Number: (406) 545-2586
Irving Elementary School Coordinator: Kaylee Grote kaylee.groye@bsd7.org Phone Number: (406) 206-9547
Longfellow Elementary School Coordinator: Annika Odt annika.odt@bsd7.org Phone Number: (406) 545-2053/ Pick up (406) 451-5896
Meadowlark Elementary School Coordinator: LeAnne Grote leanne.grote@bsd7.org Phone Number: (406) 534-0682
Morning Star Elementary School Coordinator: Baylee and Gabrielle baylee.blake@bsd7.org Phone Number: (406) 206-6107
Whittier Star Elementary School Coordinator: Elizabeth Kennedy elizabeth.kennedy@bsd7.org Phone Number: (406) 206-6436
Belgrade Schools:
Saddle Peak Elementary School Coordinator: Danitta Bell dbell@bsd44.org Phone Number: (406) 578-0059
Story Creek Elementary School Coordinator: Crystal Davis addavis@bsd44.org Phone Number: (406) 587-2194
Belgrade Middle School Coordinator: Kim Hohenstein khohenstein@bsd44.org Phone Number: (406) 539-1755