JACKIE SEGER: CHILDCARE MOM APPRECIATES ASSISTANCE IN DIFFICULT TIMES

Through two significant times of transition the Moran/Seger family has come to appreciate the YMCA’s child care, camp and afterschool programs. The first was during a career change and the second was during the pandemic, when remote learning was in effect.

Jackie Seger and her fiancé Dan Moran were first introduced to the YMCA Childcare in Greater Nashua in August of 2015 as Jackie was transitioning her career from working in the hospitality industry with a lot of nights and weekends to moving to a day shift position as a full-time legal assistant. Her new position required she find child care for her then 3-year-old daughter Sarah and 6-week-old baby Ryan. They have been a part of the Y ever since. At this point in their lives, a period of financial assistance for their child care expenses allowed Jackie to get on her feet financially.

Jackie welcomed her third child, Stephen, in 2018 and Stephen has been attending the Y’s Early Education Center since September of that year. “Since we first joined the Y in 2015, our family has grown with the Y, attending not only the childcare programs, but also the before/after school program and the summer camps. We both work full time jobs and with having the Y it has made childcare easier for both of us.”

The second time their family was abundantly grateful was when the pandemic hit in 2021.  “When COVID-19 hit the nation and the Y shut down, we had great difficulty in finding care for our three children. Thanks to the YMCA, we were able to bring the children to the YMCA once the emergency childcare center opened, as were both were essential workers. Stephen attended the childcare program and Ryan and Sarah attended the Y Academy program,” she shared.

Her family has fully embraced much that the Y offers. “Not only is the Y very convenient for our hours, but the other incentives also offered are great. Swimming lessons, art classes, and many more programs offered are the reason why we chose the Y,” Jackie said.

Daughter Sarah (now age 10) has attended Camp Sargent for the past three summers. “A lot of summer camps closed during the pandemic. We were so happy Camp Sargent remained open and Sarah could attend.  Ryan (now age 7) went to Camp Sargent for one summer, and now he has been enjoying Camp Create at the Merrimack Y. We have had a great experience with Y camps. Sarah loves Camp Sargent because she loves swimming on the lake, paddle boarding, and all the water play. Every day she comes home raving about something different. She loves the outdoors ad could be outdoors all day long.  Each Friday, camp recognizes ‘campers of the week.’ Sarah has received this honor two times. She knows that she was recognized for doing something good and the award is based on the Y’s core values. Our son Ryan enjoys more of a blend of outdoor and indoor activities and has loved Camp Create. The kids come home exhausted at the end of the day. That tells me they had fun!,” she said.

Jackie has grown close with the staff and said she has “has had a wonderful experience throughout the years.” She worked closely with her son’s teachers when her son Ryan was facing difficulty with sensory overload while in his classroom. She said he was showing signs she didn’t recognize, but worked closely with his teacher to transition to a new classroom that suited his needs better. Jackie has also enjoyed giving back to the Y. She will be volunteering at the Halloween parade at the Early Education Center and has helped on school picture day at the center.

“Jackie has been a part of our Y family for so long that it’s hard to think of a time when she wasn’t.  Jackie is the epitome of a woman that pays it forward by giving back to our program. She is extremely generous whether donating her time to help out on picture day and other events or donating supplies and toys,” said Gayle Troiani, childcare administrator in the Early Education Center.