South Omaha community center serving working families

A South Omaha community center is open to parents who still need to work everyday and can't do it from home.

CHECKS HAPPENSEVERAL TIMES A DAYAT THIS SOUTHOMAHA COMMUNITYCENTER.IT'S A SAFETYMEASURE DEBRASALCEDO ...A MOTHER OF 3 ...IS THANKFUL FOR.SHE WORKS AT AGROCERY STORE ANDWAS LEFT WITH FEWOPTIONS WHENSCHOOLS ANDDAYCARES CLOSED.04:47:43 "STRESSFULBECAUSE I DIDN'TKNOW--YOUKNOW--THE OTHEROPTION IS TO TAKETHEM TO WORK WITHYOU BUT THEN BEINGAROUND EVERYBODYIN THE GROCERYSTORE THAT'S NOTHEALTHY EITHER SO ...I WAS STRESSED."KIDS CAN COMMUNITYCENTER CLOSED FORTWO WEEKS BACK INMARCH.THE FACILITY WASDEEP CLEANED ANDHAS SINE RE-OPENED,FOR PARENTS WHOCAN'T WORK FROMHOME.IT'S OPERATING ATLESS THAN HALF ITSCAPACITY TO FOLLOWTHE 10-PERSON RULE."THERE'S BEEN ANUMBER OF CHANGESFOR AREA DAYCARES,BUT THE MOSTOBVIOUS IS RIGHTHERE AT THE FRONTDOOR--PARENTSCAN'T GO ALL THEWAY INSIDE THEBUILDING BUT STAFFTELLS ME IT'S JUST SOTHEY CAN ENSUREALL KIDS ARE SAFE."045314 "WE MADESURE THAT KIDSDIDN'T MOVE FROMCLASSROOM TOCLASSROOM ...THEY NO LONGER USETHE WATERFOUNTAINS, WE GAVETHEM THEIR OWNWATERBOTTLES ...SAME KIDS USE THESAME RESTROOMS,SAME KIDS STAY WITHTHE SAMETEACHERS."C-E-O ROBERTPATTERSON ALSOSAYS KIDS NOW ONLYEAT IN THEIRCLASSROOMS.HE SAYS THEY'REOPERATING AS SAFELYAS POSSIBLE.045429 "WE KNEWTHOSE PARENTSNEEDED USFIRST--THEY WERETHE ONES ALREADYWORKING THE FRONTLINES, THEY NEED TOGO TO WORK--IDEPEND ON THEMWHEN I GO TO GETGROCERIES, OR MYOWN GAS SO KIDSCAN WANTED TO STEPUP AND MAKE SURETHOSE PARENTSWERE SERVED FIRST."AND FOR PARENTSLIKE SALCEDO ...SHE'S TAKING IT DAYBY DAY.04:48:59 "I NEVEREVEN IN A MILLIONYEARS THOUGHT THATYOU KNOW ...WE'D BE GOINGTHROUGH SOMETHINGLIKE THIS SO ...JUST HANG IN THEREAND HOPEFULLY IT'LLGET BETTER."IN OMAHA SYDNEYGRAY 3 NEWS NOW.THERE IS A WAITINGLIST RIGHT NOW FORPARENTS WHO NEEDCHILDCARE.PATTERSON SAYSTHEY HOPE TO OPENUP AN ADDITIONALCLASSROOM ONCETHE NEW DIRECTEDHEALTH MEASURESGO INTO EFFECT NEXTWEEK.WITH