Montgomeryville Day Care Enrolling School-Aged Kids In Person

MONTGOMERYVILLE, PA — With local schools shut down to in-person instruction, an area daycare is providing expanded offerings for students and families.

Lightbridge Academy, an early education child care center in Montgomeryville, is now offering in-person programs for children up through fifth grade to assist them with their virtual learning models.

Nearby, North Penn School District has moved to a fully virtual start to the 2020-21 school year amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis. All classes will be held virtually until at least Nov. 6, the end of the first marking period for older students.

Several other area school districts have similar plans in place, leaving many parents concerned about child care options and educational quality for students left at home with minimal supervision.

Lightbridge has put together laptop-friendly workspaces for children, each including additional supplies like pencils, paper, and places to store books and other learning materials. Children will be grouped, when possible, by those that attend the same district or are in the same grade.

Otherwise, children will sit near those who are taking a class in the same subject at the same time of day, so staff can better provide support for the group.

"Our teachers will help them complete assignments, make sure that they stay on task, and keep (parents) updated on your child's progress," said Jennifer Romanoff, vice president of education and training. She added that each individual child's school teacher would still be their primary teacher, with Lightbridge teachers merely providing supplemental assistance to help ensure each day's productivity is maximized.

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While the state is making additional funding and benefits available for families, especially parents who are required to return in-person to work as the economy reopens, many have turned to daycares to fill the void. Districts are working with local YMCAs and other community partners, and some families have turned to educational "pods," or small groups of students who plan to come together in person for their virtual instruction.

Traditionally, Lightbridge only offers programs through kindergarten.

The daycare also says they've put together a wide variety of safety protocols and health measures to keep the virus at bay, including increased cleaning processes, a "hospital-grade" new air purification system, temperature checks at the door, mask requirements, and more.