¿Quieres leer o compartir este boletín en español?
Haga clic aquí para ver este correo electrónico en su navegador web y
luego seleccione "Traducir" en la esquina superior derecha y elige "Español"
January 15, 2021
COVID-19 Response & Recovery Plan
Our goal is to ensure that young children have quality, nurturing, and safe child care and education as physical distancing and other guidelines continue in order to slow the spread of COVID-19.
The next Local Child Care Planning Council meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 20 from 1:30-3:30pm. The next Coalition Call will be held on Wednesday, January 27 from 1:30-2:45pm.If you are not already receiving calendar items, please RSVP here.
For more information about this effort and the coalition behind it, please visit our web hub here.
This Week's Highlights
A few highlights from this last week are shared below. Previous Weekly Digests are available here.
By the Numbers
96 local child care centers are operating now (80% of total registered) — no change since last week.
280 local child care homes are operating now (86% of total registered) — no change since last week.
1,014 families requested a referral since the start of shelter-in-place — 30 more since last week.
SB-89 funds have been completely expended with a balance of $0.
News
The California Department of Education, in partnership with the Great Kindness Challenge® (GKC), encourages all teachers, staff, child care centers, family child care, and preschools to participate in GKC the week of January 25–29 (or whenever is convenient for you). Access the free materials for your agency here.
The California Budget and Policy Center has released its analysis and summary of the Governor’s proposed 2021-22 budget. The outlook appears to be better than expected and economic recovery may be quick for California. Support for families and children continues to be a priority, and immediate relief is critical to the health of our community. Click here for an analysis.
Join us for a Virtual Child Care Advocacy Day on January 21 to support children and families, end child poverty, and support child care in California. Learn more and register here.
Monterey County Health Department convened a COVID-19 Vaccine Town Hall on January 14. If you were not able to attend, this graph shows the current vaccine roll-out in Monterey County. Click here for the website. Also, an employer prep sheet is available here.
Resources
All Ages Distance Learning Supports
Need help with distance learning for your school-age child? Families and providers in Monterey County who need help with distance learning can get support from their school district's technology department. Click here for a list of district online tech support links.
Public Health
The COVID-19 vaccine is being distributed throughout California in various stages. Depending on the county, Early Childhood Educators may be included in the first tier of vaccines going out. Help inform the public with information about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine from these fact sheets, available in multiple languages.
Think you might have been exposed to COVID-19? Here is a chart that outlines the steps you can take to limit the spread.
The Monterey County Health Department has a FAQ page that answers many questions related to COVID-19. Check out their site here, which may help you understand how Monterey County is addressing the pandemic.
The California Department of Public Health has provided clarification on staff and cohort sizes in child care settings. In this guidance, staff working with children under age five are able to work with children in one or two cohorts. This allows staff who typically work in the morning and afternoon sessions to continue to work with both groups if needed. Substitutes who are covering for a staff member are only able to work with one cohort of children per day.
Monterey County Office of Education and the Monterey County Health Department have provided a scenario map to help programs respond to cases of COVID-19. Use this communication and action sheet to help you make the right decisions for families and children in your community.
Does your child need more emotional or mental health support than you can provide?The Kinship Center Mobile Response Team provides immediate services to families with a child or youth (ages 0-21) experiencing a mental or emotional health crisis - big or small. Services are available M-F 8:00am-10:00pm, S-S from 11:00am-9:00pm and by hotline 24/7 at (831) 687-4379.
COVID-19 Child Care & Wellbeing Response & Recovery Coalition partners have posted valuable resources on how to talk about diversity and racism with young children. Check out what First 5 Monterey County has shared:
Social-Emotional Learning is a critical part of supporting the children and families in our community. This Social-Emotional Roadmap provides critical practices for reopening schools with equity-focused strategies as we move forward toward healing.
Child Care & Education Quality & Business Tools
The State Master Plan for Early Learning and Care has been submitted to the Governor. The plan includes recommendations for pay equity, quality enhancements, training and education paths, better outcomes for children, and other important elements. Our own local representative, Sonia Jaramillo, is a member of the ECPC providing input and a voice in the development of the plan. Click here to access the entire report.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation released its report on the Importance of Child Care to U.S. Families and Businesses and cross-sector solutions to recover from COVID-19. Feel free to use this publication in your efforts. Click here to see the report.
Community Care Licensing has released best practices for child care educators who are serving school-age children. The information includes ways to enhance communication with families, the importance of schedules, support for distance learning, free meals, and other tips. Click here to learn more.
Early Start provides free services to infants and toddlers (0-3 years) with disabilities and their families. The San Andreas Regional Center serves Monterey County and can provide speech, occupational and physical therapy, nutrition, nursing, and other services. Flyers and information to share with providers and parents are available to help understand the importance of early intervention and prevention. Click here for more information.
The statewide Resource and Referral Network released a report highlighting the impacts of COVID-19 on family child care arrangements, plans, and preferences. Earlier in 2020, over 12,000 parents responded to a statewide survey. Click here to access the report.
Children's & Family Activities & Resources
The Monterey Bay Aquarium has online family-friendly science activities to encourage wonder and connection to the natural world. Check out these amazing resources here! They also offer online courses in English and Spanish here.
Want to go to your local park or playground? Here is a link to city parks that will help you plan your trip. Some parks are still closed, so please check the park listing before you go! The California Public Health Department has released guidelines for use of public playgrounds.
Unable to pay rent due to COVID-19? The Attorney General has provided a simple form for tenants to notify their landlords about their inability to pay rent. Click here for the form.
An Alisal Union School District Kindergarten teacher created a Spanish and English site called Kinder Rockets, full of fun, music-filled learning activities. It’s gone nationwide!
It Takes a Coalition
The emergency response providing coordinated solutions for child care and education is led by a coalition of early childhood champions, united under the Bright Beginnings Strategic Framework to better support all young children and their families, to prepare every child for life and school. This coalition is ever-growing:
A special thanks to the coordinating team and major funders: Bright Beginnings Backbone, Child Care Planning Council, First 5 Monterey County, MAOF Resource & Referral, Quality Matters Monterey County, and the United Way of Monterey County.
We want to hear from you!
Do you have early childhood development resources or upcoming opportunities and community events that you'd like to share with us? Click here to let us know!
Want to read or share this newsletter in another language? Click here to view this email in your web browser and then select "Translate" at the upper right-hand corner to choose your preferred language.
