To say the Y has a reputation would be a massive understatement.
With over 64 million beneficiaries from 120 national associations, the YMCA has been serving global communities for over 160 years. And it has no plans of stopping.
But beyond its global reach (not to mention irrevocable bragging rights as everyone's favorite wedding song), the Y's reputation for success is grounded in its ability to listen to its community.
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When the community wanted more than a Bible study, the Y offered recreational activities.
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When the community wanted healthy families, the Y opened its doors to women and children.
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When the community needed trustworthy child care, the Y was there.
So we figured, it's our turn to listen.
We sat down with a YMCA director, former team member and parent to get firsthand insights into how the Y goes above and beyond to be there for the families it serves.
The Director Perspective: It's All About Community
"It's definitely helped bridge that gap between the teachers and parents in understanding their child's development."
Ashley Rice is the Early Childhood Director at the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis.
After getting the results back from her bi-annual parent survey, she realized communication was the missing piece. "When we originally opened our early learning centers we were using paper sheets and it was very hard to get the teachers to fill them out. We knew we needed to find something better."
Ashley set out to find a tool that could live up to the communication and technological expectations of her families. After trying a child care app that didn't meet her security expectations, Ashley finally landed on LineLeader.
Here are some of the ways she utilizes it:
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Send parents secure photos and messages throughout the day
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Help parents build a better understanding of the foundations their children are learning
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Ensure all drop-offs and pickups are safe and authorized
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Pull attendance and parent engagement reports to maintain enrollment rates and secure funding faster
Today, all of Ashley's families are also members of the Y. That's a 100% family enrollment rate for her center. Much of that success can be attributed to the proactive way in which she and her teachers use technology to empower their families.
The Educator Perspective: Win Back Your Time
"When it comes to their kids, parents will find a way to use the technology you provide."
Samantha Ryan is an Adult Services Advocate at Coburn Place. But before shifting to adult populations, she served as a Bilingual Family Engagement Specialist for Early Learning Indiana and prior to that, as a Program Director at the YMCA of Austin responsible for MEND (Mind Exercise Nutrition Do It!) and Early Learning Readiness.
"As an early childhood professional, your heart is always in it but sometimes the requirements of the job can be challenging," Samantha recalls. With new teachers spending an average of 12 hours per week outside of class working on admin, it's no secret that time poverty is an issue for ECE teams.
Between overseeing and managing data entry, grant reporting, staff management, hiring, training and more—it's not uncommon to see ECE teachers staying late to file reports or connect with parents. The good news is, the right tech can help them win back some of that time.
"When it comes to their kids, parents will find a way to use the technology you offer. Even if they have to take their teenage niece to the library to access it, they will find a way to have that connection," says Samantha.
The Parent Perspective: Support is Everything
"I'm as involved as I can be as a single mom. I love knowing that the support is always there when I can't be."
Kristin Abeel is an Indianapolis mom and Y-lifer.
"For as long as I can remember, the Y has been a part of my life," she says. So when it was time to enroll her kids in child care, the Y was Kristin's first choice.
"The child care center at our local Y has an amazing reputation. People know it as one of the best in the area and because of my own childhood growing up at the Y, I knew that's where I wanted my kids." Kristin was attracted to the play-based learning curriculum and the amazing teachers on staff. Once her kids were enrolled, Kristin now had to make the decision of whether her own family would continue to be a 'Y family'.
"When my kids started school, I was motivated by the discount. But I had no idea how much more active I'd become after joining." Today, Kristin is a full-fledged runner, training for marathons and taking excellent care of her health, all with the support of the local Y where she once learned to swim and dance.
And she never imagined just how important that level of support would be. "Last year, I went through a divorce and my daughter's teacher called me to let me know she'd noticed a change in her behavior. As difficult as it was to hear that, it was such a relief to know that this isn't just a job for her teachers, they really care. I'm as involved as I can be as a single mom and I love knowing that the extra love and support is always there, even when I can't be."
Streamline Your YMCA Centers and Family Engagement
By embracing a parent engagement app to simplify communication, you can enhance family engagement and create a more enriching childcare experience.
Whether it's sharing important updates, involving families in their child's education, or streamlining administrative tasks, the right mobile app can empower you to build stronger connections with families and nurture a thriving childcare community.
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