Gloucester board approves YMCA contract for before-and-after elementary care with cost oversight

The Gloucester County School Board voted unanimously Sept. 9 to accept a proposal from the YMCA of the Virginia Peninsulas to provide before- and after-school care at the division’s elementary schools.

Board members and staff said the contract responds to a documented local shortage of childcare and aims to provide a no-initial-cost option to the division. Administration said the YMCA has agreed to contribute up to $43,500 annually to offset facility and operational impacts and that the provider will operate only while schools are open.

Mr. Duran, presenting the request for proposals and procurement process, said four proposals were received and three were interviewed by a four-person panel that included division veterans. ‘‘We selected the YMCA because of its local presence and approach to active, enrichment-based programming,’’ he said. The administration told the board it expects the program to begin during the 2025 school year pending YMCA licensure and a memorandum of understanding.

Caitlin Levins, associate vice president of childcare for the YMCA at the Virginia Peninsulas, told the board the program will emphasize physical activity, homework support and social-emotional programming and will not rely on screen-based activities. She said site operations would use school cafeterias initially and that YMCA staff would be licensed and subject to fingerprinting, background checks and CPR/first-aid requirements.

Board members pressed for operational details including building access, screening, staffing ratios, transportation and cost monitoring. Administrators said YMCA site coordinators would receive badge access, students would be escorted through the district’s open-gate screening system before class, and the YMCA would absorb reasonable damage claims and maintain insurance and licensure documentation as part of an MOU.

Board member Mister Anderson said he supported the program but stressed oversight: ‘‘If there’s any increased operational cost beyond what the YMCA contribution covers, that will have to be justified in future budgets,’’ he said. The board’s motion to accept the proposal included a directive for ongoing cost monitoring and oversight.

The board polled and approved the motion by unanimous roll call. Next steps identified by staff include finalizing an MOU, completing YMCA licensure, coordinating site logistics with principals and Parks & Rec, and beginning parent registration and public outreach once paperwork is complete.