PHOENIX — As more Arizona students return to the classroom virtually, parents are looking for ways to keep their children on top of their studies.
At Boys & Girls Club locations around the greater Phoenix area, rigorous COVID-19 safety precautions are taken every day before students ages five through high school even step inside the building.
Temperatures are taken, hands are sanitized and surfaces are cleaned constantly, all precautions the clubs say are a must.
“It’s them learning how to function wearing a mask in this new normal and we really feel like being a member of the clubhouse, being a part of the strict regulations and protocols is going to better allow their transition back to the school when it is time to go back to the classroom," spokesman Yanni Patris-Brown said.
Patris-Brown added that the Boys & Girls Clubs have stayed open since the outbreak of COVID-19 across Arizona, and they've made changes based on CDC guidelines to keep children, teens and staff healthy.
“We’ve increased our staffing ratios as well which really allows us to have a small group feel, the small group need, allowing the kids to be socially distant,” Patris-Brown said.
Adding another layer to the care for Valley children and teens, Boys & Girls Clubs are also helping students who need to do school online while their parents have to work.
“Essential workers, first responders, single parent households, those that really need the support that are trying to work simultaneously, put their kids through school and being that at home teacher," he said.
Staff are available all day to assist with any virtual learning needs.
“To be roving and available looking over the kids shoulders," he said. "Assisting them with logging in, making sure they make that first and foremost attendance call in the morning."
It's a new way of operating that comes at a cost.
“With the all day program, the increased PPE supplies and staffing, we’re looking to all of our partners in the community to continue to invest in the boys and girls clubs of the Valley," Patris-Brown said.
Financial aid is available for families who need care at the Boys & Girls Club. Costs each week range anywhere from $60 to $100 per child. For club details click here.
