BATON ROUGE – A program at the YMCA created to supervise kids while they go to school online is expanding. The distance learning program is full and many families are on a waitlist, so the nonprofit is working to let more kids in.

“We’re releasing parents off of the waitlist now,” said Capital Area YMCA CEO Christian Engle.

Right now there are 20 kids on the waitlist. The program is being offered at five locations, each holding 50 to 100 students.

“We opened it up in phases. Just like the students and teachers we had to learn a little bit as far as what would work and now we're growing every day beyond that,” Engle said.

While expanding the program, Engle says there have been some difficulties to figure out.

"Making sure we have the right passwords to get kids into the system, and making sure the children know what they're doing that day,” Engle said.

A lot of the students are on different schedules as well.

“Some kids start at 8:15, some start at 8:30 and some start at 9. This group of kids have a break at noon and the others have one at 12:30, so it's kind of balancing that as well and making sure we keep the kids on schedule,” Engle said.

It's a learning experience for all, one that is helping working parents and will be offered as long as virtual learning is an option.

“I think for a lot of the kids it gives them the sense of a regular school day. They're in a regular classroom,” Engle said.

This is the second week the program has been offered. The program is available on weekdays from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. at the following locations:

- A. C. Lewis YMCA 

- Americana YMCA 

- C. B. Pennington Jr. YMCA 

Registration Fee:

- Family Members: $0

- Youth Members: $25

- Program Members: $35

Weekly Fee:

- Family Members: $75

- Youth Members: $125

- Program Members: $150

To register for the YMCA's distance learning program, click here.