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West Seneca district to partner with YMCA for before-and-after-school care, parents must choose fixed schedules
Summary
The West Seneca Central School District will transition its before-and-after school child care program to the YMCA to meet state staffing and safety requirements; families can choose part-time fixed schedules or full-time care and tuition assistance will be available for qualifying households.
The West Seneca Central School District announced it will transition operation of its before-and-after school child care program to a partnership with the YMCA, Superintendent Dr. Krueger told the board June 9.
Dr. Krueger said the change is intended to ensure the district’s child care offerings fully comply with state regulations and student-to-staff ratio requirements while preserving on-site convenience and hours. "The partnership will ensure that we are operating both effectively and in compliance with all state regulations," he said during the superintendent’s report.
Under the new model the YMCA will operate programs on district sites and at its Southtowns YMCA location on Southwestern Boulevard. District staff said program hours on-site will remain roughly 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and that the YMCA can provide care during school breaks and summer programs, services the district did not previously offer.
Parents were told the YMCA model will require families to sign up for a fixed regular schedule (for example, one, two or three set days per week) so the YMCA can maintain required staffing ratios; drop-in care will generally not be available. Superintendent Dr. Krueger said families may still choose full-time care (four to five days per week) if needed. "Families will need to have a set and fixed schedule," he said, and district staff noted tuition reductions will be available for families who economically qualify.
District officials said they recognize the change may be less flexible than the prior community-education model and are giving families months of lead time to plan. Elementary families received notice Monday; the board confirmed a virtual parent information session on the program for Tuesday, June 16, and staff said they will prepare a frequently asked questions document and ask the YMCA to record the session for later viewing.
The district emphasized it will attempt to retain existing program staff by encouraging them to apply to work for the YMCA to provide continuity for students and families.
What happens next: the YMCA-hosted parent information session is scheduled for June 16; the district will post FAQs and contact information on its website for families who need help planning alternate child care arrangements.
