Emergency 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.
Our next community call is on Wednesday, July 1 from 1:30-2:45pm. 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.
283 local child care homes are operating now (86% of total registered) — one less since last week.
477 enhanced referrals completed since the start of COVID-19 Shelter-In-Place — 21 more since last week.
371 children have been served with emergency child care for essential workers, and emergency funding has been completely allocated — no change from last week.
294 early childhood education providers enrolled for supplies vouchers — 20 more since last week.
$356,003 has been disbursed for emergency supplies.
$105,518 is still available for emergency supplies (to be disbursed by end of 2020).
2,500 masks were distributed to child care providers last week, thanks to a generous donation from Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) and the Monterey County Office of Emergency Services.
69,120 diapers and 99,600 baby wipes were distributed to child care providers last week, thanks to a generous donation from First 5 California. The next shipment of cleaning supplies will arrive in a few weeks.
4 agencies called child care and education providers to coordinate the distribution of supplies. Thank you MAOF, Quality Matters, United Way, First 5 Monterey County and Bright Beginnings for making that happen!
Resources
- 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.
- State mandates on face coverings: On Thursday, Governor Newsom issued a mandate requiring face coverings in public spaces – with exception of specific spaces such as child care and education settings. Other exemptions include, but are not limited to: all children under two, and anyone with a medical, physical or mental condition that prevents wearing a face mask.
- New local 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). Note: Our Public Health Officer has called for stable group sizes of 12 total (combined adult and children), with children maintained in the same group for at least four weeks and siblings and/or COVID-19 frontline health care workers grouped together.
- Monterey County has allowed all child care providers to open for all families.You can find state guidance here. For additional help opening your program, contact the Resource and Referral, MAOF at (831) 757-0775. We expect more local guidance for Social Circles and Informal Child Care next week (fingers crossed).
- Emergency supplies vouchers for all types of child care providers (except those 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.
- Resiliency supports are available through the Health Department’s Forward Together initiative. Click here for more information.
- “Find Child Care” purple badge (like the one at the top of this digest) is available here. It links to www.MontereyCountyChildCare.org with the most up-to-date information regarding child care for parents and providers. Updated flyers will be available next week.
- Free COVID-19 testing is now 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.
- United Way launched an early learning fund to support child care during COVID-19. Check out the video here. Please share with your networks — donations are being accepted on an ongoing basis.
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.