Emergency childcare offered by Helen R. Walton Children’s Enrichment Center
by March 30, 2020 1:22 pm 889 views
Workers on the frontline of the coronavirus situation deemed critical and who continue to work now have another option for childcare.
This week, the Helen R. Walton Children’s Enrichment Center in Bentonville has begun to offer emergency child care to families employed in several sectors deemed critical and staying open amid the landscape of business shutdowns. The center announced the service in a news release Monday (March 30).
The essential industries include critical manufacturing, communications, emergency services, financial services, food and agriculture, government facilities, healthcare, public health, transportation services, water and wastewater systems.
The childcare slots for children between six weeks and five years old will available through April 17.
The Helen R. Walton Children’s Enrichment Center leadership will continue to review the timeframe as the pandemic unfolds and extend as needed. Tuition will be based on the Helen R. Walton Children’s Enrichment Center’s sliding scale tuition model, which can be found online.
“We will have two rooms open for emergency care for those in critical community infrastructure, and children will not be blended into existing classrooms,” the release said. “Helen R. Walton Children’s Enrichment Center will follow CDC and Arkansas Department of Health guidelines for health checks on students before entering the classroom, and the parent is not feeling well, Helen R. Walton Children’s Enrichment Center staff will escort the child to class and bring the child to the front desk at the end of the day.”
The expanded service is being offered to maintain the region’s infrastructure for an appropriate response to the COVID-19 outbreak and will be temporary and available to families until their normal early childhood education program can reopen.
Families interested in the new service can learn more by contacting the center at 479-273-3553.