We cannot believe that we are already in month four of our After School Program, with over 370 registered members! Due to the half day on, December 2nd, the Center will have Open Gym from 10:30-3 for registered after school members only. This month the Milford Youth Center will be closed on the 26th in observance of Christmas. From the 27th through the 30th we will be open from 12-3 pm for Open Gym, for registered after school members only. For a look at the entire December calendar, click here.
We are also very excited to start weekend food bags in December! The MYC is partnering with Lovin’ Spoonfuls and their food rescue mission. Please let us know if you would like to get free groceries, starting in December by completing this link: https://forms.gle/MxHRngkYxY79js4Z7 Please only click if you are able to pick up the bags on Fridays, before 6 pm when we close! We will coordinate with all families that sign up closer to the date of our first distribution which will be on Friday, December 9th! For more about Lovin’ Spoonfuls, click here.
This month the MYC is offering:
- Open Gym: Open gym is a non-structured program where youth are allowed free play and choice of activities in the gym. We will also rotate gym games like volleyball, knockout and more on Monday’s!
- Arts & Crafts: Arts & Crafts is led by Program Coordinator, Joanna Abrantes. This program encourages youth to draw, paint, and craft projects to develop their artistic talents. Arts & Crafts gives kiddos a creative outlet that allows their imaginations to flourish and will be run every Tuesday!
- Gardening: Youth will be able to help in a gardening themed craft on Tuesday, December 20th thanks to amazing volunteers Phyllis, Fran and Sue Ellen from the Greenleaf Gardening Club!
- Nail Painting: On December 19th, a staff member will be doing some fun Holiday themed nail designs!
- STEAM: Our S.T.E.A.M program will run on December 9th where After School Members will be given the opportunity to do a hands-on activity involving science, technology, engineering, art, and math with our new curriculum funded by a grant from the Milford Cultural Council! The theme for S.T.E.A.M for the month of December is bridges, continuing from November! The kids will get to learn about the science behind bridges and make mini models to test how much weight they can hold!
- Weight Room: This program will be overseen by MYC staff. It will give the kids, ages 12-18 an opportunity to use the weight equipment safely. This will take place on December 16th.
- Social Emotional Learning: This program is designed to help our youth learn about and manage their emotions and interactions with others and build the core social and emotional competencies including self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, social awareness, and relationship skills need to succeed in school and thrive in life. This program is scheduled to run every other Wednesday during the school year at 3:30 and will be run by Alisha Rojas-Harrison, CTRT-E and made possible by a $6,400 Community Grant from the Greater Milford Community Health Network (CHNA-6) Sign up is required. In the month of December, the group will be held on December 21st only due to scheduling.
Milford TV: Milford TV will be running their program, thanks to the amazing staff member, Mishelle. They give the students an opportunity to learn videography skills along with creating their own multi-media projects! This program will run on December 14th and 21st. You must sign up in advance (limited space)! Please contact our Program Coordinator here if interested in participating (you will be expected to attend these programs and get transportation to Milford TV once/month).- Quiet Zone: Quiet Zone will take place every Monday through Thursday this month. It offers students a quiet space to access our computer lab and to do their homework or read.
- Life Skills: This is a new program in honor of our former board member Ron Taylor. The life skills program is going to teach our youth skills that can carry them into their adult years. This month’s program will be a presentation and short movie run by the DA explaining the Dangers of Drug Abuse. The age group for this presentation, as requested by the DA, will be for 6th, 7th and 8th grade students. An email with more details will be sent to parents and guardians with children of that age range. This will also be a program that requires advance sign ups and commitment. The program will be roughly 45 minutes with 15 minutes for questions.
- Give Kids the Art: This organization is a non-profit run by Linda and Ian Kabat. The goal of this non-profit is to be able to provide art and music supplies to children who might not be able to afford them. On November 16th they made clay gifts with the kids. On December 14th, the same group of children will paint their clay made items!
- Knitting: Knitting is run by volunteer Mindy Katz, who is an avid knitter! She will teach the youth the basic techniques of knitting on December 22nd this month.
- MYC Cinema: The MYC Cinema will be showing a holiday themed movie this month on Friday December 23rd!
- MYC Book Club: This month we are excited to bring back the Book Club! Emily, our Asst. Director has carefully selected books that are interesting, cultural and age appropriate with lessons in each book. We are pleased to announce that Samantha Cesario of the Milford Public Library has volunteered to run this club. The club will be held on Thursdays beginning the 1st, 8th, 15th and the 22nd at 3:30.
- In addition to the December programs, we would like to share the Youth Center’s Spirit Week Holiday selection beginning on December 19th.
- Monday: Holiday Head Gear
- Tuesday: Winter Character Day
- Wednesday: Wear Red and Green
- Thursday: Ugly Sweater Day
- Friday: Winter themed Pajama Day
The Milford Youth Center hosts many different events and activities throughout the year for the youth of Milford and the Milford Schools. The Youth Center’s after school program is open for youth ages 8-18, free of charge, from 2:15-6pm, Monday through Friday. Only students registered by 1PM each day will be allowed to attend. Any forms received after 1PM, will be allowed to attend the following program day, if completed correctly. This is to ensure we have adequate time to process registrations.
- That Milford Youth Center is not licensed by the Department of Early Education and Care or any other state agency;
- Registered youth may arrive at or depart from the program at any time during their time at the program.
- As of Monday, February 28th, we will be mask optional. It is important to note that we will support all members and staff who choose to wear a mask after the mandate is lifted. It is possible if conditions shift that masks may be required again sometime in the future as well. This does not change our policy in terms of attending being sick and/or having COVID symptoms. If you don’t go to school due to any type of illness you are not allowed to attend the Center;
- Please make sure your child brings a water bottle with them daily, to refill;
- There is no hanging out in front of the MYC property unless students are waiting to enter and/or to be picked up;
- All students must be picked up by the time of closing, unless they walk home. Pick-up is outside of the youth center at 24 Pearl St (use intercom to communicate with the front desk);
- The Youth Center is not responsible for the care or supervision of children beyond program closing time;
- All lost and found items without names on them are donated and/or recycled (water bottles) at the end of each month as it accumulates quickly! Please remind your child/participant to check daily as they exit;
- Please visit our polices here: behavioral, weather, health and traffic.
- For video of rules, produced by Milford TV click here (video was made prior to mask optional, just FYI).
All participants of the Youth Center must annually fill out our registration form to be a member. Once this form is completed, members will receive a key tag and ID number if they are new to the program. This is our way of tracking attendance, so please make sure all members bring their key tag in order to enter. If key tags are lost, the Youth Center will charge $1.00 for a replacement.
The Youth Center also offers a free snack and dinner program, due to the collaboration of CACFP, Hockomock Area YMCA, and the Milford School Food & Nutrition Services department. Members will also be able to use our washer and dryer, free of charge, during our hours of operation.
For online registration forms click below:
COVID Update: If your child has been exposed to a COVID 19 positive person, or has symptoms of COVID 19, please do not send your child to Youth Center as they may expose others. Keep them home and get them tested. Your child must stay home until you are notified of the test results and if positive, please get guidance from the Milford Board of Health. If your child is not going to school due to any type of sickness, then they should not be attending the after school program.
Effective August 15, 2022, children and staff in child care, K-12, out-of-school time (OST) and recreational camp settings should follow the below guidance:
- A rapid antigen test, such as a self-test, is preferred to a PCR test in most situations.
- To count days for isolation, Day 0 is the first day of symptoms OR the day the day positive test was taken, whichever is earlier.
Contact tracing is no longer recommended or required in these settings, but schools or programs must continue to work with their Local Board of Health in the case of outbreaks. - The Commonwealth is not recommending universal mask requirements, surveillance testing of asymptomatic individuals, contact tracing, or test-to-stay testing in schools. While masks are not required or recommended in these settings except for in school health offices, any individual who wishes to continue to mask, including those who face higher risk from COVID-19, should be supported in that choice. For those who need or choose to mask, masking is never required in these settings while the individual is eating, drinking, sleeping or outside.
- All individuals are encouraged to stay up-to-date with vaccination as vaccines remain the best way to help protect yourself and others.
Isolation and exposure guidance and protocols: Guidance for Children and Staff in Child Care, K-12, OST, and Recreational Camp Settings:
- Quarantine is no longer required nor recommended for children or staff in these settings, regardless of vaccination status or where the exposure occurred. All exposed individuals may continue to attend programming as long as they remain asymptomatic. Those who can mask should do so until Day 10, and it is recommended that they test on Day 6 of exposure. If symptoms develop, follow the guidance for symptomatic individuals, below.
- Children and staff who test positive must isolate for at least 5 days. If they are asymptomatic or symptoms are resolving and they have been fever free without the use of fever-reducing medicine for 24 hours, they may return to programming after Day 5 and should wear a high-quality mask through Day 10:
- If the individual is able to mask, they must do so through Day 10.
- If the child has a negative test on Day 5 or later, they do not need to mask.
- If the individual is unable to mask, they may return to programming with a negative test on Day 5 or later.
- Symptomatic individuals can remain in their school or program if they have mild symptoms, are tested immediately onsite, and that test is negative. Best practice would also include wearing a mask, if possible, until symptoms are fully resolved. For symptomatic individuals, DPH recommends a second test within 48 hours if the initial test is negative.
- If the symptomatic individual cannot be tested immediately, they should be sent home and allowed to return to their program or school if symptoms remain mild and they test negative, or they have been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and their symptoms are resolving, or if a medical professional makes an alternative diagnosis. A negative test is strongly recommended for return.
- If the individual is able to mask, they must do so through Day 10.
COVID-19 Symptoms for Child Care, K-12, OST, and Recreational Camps:
- Fever (100.0° Fahrenheit or higher), chills, or shaking chill
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Muscle aches or body aches
- New loss of taste or smell
- Cough (not due to other known cause, such as chronic cough)
- Sore throat, when in combination with other symptoms
- Headache, when in combination with other symptoms
- Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, when in combination with other symptoms
- Fatigue, when in combination with other symptoms
- Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other known causes, such as allergies) when in combination with other symptoms\