February 17 | Weekly Digest: COVID-19 Response & Recovery for Child Care & Wellbeing

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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

83% 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 14. Stay informed with the Monterey County COVID-19 portal.

News

  • Masks are still required in schools despite the mask mandate updates in California as of February 16. See the guidance from the California Department of Public Health here
    • Child care staff can best protect themselves by getting vaccinated
    • Masks should be worn indoors by everyone aged 2 years and older
    • Staff and children who have had COVID symptoms or a positive test can return after five days if they don’t have symptoms and if they consistently wear a mask
    • Here are some posters you can print out for your home, center, or business
    • You are Essential poster here
  • Two updated decision trees for K-12 schools were just released by the Monterey County Office of Education. Each tree outlines COVID-19 decision-making tips for isolation or quarantine. The California Public Health Department’s traditional or group tracing guidelines are both acceptable ways to approach isolation and quarantine. Which approach to use is determined by the individual school district. Learn more about the updated decision trees in English and Spanish
  • Did you misplace your COVID-19 vaccine card? Sign up for this digital vaccine card from the California Department of Public Health! Click here to try it out! 
  • The Child Care Licensing Office will be hosting two webinars for child care providers on Tuesday, February 22 at 6pm and Wednesday, February 23 at 2pm to share timely and valuable information that impacts child care providers and allows attendees to ask questions. The California Department of Public Health will be joining the webinars to answer COVID related questions. Learn more and register here
  • 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 or register here for a webinar on Saturday, February 19 from 10-11:30am. All applications are due by Friday, March 25. You can also contact mortiz@maof.org, Laura@BrightBeginningsmc.org or laramirez@montereycoe.org for assistance. 
  • 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.
  • 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
  • Are you or others you know interested in starting a child care business? MAOF is recruiting potential family child care homes in addition to offering free training, marketing, and up to $1,000 in support to new or expanding child care programs in Monterey County. Share these flyers with your friends and family or call MAOF at (831) 757-0775 to learn more.
  • Many of the chemicals we use for cleaning are actually meant to sanitize and disinfect. Most of the time, soap and water will do the job. This poster from CCHP helps you think about what tools are best for the job you’re doing. Check out this website from the UCSF California Child Care Health Program on safer cleaning and sanitizing products. 
  • Learn about new professional development opportunities available for ECE providers in the coming weeks. See the Quality Matters calendar for upcoming events! 
  • 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.