YMCA expanding ‘after hours’ child care program
The YMCA is expanding its child care program designed to provide parents additional hours in evenings and on Saturdays.
The HOW program Child Care Program (Employment Services and Hours of Work Child Care) offered through the YMCA helps parents find care for their children while working jobs with unconventional hours.
The program launched last year at the YMCA John Millar Child Development Centre and provided job search assistance and child care to 15 eligible families of children aged 0-6.
Extended child care hours run 6-9 p.m. Monday to Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays.
“We’ve had a multiple number of the families in the program that have said that without the program, they wouldn’t have been able to accept the position they were offered,” said Jodie Engbert, director of employment services. “So it really is helping people get reconnected into the workforce and making it possible for them by removing those barriers.”
Parents utilizing the program say it’s allowed them to advance their employment opportunities and provide their families a better quality of life.
“Everything now is very expensive and when you have kids it’s even more difficult,” says Firdaus M. “Before the HOW program, it was so hard. We didn’t have hope that things would get better. Since I started in this program my family’s life has been much better ... I can work more hours and earn more money to help my family live the life they deserve.”
This year the HOW program is expanding intake to 30 families and providing care to children aged 1-12. Engbert says they wanted to make the program more accessible for families with more than one child.
“Some of the parents that had two children and they fall within the two different age demographics, they were having to either struggle for alternatives for the school-aged children, or else they’ve been unable to access our programming,” said Engbert.
HOW is also working to provide children free transportation from school to the development centre. The YMCA is working on a deal with a local bus provider and hopes to begin offering free transportation later this month.
“Because parents are working the evening care shift, a lot of times they can’t take a lunchtime, or don’t have enough time over a break in order to transfer their children, so we’re actually going to be taking care of that part for them,” said Engbert.
HOW also offers parents help in finding employment and offers a variety of services to help them enter the workforce.
“That includes everything from resume, job searching, labour market information,” said Engbert “We collaborate and network with the business community, as well as let them know that this program exists.”
The YMCA is currently targeting families living on the south side of Medicine Hat who have children attending community school.
Parents participating in the program can apply for financial assistance to help cover the cost of the child care program.
Families interesting in participating in the HOW program are encouraged to visit medicinehatymca.ca/how-childcare to set up an in-person appointment to meet with an employment adviser.