SCHOOL
SCHOOL MEANS BACK TO ONLINE INSTRUCTION AND MORE CHALLENGES FOR WORKING PARENTS. HERE TO
SHARE SOME CHILDCARE SUPPORT
OPTIONS IS EXECUTIVE MANAGER OF
THE YMCA CHILDCARE RESOURCE
SERVICE SHELBY GOMEZ. SHELBY,
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING
US. YOU ARE A PARENT TO TWO
YOUNG KIDS, A 3 YEAR OLD AND A
NEWBORN SO YOU CAN SYMPATHIZE
WITH ALL THE PARENTS SOME WE'RE
ALL GETTING READY FOR THIS NEW
SCHOOL YEAR. MANY STARTING
ONLINE. IT'S GONNA BE VERY
CHALLENGING FOR PARENTS BUT
WE'RE YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY FOR
WORKING PARENTS THEY'RE GOING
NEED EXTRA HELP. WHAT PROGRAMS
ARE AVAILABLE? SURE. YOU KNOW
THE Y IS FINDING WAYS TO
SUPPORT FAMILIES DURING THIS
CRISIS ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES
TO OUR MISSION TO SUPPORT YOUTH
DEVELOPMENT AND IT'S CLEARER
NOW THAN EVER BEFORE THAT CHILD
CARE IS ESSENTIAL COMMUNITY.
THE Y IS WORKING TO OFFER
SOLUTIONS TRADITIONALLY YMCA
BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL
PROGRAMS PROVIDE ACADEMICS
SUPPORT AND HANDS ON ENRICHMENT
EXPERIENCES IN A SAFE
STRUCTURED AND FUN ENVIRONMENT
FOR CHILDREN GRADES
KINDERGARTEN THROUGH MIDDLE
SCHOOL AND WE'VE BEEN DOING
WE'VE BEEN SERVING
THE COMMUNITY FOR ONE HUNDRED
AND THIRTY EIGHT YEARS. SO WHAT
COBURN HAS BROUGHT NEW
CHALLENGES. WE'RE DOING
THE WORK TO ENSURE THAT OUR
YMCA PROGRAMS ARE AS SAFE AS
POSSIBLE IN ALIGNMENT WITH CDC
AND TRAINING PUBLIC HEALTH
GUIDANCE. WE'VE ALREADY BEEN
RUNNING DAY CAMP AND PRESCHOOL
PROGRAMS AND WE'RE GOING TO
EXTEND OUR SAFE PRACTICES FROM
THIS SUMMER GREAT PROGRAMS TO
THEM THROUGH THE FALL YMCA
CHUNKIER RESOURCE SERVICE ALSO
CAN PROVIDE CHILD CARE
RESOURCES AND REFERRALS TO ANY
FAMILY THAT'S LOOKING FOR CARE
RIGHT NOW. IF YOU GO TO YMCA SD
DOT ORG. WE CAN PROVIDE
ENHANCED REFERRALS WHICH MEANS
THAT OUR REFERRAL ADVISORS WILL
CALL FAMILIES ON YOUR BEHALF TO
FIND OUT WHAT THEIR PROGRAMS
HAVE SPACES THAT CAN MEET YOUR
FAMILY'S PARTICULAR NEEDS AND
IS THERE FINANCIAL HELP TOO FOR
PARENTS WHO ARE STRUGGLING WHO
WEREN'T REALLY EXPECTING THIS
AND YOU KNOW THEIR CHILD IS IN
THE PUBLIC SCHOOL AND NOW
THEY'VE GOT TO FIGURE OUT CHILD
CARE. SURE. YEAH, THERE IS SOME
FINANCIAL HELP AVAILABLE. YMCA
CHILDCARE RESOURCE SERVICE
ALONG WITH CHILD DEVELOPMENT
ASSOCIATES ARE TWO AGENCIES IN
SAN DIEGO THAT DISTRIBUTE CHILD
CARE FUNDING FROM THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA AND PROMOTE
VOUCHERS. THERE'S ALSO ANOTHER
CHILD CARE FUNDING SOURCE
AVAILABLE THROUGH EVERY CHILD
COUNTS. SAN DIEGO I THINK IS
THE NAME BUT WE HAVE TO FUNDING
SOURCES RIGHT NOW THAT CAN
PROVIDE VOUCHERS OR CHILD CARE
THE STATE VOUCHERS THEY CAN GO
THROUGH THE REST OF THE YEAR
AND AN HONEST AS LONG AS YOUR
CHILD NEEDS CARE THERE'S A
LIMITED AMOUNT OF FUNDS
AVAILABLE STATEWIDE. SO APPLY
FOR THOSE FUNDS AND HOPEFULLY
YOU CAN GET SOME OF THOSE FUNDS
OR LOOK TO SOME OF OUR LOCAL
SOURCES TO TO RECOVER SOME
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT. SHELBY,
WHAT ARE YOU HEARING DIRECTLY
FROM PARENTS DURING THIS
DIFFICULT TIME? I KNOW THIS IS
KEEPING A LOT OF THEM UP AT
NIGHT GOING. WHAT ARE WE GONNA
DO ESPECIALLY ESPECIALLY IF
BOTH PARENTS ARE ESSENTIAL
WORKERS AND NO ONE CAN STAY
HOME? YEAH, A LOT OF FAMILIES
REALLY NEED CHILDCARE RIGHT
NOW. IT'S NOT AN OPTION. THEY
NEED TO HAVE THEIR CHILD IN A
PLACE THAT'S SAFE AND SECURE
AND THAT HELPS YOUR CHILD GROW.
YOU KNOW WE'RE IN A TIME WHEN
CHILDREN HAVE NOT HAD THOSE
SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS THAT ARE
SO CRITICAL TO THEIR
DEVELOPMENT. SO PARENTS ARE
REALLY LOOKING FOR A PLACE
WHERE THEY CAN PICK THEIR
CHILD, WHERE THEY CAN HAVE
THE CONFIDENCE THAT THEY'LL BE
SAFE AND THAT THEY'LL BE AN
ENVIRONMENT THAT SUPPORTS THEIR
HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT. SO
THE YMCA IS TRYING REALLY HARD
TO PROVIDE THOSE SPACES THIS
FALL. WE'RE ALREADY DOING IT
THIS SUMMER AND WE WILL LOOK TO
PROVIDE MORE OF THOSE
OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE PARENTS
JUST REALLY NEED IT. KIDS ARE
LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. AND
THE EXPERIENCES THAT KIDS ARE
HAVING IN DAYCARE PRESCHOOL SO
FAR ARE JUST INCREDIBLE. YOU
KNOW, THEY'RE JUST SO HAPPY TO
BE BACK WITH THEIR FRIENDS,
WITH TEACHERS, WITH CARING
ADULTS WHO ARE WATCHING FOR
THEM. SO IT'S BEEN A GREAT
EXPERIENCE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE
USED IT SO FAR. WELL, GREAT TO
KNOW THAT YOU GUYS HAVE
THE RESOURCES OUT THERE AND
YOU'RE REALLY WORKING OVERTIME.
YOU AND I WERE TALKING BEFORE
WE WENT ON AIR AND LOOK, YOU
HAD TO MOVE TEMPORARILY RIGHT
NOW TO BE WITH YOUR IN-LAWS SO
YOU CAN GET HELP BECAUSE YOU
HAVE TWO KIDS. NOT MANY PEOPLE
HAVE THAT OPTION. WE'RE VERY
LUCKY AND WE KNOW THAT THAT'S
NOT SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY
CAN RELY ON FRIENDS AND FAMILY
TO PROVIDE THAT SUPPORT. SO
THAT'S WHY I CALL CARE RESOURCE
SERVICES REALLY TRYING TO MAKE
THOSE CONNECTIONS AND TO HELP
FAMILIES FIND THE CARE THAT IS
AVAILABLE FOR THEM. THE YMCA IS
TRYING TO CREATE THOSE CARE
OPTIONS FOR FAMILIES. AND LIKE
YOU MENTIONED, PROVIDE
THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT AS MUCH
AS WE CAN TO MAKE UP FOR
THE FACT THAT PEOPLE WERE NOT
PLANNING ON HAVING AN EXPENSIVE
FALL. WE WERE WE WERE PLANNING
ON SENDING OUR CHILDREN TO
SCHOOL. ESPECIALLY TO
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAT TAKE
CARE OF OUR KIDS ON A NORMAL
BASIS. AND WITH THAT NOT BEING
AVAILABLE AS AN IN-PERSON
OPTION DEFINITELY KIND OF
PROVIDE THOSE FINANCIAL
RESOURCES AS MUCH. SHELBY,
THANK YOU. IT'S EXPENSIVE AS IT
IS TO LIVE HERE. SO THIS IS AN
ADDED EXPENSE AS WELL. I KNOW.