WNY Daycare Programs Begin To Ramp-Up Services

The Imagination Station in Lancaster is just one of the local daycare programs that has kids letting loose and getting creative with hands-on art projects and other activities according to WIVB-TV.

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Now that school is starting-up, and parents are dealing with modified school programs they’ve added new programming to help with parents whose kids are learning virtually.

“All of our families are really working families, so that’s why they utilize us,” said Kelly Krombeck president and CEO of the Imagination Station Child Care & PreSchool. “So the greatest challenge that they’re really facing is the learning experience that they’re children are going to have outside of school, and how they’re going to provide that.”

The new school-age program, that’s kids 5 to 12, is modeled after a traditional classroom experience there’s instruction time, literacy lessons, gym, art, and time set aside for the specific learning needs of each student.

“We’re also are getting help from our families. We’re soliciting a full sheet of information on each child, that’s going to tell us if they’re doing e-learning, online learning, zoom classes all are really different and every district is doing something different,” said Krombeck.

The YMCA Buffalo Niagara also offers before school, after school, and off-day services for school-aged kids. They’re also planning to offer even more services now that kids could be remote learning part of the week. Officials say they plan to add full-day services, providing access to WIFI, and other accommodations for remote learning.

The cost of the added day of care at these facilities is not paid for by the districts. Parents have to foot the bill. However, if parents need assistance with paying for daycare the county offers supplemental programs.