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
81% 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 January 18. Stay informed with the Monterey County COVID-19 portal.
News
- Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order up to 4 free at-home COVID-19 test kits. Delivery of the kits to your home will take around 7-12 business days and are completely free. Place an order for your household here.
- Take part in the Caregiver Readiness Workshop on January 22 from 8:30am-3pm at the Greenfield Community Center. Training includes CPR/First Aid certification for those who care for individuals with developmental disabilities. Register here.
- Let your voice be heard! Join the Central Coast Early Childhood Advocacy Network’s (CCECAN) Parent Power Summit on January 25 from 4-6pm via Zoom and be part of the conversation that lifts up the community. Register for the Summit here and share widely with families and residents.
- Are you or someone you know in need of diapers? Greenfield Union School District is hosting a Diaper Giveaway for Greenfield residents on Wednesday, January 26 from 10am-1pm at Headstart Greenfield. Learn more and access flyers here.
- Do you own a small business in King City? El Pajaro Community Development Corporation is offering small businesses, with 25 or fewer employees, grants up to $10,000. Access application and eligibility requirements here. Physical copies are available at King City, City Hall. Applications are due by January 31!
- Are you a child care educator or provider? You may be eligible for an ECE Workforce Retention stipend! Learn more and apply 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.
- Monterey County needs businesses that support families, both behind the scenes with strong family policies and in the public eye as a service to families. Ready to apply to become a Monterey County Family Friendly Employer? It’s easy! Learn more and certify your business here. Child Care businesses are encouraged to apply!
- 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.]
- In addition to scheduling COVID-19 vaccination appointments, My Turn is an online tool that allows Californians to schedule their flu vaccinations and find walk-in clinics in their area. Learn more about the flu vaccine with this up-to-date fact sheet from the CDC.
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.