The Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh will open both of its early childhood development centers Monday.
With Allegheny County in the yellow phase since May 15 and expected to move to the green phase June 5, such centers can resume business. The Jewish Community Center has locations in Squirrel Hill and Scott.
“It is really a joyful reopening phase, and we are taking all of the safety measures and protocols very seriously,” said Fara Marcus, division director, development and strategic marketing for the Jewish Community Center. “Having the centers back is really important to be able to re-engage with our children. We have such an amazing staff coming back as well.”
The center has updated its policies and daily protocols based on guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning. It is supported through the consultancy of the Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative, officials said.
They expect 89 children at the Squirrel Hill location and 44 in Scott — ages 1 yearto pre-K. There will be some older siblings in grades K-3.
“It is really exciting,” said Liza Baron, director of early childhood for the Jewish Community Center. “It’s been a process for everyone. We have been preparing for this day. The centers reopening will give the children a chance to reconnect socially with their peers. It’s a big part of their emotional growth that happens in the early years.”
We love our ECDC families and we're so happy we can still connect with them through all the challenges this year has brought. For more information on ECDC's reopening, beginning June 1: https://t.co/IKl0DzABID pic.twitter.com/BA3KLSqFO0
— JCC Pittsburgh (@JCCpittsburgh) May 26, 2020
The children will spend a lot of time at the playground and in outdoor green spaces as well as the gymnasiums. The music director will host Zoom classes. On Sunday, the children will be invited to a Zoom meeting so they can see what the rooms will look like and what the educators will look like wearing masks. Parents can also view the drop-off procedure. The centers are a resource for the moms and dads who may be going back to work after working from home because of the pandemic, Marcus said.
Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
