After Tiffany Stephens’ teenaged son was involved in a bad accident riding with a friend to an after-school destination, Stephens began to think about how many kids are looking for rides throughout the day when their parents may be working or otherwise unavailable. “In talking with parents and kids, I came to realize this was a huge need. With parents working and kids so active, safe reliable transportation becomes a critical need.” Two years ago Stephens founded Kids Teen Rider, a transportation service to drive students safely to and from before- and after-school activities, day care facilities and jobs around Naperville.

“We started out strong, serving ten schools, but with the economy the way it has been, a number of parents couldn’t afford to keep paying. That’s when we had to cut back,” Stephens reports. “It takes a certain amount just to pay for gas and maintenance, before you ever think about profit. But it was a service desperately needed, so we had to find a solution that was affordable.” That solution came in the form of 501c3 status, which allows Kids Teen Rider eligibility for grant funding and assistance from school districts. “Once we get our status, with the city grants and anticipated assistance from Indian Prairie District 204 by 2010-2011, we will be able to request much more affordable donations from riders. We are also looking for corporate angels to get us through these first few months.”

Right now, Kids Teen Rider is serving Indian Prairie Preschool along with students attending Brookdale and Longwood Elementary schools on Naperville’s northwest side. There are also some individual routes to accommodate students in private schools. For information or to register for Kids Teen rider, contact Tiffany Stephens at 630-405-4572 or kidsteenrider@aol.com.