COVID-19 Response & Recovery for Child Care & Wellbeing
Our goal is to ensure that young children have quality, nurturing, and safe child care and education during the pandemic. For more information about this effort and the coalition behind it, please visit our web hub here.
If you have information, flyers, or events you would like to share in this publication please contact Laura@BrightBeginningsMC.org.
This Week’s Highlights
A few highlights from this last week are shared below. Previous Weekly Digests are available here.
Vaccines By the Numbers
83% of eligible Monterey County residents ages 5+ have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, as reported here by the Monterey County Health Department on April 11. Stay informed with the Monterey County COVID-19 portal.
News
- The Monterey County Office of Education (MCOE) will host a free booster and flu shot clinic in partnership with VNA Health on Friday, April 15 from 3-6pm at MCOE’s Main Campus, 901 Blanco Circle in Salinas, Meeting Room D, with a follow up clinic on Friday, May 13. This clinic is open to all MCOE staff, school based educators in our area, and family members.
- CDPH has revised the Safe Schools for All social media toolkit to help Californians reduce COVID-19 risk in schools.
- Wondering if you may be eligible for a second booster shot? Check your eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine boosters here and schedule an appointment at myturn.ca.gov.
- The Monterey County higher education stipends are now available for Monterey County ECE workers who receive state funding and serve children ages 0-5. Applications due Wednesday, April 20. Learn more here.
- Calling all Monterey County licensed family child care educators and centers! Quality Matters Monterey will release the 2022-23 application for new Quality Matters sites on Sunday, May 1. Join a community of ECE professionals, receive coaching, technical assistance, stipends, and resources to support your professional growth. Learn more about Quality Matters here and watch this video for highlights.
- The Early Learning Network brings together PK, TK, and Kindergarten teachers to network and learn about UPK in Monterey County. The next meeting will be on Wednesday, April 20 from 3:30-4:45pm. Register here.
- Hospice Giving Foundation invites you to attend their “How to Discuss Death with a Child” online workshop on Friday, April 22 at 11:30am. Learn more here.
- CPIN is hosting a free webinar on how to talk to parents about concerns on Saturday, May 7 & Wednesday, May 18. Please see the flyer for more information and register on the ECE Workforce Registry.
- Learn how women philanthropists have dedicated millions of dollars to support early childhood education in this article by EdSource.
- Microbusiness COVID-19 Relief Grants are available for Monterey County businesses that made less than $50k in 2021. Watch the informational webinar and apply for the grant here. Applications are available in English and Spanish.
- The Early Education Teacher Development Grant is accepting applications for LEA’s interested in funding innovative ways to increase teacher training in early education. Learn more here. Applications due Friday, May 6.
- Check out the latest enrollment info by region with this easy to use graphic from EdSource. Trends show enrollments are dropping along the coast, and rising inland most likely due to housing costs.
- Curious about the statistics behind child care and access in Monterey County? Take a look at new data on where child care is by zip code here (click on the green Monterey County Child Care Access Map button). This is just a start of the kinds of data Bright Beginnings and its partners will be sharing over the next months, as we work together to improve access to child care in our community.
- There are additional funds available for materials, training, and fees associated with starting new and expanding child care programs in Monterey County! Contact Maria Ortiz at the Resource and Referral at 831-757-0775 for information.
- The Program for Infant/Toddler Care (PITC) Online Group Course starts Monday, May 9. Contact Laura Keeley-Saldana for more information on how you can earn 3 ECE units. Register here.
- Join The Children’s Partnership for a webinar about understanding new milestones for infants and toddlers on Tuesday, April 19 from 5-6:30 pm. Register here.
- Here are a few trainings for family child care programs, available to anyone, through SF Children’s Council.
- Friday, April 27 & Wednesday, May 4: Supporting Social-Emotional Development: two-part series
- Wednesday, May 11: Creating A Culturally Supportive Program
- Wednesday, May 18: Digital Marketing: Establishing Your Online Presence
- Wednesday, May 25: Income Boosting Strategies
- The Monterey County Preschool Service Corps (PSC) program is looking for new AmeriCorps members for the 2022-23 year to support language and literacy development in partnering preschools. Visit Monterey County’s United Way website or contact Taylor Jonte-Saiz at (831) 757-3206 x 204 for more information.
- Check out the Quality Matters calendar for future professional development opportunities available for ECE providers!
- Need to find a testing or vaccine clinic in Monterey County? Visit MontereyCountyVaccines.com or find your location in the bilingual flyers below:
COVID-19 Information
COVID-19 Vaccine Information ➡️ click here to learn more…
General COVID-19 & Public Health ➡️ click here to learn more…
Resources & Tools
Financial Relief for Families ➡️ click here to learn more…
All Ages Learning & Development Supports ➡️ click here to learn more…
Resilience & Mental Health Resources ➡️ click here to learn more…
Child Care & Education Quality & Business Tools ➡️ click here to learn more…
Policy & Advocacy ➡️ click here to learn more…
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:
4th Monterey County Supervisorial District
30th California Assembly District
Building Healthy Communities
CAPSLO
Carmel Unified School District
Child Care Planning Council
Child Development Centers and Continuing Development Incorporated
Children’s Council
Early Development Services
First 5 Monterey County
Go Kids, Inc.
Health Department
MAOF Resource & Referral & Alternative Payment Program
Monterey Peninsula Unified School District
Natividad Medical Center
North Monterey County Unified School District
Office of Education – Early Learning Program
Office of Education – Educational Services
Public Health Office
Quality Matters Monterey County
Salinas City Elementary School District
Social Services – Child Abuse Prevention Council
United Farmworkers Foundation
United Way of Monterey County
YMCA
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, and the United Way of Monterey County.
For more information, please contact sonja@brightbeginningsmc.org.