Coronavirus: YMCA Cape Cod Offers Child Care For Health Workers

WEST BARNSTABLE, MA — Starting Monday, YMCA Cape Cod is offering free child care to the children of CCHC and FQHC workers to better enable health care professionals to respond to the ongoing outbreak of the new coronavirus.

In a release Saturday, the YMCA announced its care services will operate from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. at the Falmouth Hospital Campus, North Falmouth Congregational Church, Lyndon P. Lorusso YMCA and Harwich Elementary School.

The provision of child care comes on the heels of Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker's earlier decision to fund Exempt Emergency Child Care Programs to serve vulnerable families and the children of front line healthcare workers.

At this time, the YMCA Cape Cod is only serving the children of health care workers due to its limited capacity.

YMCA Cape Cod CEO Stacie Peugh said she is humbled to provide a service to the area's health care workers during the outbreak of coronavirus.

"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," Peugh said in a statement, in part. "Supporting the front line of this battle is exactly what the YMCA should be doing in times of world-wide crisis."

Peugh told Patch the facilities are not equipped to care for the children of vulnerable families at this time and are instead focusing on the children of qualifying health care workers. As the situation evolves, updates will be posted on YMCA Cape Cod's website.

Need to Know

• Certain restrictions do apply at the area YMCA daycare facilities. Here's what you need to know:
• Child care is provided at no cost to qualifying families
• Each location will only accept 40 children at any given time. The YMCA said, once at capacity, the next child in line will be taken in only if another child is picked up
• Children between 13 weeks and 12-years-old will be accepted into the centers and provided breakfast, lunch, dinner and three snacks per day
• There is no need to pre-register, but parents should fill out informational forms before dropping their children off
• Both children and facility workers will have their temperature checked at the time of arrival, and parents must stay in their cars during drop-off
• Temperature checks will be done at the time of drop-off and will begin one hour before 1st and 2nd shift at the hospital, meaning they will begin at 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. for shifts starting at 7 a.m and 3 p.m., respectively
• Child care staff has been specially trained in CDC protocols and protective health measures
• Child care facilities will be cleaned before opening, after closing and during the day according to CDC protocols
• Child care facilities can be found at the following 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