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.
The next Coalition meeting will be on Wednesday, December 15 from 1:30 – 3:30pm. If you have information, flyers, or events you would like to share in this publication or at the next Coalition meeting, 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
76% 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 December 6. Stay informed with the Monterey County COVID-19 Weekly fact sheet.
News
- The Monterey County Office of Education will be hosting a COVID-19 booster and flu shot clinic on Friday, December 17, from 8:30am-11:00am. This clinic is open to all MCOE staff, as well as school based educators in the area. Here are flyers to share with your department, school, and education staff. If you wish to register, please scan the QR code on the flyer with your phone or click here.
- The Monterey County Health Department and its community partners will be hosting FREE holiday-themed COVID-19 and flu vaccination clinics on select Mondays and Tuesdays at Oldemeyer Center, 986 Hilby Avenue in Seaside. Walk-ins are welcome or you can make an appointment online, here. See below for more information.
- Monday, December 13: 2:00pm – 6:00pm
- 5-11 Pfizer, 18+ Moderna and J&J
- Tuesday, December 14: 2:00pm – 6:00pm
- 5+ Pfizer, 18+ Pfizer and J&J, Flu
- Tuesday, January 4: 2:00pm – 6:00pm
- 2nd dose Pfizer, children 5-11 only
- Monday, December 13: 2:00pm – 6:00pm
- Check out these quick tips from the Monterey County Health Department for a safer way to celebrate the holidays with family and friends.
- The holidays can be particularly difficult for those who have experienced loss. Coastal Kids Home Care is offering grief services for kids, teens, and adults. Funeral assistance associated with COVID-19 as well as other support is available from the Catholic Charities Diocese of Monterey County. See flyers here.
- Did you know that FREE meals are available for those who have COVID-19 and are isolated? Call 211, Meals on Wheels, or United Way Monterey County for more information.
- 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 calling their 24/7 hotline at (831) 687-4379.
- Just a quick reminder of the PIN from Community Care Licensing for child care centers and homes has shared this PIN notice regarding COVID-19 safety recommendation for the upcoming holiday season.
- The power of play is an important part of helping boost the well being of children as the pandemic continues. Check out this resource by EdSource.
- Learn about new professional development opportunities available for ECE providers in the coming weeks. See the Quality Matters calendar for upcoming events!
- There is an increasing demand for vaccinations with vaccines being available for children ages 5-11, boosters available for people over 18, and people preparing to travel over the holidays. With this increase, most vaccine clinics are now by appointment only – although some continue to be walk-in (like the Monterey Fire Department’s Clinic at the Tuesday Alvarado Street Farmers Market). For extra assistance, call 211 as they have multiple languages available.
- 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.