Wanted: About 120 kids, age 5-12 who want to have fun, go on field trips, swim, and even learn a little bit during their summer vacation.

If interested, contact the Methodist Union of Social Agencies in Homestead, which will celebrate the 25th year of its summer day program this summer by offering more components to its programming and by reaching out to all youngsters in the community, regardless of their ability to pay.

"We're taking what is needed, day care, and turning it into a cultural, academic and socially enhanced kind of experience for kids," said the Rev. James Cannistracci, Methodist Union executive director.

The state-licensed program will be operated at Barrett Elementary School in Homestead but open to any child who is a resident of Allegheny County.

Parents must provide transportation to the program, which will run from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays from June 12 through Aug. 18. The price is $25 a day. Children can come for a few days, a few weeks or the whole summer.

MUSA is making a special effort this year to reach out to children of low-income families and those living in poverty. Mr. Cannistracci said statistics from the 2000 census showed that the poverty rate in Homestead and nearby Duquesne is significantly higher than Allegheny County's rate and the national rate.

The census showed that, while 7.9 percent of families in Allegheny County and 9.2 percent nationally lived below the poverty level, the percentage in Homestead was 23 percent and in Duquesne was 31.3 percent.

Mr. Cannistracci said one of the unique aspects of the day program is that it includes students from working families whose parents pay the $25 a day rate and also children whose families qualify for subsidized day rates.

The Methodist Union receives about $85,000 in community services block grant money from the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, which it uses for the day program and an after-school program it operates. It also receives United Way funding.

Families that already receive subsidized child care from the Department of Public Welfare can apply it to the program. Families that are under the care of the Allegheny County Department of Children, Youth and Families also would qualify to have the day program fee paid.

For other families who would like to send their children but can't afford the fee, payments can be assessed on a sliding scale, Mr. Cannistracci said. In the past, some parents have offered to do volunteer work to help cover their children's fees, he said.

Children attending the camp will be served breakfast, lunch and dinner.

A new component this year is that all of the camp child care workers will be either teachers or students who are in the last years of studying education.

In addition to the traditional arts and crafts and sporting activities, there will be morning tutoring sessions in math and reading to help kids improve their skills during the summer.

The tutoring effort also is geared to helping improve scores on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment tests and is being led by Aldine Coleman, a recently retired teacher and administrator from the Steel Valley School District.

Mrs. Coleman spent her later years in the district overseeing its tutoring programs and ensuring that they were set up to teach the concepts tested on the PSSAs.

The students will hear from a variety of professionals who will talk about their careers, including a banker, who will teach them about finances, and a nutritionist, who will help the kids identify healthy foods and create a balanced diet for themselves and their families.

Through a program called Tickets for Kids, the day camp will be able to get tickets for the campers to go to such places as the Carnegie Science Center, the Carnegie museums of art and natural history, the Pittsburgh Zoo and the UPMC Sports Works for free. The children will take one field trip a week.

The campers will swim once a week at the indoor pool at the Carnegie Library of Homestead. They will spend time at the library on computers, learning how to use the Internet and other resources for their schoolwork.

Two of the camp counselors are coaches, one of soccer and the other softball, and children will be taught the basics of those sports. They also will make regular visits to a senior citizen residence, where they will play games and share snacks with the seniors.

For more information on the program or to register, call 412-461-1800.