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
82% 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 February 7. Stay informed with the Monterey County COVID-19 portal.
News
- Mask Mandates in California are set to change on Tuesday, February 15, but not for child care or TK-12 schools. While mask mandates in California are set to lift on Tuesday, February 15, masks will still be required for indoor settings such as public transit, hospitals, schools, and child care settings regardless of vaccination status and for unvaccinated people over the age of 2. Check here for the latest guidance from the CDPH.
- A limited number of COVID-19 Test Kits are available for child care homes and centers. The test kits are available for pick-up at MAOF in Salinas TODAY, Thursday, February 10 from 6-7pm. While supply is limited, more kits are being ordered in the coming weeks.
- Do you need to make some minor repairs in your child care home or center? Renovation and Repair funds are available for family child care homes and centers that serve subsidized children (LEA’s are not eligible for this round of funding). Some examples of minor renovations/repairs include new carpet, appliance upgrades, heating and cooling, plumbing, windows, landscaping, etc. If you are interested in applying for these funds, click here for more information. To register for an informational webinar on Tuesday, February 15 click here for centers (10-11:00am), and here for family child care (6:30-8pm). All applications are due by Friday, March 25. You can also contact mortiz@maof.org, Laura@BrightBeginningsmc.org or laramirez@montereycoe.org for assistance.
- Hartnell College was awarded the CAI grant for Monterey County’s ECE Apprenticeship Program! This funding will support the pipeline of educators in our community through paid apprenticeship and educational support for learners. Join the fast track and earn a living while you learn the skills through the ECE Pathway. Sign up here or call 831-386-7105. Share this flyer in your community!
- Last chance! Are you a child care educator or provider? Don’t miss out! You may be eligible for an ECE Workforce Retention stipend! Learn more and apply here. Applications are due Wednesday, February 15 by 5pm.
- Building a robust, effective, and supported workforce is critical to the health and success of the Early Childhood Education and P-3 community. Join the California Department of Education’s Opportunities For All Branch as they discuss how to support the teacher pipeline on Thursday, February 17 from 3-5pm. Register here.
- Join the Universal PreKindergarten (UPK) Webinar Series focused on working with and supporting our education partners as they consider, plan for, and implement UPK. The second webinar on Thursday, February 24 from 3:30-5pm is focused on UPK Implementation: Community Engagement and Partnerships. Register here.
- The Greenfield Early Learning Partnership will be hosting a TK & Kinder Festival next Wednesday, February 16 from 3-5:30 pm at the Greenfield Memorial Hall. Support at the event will be available to help families enroll children in school. Drive through and get your goodie bag (for the first 150 cars)!
- Do you need a FAQ sheet to share with parents and staff? UCSF has an amazing resource for providers and parents with a variety of topics ranging from Autism to Vaccine Safety. All Fact Sheets are available in English, Spanish, and Chinese!
- Are you a Family Child Care provider or interested in becoming a licensed provider? Free help and financial assistance is available to get your home up and running. Share this flyer!
- Need to find a testing or vaccine clinic in Monterey County? Visit MontereyCountyVaccines.com or find your location in the bilingual flyers below:
- Free Testing Clinics
- Free Vaccination Clinics
- Note: some clinics are short staffed due to COVID outbreaks and may need to close on short notice
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.