Dear YMCA Families,
As you may have heard, the Thurston County Department of Health is recommending all school districts in our county to begin the year with a 100% remote learning model. While we fully support this recommendation for the health and well-being of our community, we recognize that for many of you, this presents an enormous challenge for your family.
The South Sound YMCA has been planning for months in anticipation of this possible scenario. In response, we have secured a number of convenient full-day childcare options around the county and plan to launch enrollment in mid-August. We will email you when enrollment opens.
Throughout the pandemic, we’ve consistently adapted our program to adhere to guidance from the Department of Health, OSPI, and the CDC and taken appropriate measures to contain possible exposure.
Examples of some of our current safety protocols include:
- Participants maintain 6-feet separation during games and activities.
- Children and staff are required to wear face masks.
- Art supplies are disinfected after each use.
- Lunch seats are marked to support kids with social distancing.
- Participants wash hands routinely, with adult supervision and guidance.
- Individuals are assigned to small groups for the duration of the program.
As we think ahead to the fall, we are committed to continuing our focus on physical safety while supporting the academic success and social-emotional wellbeing of children in our programs.
For our fall programming, we plan to:
- Support children in attending on-line classes during the day.
- Provide direct instruction in reading, writing, and math.
- Offer homework help and individual tutoring as required.
- Foster social development with peers through imaginative play and games.
- Stimulate creativity through art and self-expression.
- Work closely with school districts as the year progresses, to meet student needs and respond to changes as needed.
Finally, if you’ve been impacted by the pandemic and struggle to imagine how you will pay for childcare, don’t hesitate to give us a call. We offer financial assistance to a large percentage of families and our staff is prepared to discuss resources and options that best meet the needs of your family.
Thank you for your patience as we finalize details for the coming school year. We look forward to supporting your family this fall.
Patrick Costelo
Executive Director of Youth and Community Development
South Sound YMCA
CHILDCARE PHONE HOURS
Monday-Friday
9AM-5PM
360-918-0400
childcare@ssymca.net