Break chocolate bark into pieces

ditional burdens they're bearing as a result of this pandemic," Barbara Dalio said in a statement. “… To us, they are heroes. The least we can do is make sure their children are taken care of while they're on the front lines providing medical ca re.” To be eligible, day care cenFrom A5

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t ers were required to have a licensed space available, be within three miles of the hospital, have a licensing status in good standing, and an ability to serve infants/toddlers, preschool children and school-age children.

‘ Cash flow challenges’ While the Southington/ Cheshire Y awaits funding from the state, the Main Street Community Foundation has donated $25,000 to get the child care services up and running, Pooler said. The money is much appreciated, Pooler said, because the Y has experienced “ca s h flow challenges” from the pandemic. The donation should be enough to cover at least two weeks of day care operations, he said. “This program would not be running right now without their support and generosit y,” Pooler said. In addition to providing free emergency child care services, Project 26 will help participating day cares continue to operate and maintain staff. Prior to enrolling in Project 26, Benigni said the Y had closed all five of its day care centers in Meriden for financial reasons and also to encourage the public to stay h o m e. Jaclyn Kish, owner of My Little Rascals in Southington, said her daycare has lost about 75 percent of its families — from about 30 to 9 — because many either cannot afford day care or no longer need it because one or both parents are now at home. As a result, Kish has had to temp orarily reduce from 10 part- and full-time employees to five. “It ’s definitely had a huge i mpa c t,” she s aid.

Kish said she is serving two families with a health care worker. Her day care was interested in stepping up to participate in the Project 26 program, but the Y ultimately got the donation and state approval.

The Office of Early Childhood said it is contacting day care facilities that have closed and “may be willing to reopen specific ally to provide child care for health care workers; or currently open programs that can dedicate specific classrooms for this effort. We will be reaching out to specific locations who may meet the need.” mzabier ek@r ecord-jour nal.com 203-317-2279 Twitter: @MatthewZabierek

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Fun eral ser vices chang e appro a ch

By Bailey Wright Record-Journal staff

When Jason Zandri’s grandmother died about two weeks ago, his family was faced with a difficult choice. Is it safe to hold the funeral service or are we putting our loved ones at risk? Gathering bans and social distancing mandates prompted by COVID-19 have affected many things, including funeral services. Anita Zandri died on March 14 and her funeral was held on March 19 in Wallingford, just days after Gov. Ned Lamont issued a recommended ban on gatherings of 50 or more. The ban has since been reduced to five. Close family members decide d not to invite anyone outside the immediate family . “I think rather than subjectin g family and friends to having to make that decision, the family just opted to not have anything (open to the public),” s aid Jason Zandri, a Wallingford town c ou n c i l o r. The family didn’t have a view ing or a church service open to the public, but about 20 family members gathered for a brief service and burial. The Zandri family was able to say goodbye to their loved one on a relatively normal timeline, but many families have chosen to postpone services for months. Because of this, many local obituaries now read “a celebration of life ceremony will be held at a later time.” D avid Warren MacDonald, funeral director at Wallingford and Yalesville Funeral