The Executive Director for the Boys and Girls Club of Riverview says with the re-opening of many daycares this week, it was obvious the kids were happy to get out and see their friends again.
Lynda Carey says around 75 per cent of the kids returned this week, and based on the smiles on their faces she says it was exactly what they needed, after being at home for two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Carey says, “I really and truly think, that it was a just a great opportunity for the kids to have that switch in their lives and to feel better about things. From a psyche perspective, and their own mental health.”
Other parents have decided to wait, before they send their children back.
“Some kids are going to start next week, some will start the first of June. We’ve had quite a few families , say they are just not ready. Some are still working from home or some of them are on reduced hours and they don’t want to go back to paying for daycare yet. The others just want to test the waters,” Carey says. “They want to get through this two weeks of this phase and see what reports come out from the Chief Medical Officer of Health in regards to that. I am optimistic that by mid-July, we’ll be back up to full capacity.”
With some restrictions still in place, there are a number of activities they still can’t do , but Carey says the leaders are using their creativity and getting the kids involved.
“We can’t go to playgrounds, we can’t take them to parks. We aren’t allowed to put them in vehicles. They can’t use the splash pads, unless restrictions change, so it is very limiting. But I am very proud of the staff and the level of creativity. I think the staff are really stepping their game up and I think we will see some really great ideas to meet this void that we unfortunately have to deal with,” Carey says.
