Today’s Front Line Hero is Concordia Place, which reopened its doors on Monday, April 13th as an emergency childcare center for children of essential workers. Concordia Place provides community programs addressing key social needs for children, youth, adults, and seniors, with locations throughout Chicago, IL. Concordia Place is guided by the principle of being a “Place of Yes.” When they saw the need for childcare so parents could go to work, they responded, “Yes!”
Concordia Place paused its community programs amidst directives to social distance, but soon recognized essential workers’ need for childcare, since schools and daycare facilities have closed. They recognized that they were well-equipped to serve their community as an emergency childcare center, since they had facilities that typically house community programs for children, and staff who are trained in health and safety precautions. The center is open to any family whose position is within the Illinois definition of the essential workforce and does not have another source of sustainable child care. The service is not limited to Concordia families, and the center is no open Monday – Friday, 7 am – 6 pm.
As part of their opening as an emergency childcare center, Concordia has enhanced health and safety precautions, many of which will continue as they resume full operations at each of their locations. Precautions include health screenings for children and staff at arrival, temperature screenings during the day, enhanced sanitation procedures, additional nightly janitorial services, and limiting classrooms to ten children to allow for social distancing.
Thank you to Concordia Place and your dedicated staff for being a “Place of Yes,” and adapting to serve the needs of your community.
