Montclair’s East Side Mags Donates Comic Kits to YMCA of the Oranges for Emergency Child Care – TAPinto.net

LIVINGSTON, NJ – The Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges recently accepted the donation of nearly 100 comic book kits for children enrolled in the Y’s Emergency Child Care Program. The program provides child care for families of healthcare personnel, first responders, and other essential workers.

Jeff Beck, the owner of East Side Mags in Montclair, brought 84 comic book kits to the West Essex YMCA Peanut Shell Early Childhood Learning Center in Livingston on April 15. Each pack contains a comic book, sticker, comic-themed pencil, activity sheets, and a signature East Side Mags blank comic book that kids can use to write or draw their own comic. They will be distributed to the children at Peanut Shell and to children at the Y’s other emergency child care location at the East Orange YMCA. 

“We are so appreciative of Jeff at East Side Mags for this donation, it means a lot to our kiddos,” said Stephanie Anderson, director of Peanut Shell Early Childhood Learning Center. “You see a comic book kit, we see an opportunity to develop literacy skills, to express creativity, explore problem solving and discover a social emotional language. These activity packets offer our school age children a break in their sometimes (very) long days. They are proud of their parents serving on the front lines, you can see it in the story lines they authored.”

Beck, through his comic book shop, has a history of giving back to the local community, and this time he wanted to do something that would help places looking after kids of essential workers.  

“With such a supportive community behind us, even during a pandemic, we thought the best way to continue to show our support would be to support those facilities that are watching kids of essential workers,” Beck said. “The days are long and stress levels for everyone are at an all-time high so we developed these comic packs for kids to give caretakers something fun that they can hand out to the kids, while alleviating caretakers from having to focus on a formal activity.” 

The Y’s Emergency Child Care Program

The Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges offers full-day child care at no cost to families of health care workers, first responders, and other essential personnel who need care for their children during the coronavirus pandemic.

Families do not need to be YMCA members to utilize this program. Children in care will enjoy activities in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math), virtual learning assistance, and physical fitness. 

Locations, ages, and operating hours include:

• Peanut Shell Early Learning Childhood Center (part of the West Essex YMCA), 7 Regent St., #706, Livingston  

Families can register for days as needed. The State of New Jersey is currently paying the cost of child care for essential workers, regardless of income. For more information, visit the state’s emergency child care website.

The YMCA follows national, state, and local guidelines for ensuring the health and safety of children being cared for during this pandemic. Staff undergo training to ensure they are practicing the most current cleaning and social distancing guidelines from public health authorities, including the CDC.

Families will need to complete required health forms upon registering, depending on their child’s age. 

The YMCA is taking extra safety precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 including temperature checks of children upon entry by a nurse, monitoring children for symptoms of illness through the day, and enhanced daily cleaning and disinfection of surfaces. Children and staff are required to wash their hands when they arrive, and will wash hands frequently throughout the day. The Y uses appropriate social distancing strategies to limit large groups, and parents drop off children outside of the facility to limit adult entry. 

How to enroll 

As of April 1, 2020, the State of New Jersey will determine who is eligible for emergency child care.  To register as an essential employee who needs child care, visit here. You will be contacted by one of the state’s Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies within two business days to discuss the next steps. Additional documents may be requested from the State.

For questions about East Orange’s program, contact Leah Greene at lgreene@metroymas.org. For questions about the West Essex Y program, contact Stephanie Anderson at sanderson@metroymcas.org.

ABOUT THE Y

Established in 1885, the Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges invests in its diverse communities to promote wellness, safety and quality of life for children, adults and seniors. Its seven branches in East Orange, Livingston, Maplewood, Hackensack, Hardyston, Stillwater and Wayne are committed to nurturing the potential of kids, promoting healthy living and fostering a sense of social responsibility through an array of programs. Some 35,000 people belong to the Metro Y, which awards more than $2.8 million annually in direct and indirect financial assistance.