YMCA Cape Cod to Offer FREE Childcare for Local Health Care Workers and Vulnerable Families
DATE:Â SATURDAY, March 21, 2020
Contact: Stacie Peugh, PRESIDENT & CEO, YMCA Cape Cod
774-251-5101
NEWS RELEASE
 YMCA Cape Cod to provide FREE child care for Cape Cod Health Care and Cape Codâs four Federally Qualified Community Health Centerâs Essential Workers Effective March 23rd
West Barnstable â Governor Charlie Baker, through the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (âEECâ), has established a 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 all Commonwealth citizens. This approach prioritizes public health and safety while maintaining critical service for vulnerable children and the children of families who are required to work during this pandemic. âExempt Emergency Child Care Programsâ will be the only child care programs that are allowed to operate during the COVID-19 State of Emergency. https://www.mass.gov/info-details/guidance-related-to-early-childhood-education-programs
YMCA Cape Cod is now approved to offer Exempt Emergency Child Care Programs and will begin to offer child care for essential health care workers starting Monday, March 23rd.
* 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.
* Child care hours are DROP IN from 6 am to 11 pm at the following YMCA Cape Cod child care locations:
- Falmouth Hospital Campus, 67B Ter Heun Drive, Falmouth
- North Falmouth Congregational Church, 155 Old Main Road, North Falmouth
- Lyndon P. Lorusso YMCA, 2245 Iyannough Road, West Barnstable
- 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:Â Â 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.
* Child care 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.
According to YMCA Cape Cod CEO Stacie Peugh,
âDuring these unprecedented and uncertain times, we are honored to be able to offer this critical service to essential health care workers.  If the demand for supporting essential health care workers decreases, we will determine additional essential workers we can serve with our limited regulated capacity. Most of our staff has been laid off and our revenue streams have taken a significant blow. There is minimal state funding available to fulfill our mission and be of service to the heros who have no other child care alternatives. There are calculated risks associated with opening child care sites at this time, but the risk to the community at large, when essential workers in health care are not able to work due to lack of child care, is much greater. Supporting the front line of this battle is exactly what the YMCA should be doing in times of world-wide crisis. Iâm humbled by the child care workers that have agreed to put themselves at some risk to serve the children of those we need most on the battle fields â our health care system. Our hearts and hopes are with every citizen of Cape Cod, our State, our Country, and our World as we face the unknown together.â
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT THE YMCA CAPE COD WEBSITE HOME PAGE ALERTS:Â
 We have tried to answer as many anticipated questions as we can on our website.
Due to staffing shortage, we deeply regret that we are not able to accommodate phone calls or emails.
