When Lisa Lancaster moved from California to West Seattle last June, her son, Brendan, 7, was enrolled in Alki Elementary School.

Classes conclude at 3:15 p.m., so she planned to enroll her second grader in the Alki Community Center's after school program next door. Problem is a child needs to be on their waiting list in January to have a shot.

"We didn't know which school Brendan would be enrolled in until we moved here in June," said Lancaster. "And we live further south and closer to other elementary schools." She said there were already 22 on the community center's waiting list by June.

Along came Cheryl Snyder, Alki United Church of Christ, and their Alki Kid's Place, an after school program that began in June. And, luckily for Brendan, there was, and still is, no waiting list.

"We developed this program to alleviate the waiting list issue," said Snyder of the church-sponsored, non-religious program. Alki Kid's Place is held in a large, bright space chock full of toys, books, tables, and a pint-sized maroon "Victorian" cushy chair, in the church's basement. The church is at 6115 Southwest Hinds St. and 62nd.

Snyder or a co-worker pick up young customers from Alki Elementary after school and walk together to the church.

"Alki (Community Center) knows about us, but they say they cannot refer people here because they are a city program," said Snyder.

"Cheryl is a very warm person, like a second mother, and organized, too," said Lancaster. "The kids seem relaxed and I've never seen any fighting."

She might have had she noticed Steve Coates' Alki Tae Kwan Do class across the hall. A friend of Cheryl, Coates, a seventh dan, or seventh-degree black belt, teaches the martial art to all ages, and there is a tie-in to her class.

Said Snyder, herself a second dan, "If you sign your child up full-time with us they can go over to the Tae Kwan Do class Wednesday's and Friday's for no extra charge."

Alki Kid's Place welcomes ages 4-14, costs $15 per day, or $70 per week.

For more information, call Cheryl Snyder at 938-0145, or go to www.alkiucc.org.