Wake families can get childcare while schools are closed. Here’s how to get help.
A new website will help working Wake County families find affordable childcare options while students take classes online instead of going to school during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Wake County school system is beginning the new school year with remote learning only for students, creating challenges for working parents who have young children. But the new Families and Schools Together (FAST) Initiative launched Wednesday will provide socially-distanced learning centers for children in kindergarten through sixth grade.
More information, including a list of locations, can be found at http://WakeFast.org.
FAST is being led by the Wake County school system, the WakeEd Partnership, the YMCA of the Triangle, Marbles Kids Museum, Boys & Girls Clubs Serving Wake County and the City of Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department. But it also includes other groups throughout the county.
“The Wake County Public School System is pleased and grateful to the lead organizations in the FAST Initiative who quickly came together in a way that directly helps children and families,” Wake County Superintendent Cathy Moore said in a news release. “The potential academic benefits of this initiative are significant and the effort provides a clear example of how communities can work together to address pressing needs in a time of crisis.”
Wake is among a majority of school districts in North Carolina that have decided it’s not yet safe to resume face-to-face instruction. Wake school officials said Tuesday they hope to begin bringing back students for in-person instruction by late October or early November.
Even when face-to-face instruction resumes, Wake students may still be on a rotation of in-person classes and remote learning. But the need is especially acute now for the start of the school year, which begins for most students on Aug. 17.
Need for childcare centers could last for long time
“It is likely students will be out of a traditional, classroom learning setting for a large part of the academic year,” Lisa Humphreys, YMCA of the Triangle chief strategy officer, said in a news release. “The YMCA is proud to be a key partner in developing supplemental learning programs that align with educational requirements and also support out-of-school time and the childcare needs of families.”
All of the providers have agreed to provide:
▪ A quality learning environment (quiet room, socially-distanced student workspaces, internet access, trained supervision).
▪ Financial assistance or reduced rate programs for qualifying families.
▪ Physical activity and recreation.
▪ Extended learning activities (examples include: Social Emotional Learning, STEM, Art, Leadership Development, Character Development, etc.).
▪ Adherence to local, state and federal guidelines for safe childcare during COVID-19.
The school district will provide school meals to children who receive federal free and reduced-price lunches.
FAST is geared toward serving families of non-school employees. The district is providing childcare for children of school employees in grades K-6.
“While we work toward bringing our students and teachers back together safely in classrooms, we know working parents need support while their children are not in school,” Keith Poston, president of WakeEd Partnership, a business-backed group that supports public schools, said in a news release.
“This initiative was developed both to facilitate learning for students and to support our families and the local economy that rely on parents working. Remote learning is a community-wide challenge and it requires a broad community-based solution.”
This story was originally published August 5, 2020 at 4:10 PM with the headline "Wake families can get childcare while schools are closed. Here’s how to get help.."
