By Lisa Parent

YMCA expands HOW Child Care Program, adds tutoring and transportation options

Feb 9, 2024 | 11:49 AM

The Medicine Hat YMCA has announced an expansion of its HOW (Hours of Work) Child Care Program to include school-aged children.

Originally, the program served families with children from ages one to six. Now it will include children up to age 12.

The HOW Program launched last year, offering extended child care hours to working parents, especially those that work unique hours.

The program operates under the province’s child care subsidy program.

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HOW child care operates weekday evenings from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 p.m. to 5 p.m. out of the YMCA John Millar Child Development Centre.

Since the program’s inception, 23 children from 15 families have been served.

Director of Employment Services Jodie Engbert says they are looking to almost double those numbers.

“Parents often with young children struggle to find and maintain employment, especially full time, because they’re constantly needing to cater to child care hours,” Engbert told CHAT News.

Engbert said before the HOW program, there weren’t childcare options that catered to those who work unique hours.

“Through the program thus far, we’ve been supporting people from the healthcare industry that are working in food and beverage, retail, hospitality, construction projects, because they don’t necessarily just end at five or six,” she added.

The HOW program will also have tutors on hand to help kids with after-school homework and transportation will be available for kids from their school to the center.

For information on how to apply, click here.