Coronavirus school closures means a child care scramble. Some Tri-Cities options

Closing all K-12 schools in the state of Washington for six weeks to combat the spread of novel coronavirus will leave some Tri-Cities families scrambling for child care.

Gov. Jay Inslee on Friday ordered the closure to start by Tuesday.

Two Tri-City groups — YMCA of the Greater Tri-Cities and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties — say they are making plans to provide child care for the six weeks.

Some fitness centers also are setting up day camps for children.

But don’t plan to drop your children off at Mid-Columbia Libraries. They will remain open, but will limit services, including turning off public computer stations.

The state’s superintendent of public instruction, Chris Reykdal, acknowledged in a news conference Friday announcing the closure of schools that it would be difficult for some families with young students to find child care for six weeks.

Schools may be able to offer some help, he said, but their priority would be care for the children of health care workers, such as nurses, who are needed to care for the ill.

He asked for patience from families struggling with child care for a week while more options may be made available.

State agencies are encouraging schools to keep operating their existing child care and early learning programs if at all possible, including programs that serve 3- and 4-year-olds, such as Head Start.

However, Benton Franklin Head Start said Friday evening that it was canceling Early Head Start home visits, part-day and full-day Head Start and Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program classes from Monday through April 24.

It plans to give families information next week about learning activities available during its closure.

State agencies also are encouraging child care facilities and community-based before- and after-school programs to remain open for weekday care.

▪ Families also may find a child care center through a database of licensed providers maintained by Child Care Aware of Washington. Go to child careawarewa.org/families or call 800-446-1114.

School closure concerns

School closures are a particular concern in the Tri-Cities because health care is a leading employer here, said Dr. Amy Person, the health director of the Benton Franklin Health District, at a Friday news conference on coronavirus just before Inslee’s surprise school closure announcement.

The Tri-Cities is the regional center for health care in the Mid-Columbia.

The other concern is that children will spread the virus if they gather in large groups while not in school or spend their time out in the community while they are out of school, she said.

The Centers for Disease Control also is concerned than almost 40 percent of grandparents in the United States provide child care for grandchildren and school closures likely increase that percentage.

Seniors and people with underlying health conditions are at highest risk of serious and life-threatening illnesses caused by the coronavirus.

But Inslee said that there is “a clear and present danger of epic proportions in Washington state . . . and there are many reasons to believe that reducing the contacts of children in school can reduce the transmission rate.”

He pointed out on that in four days the number of COVID-19 cases statewide jumped from 162 to 568 and the number of deaths increased from 21 to 37.

Cases are now known to be in 15 counties that account for 75 percent of the population of the state, he said.

YMCA in Tri-Cities

The YMCA of the Greater Tri-Cities will be ready to launch a full-day child care program at four Kennewick elementary schools starting Tuesday.

Each site will be limited to a combined 50 students and staff.

The program will give priority to students it already serves in before- and after-school programs and the children of first responders and health care workers.

If there is enough demand and staff available, the program could be expanded to more children.

Registration is required and is being set up at ymcatricities.org or parents can call 509-374-1908. The program likely will run 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., but hours are still under consideration.

Outings may be limited, but the YMCA plans arts and crafts, group games and help with homework, if it is assigned. Reading books and learning activities, such as a robotics fun, also are planned.

“We want to give kids and families some sense of normalcy,” said Steve Howland, executive director.

There will be a lot of hand washing, one of the key recommendations to slow the spread of coronavirus, Howland said.

Staff and kids will be screened each day for illness when they arrive, including having their temperatures taken.

The YMCA staff descended on Costco in Kennewick Friday to stock up on the thermometers needed. A group of staff went to the store to each purchase a thermometer since shoppers were limited to one each, Howland said.

More options for families

Tri-City Court Club in Kennewick was making plans Friday for a daytime kid’s camp for 6- to 12-year-olds, possibly from about 7:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. weekdays.

It will be open to the community in addition to club members and will accept 50 children.

Activities planned include crafts, gym games, climbing, swimming and making videos, said Janelle Klashke, general manager.

She does not expect the club to be ready to enroll children until possibly Monday afternoon.

Lifequest Fitness in Pasco is planning a similar program.

Boys and Girls Clubs

The Boys and Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties was still making plans Friday afternoon to offer child care, but executive director Brian Ace said the organization is committed to staying open during school closures.

“We are here for our families that cannot go without child care during this time,” he said. “We are working out the details of what that looks like, and will update the community as we finalize those operational plans.”

Mid-Columbia Libraries

Starting Monday Mid-Columbia Libraries will offer only limited library services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, it announced on Friday.

Library branches will remain open regular hours, but will expect visitors to be in and out quickly.

They may pick up materials on hold, return items or quickly browse and check out items.

But public computers will not be available for use and all library programs and events will be canceled. Meeting room bookings also will be canceled.

The library is encouraging people to use its online collection of more than 100,000 digital books, audiobooks, magazines and streaming videos.

This story was originally published March 14, 2020 at 10:11 AM.