Local education and childcare professionals are looking to help emergency responders and medical staff members with kids.
The Lompoc Unified School District (LUSD) is partnering with the YMCA, United Boys & Girls Club, and the Lompoc Valley Medical Center to provide childcare for first responders, hospital workers, and critical staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement, school officials said childcare workers will be trained by medical personnel on how to properly screen children and adults for symptoms of COVID-19. Strict procedures will be followed for dropping children off, pick up, student interactions, and more, school officials said.
“We take care of kids, that’s what we do. We will continue to feed children, period. Helping our emergency and critical service people helps our community at large," said We are happy to step up and do what we can.” said Trevor McDonald the Superintendent for the Lompoc Unified School District.
In a statement, LUSD said it will also provide the childcare workers with grade-level appropriate curriculum to use with the children.
This current childcare facility will be open 13-hours a day, to accommodate the 12-hour work shift of most first-responders and hospital workers.
Breakfast and lunch will be provided by the school district, while dinner with be served by Toms, Home of the Educated Hamburger.
All staff involved with food handling have also been trained in COVID-19 food handling procedures, according to officials.
This service is expected to start Wednesday, March 25th.
“We hope to be able to scale this up and are already preparing a second site to provide childcare during regular school hours for our other critical staff in our community; grocery stores, gas stations, etc.,” said Bree Valla, assistant superintendent of Human Resources for LUSD.
