Mayor Keller Updates City of Albuquerque Youth Programs for Working Families
Aug. 21, 2020
The City of Albuquerque has adjusted its full-day youth programs to be available to working families for the rest of the fall semester after the recent announcement that Albuquerque Public Schools will continue remote learning through December.
“We understand the difficulty all parents and caregivers have right now and we are continuing to modify our services and step up to fill this need.” Mayor Keller said. “Juggling childcare, education, and work affects our community’s safety and well-being. We do not want parents to have to choose between going to work and helping their child succeed in school. While a remote learning plan was created to reduce risk, many need families need a safety net and that’s what we’re providing. We want parents to know that with childcare subsidies from the State, private programs, and the City’s efforts, there are a variety of options for working families.”
The City of Albuquerque Community Recreation and Educational Initiative Division will be offering a full-day youth program for students. The program, announced August 19, was originally planned to provide the safety net for families and would run every other week during student’s distance learning weeks in accordance with the A/B schedule initially proposed by APS. Now it will be available continuously through the end of 2020.
The City’s School Year Program will begin at 21 community centers on Monday, August 24 and at two multi-generational centers on Tuesday, September 8. Programming is available Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for students K to 8th grade. In collaboration with APS, breakfast and lunch will be provided for the participants.
The Parks and Recreation Department and the Cultural Services Department have also stepped up to provide a diverse array of before, during, and after school programming. Registration for these programs is currently open and can be found by visiting yc.cabq.gov from any computer or mobile device.
“We will continue to implement the same quality standards we provide during our typical school break programs and our modified safety standards we adopted over the summer,” said Sasha Pellerin, Senior Education Policy Advisor. “We are in constant contact with APS, the State and private providers and hope that with that partnership, as well as support from parents and educators, we can provide a safe space for students.”
The City recently sent a letter to APS offering its support and partnership for collaboration based on an analysis of City youth programs, which in a typical year serve almost half of the APS student population, or approximately 30,000 children, annually.
The City’s safety standards for the School Year Program include: daily wellness checks; 5-to-1 student-to-staff ratios, masks, social distancing procedures, continuous cleaning, sanitizing, and handwashing.
Registration is ongoing for families selected from the August 17 lottery draw. Any availability after the registration process closes will be offered to those on the waitlist from the August 17 lottery draw. If additional slots remain available, the City will re-open the lottery.
Families are also encouraged to check www.newmexicokids.org for other available childcare options. At this site, families can apply for the State’s childcare subsidies.
###
One Albuquerque: Youth Connect is committed to connecting Albuquerque’s youth to fun and engaging care, education, recreation, and meals during out-of-school time throughout the year, enriching the lives of the people of Albuquerque and creating a community of safety and inclusion.
Youth Connect is made up of staff from a number of City of Albuquerque departments including the Mayor’s Office, Family and Community Services, Parks and Recreation, Senior Affairs, Cultural Services, the Department of Technology and Innovation, Transit, and partnering organizations. For more information, visit: cabq.gov/youthconnect.