We are targeting your child’s school district start date, as the start date for the 2020-2021 school year. 

As of Monday August 17, 2020 - we are planning to start both the Lansdowne and Ridley School Age programs on Monday August 31, 2020.

Upper Darby School District students will begin their virtual learning and enrichment activities immediately. Students from other districts will participate in camp-like programming until their school schedule begins.

We will continue to keep lines of communication open as that date approaches, as each school district will be starting on different calendar days.  Please know that we support and will follow all efforts being made to keep everyone safe - so we can all get back to more normal, healthier living. 

We have been calling and emailing all registered and past participants to determine who will be coming to school age care. If you have not yet responded to those calls or emails, please do so. This will help us tremendously. 

School Age Health & Safety Plan

• Governor Wolf’s Mask Mandate: Clarification for Y Families

What we know:
• The Governor of PA has issued a mandatory mask policy for everyone age 2 and over.
• Wearing of masks does help lessen the spread of the virus.

Children will be required to wear a mask in our program whenever social/physical distancing is not feasible.

What we will be doing:

• Chester County Health Dept. has advised we continue with our current guidelines in place. We will encourage masks for children over the age of 2.
• In accordance with Gov. Wolf’s mandate, we are asking parents to send your child  with a mask DAILY.
• We will closely monitor children for any signs of distress caused by wearing a mask and will immediately allow its removal in these instances.
• Outside play- whenever possible participants will maintain 6 feet or more of social distance from one another and be permitted to remove the mask.
• Stable groups will be maintained to minimize the risk.
• We cannot guarantee all participants will safely wear a mask all day, especially in cases of underlying medical conditions and mental health concerns.
• Concerns or questions: please contact your child’s Site Director.

YMCA Staff are currently required to wear masks.

If the YMCA identifies a child who tested positive for COVID-19 or we learn they are positive, we will take the following steps: 

• The YMCA will immediately notify local health officials.
• The YMCA will notify the parents of those in the affected stable group.
• The SiteDirector will inform those who have had close contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19 to stay home and self-monitor for symptoms and to follow CDC guidance if symptoms develop.
  • If a person does not have symptoms, CDC guidance for home isolation should be followed.
• Children in the stable group and staff who were in close contact with the affected child will be asked to stay home for a length of time recommended by the Chester County Health Department.
• This initial short-term dismissal allows time for the local health officials to gain a better understanding of the COVID-19 situation impacting the Y and for custodial staff to clean and disinfect the affected facilities.
• The Y will work with the local health officials to determine appropriate next steps, including whether an extended dismissal duration is needed to stop or slow the further spread of COVID-19.
• The affected areas will be closed for 24 hours, then thoroughly disinfected before using it again.

In the case of a confirmed case, the CDC recommends the child not return until: 

• Authorization by a medical professional OR at least 72 hours have passed since recovery, which is defined as resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications
• AND at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared OR receipt of a negative COVID-19 test.

Drop-off and pick-up will be done curbside, limited contact, with parents and guardians remaining in their cars.

When you arrive in the drop off lane, your child’s temperature will be taken and you will be asked a short series of health screening questions by a staff member who will be wearing a mask. A staff member will then escort your child to wash their hands and then to their classroom.

During pickup, YMCA staff members are not permitted to buckle any child into their car seat.

Establishing and maintaining a safe and healthy child care experience remains our top priority.  In all of our planning and preparations we are following all CDC, local, state, and government guidance. We will follow guidelines, mandates and recommendations from the local health agencies & CDC. We are exploring all challenges, options, protocols, and health practices that factor into our ability to deliver summer programs safely.

Because this situation is constantly changing, we are continually working and updating our procedures. Some of the new procedures include:

• All children and staff will be screened prior to the start of each day to ensure they are healthy. Anyone exhibiting a fever of 100.4 or higher or other symptoms of illness will not be permitted to attend childcare programs. Visitors will need special approval to be onsite.
• More frequent hand-washing breaks and enhanced disinfecting procedures are being implemented.
• We will be using a limited contact drop-off & pick-up procedure. Parents and guardians will remain in their cars during drop-off and pickup with a member of our staff accompanying each child to the childcare center.
• Social distancing will be employed through the use of stable groups and at least one staff person. Every effort will be made to have the same staff member with each group. This group will be autonomous, maintaining recommended social distancing from all other groups and in this way, the children will be limited in their exposure to others.

While these programs will certainly look different, our team is working hard to create a safe experience within the new parameters so that all children still safely enjoy exciting adventures, can begin new friendships and have a great experience.

Your child’s safety is our number one priority and we will continue to adjust to the guidelines and protocols recommended by the CDC and our local health agencies. In accordance with the Governor's phased-in reopening plan for summer programs you can view our School Age Health & Safety Plan,  which follows the CDC guidance for our programs.

We will be keeping parents updated on key decisions regarding changes to our programming and safety protocols. We ask for your patience as processes change accordingly.

Social distancing requires a combination of several protocols.

• Social Distancing in the Drop-off & Pick-up time will be accomplished by physical markings among age groups within a space.
• Stable Groups, throughout the day, will function as a cohort of children and staff that stay together.
• Staff will maintain the 6 ft. recommended distancing from each other, whenever possible.

All children and staff will be temperature checked upon arrival. Should the temperature reading be above 100.4 or if your child is showing any signs of illness, they will not be permitted to attend child care. For everyone's health and safety, we cannot make exceptions, and we thank you in advance for not asking our staff to do so if your child is not permitted to enter the facility. A short questionnaire regarding COVID exposure will also be asked of parents upon arrival.

All children and staff will be monitored throughout the day for signs of illness. Should there be a concern, the individual will be moved to an identified and isolated location, and their parent or guardian will be contacted to pick up their child immediately. Impacted children and their families will be contacted about the process to return to care. A phone number will be provided for you to call with any questions.

All staff will be trained on social distancing, stable groups, cleaning and disinfecting (according to CDC guidelines), virus spread reduction practices as well as required hand-washing. Each branch will have a designated staff member responsible for making sure that all program participants as well as staff, adhere to the requirements.

All children will participate in an orientation to include a discussion on the need to be attentive to personal space and avoiding close contact, stable group management, hand-washing techniques, mask management, keeping hands away from the face, sneezing and coughing etiquette and respecting others' belongings.

We strongly encourage parents to review and emphasize the importance of good hygiene with your child everyday.

Yes! We are adding multiple hand washing stations at each site. Children and staff will wash their hands upon arrival and multiple times during the day. Staff will instruct children how to wash hands effectively, and we ask that you review the importance of hand-washing at home. Hand sanitizer will be available when sinks are not close by.

Hand sanitizer will be provided and used as needed when children and staff are not near a sink. Children are not permitted to carry hand sanitizer. Parents will need to sign the Hand Sanitizer Consent form.

Parents are invited to donate hand sanitizer to our program. 

We cannot offer an opinion on whether or not participating in YMCA programs is a good fit for your child. That decision is up to you. We can assure you that, following the guidelines we have been provided, we are doing everything we can to provide the safest environment possible for children and staff.

While each school age program differs based on the school district plans, all students will experience a mix of:

• Physical activity incorporated throughout the day.
• Online learning – students will be required to bring their own devices.
• Social and Emotional activities and discussions.
• Learning center activities and play.
• STEM activities planned by staff.
• Homework assistance.

The stable groups will share equipment as needed. Items that will be used by another group will be cleaned and disinfected between groups. We will provide a school supply list upon registration.  Each child is required to bring their own personal school supplies daily.

Yes, the playgrounds will now be available for children. They will be disinfected daily as part of the daily cleaning/disinfection process.

In all indoor spaces, we have removed any unnecessary items and reduced the amount of furniture. Seating around tables is limited and soft surfaces that are tougher to clean have been removed. Program areas will be further apart, and the number of children invited to play in these areas will be reduced.

The CDC recommends no visitors on site. We are not inviting parents to visit. If you have specific concerns, please discuss them with the SiteDirector.

Continue to check your email for communication around child care and follow us on Facebook as we will post updates as they develop. Please also always feel comfortable to reach out and contact either Claire Martorana (Cmartorana@cyedc.org) or Debbie Mignogna (Dmignogna@cyedc.org) with any specific questions or concerns.