Important Updates about Child Care at the Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA

Important Child Care Updates

from the Fanwood-Scotch Plains Y

Dear Child Care Families,

Thank you for your patience as we work to create a safe and enjoyable child care experience for our families and staff. At this time, we do not have a reopening date for our Y and are working with state officials to learn when we can restart our programs. Governor Murphy has mentioned that he is looking at reopening child care facilities, and we want to be fully prepared when we are able to do so.

If we are able, we plan to host child care in July and August. In moving forward with our child care plans for this summer, we need to know by Friday, June 5, whether you plan to send your child to our program in July and August. Please complete this form by June 5 to let us know your decision. If you choose to opt-out, you can also use this form to request a credit or refund for your deposit, but you must let us know by June 5 . You can also choose to convert your deposit to a tax-deductible donation to support the Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA. Please fill out one form per child. As long as you do not cancel your YMCA membership, your decision to opt-out of child care for July and August will not impact your registration for the 2020-2021 school year.

CLICK HERE TO LET US KNOW IF YOUR CHILD WILL ATTEND THE Y THIS SUMMER

When we return, child care will look and feel different to help us comply with regulations and create a safe experience for all. We are making modifications to our program to meet current state regulations for centers running emergency child care as our guide. The regulations can be found here . We anticipate that there will be similar programming changes needed to run child care this summer.

Changes include:

For July and August, child care will be held between the hours of 8:30am and 3:30pm.
Swimming will not be held to maintain social distancing between children and staff.
Class sizes will be smaller to accommodate social distancing. Staff members will wear masks (unless there is a medical reason that bars them from doing so).
We'll aim to keep three to six feet between individual children and minimize the amount of time children are in close contact with each other (including 6 feet distance between cribs and sleeping mats and during mealtime.)
Each child and staff member will undergo a health screening upon entry, including a temperature check. Those experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 - fever 100.4 or higher, cough or shortness of breath, etc. - will not be permitted to attend child care until symptom free for 72 hours (we are working on documentation for families with further information).
If there is a confirmed case of COVID-19 at our facility, we will contact the Health Department regarding next steps and may temporarily close for 14 days.
There will be a designated drop-off/pick-up location for child care with parents/caregivers restricted from entering child care areas.
We will be updating our cleaning and disinfecting procedures and increasing their frequency throughout the day.
All children and staff will be asked to utilize hygiene practices, such as frequent hand washing throughout the day.

If you have questions, please reach out to me at kbarros@fspymca.org . I will work to answer any questions you have and appreciate your patience as we navigate our plans for reopening.

Thank you and be well.

Kathy Barros,

Senior Director of Child Care Services

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The Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA is dedicated to improving the quality of life of the individuals, families and communities we serve through programs and services that build wholeness of spirit, mind and body. The YMCA is a not-for-profit organization founded on Christian principles, serving people of all ages, races, faith, cultures and socio-economic conditions.