March 31, 2020

Re: Childcare for the children of Essential Service Workers

Our initial survey of parents/guardians confirmed the need to provide childcare for the children of Essential Service Workers (ESWs) at Stratford Hall. We are currently developing procedures through which we will deliver the provision of childcare for ESWs within our school community. This means developing sign-in and sign-out procedures, a cleaning regimen for the areas to be used, and a host of other issues, not the least of which is providing a safe environment for our employees. Please note that our current level of staffing may limit our ability to, at least initially, provide childcare beyond the children of Tier 1 ESWs and younger than Kindergarten age.

For the sake of clarity, we follow the definition of ESW Ministry of Education guidelines, which are taken from Emergency Management BC:

Emergency Service Workers - those individuals considered critical to preserving life, health and societal functioning - including emergency responders, front-line health care workers, and critical infrastructure and supply chain (e.g. food, medicine) workers.

We will prioritize service and supports to ESWs as follows:

Tier 1: healthcare workers and emergency responders
Tier 2: workers supporting vulnerable populations (e.g. social workers, income assistance workers); utilities workers and workers supporting key supply chain functions (e.g. grocery store workers, warehouse workers) and
Tier 3: teachers and childcare workers who do not have access to childcare and who are providing care or instruction to children of ESWs

Initially, the hours of childcare for ESWs will be from 8:00am to 5:30pm, Monday to Friday. Our first day of childcare will be Monday, April 6. Details will follow once final arrangements have been made.

Please complete the survey by Wednesday, April 1, so we can make arrangements. Thank you for your cooperation.

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Stratford Hall acknowledges that we are situated on the traditional and unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples.

3000 Commercial Drive
Vancouver, B.C. Canada V5N 4E2

T: 604 436 0608 | F: 604 436 0616
After Hours Number: 604 436 0608