Cadet Care: Before & After School Care That Keeps Kids Moving and Learning

The bell rings at the end of the school day, and for a lot of kids the next few hours are the best part. That's the idea behind Cadet Care, the before and after school care program from The Recreation Academy.

Cadet Care runs right on your child's school campus, so there's no bus transfer and no new building to get used to. Kids go straight from class into a structured, active afternoon.

What an afternoon in Cadet Care looks like

Dismissal and check-in: kids check in with their site lead, grab a snack, and refuel. Homework time: a quiet stretch to get assignments done with staff support. Enrichment rotation: hands-on clubs that change throughout the year, from STEM and building challenges to sports skills and creative projects. Families get up to 8 different clubs a year at no extra cost. Debrief and team games: kids talk through what they learned and how the day went, then burn off energy with team games. Secure pickup: authorized adults sign kids out through the end of care.

Before school care is available at participating schools too, giving families a calm, supervised start to the day.

Who's watching your kids

Every Cadet Care staff member completes FBI fingerprinting and a background check. Coaches start at $17.50 an hour, and many are education majors earning university credit hours through our college partnerships. Each site is led by an experienced team member with professional experience leading kids, and we keep a 1:14 staff-to-child ratio.

Not babysitting. Growing.

Our coaches plan their activities each week, facilitate them, debrief with kids, and refine the plan. Kids build friendships, confidence, and social skills through participation, not by sitting on a phone.

See if Cadet Care is at your school at therecreationacademy.com/schoolcare.