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 4. Stay informed with the Monterey County COVID-19 portal.
News
- 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.
- 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.
- The office of Senator Anna Caballero is seeking nominations for the 2022 Nonprofit of the Year award. One nonprofit will be recognized for its excellence on California Nonprofits Day on Wednesday, June 8. To submit your nomination, email this form to Marisa.Hernandez@sen.ca.gov by this Friday, April 8.
- Can the post pandemic workplace better serve women? This article from the Greater Good Science Center suggests that the flexibility of remote work continues to support many, even after the pandemic.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 more 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 units of ECE. Register here.
- Join the F5MC IFECMH virtual training series, “Let’s talk about Bruno!”, on April 13, April 27, and May 4 from 6:30-8pm. This training is free and open to those who work with children prenatal through age five and their families in Monterey County. The sessions will have simultaneous Spanish interpretation. Register here.
- 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.
- 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.
- Join the Bright Beginnings Team! Bright Beginnings is looking for a Communications Coordinator. This position is a shared full-time position with First 5 Monterey County. Apply here!
- Join the First 5 Monterey County team! F5MC is looking for an Administrative Support Coordinator to work with the Executive Director and team. Apply here!
- 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.