Gov. Doug Ducey and Superintendent Kathy Hoffman announced Sunday that Arizona K-12 schools will be closed through the end of the school year to decrease the spreading of COVID-19. For some families, it may seem daunting to provide for their children when they are stuck at work. To try and provide as much information possible during this time, here are some resources for parents and students.
The resources provided cover day camps to watch over children while parents are at work, restaurants providing “family deals”, and educational resources for parents to further learning in the home.
DAY CAMPS:
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley: Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley announced that as of Thursday, some locations in Metro Phoenix, East Valley, and the West Valley will be open. They will provide breakfast and lunch for the day and a snack helping to ensure kids have access to healthy meals, according to a press release.
Valley Child Care & Learning Centers: Valley Child Care & Learning Centers in both North and South Phoenix will remain open. Both locations are taking additional sanitation precautions to ensure the safety of their children and reassure parents.
Tutor Time: Tutor time will remain open to provide assistance to families and students. “We recognize that school closures strain families and communities – affecting learning, nutrition and other critical services such as healthcare,” Learning Care Group, their parent company said on their website. They are also continuing to offer a 10% discount to community responders, critical services workers, and healthcare industry workers.
Bright Horizons: Bright Horizons is a childcare facility that is offering health and safety resources, learning activities, and educational resources to support parents during this time. The resources can be found here and will be updated as more information is available.
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES:
Age of Learning: This website provides children with digital education platforms like ABCmouse and Adventure Academy. Their course material ranges from preschool to middle school levels.
Discovery K12: Discovery K12 is offering free online curriculums for subjects such as math, science, English, and history. The curriculums cover preschool through 12th grade.
Khan Academy Kids: This program is designed for children ages 2-7 and teaches kids core concepts such as literacy, social skills, creativity, and language. It includes a mobile app and an offline version for those with internet connection issues.
FOOD:
Phoenix Union High School District: All PXU schools will continue to serve food for those 18 and under from 10 am to noon, Monday through Friday. Children must be present to pick up lunches.
Harvest Compassion Center: Harvest Compassion Center will continue to serve their community during COVID-19. Their daily operations have been adjusted to provide the safest possible environment for their clients, staff, and volunteers. They’ve enacted a “no physical touch policy” and no more than 10 people are allowed inside HCC centers at one time.
YWCA Metropolitan Phoenix: The Young Women’s Christan Association partners with Meals on Wheels to deliver nutrient-rich meals and companionship to the senior population.
Other Phoenix restaurants have also responded to the virus by offering “family meals” and opportunities for families to get food.
Downtown restaurants such as Clever Koi, Urban Phoenix Cafe, and Serrano’s Mexican Restaurant are offering family meal deals to help ease the burdens of parents during this time.
Burger King is offering two free kids meals with purchases starting March 20 while supplies last. The offer can be redeemed through the app or drive through/take out. This offer can be redeemed once a day per guest until April 6 of this year.
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