Childcare

School Year Programs

NOW ACCEPTING ENROLLMENT FORMS FOR THE 2024/2025 SCHOOL YEAR

For: Before school care, After after school care, No school care, and Limited PreK spots

**PLEASE NOTE** Existing childcare families have until August 9th to get in the forms to be guaranteed a spot. On August 12th Open Enrollment begins for new families. New families can fill out forms and be added to the list for open enrollment.

2024-2025 School Year Forms

Contact Birdie Gay for more information, questions, and to submit forms. Forms can also be faxed to ATTN: Birdie Gay 207-794-4053, or dropped off at our front desk. We recommend sending Birdie an email to let her know.

**We expect to be full before school starts, so please plan ahead and get your child on the list and submit forms. **

YWCA childcare offers quality, affordable childcare for children 1 ½ – 12 years of age, including an all-day preschool and pre-kindergarten, after school programming, and all-day programming during school closures.

In our preschool, we offer three classrooms to meet the different developmental needs of children of different ages, each serving free breakfast, lunch, and snacks each day. The YWCA before, after, and all-day school aged programs serve children in kindergarten through sixth grade, with bus transportation provided directly to and from Lewiston schools. School-aged children can expect a hearty and healthy snack after school, or breakfast, lunch, and snack during all-day care. We also provide all-day care during school vacations, most holidays, and professional development/early release days, as well as unplanned school closures for emergencies.

All programs include swim time in the YWCA pool to support children’s development of swimming skills and enjoyment of the water. We encourage children to take part in weekly swims that includes lessons and unstructured play times in the pool.

We’re working hard to provide the best quality care for your child(ren) and family.

YWCA childcare programming provides an affirming and supportive atmosphere for children to learn, play, and develop meaningful friendships. Preschool programs utilize a research-based social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum in the classrooms and children are assessed on SEL and developmental standards throughout the year. For school age children, our staff provides special interest and enrichment activities, games, arts and crafts, gardening, cooking, sports, and more. All of our programs balance free play with significant adult and peer social interaction and engaging programming designed to develop self-esteem, self-awareness, and a sense of community.

At YWCA Central Maine, we’ve developed programming that instills appreciation of diversity and recognizes the importance of each child’s unique talents, interests, and needs. All of our teachers have been trained in our mission of eliminating racism and empowering women, and work to bring this mission to life in the classroom. We firmly believe that our mission to eliminate racism and empower women while promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all starts from the beginning of education and are proud to offer quality, affordable childcare to our community that centers this mission.

During the 2022-23 school year, we are excited to invite parents back into our facility (as COVID precautions allow). You can expect invitations to parent nights and parent teacher conferences, special events and mission-based family trainings, newsletters and updates on your child’s progress throughout the year, and direct access to communicating with your child’s teacher(s) via a secured app.

Current rates for our programs are published in corresponding registration forms.

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Calendar

YWCA Central Maine is closed on the following holidays and in-service days for the 2024-2025 school year:

September 2nd – Labor Day
November 28th and 29th – Thanksgiving and the day after
December 25 – Christmas Day
December 28th – Observance of Christmas
January 1 – New Year’s Day
January 20 – In Service Day
May 26 – Memorial Day
June 19 – Juneteenth
June 12th and 13th – Staff Training

School Year Calendar

YWCA Central Maine is often open on days that public schools are closed (holidays, school vacation weeks). Please note that space may be limited and pre-registration for vacation care may be required. Email Birdie Gay for more information or to sign up today.

Summer Camp

Our YWCA summer camp offers a different theme each week so children can explore diverse activities that meet the needs and interests of all participating children. Some of our past themes have included: art, animals and outdoor adventure, circus, and performance. YWCA summer camp includes daily swimming and weekly field trips to beaches and lakes, museums, parks, and other activities. Enrichment programming, STEAM activities, and special guests that are related to each week’s theme are provided to engage children’s interests and prevent summer learning loss. Children are provided breakfast, lunch and snacks.

Programming is led by young adult camp counselors who bring diverse skills and experiences to the program. YWCA summer camp is open to all children in first through sixth grade. Scholarships are available

Summer camp 2024 was a great success. We look forward to seeing campers and their families in 2025!

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Register

Download the registration forms below and return in person to our facility (130 East Ave. in Lewiston) or via email to Birdie.

Required Forms for All Programs

mailto:bgay@ywcamaine.org

Meal Form Payment Form

Preschool Programs

Preschool Handbook Preschool Registration

School Age Programs

School Age Handbook School Age Registration

Food & Nutrition

YWCA Central Maine launched its Food & Nutrition Program for our childcare in 2017 to address children’s food insecurity in Lewiston and Auburn communities. We now provide up to two meals and one snack every day to children in our care.

Because all our programs are developed in line with our mission to create equitable, just, and dignified resources for all, we believe that offering food to families in need is essential for continued health and well-being and should also be provided in a dignified manner. A primary objective of our Food & Nutrition program is to ensure all children attending our childcare programs have equal access to fresh, healthy, well-balanced, culturally-appropriate, and delicious breakfast, lunches, and snacks each day, regardless of socioeconomic barriers.

In addition to addressing the immediate, short-term concerns of food insecurity for children and families, YWCA Central Maine’s Food & Nutrition programs also prioritize longer-term outcomes by introducing new foods to expand children’s exposure to various flavors and textures, as well as providing nutrition education, gardening, and cooking opportunities. We believe this will break cycles of food insecurity and reliance on highly processed and nutritionally inadequate foods. It is our goal that this will help children to learn more about food and nutrition as a regular part of our childcare educational curriculum, which are lessons that will be transformative and last a lifetime.

https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/nutrition/nondiscrimination

Paying for Care

At YWCA Central Maine we know that providing safe and affordable care for children is crucial for working women and families. We believe that all families, regardless of income, should have access to childcare that fits their needs. In addition to self-pay tuition agreements, the YWCA accepts State of Maine Child Care Affordability Program (CCAP)
vouchers, partners with FedCap, and offers need-based scholarships for summer camp to help families pay for the care they need.

So that all families with children have access to programs to make childcare more affordable, YWCA Central Maine recorded the following videos to help families learn about the State of Maine Child Care Affordability Program (CCAP) and the application process.

To learn about CCAP in English, watch the video here. For a walk through of the CCAP Application in English, watch this video.

For application instructions in Arabic, watch this video.

Tozali ko pesa service ya crèche oyo eza na prix ya bien pona ba mama to ba famille oyo nionso azo sala musula. To za kodima ete ata salaire eza ebele mais famille nionso il faut bazala na option ya ko zua crèche oyo ekozala na ba besoin na bango. Po ete famille nionso azala capable yako tia bana na crèche. Pona kosunga ba famille ba yeba ba information ya crèche. YWCA Central Maine ezo sala audio oyo pona ko sunga mutu nionso azu ba information oyo. Maine Child Care Affordability Program (CCAP) process ya application.

Au YWCA Central Maine, nous croyons que toutes les familles, quel que soit leur revenu, devraient avoir accès à des services de garde adaptés à leurs besoins. YWCA Central Maine propose cet video afin d’aider tout le monde à découvrir des moyens de rendre les services de garde d’enfants avec un bon prix. Dans cette video, allons commencer l’ application pour l’aide financière pour la garde d’enfants (Child Care Affordability Program (CCAP) auprès du ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux du Maine (“Department of Health and Human Services”, DHHS).

YWCA Central Maine, waxaan aaminsanahay in bixinta daryeel la awoodi karo oo la awoodi karo ee carruurta ay muhiim u tahay haweenka shaqeeya iyo qoysaska. Qeybta Caafimaadka iyo Adeegyada Dadweynaha waxay siisaa kaalmo lacageed waalidiinta ama dadka ardayda masuulka ka ah ee haysta caruurta heshana xanaanada cunugga. Si looga caawiyo dhammaan qoysaska carruurta leh inay helaan habab ay daryeelka carruurta uga dhigaan kuwo la awoodi karo, YWCA Central Maine waxay bixisaa dukumentigan si looga caawiyo qof walba inuu barto sida daryeelka carruurta looga dhigo mid la awoodi karo.

Instructional videos in Somali are coming soon! Please check back in a few days.

Thank you to Maine Women’s Fund for supporting this work to make the CCAP accessible to more Maine families!

Wishlist

We are ALWAYS in need of supplies for classrooms and childcare programs. We have a wishlist that reflects the most immediate needs and current interests of the children in our program. We greatly appreciate your support!

USDA Disclosure

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
email:
program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/nutrition/nondiscrimination

Summer Meal Site

YWCA Central Maine is a participant in the USDA Summer Food Service Program. Meals are available at no separate charge to all children Monday through Friday for breakfast and lunch. Breakfast is served from 8am – 9am and, and lunch is served from 11am-12pm. We ask families to call 207-795-4050 by 7am for breakfast and 10am for lunch and we will have it ready.

The Summer Food Service Program was established to ensure low-income children continue to receive nutritious meals during the summer months when school is not in session. Free meals that meet the federal nutritional guidelines are provided to all children 18 years old and younger at approved SFSP sites in areas with significant concentrations of low-income children.