The Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs are contributing to the fight against COVID-19 through childcare.
The organization provides after-school care and activities but during this time it had to switch gears to provide all-day childcare for the children of frontline workers.
Emma Heistein, a supervisor at the Martin Avenue branch in 91大黄鸭, said they are now open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. She said the number of kids in their care varies daily, ranging from three to six kids a day. Before the pandemic, Heistein said they saw 40 to 48 kids.
鈥淲e鈥檝e had to change our programming鈥� to assist parents by accommodating kids being able (sic) to do their schoolwork,鈥� she said.
鈥淲e really are just being very flexible and doing the best we can to serve our families. But it鈥檚 been great fun because we get to see one-on-one relationships being developed between the kids and the staff.鈥�
Two other staff members echoed Heistein鈥檚 sentiments. Brandon Dodds and Duncan Fiust both agreed while they鈥檝e had to adapt quickly and learn how to be teachers, they also love spending more time with the children 鈥攂uilding trust and mentoring them.
Dodds is a senior program lead and he used to work at A. S. Matheson Elementary. He said they鈥檝e all had to learn to be more vigilant when it comes to hygiene and cleaning tables, chairs, and all the materials the kids鈥� touch, but it鈥檚 also been fun for him.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been so nice to see all these kids I haven鈥檛 seen in a while鈥� and nice to still see people because obviously, we can鈥檛 go anywhere,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e also taking on the role of teachers because we鈥檙e doing schoolwork with them, but I don鈥檛 want to come off as a teacher because I鈥檓 not really that person in their life. But I still want to be there for the parents, because they鈥檙e working hard and I don鈥檛 want them to still have to deal with homework when they come home.鈥�
Fiust said he feels proud of the staff for being able to adapt to the situation and helping the community in their own way.
鈥淲e鈥檝e done a really good job as a collective to still make a fun environment and find activities that are both safe for the kids and include social distancing while having fun,鈥� he said.
He said some of these activities include morning yoga, a check-in time to see how the kids are doing, some outdoor stretches and crafts.
The children said they鈥檙e happy to be spending the days at the club because it allows them to leave the house and still see their friends. Others said they were happy to see the staff and spend time with them.
Childcare for essential service workers through the Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs is offered in 91大黄鸭, West 91大黄鸭, Penticton, and Vernon.
READ: 91大黄鸭鈥檚 youth shelter still in place despite COVID-19 pandemic
READ: Don鈥檛 use fireworks, bear bangers to celebrate health-care workers: RCMP
