Registration is available via an online form and phone at (215) 709-5366. Students are not registered until confirmed by an Access Center. If you are eligible, an Access Center team member will reach out to help you with the next step of registration. If you are not eligible, you will receive a response letting you know.

Philadelphia students are eligible to register if they:

• Are entering kindergarten through sixth grade.
• Are children of caregivers working outside the home who cannot provide supervision, are not able to afford childcare, or cannot support students with online learning.

The first phase of Access Centers will begin operations at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, September 8. The second phase of Access Centers will open on September 21.

The first phase of 32 Access Centers will serve around 800 children. A second phase of 46 Access Centers will serve over 1,300 additional children.

Individual sites will vary in the number of slots available for students, but most sites will serve 22 children.

For the purpose of maintaining safety in cohorts, it is not advised that children change Access Centers.

Access Centers will be open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and will align with the School District of Philadelphia’s 2020-2021 Academic Calendar.

All access centers will be closed on the following dates:

• Monday, September 28 (full-day closure)
• Monday, October 12 (full-day closure)
• Friday, October 16 (sites close at 12 p.m.)
• Tuesday, November 3 (full-day closure)
• Wednesday, November 11 (full-day closure)

The centers are targeting families who need care for the entire week. However, we recognize that there are various work schedules and plan to accommodate families who need their students to attend at least three days per week.

Access Centers will provide students with lunch. All lunches will be pre-made and sealed. Refrigeration is also required in the event students have special dietary restrictions.

Students should bring their school-issued Chromebook or other digital device with them.

Families are expected to take care of drop-off and pickup, in order to help minimize contact and mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Eligible families can look for a center located in their neighborhood (near their home or work) as part of the registration process.

Access Centers will be staffed by both City employees and staff from the City’s Out-of-School Time provider network. All staff will have appropriate clearances.

All staff will be given proper PPE each day and will be required to use it accordingly. In the event students arrive without the proper PPE, it will be given to them.

Strategies for mitigating the spread of COVID-19 include:

• Temperature checks every morning.
• Designated entrances and exits.
• Ensuring that all students are spaced six-feet apart and stay within their cohorts.
• Deep sanitization of all spaces before opening and after the last student has departed.
• Isolation rooms for any students that show symptoms of COVID-19 during the day.

They will also operate in compliance with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health guidelines to mitigate infection. All staff will be given proper PPE each day and will be required to use it accordingly. If students arrive without PPE, it will be given to them before they enter the building.

Visit the Access Center finder to see a map of locations.

Some, but not all. The sites listed on this blog will enroll students in 7th and 8th grade.