Auburn School Department extends free day care to June

AUBURN — The School Department will use grant money to continue providing free day care for kindergarten to grade six students until schools close in June.

Day care slots are offered by the School Department, Auburn Recreation Department, YMCA of Auburn-Lewiston and Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine. Breakfast and lunch are provided at each site at no cost through the School Department.

Slots are prioritized, first to children of Auburn residents who are considered essential workers, including School Department employees, with students enrolled in Auburn public schools, then to children of Auburn residents who are economically disadvantaged based on the state’s free and reduced-cost meal guidelines. Remaining slots will be made available to all Auburn residents with children in Auburn public schools as well as School Department employees with children enrolled outside Auburn public schools.

Families must provide transportation to and from the programs. Before- and after-school care is also available at most sites for a fee.

Mackenna Castania watches an online instructor give directions to draw another character Monday afternoon at the Boys & Girls Club of Southern Maine’s Auburn/Lewiston Clubhouse in Auburn. With COVID-19 limiting the amount of time students spend in school, the organization has changed hours to 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for parents to drop students off with their homework and projects. Club members are divided into small pods that rotate between activities throughout the day, with a big emphasis on keeping up with schoolwork, exercise and other academic and recreational activities in a controlled environment. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal Buy this Photo

For information and availability, contact one of the following:

Auburn School Department: Fairview Elementary School, Park Avenue Elementary School, Sherwood Heights Elementary School. Registration: https://auburnschl.ce.eleyo.com/ ; email: slevine@auburnschl.edu; (207) 333-6601, ext. 1308.

Auburn Recreation: Ingersoll Turf Facility, Hasty Community Center, Auburn Public Library, Family Development Center (Valerie Circle). Registration: www.auburnmaine.gov; email: auburnrec@auburnmaine.gov; phone: 333-6611.

Boys & Girls Club of Southern Maine, Auburn/Lewiston Clubhouse: Registration: www.bgcmaine.org/register; Gary Violette, Auburn/Lewiston Clubhouse director at gviolette@bgcmaine.org; Phone: (207) 782 2446

YMCA of Auburn-Lewiston: Chris Shea, email: cshea@alymca.org; (207) 795-4095, ext. 206.