YMCA offers child care options to help local families

To help families looking for a safe, engaging and welcoming place to send their children this school year, the Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA is offering virtual learning programs for elementary school students in the Scotch Plains-Fanwood and Clark School Districts.

The Scotch Plains-Fanwood program is open to students in grades 1 to 4 and will be held at the Y’s main building at 1340 Martine Avenue in Scotch Plains. The program will assist students with their virtual learning and provide socialization, life skills, STEAM activities, recreation and more while following state and national guidelines for safety.

The program will run from Monday through Friday from 8am to 4pm, with optional extended care offered from 4pm to 6pm. There will be a maximum of 10 students per group, with enhanced cleaning and disinfecting procedures throughout the day. For more information, including rates and health and safety guidelines, click here.

“We know this is a stressful time for families as they struggle to balance work, school schedules, virtual learning, child care and more,” said Kim Decker, Chief Executive Officer of the Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA. “We want to be a support for these families by helping their children thrive in a safe, supportive atmosphere. As a non-profit community service organization, it’s our mission to help local individuals and families succeed, whether it’s academically, physically, socially or emotionally. We are here for our neighbors now and always.”

In addition to the Scotch Plains-Fanwood program for virtual learners, the Y is also offering a program for students in the Clark School District’s two elementary schools.

The program for students in kindergarten to fifth grade features an afternoon wrap program for children who attend school in the morning, which includes transportation from their school to the Y’s main building where the program will be held.

The Clark program’s components are similar to Scotch Plains-Fanwood, with an emphasis on health and safety procedures, along with fun, engaging activities for students to participate in. To learn more about this program, including rates and updated protocols, click here.

For additional questions regarding either the Scotch Plains-Fanwood or Clark programs, please contact Katie Dudas, School Age Child Care and Camp Director, at kdudas@fspymca.org.

In addition, the Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA currently has select spots available in its Full-Day Educational Child Care program for infants through preschoolers. The program runs Monday through Friday from 8am to 4pm at the YMCA.

Class sizes for the Educational Child Care program are currently limited to 10 children, with the Y following state and national guidelines for health and safety. To learn more about this program, click here. To schedule a tour or register for the program, please contact Kathy Barros at kbarros@fspymca.org.

The Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA has been offering child care services for over 70 years. The School Age Child Care program has run in the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Schools for over 30 years. This summer, the Y has successfully been running child care services and summer day camp, and is focused on keeping all children and staff safe, healthy, engaged and having fun.

# # #

The Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA is dedicated to improving the quality of life of the individuals, families and communities it serves through programs and services that build wholeness of spirit, mind and body. The YMCA is a not-for-profit organization founded on Christian principles, serving people of all ages, races, faith, cultures and socio-economic conditions. For information please call the Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA at (908) 889-8880 or visit https://fspymca.org. Financial assistance is available for those who qualify.