By Sara QuamRock County Commissioners Tuesday voted to help fund the Luverne Child Guide program, after waiting a few weeks since the program request.Commissioners reasoned that the funding would go toward an endowment fund. Along with Luverne’s program, commissioners also voted to contribute to an endowment fund for child programming in Hills-Beaver Creek District."We’re really investing money when we have an endowment," said Board Chairwoman Jane Wildung.The county will divide $5,000 between the districts in proportion to student enrollment.Commissioner Ron Boyenga wasn’t at the meeting.After the Child Guide program requested funding from the county, commissioners asked Hills-Beaver Creek Elementary to give background on its youth program, KidKare.Todd Holthaus, H-BC Elementary principal, and Haley Tollefson, KidKare coordinator, presented information on the program.Holthaus said about 10 to 12 students attend the childcare program after school until 6 p.m. It isn’t quite the same as the Child Guide program in its specific mission, Holthaus said. "We are a child care function for students up to grade six," he said.Students have a daily schedule that includes play time, homework time, crafts, games, computer time, Spanish class and American Sign Language class and character education. The character education portion of KidKare time helps children learn to get along and socialize in ways their families may not teach.Another example of the program is that KidKare students worked with a 4-H group to plant flowers. Holthaus said, "The homework component is important because our at-risk kids oftentimes don’t come from a background where their family sits around the kitchen table doing homework."Teachers often approach Tollefson about specific needs of students, so classroom goals are met in part by KidKare.The total budget of KidKare is $17,126. Commissioners said they hope an endowment fund will be used to ensure future children’s programming in H-BC as well as Luverne.The Luverne Child Guide program requested a donation to be able to continue to be the liaison between children and various community assets that can help them.The Child Guide program also plans activities and has a strong presence during the school day. Child Guide board members are working toward a fund-raising goal of at least $15,000 by June 30 to go into an endowment fund with a matching grant from the Southwest Minnesota Foundation. The endowment fund means the interest earned would be used, but the principal would remain to earn interest.Seal coat project over estimateRock County Commissioners approved the low bid for various seal coating projects in the county Tuesday.Asphalt Surf Tech Corp., St. Cloud, was the low bidder at $332,754. Rock County’s cost will total $235,283. The estimate for the project was $211,499, but the recent escalation of oil prices was reflected in the bids. County Engineer Mark Sehr said, "It’s maintenance, and I hate to put it off because prices changed."Each governmental entity has the right to refuse the work being done in the township or town because of the escalated price.