While school districts throughout Butler County closed Thursday in anticipation of a severe weather event, many children still needed a place to go for the time they would normally have spent at school.

The Butler YMCA and its branch locations in the Karns City area and south Butler stayed open Thursday for child care for school-aged children.

Dianne Oesterling, director of child care and youth services at the Butler YMCA, said the main campus in downtown Butler even has different plans to follow based on if Butler Area School District calls for a remote learning day or if it calls off school completely.

“If there is no remote learning, we provide activities for the school-aged kids when they are not in school,” Oesterling said. “Since it’s a snow day, they had kickball in the gym today, pizza for lunch, (and) we did some art activities.”

Oesterling said about 15 children were at the main campus Thursday, but there are normally 40 to 60 in the before-school and after-school care programs. She said the incoming weather and possibility for parents or guardians to work from home likely affected how many children needed care.

The YMCA also has infant center that stayed open Thursday too.

Butler County Community College offers child care for children ages 3 to 6 through the Amy Wise Children's Creative Learning Center, which typically follows the same schedule as the college.

Gina Rajchel, interim director of Children's Creative Learning Center, said if BC3 is closed due to weather, it’s more than likely the center is as well. However, Rajchel said many children registered at the child care center are children of BC3 students.

“When they don't have class, we typically don't have a need for child care,” Rajchel said. “We don't typically get children who require traditional child care.”

Rajchel said the BC3 center has open enrollment when it has room. However, the center doesn’t operate as a drop-in place for children.

Oesterling also said the YMCA locations don’t typically take drop-ins, but it has other programs that give school-aged children things to do outside of school.

“The Y does have youth memberships where families can sign up for youth membership which has activities,” Oesterling said.