Ma’ruf Youth Center, 2110 W. Hampton Ave., is operating as a remote schooling center where students can receive help with their schoolwork, eat lunch and participate in the center’s relaxation program. (File photo by Ana Martinez-Ortiz)
When the coronavirus pandemic arrived, normalcy and routine went out the window. Parents and children found themselves working and learning side-by-side in their homes.
Now many parents are going back to work, but not all children are returning to in-person school.
Luckily, community organizations throughout Milwaukee have stepped up to help working parents.
Below is a list of organizations offering before-, during- and after-school care. Please note that hours and locations are subject to change.
Did we miss a center offering child care? Post it in the comments below or send an email to info@milwaukeenns.org with the subject line “Child care COVID-19.”
Before-, during- and after- school programs
The YMCA has launched the Extended Learning Program, which was designed to help accommodate Milwaukee schools. Students ages 4 to 17 can participate in this in-person program. The program provides a safe space for students to complete their online classes and receive support if needed. To register your child, click here. The program costs $34 a day and Wisconsin Shares are accepted.
The Extended Learning Program is offered at the following YMCA locations: Northside YMCA, 1350 W. North Ave.; Northwest Early Childhood Education Center, 9050 N. Swan Rd.; and Rite-Hite Family YMCA, 9250 N. Green Bay Rd.
The YMCA is also offering before- and after-school programs for children ages 4 to 12 at over 30 locations. Enrollment is on a first-come, first-served basis. Locations are added daily.
Milwaukee Recreation, in partnership with Milwaukee Public Schools, will be offering before- and after-school programs for students in grades K5 through 12th. There are Community Learning Centers and Child Care Camps available Monday through Friday.
Ma’ruf Youth Center, 2110 W. Hampton Ave., is operating as a remote schooling center. Currently, it is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, but it plans to expand its hours of operation. Students can receive help with their schoolwork, eat lunch and participate in the center’s relaxation program. Parents can register their children online or in person. Masks are required. Hand sanitizer is stationed throughout the center and people’s temperature is taken at the door before entering.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee are now open for fall registration. The clubs will be offering support for online learning, meals and snacks, additional programming, Wi-Fi and more. Students ages 4 to 15 are eligible to register. The clubs will be open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Parents may choose from one of the following clubs: Daniels-Mardak Club, 4834 N. 35th St., Don & Sallie Davis Club, 1975 S. 24th St., Fitzsimonds Club, 3400 W. North Ave., LaVarnway Club, 2739 N. 15th St. and Mary Ryan Club, 3000 N. Sherman Blvd.
The Lighthouse Youth Center is open but limited to 25 students a day. The center has several campuses, one in Garden Homes, 2475 W. Roosevelt Drive, one in Havenwoods, 5641 N. 68th St., and one in Polonia, 1132 W. Oklahoma Ave. The centers operate from 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Students can receive assistance for their virtual learning from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Summit Education Association will continue to offer its one-on-one tutoring program for the 2020-’21 school year. Parents can register their child online or call Matt Smyczek, executive director, at 414-364-2902. The program will be offered from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Kosciuszko Community Center, 2201 S. 7th St. and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center, 1531 W. Vliet St. Masks and daily attestation forms are required. Additional tutoring sessions will be offered if the demand is there.
Also: St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care, which is offering support for remote learning for children ages 5-12 as part of its childcare program at both campuses — 2450 W. North Ave. (Bucyrus Campus) and 2801 E. Morgan Ave. (Stein Campus).
Students bring their own Chromebook or laptop along with chargers and headphones, login information, books and materials, and class schedules. The center will provide access to Wi-Fi as needed. St. Ann Center staff will not teach, but will provide general support and supervision to keep children on task.
The center will serve breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack, depending on the student’s schedule. Children will have time outside each day, weather permitting. The center is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday.
Flexibility is key, noted Sr. Lucy Marindany, Vice President of Child Care Services, adding that some parents are choosing to oversee their child’s virtual learning in the morning at home, then sending the child for programming and small-group socialization in the afternoon.
St. Ann Center’s award-winning childcare program has earned four stars from YoungStar, Wisconsin’s childcare quality rating system. Early childhood education is available for children ages six weeks to school age; older children can take part in a before- and after-school program and summer day camp.
For more information on virtual learning support and other childcare openings, call the Stein Campus at (414) 977-5041 or the Bucyrus Campus at (414) 210-2468.