Coronavirus In Texas: 2 Dallas Schools To Offer Free Child Care For First Responders, Health Care Workers
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - They've been empty for weeks, but soon two Dallas ISD schools will be serving those whose families are serving us.
Montessori Academy at Onesimo Hernandez and the Cesar Chavez Learning Center will offer free child care to both first responders and front line healthcare workers.
They're partnering with the YMCA and Big Thought to make this happen.
At each school, 50 children will be allowed in at a time on a first come, first served basis.
Before any child enters the building, their temperature will be checked.
Parents will not be allowed in.
Each kid will get three meals and two snacks each day.
"We want to make sure that Dallas ISD., we can give back to our community and we know first responders.. they need childcare for their children," Montessori Academy at Onesimo Hernandez Principal Lisa Vega said. "They need a place to go and a place they can be safe and have some fun!"
On Thursday, staffers were getting everything ready, making sure classrooms promote proper social distancing.
Early learning coaches are creating different learning activity stations for them.. that are spaced out... but admit keeping kids six feet apart will be a challenge.
"It is going to be a difficult task for sure for the adults because it's not something we're used to," Early Learning Coach Graciela Ochoa said. "There's going to be a limited number of children that can be in each of the rooms. We're all going to be in a learning curve I'm sure"
"So really strategically mapping out, taping off areas where children can do read-alouds, they can do time on the computer and then they can have some time working with actual Manipulatives," Vega said.
The childcare centers will open next week and operate Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
At the end of each day, cleaning crews will do a deep clean of each child care center.
