Article provided by Clayton Youth Enrichment

What began in 1975 as an after-school program at Lily B. Clayton Elementary, created by parents who needed safe, reliable care for their children, Clayton Youth Enrichment has become a non-profit cornerstone of support for working families. Since then, we’ve served more than 120,000 children and today operate over 70 sites across Tarrant County, offering after-school programs, summer camps, holiday camps, and early childhood education at our Child Development Centers.

Our mission has always been about more than just childcare—it’s about preparing children to live great lives and helping working parents. Studies show that the lack of childcare costs U.S. businesses $122 billion annually in lost earnings, productivity, and revenue (source: ReadyNation). By providing dependable out-of-school care, we help reduce this burden right here in our community. Parents can focus on their careers, further their education, or even launch new businesses, knowing their kids are safe, cared for, and engaged in meaningful learning.

At the same time, our children are developing essential life skills. Through Clayton Quest, our proprietary, custom-developed curriculum, we allow kids to build resilience, problem-solving abilities, teamwork, and creativity in a fun and engaging way. Clayton Quest offers hands-on academic enrichment and project-based learning activities that develop important social-emotional skills: Consideration, Leadership, Independence, Mindfulness, and Building Relationships.  This is what makes Clayton truly unique—we not only keep kids safe, we also help them grow into tomorrow’s leaders.

Today, our programs reach families in a variety of ways. Clayton provides on-site after-school care, holiday camps, and summer camps at elementary schools throughout the county, giving kids a safe place to learn, explore, and connect once the school day ends. Our Child Development Centers expand our support to include early learning opportunities for the youngest children—helping them prepare for kindergarten and giving parents peace of mind during the workday. 

“Just two years ago, the Fort Worth Chamber celebrated alongside us at the ribbon cutting for our Clayton Child Development Center at Near Southside, emphasizing the importance of early childhood education to the Fort Worth community’s growth,” said CEO Jason Ray. “Long-term partnerships like this remind us that when Fort Worth businesses and community organizations work together, families and children benefit the most.”

In 2021, we also opened the Clayton Community Center at Panola, a space designed to serve families beyond the traditional school setting in the Meadowbrook and Stop 6 neighborhoods. The center offers programming, including children and adult education courses, that combine learning with community building, providing a hub where children and families can feel supported and connected. Together, our programs work as a continuum of care, ensuring children of all ages have safe environments to learn and thrive.

We are excited to celebrate our 50th anniversary milestone with our inaugural Courage to CLIMB celebration on November 13, 2025.  Since Clayton started in the 1970s, we’ll be taking it back to our roots with a fun 70s theme. It will be a night of music, dancing, and connection, all while raising support for children and families in our community through our scholarship program.  Serving as Honorary Chair is the Honorable Betsy Price, former Mayor of Fort Worth. Her personal connection to Clayton runs deep—her grandchildren have been part of our after-school programs, making her role especially meaningful. During the celebration, we’ll also shine a spotlight on Whitley Penn and Karen Denney, honoring their outstanding leadership and dedication to Clayton and our community through the years.

We warmly invite you and your local business to join us, have fun, and help make a difference by becoming a sponsor or attending one of our events this year.  Your partnership will ensure we can continue empowering children and strengthening our Fort Worth community and workforce for the next 50 years!