Youngsters who are preparing to attend kindergarten this fall are invited to take part in prekindergarten programs being offered by the YMCA of Greater Brandywine (YGBW).
Enrollment is now open for all YGBW's early learning programs, including Pennsylvania's Pre-K Counts program at the Octorara Program Center, 104 Highland Road, Atglen. Established by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, PA Pre-K Counts is designed for children who are ages 3 and 4 and live in families earning up to 300% of the poverty level.
The deadline to apply is Friday, Aug. 21. The program will follow the Octorara Area School District schedule and begin on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
Aaron Karpas, executive director of the Jennersville branch, who also oversees child care programs at Octorara, explained that this is the second year that Pre-K Counts has been offered at the location.
"Pre-K Counts is a state-licensed program," he said. "They follow a creative curriculum and they work on kindergarten readiness following the Pennsylvania standards for pre-K."
PA Pre-K Counts is free to families and will run from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Lunch is provided. Wrap-around care is provided for an additional charge with financial assistance available. Students who qualify for Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRCs) are automatically eligible for the program.
Karpas said that each session includes circle time and an opportunity for children to play at the YMCA playground, among other activities. "Students come in and start their day with a welcome and circle time, which is basically a discussion of how they are feeling and how the day will go," he said. "They then progress to teacher-led learning centers and there is an outside play component.
"It is a curriculum that a lot of child care centers use," he added. "It's a great benefit for families and way to help (youngsters) be better prepared socially as well."
Karpas noted that children will be required to wear masks and practice social distancing when the program begins in the fall. "We will follow CDC recommendations and mandates by the state," he said. "(The children) will also be in stable groups - with their same teacher and friends throughout the day."
Karpas believes that children will be able to adapt to the COVID-19 restrictions. "We have a preschool open at Jennersville and we have 60 kids," he said. "We do require masks for any child over the age of 2 unless there is a medical condition. The first couple of days it was a learning process. It's surprising; (the children) are getting used to it pretty quickly."
He noted that the Jennersville YMCA was able to open its child care facilities in the yellow phase and has opened its gym and pool now that Pennsylvania has entered the green phase.
"We are still taking our time in opening things and parts of the building. We are slowly getting back to normal," he added.
Financial assistance is available for all of the Y's early learning programs, including sibling discounts and acceptance of the Pennsylvania subsidized program Child Care Works.
For more information about Pre-K Counts at Octorara, readers may visit https://ymcagbw.org/pre-k-counts-octorara-ymca. More information about all of the early learning programs that are available at YGBW branches can be found at https://ymcagbw.org/preschool-childcare-ymca-greater-brandywine. A list of updated policies and safety procedures that have been implemented in light of COVID-19 is available at https://ymcagbw.org/frequently-asked-questions-about-childcare-2020.
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