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.
Stay up-to-date and join the mailing list for the Bright Beginnings’ Weekly Recovery Coalition Digest, Maternal Mental Health Task Force, and the Bright Beginnings’ Quarterly Update here. It’s free!
Vaccines By the Numbers
84.9% 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 June 6. Stay informed with the Monterey County COVID-19 portal.
News
- The Biden-Harris Administration launched a new nationwide Test to Treat initiative in March 2022 to give individuals access to free, lifesaving treatment for COVID-19. Through this program, people are able to get tested, receive a prescription for oral antivirals, and have their prescription filled all at one location when appropriate. Check out the Test to Treat initiative.
- Is your program or agency interested in providing a pop up COVID-19 vaccine clinic for children, youth and families later this summer? If so, contact Krista Hanni at (831) 755-4586 at the Monterey County Health Department.
- Need a COVID-19 home test for your staff or families? We have free kits available at the Bright Beginnings office. Contact Cristina@brightbeginningsmc.org to get some for your program or home!
- Do you think your program has a COVID-19 outbreak? Child care providers can complete this form and submit it to Monterey County Public Health, when children are present and a child has tested positive in that setting. If a child has tested positive outside of that child care setting and does not attend the child care, then they may report the positive case here.
- We need your input in order to increase child care reimbursement rates for subsidy programs! Please complete this survey, to highlight how much it costs to provide high-quality preschool and childcare across California, and how far current public funding goes towards that cost. For this study to be successful, immediate input is needed from all types of providers (center-based, licensed family child care, and license-exempt family, friend and neighbor providers).
- Families with children 0-12 are being asked to complete an important survey related to child care. The survey is available now – June 23, takes approximately 15 minutes, and is available in English, Spanish, and other languages. Participants who complete the survey will be entered into a drawing to win one of several $200 gift cards.
- Remember, water safety is important during hot months. Here’s a link on how to keep children safe around water activities.
- All 58 counties in California continue to be under a state of emergency due to extreme and expanding drought conditions. Community Care Licensing reminds all licensed providers to be prepared for and continue responding to: extreme heat, public safety power shut offs (PSPS), wildfire emergencies, and long-term drought. Child Care providers are strongly encouraged to refer to PIN 21-07-CCLD and PIN 21-13-CCLD, which provide essential guidance on how to be prepared for extreme heat/drought, and this information on the Everbridge emergency response system.
- Want to get some great ideas on designing classrooms that promote kindness? Here’s a link to an article on classroom design from The Greater Good Science Center.
- The Nonprofit Finance Fund is hosting a series discussing the State of the Nonprofit Sector Survey results. More information and registration can be found here. The series will focus on these key elements:
- Wednesday, June 22 from 12pm-1pm | Part 2: Experiences of BIPOC-led organizations
- Thursday, September 22 from 12pm-1pm | Part 3: What funders should do
- The Alisal Family Resource Center is offering workshops on Tuesdays in June and July from 5:30-6:30pm at 1441 Del Monte Ave. Download and share the English flyer and Spanish flyer. For more information call (831) 753-5700 x 4702 or 4703.
- Tuesday, June 21 | Importance of Physical Activity
- Tuesday, June 28 | Rethink your Drink
- Tuesday, July 5 | Portions Matter
- The Alisal Union School District in collaboration with First 5 Monterey County is offering summer playgroups now-July 8. Call 831-753-5700, ext. 4702, 4703 or 4701 for more information. Download and share the English flyer and Spanish flyer.
- Celebrate Juneteenth this summer!
- Salinas Junteenth will be hosting its annual celebration at the Main Quad of Hartnell College on Saturday, June 18 from 12pm-6pm. For more information, click here.
- The Monterey County Juneteenth Committee invites you to set up a table at the 3rd annual Juneteenth celebration on Saturday, June 18 at Laguna Grande Park in Seaside at 1pm. RSVP to Juneteenth.Montereycounty@gmail.com.
- Ciclovía is coming to Greenfield! A designated street in Greenfield will be transformed into a car-free community event on Sunday, June 26 from 10am-2pm. If you’re interested in providing resources to families, please fill out this form and email it to cicloviasouthcounty@gmail.com.
- Looking for summer or after school activities for your child? Monterey County InPlay Summer Activity Guide is now available with great ideas for keeping your child active and engaged.
- Monterey Peninsula College is looking for feedback on how to use MPC Measure V Bond funding to improve infrastructure and facilities. Several advocates spoke in favor of allocating resources to an onsite childcare at the new Marina Education Center. If you are interested and able to send comments regarding the need or interest for a childcare center, please email jfinnell@mpc.edu.
- MPUSD is enrolling toddlers, Pre-K, TK, and Kindergarteners! Share these flyers with your community. Download the application here.
- Build capacity to support the quality of infant and toddler care in your programs and enhance the professional development of your teachers. Apply for the Program for Infant Toddler Care trainer certification by Monday, August 15.
- There are additional funds available for materials, training, and fees associated with starting new and expanding child care programs in Monterey County! Contact Maria Ortiz at the Resource and Referral at 831-757-0775 for information.
- The Monterey County Preschool Service Corps (PSC) program is looking for new AmeriCorps members for the 2022-23 year to support language and literacy development in partnering preschools. Visit Monterey County’s United Way website or contact Taylor Jonte-Saiz at (831) 757-3206 x 204 for more information.
- Check out the Quality Matters calendar for future professional development opportunities available for ECE providers!
- 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.