MARION (WSIL)-- Robin's Nest Learning Center opened a new location in Marion Monday and local officials came out to celebrate with teachers and parents.
"I think it's exciting to get another local center here in Marion serving school aged children. We really need that at this point in time. Our school aged children really need somewhere to be able to go and have that educational background to help them through these times right now," said co-director Jenna Parson.
"With everything that's going on in the world, especially in Southern Illinois, its something that's very well needed for our kids," said parent Jason Byars.
With schools across Southern Illinois balancing different types of back to school programs, learning centers like Robin's Nest now operate differently than normal.
Robin's Nest used to provide after school care. Now, they act as care givers to children who only spend half their time in school and the other half participating in remote learning.
"It's good to have places like Robin's Nest, and learning centers that are doing the things to help with the parents and the school districts to get that stuff rolling," said Byars.
Parson and other co-director Robin Moore said what they need to help their students is more communication from school district administrators.
"Parents have been great working with us, but we have very little communication with the schools unless we know teachers who can communicate with us. It's just the administrations been really rough with communication with us," said Parson.
But Moore of Robin's Nest wanted parents to know they are here for them and their children, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We're here for them. That we're a community and it takes a village to raise a family. And that we're not gonna let them down. Remote learning, COVID, whatever it is, we're in it together, and we have been throughout the COVID," said Moore.
