News
For Educators
- Montereycountychildcare.org has a new HEALTH tab that has all of the resources you need on the flu, RSV and COVID-19. Visit the new page here.
- New subsidy funding is available for children, with priority going to serving children 0-3. All programs interested in newly operating or expanding child care services (CCTR) are encouraged to apply. Applications are due Friday, December 30. Get more info at the CDSS webpage here or contact Laura Keeley-Saldana(510) 996-2361 for more information.
- Major Renovation and Repair Funding is now available for childcare centers and family home providers! This opportunity for funding for facilities is due Tuesday, January 31, 2023 (non-LEA’s only). Contact Laura Keeley-Saldana (510) 996-2361 for more information. Funds can be used for:
- Renovating or building out an existing facility by adding classrooms
- Constructing a brand-new facility
- Replacing a facility lost due to a state or federally declared disaster
- Expanding Small Family Child Care Homes to Large Family Child Care Homes
- MAOF is offering to reimburse ECE providers up to $100 for taking health and safety training. Take advantage of this generous offer by contacting MAOF at 831-757-0775. More information about this opportunity here.
- There are a few spaces for new ECE apprentices at Hartnell College. Get more info by calling Christian at 831-386-7105 or go to svaec.org/ecepathway/ and share this flyer. .
- Did you know that preschoolers are expelled three times more often than students in K-12 programs? Did you know that young boys are expelled four times more often than girls? Or that black preschoolers are expelled almost twice as often as their peers? The Hunt Institute’s Early Efforts web series will unpack preschool expulsion and suspension with an expert panel on January 9 from 11:00am – 12:00pm. Register now by clicking HERE.
- Creating Brave Spaces: Disrupting Implicit Bias training is available for educators! Join this free web based training from CDSS and get professional development hours as well as anti-bias training for your classroom or home. Click here for more information.
- Interested in the Prek-3 ECE Specialist Instruction Credential? Check out the handbook for requirements, pathways and standards here.
- Access MCOE’s Early Care and Education Department virtual magazine for future professional development opportunities available for ECE providers here!
- 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.
For Families
- Get the basics on CalWorks Child Care in this brief by the Research and Referral Network.
- Want to learn more about Transitional Kindergarten? Is it mandatory? Is it free? Find more info from EdSource here.
- The Central Coast Early Childhood Advocacy Network will be hosting their 2023 Parent Power Summit. Please share this opportunity with parents and community members to explore: What is mental health? What do you want to change? What are your strengths & passions? Join on Saturday, February 4 from 9:30am – 2:00pm. Flyers and registration info available here.
- Looking for childcare? Go to Montereycountychildcare.org or Mychildcareplan.orgfor help finding the right care for your child.
- 5 ways to boost social skills for young children. Watch this YouTube video for some quick ideas you can do at home.
For All
- The Champions for Children Award, through the Monterey County Children’s Council, was received by the Child Care and Well-being Response and Recovery Coalition this week for their work supporting programs and individuals through the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information about the Monterey County Children’s Council, visit their website, contact Mayra Perez-Diaz or call (831) 318-1978.
- Clarissa’s Battle, a film exploring successful grassroots advocacy for childcare in the Bay Area, is available for public viewing. Check out this impactful documentary here.
- The U.S. ranks the worst for early child care according to this article from EdSource. However, California has its own policies that help families.
- This Winter season, let’s celebrate and gather in ways that limit the spread of respiratory viruses like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), flu, and COVID-19.Check out ways to keep your family health by visiting the new HEALTH tab on the montereychildcare.org website.
- Need to find a COVID-19 testing or vaccine clinic in Monterey County? Visit MontereyCountyVaccines.com or find a location in the flyers: Free Testing and Free Vaccination sites.
Monterey County Vaccines By the Numbers
Overall, 80.8% 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…
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.
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.