Norfolk County Sheriff Creates Remote Learning Center For Kids

BRAINTREE, MA — The Norfolk County Sheriff's office and Braintree officials have collaborated to open a remote learning center for students throughout the county.

Mayor Charles Kokoros said County Sheriff Jerry McDermott came up with the idea a few weeks ago and after getting approval from the town's Health Department, he's excited the sheriff's office is giving parents a hand with remote learning.

The remote learning center can house up to 10 children per day and allows parents who cannot work from home the opportunity to drop their child off to a safe and supervised location for learning. The center will provide WI-FI and organized activities outside during breaks. There will also be regular cleaning and sanitizing of the space.

Braintree School Committee Chair Tom Devin said he looks forward to working with the sheriff's office to help parents, who he said have done an unbelievable job helping their kids through the challenges of remote learning.

"Thank god we have great parents, and they are awesome," Devin said. "Their effort is unbelievable. I can't believe what they're doing in keeping their households together."

The learning center is off Route 37 next to CATS Academy, the same location the Norfolk County Sheriff's office holds its youth summer camps. Kokoros said the program runs from the beginning to the end of the school day and cost $35 per day. Students age 9-12 are eligible for supervision at the learning center.

McDermott said he's a single parent and has personally seen the toll the lack of in-person instruction has on children. He said on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, when his daughter is taking part in remote learning, she's kind of down. But she's much happier on Thursdays and Fridays when she actually gets to be at school interacting with teachers and her friends.

"I've just been overall worried about the social and emotional well-being of our kids, especially the younger kids," McDermott said. "This was just an opportunity for children in Norfolk County to get an educational component and to also get outside and get some exercise."

The exercise component of the program comes with its after school adventure program. Officials said the program focuses on team-building and rope-based activities to help kids get some exercise, interact with their peers and learn critical social skills. Officials said this will take place outside as much as possible to reduce the risk of coronavirus spread.

McDermott is hopeful this will help improve the mental health of children, since the pandemic has uprooted the way people interact with each other. He's also optimistic this will help parents and grandparents that may be struggling with their own mental health.

"People's underlying mental health issues have hit a breaking point, and they need help, McDermott said. "We can take a pressure relief valve off of some of the parents and grandparents who might be raising their grandchildren. If you're a single parent like me, and you're trying to make arrangements for a younger child, something like this can really be a godsend for families.

McDermott said he's also willing to offer waivers for any families that can't pay the $35 because they are experiencing financial hardships.

Anyone interested in signing up or learning more about the program is encouraged to call the Norfolk County Sheriff's office at 781-751-3501 and ask for Matt Lowe at the Braintree Leadership Academy.