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 and post-pandemic. For more information about this effort and the coalition behind it, please visit our web hub here.
News and resources are shared below. Previous Weekly Digests are available here.
If you have information, flyers, or events you would like to share in this publication, please contact or send information to: Laura@BrightBeginningsMC.org.
Want more information from Bright Beginnings? Stay up-to-date and join the mailing list for the BB Weekly Recovery Coalition Digest, Maternal Mental Health Task Force, and the BB Quarterly Update.
News
- The CDC has developed a new suite of materials to support communication about COVID-19 vaccines as the new school year begins. Click here to get the posters, flyers and resources for your program.
- Free COVID vaccine clinics are open for adults and children two years and up. Check out these English and Spanish flyers and this link for other dates and locations across the county.
- Need to find a testing or vaccine clinic in Monterey County? Visit MontereyCountyVaccines.com or find your location in the flyers here: Free Testing sites and Free Vaccination site.
- Join a statewide webinar on COVID, the new vaccine for children under 5, and what we can do to support young children’s health. The webinar, sponsored by the Children’s Partnership and Vaccinate all 58, will be held August 31, from 5- 6:30pm PT. Click here to register.
- Download the California Meals for Kids mobile app today. The app makes it easy for families and caregivers to find summer and afterschool meal locations. Download the app here.
- What’s the hardest thing about starting school for a child, especially the first year? Separation anxiety and saying goodbye to kids at drop off! Check out this article from EdSource that shares a few tips for children just starting school.
- Play Based Learning (or Guided Play) works better than direct instruction for young learners, especially for math and spatial skills. Read more in this Edutopia article!
- Want to track your child’s developmental milestones? Check out the milestone tracker app from Learn the Signs, Act Early to track your child’s development and act early if you have a concern.
- Capri Sun is recalling the wild cherry flavor drink pouches. Read the recall notice here or call 1-800-280-8252.
- ECE Community College students: Funds are available to help with tuition & textbooks. The funds will go fast, so share this application with those you know and apply early.
- Join parent wellness groups in Spanish and English, to help parents with emotional stressors at The Parenting Connection of Monterey County. Share English and Spanish flyers or register here. The Support Warmline is also available to receive voice and text messages 24hrs a day from both families and professionals: (831) 783-5933.
- Calendar of ECE professional development opportunities: Visit MCOE’s Early Care and Education Department virtual magazine and calendar.
- Join the Hartnell ECE Apprenticeship Program and earn while you learn. Get a paid job in a classroom while taking ECE courses in the evening. Also, a pre-apprenticeship is available for English Language Learners. Visit here for more info.
- Bright Beginnings is hiring an Integrated Services Program Manager! Help spread the word and view the job announcement here.
- Interested in starting a family child care business? Classes (in English and Spanish) are starting soon! Share these flyers in your community. Contact Maria Ortiz at the MAOF Resource and Referral at 831-757-0775 for information.
- Join the Monterey County Preschool Service Corps through the United Way’s AmeriCorps program members for the 2022-23 academic year. Visit Monterey County’s United Way website or contact Taylor Jonte-Saiz at (831) 372-8026 x1976 for more information.
Monterey County Vaccines By the Numbers
Overall, 79.9% of the eligible population in Monterey County have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. For more details on COVID health data, visit the Health Departments website here. Stay informed on all things COVID-19 on the Monterey County COVID-19 portal.
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.