City to increase hours at community centers

BOSTON - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced operational changes at the City's community centers that will increase operating hours and provide more opportunities for Boston's families. These changes take effect October 15.

"These operating shifts will allow our community centers to be open and fully staffed, offering programs when our families need them the most," said Mayor Walsh. "Our community centers are important resources for residents, and all across the neighborhoods I have heard from people who would benefit from having more access to their neighborhood centers."

Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF) operates 36 facilities, including 20 free standing community centers and pool buildings and 16 based in school buildings. Over 2,500 people visit BCYF community centers daily. Shifting employee hours and redeploying some staff will allow BCYF to keep all free-standing centers open Monday through Friday, from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. On Saturdays, the centers will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Five centers will be open seven days a week. BCYF centers in school buildings will operate from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday. Select school sites will be open on Saturdays.  Morning programs for children and seniors in school-based buildings will still be offered as will school vacation week and summer programs.

"Taking a critical look at our staffing levels and hours of operation yielded these changes which will add value for our participants, add value to the neighborhoods and add value to our staff whose time will be better utilized," said William Morales, Commissioner of BCYF.

An evaluation of BCYF programming found that the department could more effectively meet youth, families' and seniors' need for longer evening and weekend community center hours by redeploying existing resources.  With an increase of staff during peak operating hours, BCYF can provide higher quality programming for Boston's youth and their families.  Extending evening and weekend hours also provides a safe space for young people to gather and receive quality programming and provides working parents with peace of mind knowing their children are in a safe and healthy environment while they are working.   

BCYF streamlined the hours of operation at two school-based centers as a pilot last year. A review of school-based centers found that they are open early morning to late evening, stretching staff thin over 12 hours even though key programming hours in school-based buildings are later in the day from 1-9 p.m.Changing the hours at two centers during the pilot process allowed a supervisor to be on site at all times.  

Also announced as part of the FY17 City Budget were plans to transition the BCYF Grove Hall Community Center in Dorchester to a senior center and return the Mattahunt Community Center to BCYF. While BCYF offers senior programming across various sites throughout the City, they operate only one dedicated senior center, the Golden Age Center in Charlestown. The BCYF Grove Hall Community Center has already transitioned to a thriving senior center in a community that has both requested this and has a need for a dedicated senior space. The Mattahunt Community Center has been operated by Wheelock College for several years now but returned to BCYF on July 1.  

Below is the full schedule of new operating hours for all centers: