COVID-19 Response & Recovery Plan
Our goal is to ensure that young children have quality, nurturing, and safe child care and education as physical distancing and other guidelines continue, to slow the spread of COVID-19.
The next Coalition Call will be a joint meeting with the Child Care Planning Council on July 15, 1:30-2:30pm (the Council will conduct its separate business until 3:30pm). Please RSVP here.
For more information about this effort and the coalition behind it, please visit our web hub here.
This Week’s Highlights
A few highlights from this last week are shared below. Previous Weekly Digests are available here.
By the Numbers
34 local child care centers are operating now (29% of total registered) — no change from last week.
287 local child care homes are operating now (89% of total registered) — 3 more since last week.
546 enhanced referrals completed since the start of shelter-in-place — 32 more since last week.
329 early childhood education providers enrolled for supplies vouchers — 19 more since last week.
- 34 child care centers, 272 child care homes, and 23 family, friends & neighbors
$380,770 has been disbursed for emergency supplies.
$80,774 is still available for emergency supplies.
4 joint memos were sent regarding emergency supports to all providers by the Child Care Planning Council, MAOF, and Bright Beginnings in the last three weeks. Read the latest memo here.
200 (approx.) newly funded subsidized child care and education spaces in Monterey County.
News
- Working with Coalition partners and with input from the Monterey County Department of Health, we have a better understanding on group sizes and face covering in formal child care settings. Please find more information here.
- Expanded child care capacity! Monterey County received award notifications for Full Day General Child Care subsidy starting this month. The award adds over $5,500,000 in new, on-going funding. Thank you, Early Development Services, North Monterey County USD, GoKids, CAPSLO, and Laura’s Barn for expanding services for child care and education.
- Coming soon: Assessment of needs and solutions for child care and supervision for children and youth of working families. And roll out of peer networking, training and coaching series for child care and education providers in all settings, formal and informal.
Resources
- The Monterey County Health Department has shared a useful chart on COVID-19 Exposure FAQ and action flow chart. Find the bilingual chart here.
- Wondering how various activities compare in likelihood of exposure to COVID-19? See this bilingual guide from the Texas Medical Association.
- A bilingual “Find Child Care” flyer is available here in color and here in black and white (for easy copying). A badge for your web page or social media, like the purple one at the top of this digest, is also available here. It links to www.MontereyCountyChildCare.org with the most up-to-date information regarding child care for parents and providers.
- Every Child California has published a guide for Child Care Opening and Reopening. This can be used for all early care and education practitioners, but is particularly useful for child care centers.
- California has a signed budget. Review the Health and Human Services and K-12 Education budget summaries. Funds will be available to help child care programs reopen, reconfigure, and sustain through various methods. The Child Care Planning Council and MAOF Resource & Referral will have more information as it becomes available.
- Emergency supplies vouchers for all types of child care providers (except those a part of school districts) are still available and are valid through September 30. To apply for funds, complete this form as soon as possible and email it to RRMC@maof.org. A specialist will follow up to confirm your application and details for receiving funds, as available. More information for school districts is coming soon.
- COVID-19 Child Care & Wellbeing Response & Recovery coalition partners have posted valuable resources on how to talk about diversity and racism with young children. Check out what First 5 Monterey County has shared:
- The Learning Resources for Children and Families page has activities for children to do at home along with anti-racism resources that include how to talk to children about racial bias, how to talk about race, and books that explain race and diversity.
- The Learning Resources for Children and Families page has activities for children to do at home along with anti-racism resources that include how to talk to children about racial bias, how to talk about race, and books that explain race and diversity.
- Guidance for Summer/Day Camps! You can find the state guidance here and local guidance here (all accessible through the Monterey County page for industry-specific guidance during the pandemic).
- Resiliency supports for parents, educators – just about anyone, really – are available through the Health Department’s Forward Together Initiative. Click here for more information.
- Free COVID-19 testing is available. Child care and education providers are strongly encouraged to get tested. Appointments are required. Register by clicking here or by calling 888-634-1123. More information, including times and locations, can be found here on these posters — please post and share within your networks.
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
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.