YMCA to Provide Childcare Options for Healthcare Workers Impacted by COVID-19

WEST BARNSTABLE – The YMCA Cape Cod will begin providing childcare on Monday for those who work in the health care field and have had their childcare impacted by the COVID-19 response.

The service will be available for Cape Cod Health Care employees and Cape Cod’s four Federally Qualified Community Health Center’s Essential Workers.

Governor Charlie Baker established the process to fund approved Exempt Emergency Child Care Programs to serve vulnerable children and the children of families who are required to work to maintain the health, safety and welfare of the state’s residents.

“Exempt Emergency Child Care Programs” will be the only childcare programs that can operate during the COVID-19 State of Emergency.

The qualifications are as follows:

  • Available ONLY for parents/guardians who are CCHC or FQHC essential workers.
  • Children of parents who are NOT CCHC or FQHC essential workers CANNOT be served.
  • There is no cost to families for this service.
  • Programs will operate 7 days a week starting Monday, March 23rd, until further notice.
  • Childcare hours are DROP IN from 6 am to 11 pm at the following YMCA Cape Cod childcare locations:
    1. Falmouth Hospital Campus, 67B Ter Heun Drive, Falmouth
    2. North Falmouth Congregational Church, 155 Old Main Road, North Falmouth
    3. Lyndon P. Lorusso YMCA, 2245 Iyannough Road, West Barnstable
    4. Harwich Elementary School, 263 South Street, Harwich
  • Each location will accept a maximum of 40 children at any given point in time. If we reach capacity and a child is picked up, we will take the next child in line.  Siblings will remain together as much as possible.
  • Children can be as young as 13 weeks and as old as 12 years
  • FREE breakfast, lunch, dinner and 3 snacks per day will be served.
  • There is no need to pre-register; however all parents must complete information forms available on the YMCA Cape Cod website: https://ymcacapecod.org/wp-content/uploads/YMCA-Cape-Cod-EEC-Emergency-Child-Care-Child-Info-Forms-.pdf. To reduce wait time at drop-off, parents are asked to fill out the forms in advance of dropping off their children.
  • Parents MUST stay in their car at drop-off.
  • All children and staff will be temperature checked at the time of drop off by a Cape Cod Healthcare professional. Be prepared for wait time. Temperature checks will begin one hour prior to 1st and 2nd shift at the hospital. For example:  1st shift work is 7am to 3pm and temperature checks begin at 6am.  2nd shift work is 3pm to 11pm and temperature checks begin at 2pm.
  • Childcare staff have been specially trained in health protective measures per Center for Disease Control (CDC) protocols.
  • CDC cleaning protocols and more will be followed prior to opening, after closing, and during the day.

“During these unprecedented and uncertain times, we are honored to be able to offer this critical service to essential health care workers,” said YMCA Cape Cod CEO Stacie Peugh.

“If the demand for supporting essential health care workers decreases, we will determine additional essential workers we can serve with our limited regulated capacity,” she said.

In addition to the YMCA, the state has approved several other daycare operators to provide childcare to emergency care workers on a temporary basis.

 

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