Lompoc Unified School District partners with local organizations to provide childcare for first responders during COVID-19 pandemic
LOMPOC, Calif. - The Lompoc Unified School District is partnering with the YMCA, United Boys & Girls Club and the Lompoc Valley Medical Center to offer childcare for first responders, hospital workers and critical staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We take care of kids, that’s what we do. We will continue to feed children, period. Helping our emergency and critical service people helps our community at large. We are happy to step up and do what we can,” said LUSD Superintendent Trevor McDonald.
The district said childcare workers will be trained by medical personnel on how to properly screen children and adults for symptoms of the coronavirus.
There will also be strict procedures for dropping and picking up children, student interactions and more.
“LUSD custodial staff have been trained on how to properly sanitize the rooms and areas where childcare will be held. In addition, we have purchased a sanitizing cannon to maximize our cleaning abilities,” said Maintenance and Operations Director, Doug Sorum.
LUSD will provide childcare workers with grade-level appropriate curriculums to use with the children.
Their current childcare facility will be open 13 hours per day to accommodate the 12-hour work shift that is common among most first responders and hospital workers.
LUSD will also provide breakfast and lunch. Toms, Home of the Educated Hamburger, will provide dinners.
All staff involved with food handling will also be trained in COVID-19 safe food handling procedures.
The initial site for childcare will be at La Cañada Elementary School at 621 W North Avenue in Lompoc.
“We hope to be able to scale this up and are already preparing a second site to provide childcare during regular school hours for our other critical staff in our community; grocery stores, gas stations, etc.,” said Bree Valla, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources for LUSD.
Childcare is projected to start up on Wednesday.
For questions or more information, please email Bree Valla at valla.bree@lusd.org or call (805) 742-3280.
