Early Learning System - Bright Beginnings

From the Digest: News and Resources

Our goal is to ensure that young children have quality, nurturing, and safe child care and education. Here you can find news and resources to support the system of early learning - whether you are a caregiver, teacher, administrator, parent or advocate.

If you have questions or information to share through the monthly Digest, please send to: [email protected]

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August 2024 | Early Care and Education Monthly Digest

July 2024 | Early Care and Education Monthly Digest

June 2024 | Early Care and Education Monthly Digest

May 2024 | Early Care and Education Monthly Digest

April 2024 | Early Care and Education Monthly Digest

March 2024 | Early Care and Education Monthly Digest

January 2024 | Early Care and Education Monthly Digest

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Child care is at the heart of a thriving economy: At this year’s State of the Region, Supervisor Chris Lopez highlights the importance of our child care system for children and our community. Thank you Supervisor Lopez and the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership for making sure the value of our work is recognized.
Free COVID test kits for ECE: Bright Beginnings and the Child Care Planning Council are distributing free COVID kits for the ECE workforce, thanks to the Monterey County Health Department. Help spread cheer, not COVID - Sign up here for your free kits!
Share your perspective on mental health needs: Monterey County Behavioral Health needs your help to better understand how to prioritize their work to better serve our community. Please take a few minutes to complete this community survey, and share with the families you serve.

No matter where it is, war affects us all, including our youngest. Here are a few resources and tips to help your and your child process exposure to war and other violence, from Zero to Three:
- A Big Impact on Little Kids: Understanding how traumatic experiences affect young children
- How to Talk to Young Children about War
Caregivers need support, too! Find resources for emotional wellness with Child Care Aware.
Looking for fun things to do on the Bay this fall? Read the Monterey Bay Parent Fall Fun Guide for local events happening in October.
Stay & Play groups at County Libraries in Salinas, Seaside, and Castroville - find flyers here!

Do you care for or work with young children? Join the Mental Health Training, hosted by First 5 Monterey County. The training focuses on the social, emotional, and developmental needs of infants, young children and their families, including contextual factors. Register in English or Spanish for the January 2024 sessions.
Specialized training sessions to help caregivers of young children: Offered through Seneca. Flyers here, and register here.
- Thursday, December 7, 6:30-8:30pm - Utilizing ASL and other Non-verbal Methods of Communication with Your Autistic Child
- Friday, December 8, 9:00-12:30pm - Early Signs of Autism: Symptom Recognition and Family-based Services
- Wednesday, December 13, 1:00-5:00pm - Understanding Attachment Trauma due to Immigration Trends
Looking for new skills as an early caregiver and educator? Learn with your local ECE community! Check out the 2023 Early Care and Education events from Quality Matters. Topics include DRDP mini sessions, teaching pyramid, math concepts, ASQ and more! All types of early caregivers and educators are welcome.

Are you seeking a long-term solution to grow your Early Childhood Education (ECE) workforce pipeline? Host an apprentice! The Hartnell College Early Childhood Education Apprenticeship program supports those interested in becoming Preschool Teachers and Infant/Toddler Teachers throughout Monterey County with paid on-the-job training opportunities. If you are interested in hiring an Apprentice to teach in your classrooms, contact [email protected]. Get started here!
Already run a child care home, or want support to open your new business? Contact the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation (MAOF) at (831) 757-0775, for support to start, learn, and grow your home-based child care and education business. Share the flier in your network!

Looking for child care? Go to MontereyCountyChildcare.org for help finding the right care for your child. You can also call MAOF Resource & Referral at 831.757.0775 or visit MyChildCarePlan.org.
Read the Monterey County Universal PreKindergarten (UPK) community magazine. This document is meant to be a resource for families to understand what UPK is and how they can find the right program for their 3 and 4-year-olds. Please help share - in English or Spanish.
AUSD Family Resource Centers offers services that are FREE! Help share this flyer with your networks so they can access services like:
- Help to complete forms: Medi-Cal, unemployment, job applications, disability, family leave, DMV, passports, etc.
- Family support groups and basic needs support (by referral)
- Adult education (free child care while attending classes)
- Annual resource fair and special events
Get Connected California: The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is helping millions of eligible households throughout the U.S. save hundreds of dollars on Home Internet. Get more information and apply for help: Affordable Connectivity Program.
The Food Bank can help ease your grocery bill! Here is the free food distributions schedule in Monterey County.