After years of work the North Okanagan Early Years Centre is set to open late this year.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Bridge Educational Society
April 08, 2020 - 11:12 AM
The YMCA will be offering licensed out of school care for children of essential service workers in Kelowna.
Priority will be given to school-aged children five to 12 years old whose parents or guardians are working in positions identified in the top 3 Tiers of COVID-19 Essential Services in British Columbia. These include those working as health care workers, first responders, food and agriculture providers, among others.
“Our goal is to provide child care between the hours of 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays to those who need it most during the COVID pandemic,” Danielle Miranda, YMCA Child Care General Manager said in a press release. “We are here to support our community and essential services employees, providing caring and committed staff who are eager to work, along with safe spaces for children to learn, be active and thrive.”
The YMCA of Okanagan said it is following recommendations from local and provincial health officials and taking extra precautions in the delivery of child care programs during this time. These measures include reducing teacher to child ratios by half and restructuring activities and play areas to ensure proper social spacing is in place. As well, parents and children are screened prior to drop off and adults and children in care are extra diligent in following proper handwashing and hygiene practices.
To determine eligibility, parents or guardians of school-aged children 5 – 12 years are asked to complete a survey, which can also be found at ymcaokanagan.ca/EssentialCare. Weekly registration is available for $210 per week. Parents will be contacted as soon as possible following the completion of the survey. For immediate questions and inquiries, please contact 250-491-8678 or email childcare@ymcaokanagan.ca.
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