Y offers child care to help health, emergency workers

The YMCA of Southern Nevada is unveiling a program that will use its currently empty facilities to house child care activities for children of medical professionals and first responders.

Mike Lubbe, president and CEO, said the program will serve the children of medical providers as well as those of police, fire, military and emergency personnel who may be working overtime or extended shifts while their children are home because of school closings.

On Monday, the YMCA closed its four facilities as a precautionary measure. The program will begin Thursday at the Bill and Lillie Heinrich YMCA on Meadows Lane and expand to other YMCA locations if warranted.

The child care program will run from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week and be aimed at children ages 3 to 12, Lubbe said. Programming would be similar to the Y’s other “school’s out” after-school and summer programming, “but we’re not at this time opening it to the general public.”

Another difference is that activities will conform to social distancing guidelines.

“You’re dealing with smaller groups,” Lubbe said. “That 6-foot rule, that’s the kind of thing we can do with larger buildings like ours. We don’t have the public coming in now, and some of these buildings are 70,000 square feet, so you can divide and conquer, so to speak.”

The program will include meals “and balance between some academic work and other activities, again keeping in mind … keeping kids a little more separate,” Lubbe said.

The cost hasn’t been determined as of Tuesday, Lubbe said. But “there will be a fee, just to meet our staffing costs.”

March 16,” an online community alert reads. Services will reopen based on recommendations from health officials, according to the statement.

Summerlin Council management is encouraging social distancing for those who go outdoors.

Additionally, swim lesson sign-up day is postponed to April 25. The council said it will work to reschedule Summerlin’s Family Fun Bubble Day.

For more information, call 702-341-5500 or visit Summerlink.com.