For Your Calendar
  • YWCA and Persimmon Early Learning will be closed for the Thanksgiving Recess, from Nov. 23 through Nov. 27, returning on Nov. 30.

  • YWCA and Persimmon Early Learning will be closed for the Holiday Recess, from Dec. 21 through Jan. 1, returning on Jan. 4.
Ongoing Enrollment for Permanent Care
You can start the enrollment process today for our brand-new permanent care spots!

Online Parent Info Sessions will be held virtually every other Wednesday, including:

  • Wednesday, Dec. 2 from 11:30 -12:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Dec. 16 from 11:30 -12:30 p.m.

Visit our website and fill out our Interest Form to sign up for an Info Session and begin the enrollment process today.

For additional info or questions, please email Kate Hise at: khise@ywcaboulder.org.

Contact us today - we are here to answer your questions!
Join our Holiday "Angel Tree" Gift Drive
Many families appreciate a little help with gifts around the holidays, and many families also like to spread some holiday cheer and give back to their community. YWCA has opportunities for both this year!

We are organizing our annual Holiday "Angel Tree" Gift Drive, which we typical do in partnership with the wonderful folks over at Murphy's restaurant. Murphy's won't host the actual "tree" with the gift tags this year due to everchanging COVID-19 circumstances, so we ask everyone to support this wonderful YWCA partner with take out orders as much as possible.

Families are welcome to sign up, provide gift information for their child(ren) and then receive some brand-new, donated items for holiday gifts. To sign-up to be a recipient of the Gift Drive, please email Peggy Corwin at childrensalley@ywcaboulder.org or click the button below.
If you would like to sign-up to donate toward our Holiday "Angel Tree" Gift Drive, please fill out the Interest Form and spread some Holiday cheer!

We will get in touch with you directly and provide a gift list "tag" with the needs and wants of the individual child along with clothing sizes. Donors should expect to spend around $50 per child. All donations must be dropped off Mon-Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. only, at the YWCA Boulder County office by Friday, December 11th. Please wrap all gifts with the tag number clearly marked (but removable) on each gift. To drop off your gifts, please come to the front door and ring the buzzer for a staff member to come the door and coordinate a contact-free drop-off (you will leave the gifts and then they will open the door to collect them). At that time you can also fill out and leave an In-Kind Donation Form with your gifts in order to receive a tax receipt. Thank you for making this Holiday Season a little brighter for these families and children!

Click below to sign up the Interest Form.
Webinar: Advocacy in the Time of the "Shecession"
Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
COVID-19 is a public health and economic crisis, and women are bearing the brunt of the economic devastation. Americans are living through the country’s first “Shecession”. In September alone, 865,000 women left the workforce, accounting for 80% of all workers that left the workforce that month. Over the last 50 years, women and mothers have become an inextricable part of the American labor force. Social and economic policies, however, have not kept pace with the advancement of women. And women of color are shouldering the heaviest burden of the nation’s systemic failures and inequities. Women in America have endured a decades-long child care and workforce support crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic has simply brought these crises to a breaking point.

Join YWCA Boulder County, and a panel of exceptional women in legislative and advocacy roles navigating this challenging space and time for women, on December 8 from 11:30am-12:30pm. We will discuss what needs be focused on in the upcoming months to ensure we move these disturbing trends in the right direction.

Powerful women coming together include:

Catherine Beane, Vice President, Public Policy and Advocacy, YWCA USA

Representative K.C. Becker, former Speaker of the House, District 13

Angelique Espinoza, Chair, Advocacy Committee, YWCA Boulder County

(The Zoom link for this webinar will be sent after you register.)
Art of the Week
Hand-Turkey by Alexander (Preschool Classroom)
Infant Development Center (IDC) News
Welcome Miss Robin!

We are so glad to be welcoming Miss Robin to the IDC team as the new infant room supervisor! She brings a wealth of experience and education along with a love for working with our youngest students. Robin has been part of the YWCA team since August, and has 9 years of teaching experience. Miss Karla and Miss Sydney, both of whom are supervisor qualified with many years of experience, are also in the infant room, and the three make a wonderful team!

If any infant parents are interested in setting up a virtual meeting with Miss Robin in order to get to know her better, please email gmckeague@ywcaboulder.org and we will find a time to connect that will work for everyone.
Toddler Room News
Welcome Miss Tanae and Miss Meredith!

We are thrilled to have Miss Tanae join our Toddler classroom. Tanae has been our IDC supervisor since April 2019, and in that time she has been an amazing benefit to our program! She will now be the lead toddler teacher in our newly licensed toddler classroom. Many of the children in our toddler program had Tanae as a teacher throughout their time in the IDC, and they are so happy to be with her again! Tanae has over 8 years of teaching experience and an incredible knowledge of child development.

We are also welcoming Miss Meredith to our YWCA teaching team, and we are so happy to have her! Meredith will be joining Tanae and Emily in our toddler classroom.

If you would like to virtually meet with any of the toddler room teachers please email gmckeague@ywcaboulder.org to schedule a time that works for everyone.
Preschool Room
The children in our preschool class have been busy celebrating the season with crafts and activities!

This week they made beautiful and creative turkeys, Thanksgiving plate pictures with great ideas about foods they enjoy, fall leaf suncatchers, and a super tall block “cake” with sand “frosting” on top! They also made mashed sweet potatoes during one of their nutrition classes, and took several walks to the park in this beautiful November weather!
Our Wellness and Nutrition Program
Do you have a hard time getting your kids to try new things? Try some of these tricks:

  1. Blend it up! At Persimmon Early Learning we put a variety of things in our smoothies. We like to include numerous fruits and veggies like avocado, spinach, kale, carrots, varieties of fruits, and even beets! There are so many options to choose from. It is a great way to get more vitamins and minerals in your child’s diet. Check out some good smoothie recipes here: https://www.superhealthykids.com/recipes/25-kid-friendly-winter-smoothies/
  2. Bake it in! You can sneak all sorts of things into muffins or different types of breads. We have made muffins with beets, spinach, squash, carrots, and all sorts of fruit. You can take any muffin recipe and just add your desired produce. Try baking with your kids at home, those who help make the food are more likely to try it! 
  3. Make it fun! Kids love hands-on learning. Prepare food with them for a snack or meal and allow them space to investigate food for more sensory learning. Some examples of food activities include food art, picture games, coloring, cooking, sorting, grocery shopping, and taste testing’s. 
  4. Be persistent! Don’t give up, it can take a child a long time before they try a food.

Continue to put it on their plate or on the table so they can see it. Model the eating and encourage them but do not force anything. The children are the ones who decide how much and if they are going to eat it. It is likely that your children will end up disliking a food they were forced to eat. Be patient and know that the development of a child’s food preference is normal.

Other tips and tricks for picky eaters:



You can see what activities we provide, access our activity calendars, menus, current growth in the garden, fun cooking videos for recipes you can cook with your family, resources, and a list of our current partnerships!

We would love to include more photos/testimonials of families cooking, exploring the garden, or implementing fitness activities at home. If you wish to share photos or testimonials, please email our Wellness Program Coordinator, Tori Anderson, at: tori@ywcaboulder.org.
Here are some pictures of food that our cook Carter has made in the past to implement more fruits and vegetables into our meals and snacks!
Left: Homemade Strawberry Bars
Right: Broccoli Cheese Bites
Left: Blueberry Beet Muffins
Right: Cobb Salad Fixings (with quinoa and cantaloupe)
Produce of the Month: Winter Squash!
Left: Acorn
Middle: Butternut
Right: Delicata
Left: Buttercup
Middle: Carnival
Right: Hubbard
Left: Pumpkin
Right: Spaghetti
See for more information:

Squash provides numerous health benefits that may help reduce the risk of many diseases, including heart and respiratory disease, cancer, diabetes and arthritis:
  • High levels of alpha-carotene and beta-carotene, which converts to Vitamin A
  • Good source of Vitamin C
  • Healthy source of fiber
  • Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds
  • Polysaccharides that help regulate and/or control blood sugar

Adapted from:
Resources
Upcoming Events
YWCA Boulder County Events

  • YWCA and Persimmon Early Learning offices will be closed for the Thanksgiving Recess, from Nov. 23 through Nov. 27, returning on Nov. 30


  • YWCA and Persimmon Early Learning offices will be closed for the Holiday Recess, from Dec. 21 through Jan. 1, returning on Jan.

Community Events

We're Hiring!
Check our Employment Opportunities page for more information:
 
  • Early Childhood Toddler Teachers. Early Childhood Teacher or Director qualification required.

Thank you Program Funder
Thank you City of Boulder Housing and Human Services Department for your grant funding for Persimmon Early learning (formerly Children's Alley)!
Thank YOU for your support!

Our work would not be possible without the support of passionate individuals and businesses like you, how support our programs and services.

Contact us to learn more about donating stock or other assets, donating through your employers giving program or becoming an event sponsor.
Non-cash Ways to Support the YWCA

  • Give from your Donor Advised Fund
  • Shop at smile.amazon.com and select YWCA Boulder County
  • Sign up for King Soopers Community Rewards and select YWCA Boulder County
  • Donate your vehicle to YWCA Boulder County through Vehicles for Charity
  • Buy items from our Amazon Wishlist and ship them directly to our office 
YWCA Boulder County | ywcaboulder.org