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 March 8. Stay informed with the Monterey County COVID-19 portal.
News
- The California Department of Public Health has released updated K-12 guidance, as well as updates to the group tracing approach, and exposure notification letter. This new guidance is in response to the recent easing of restrictions and is designed to keep California K-12 schools open for in-person instruction safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Updated guidelines will go into effect at the end of day on Friday, March 11.
- Mask mandates for schools and child care settings in California are changing on Saturday, March 12. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) strongly recommends, but does not mandate, the use of face masks indoors. The latest guidance from CDPH on face masks is located here.
- Join the Response and Recovery meeting on Wednesday, March 16 at 1:30pm with special guests from the Monterey County Health Department who will go over the local COVID-19 data, which may help programs make informed decisions about masks for children and staff in child care settings. Join via Zoom here.
- The Maternal Mental Health FORUM is right around the corner, March 23-25! Join fellow change agents to convene, collaborate, and take in cutting-edge content to close gaps in care. The FORUM is going to be fully virtual again, with mainstage and breakout sessions, and both topic and regional networking opportunities. Bright Beginnings is proud to sponsor and bring this opportunity FREE of charge for task force members. Register here and use the code: BRIGHT2022
- There is an updated Quick-Screening Guide for COVID-19 for parents and caregivers from the UCSF California Childcare Health Program. Find the one-page guide here.
- Did you know that Monterey County received an additional $351,747 in one-time funds to increase family child care spaces? This funding is called the Child Care Incentive Project (CCIP)-ARPA funding and is provided through MAOF’s Resource and Referral program. Funds are available to help family child care programs that closed during the pandemic re-open, stay open, or expand their current license and for new family child care programs to become licensed. Contact Maria Ortiz, 831-757-0775, at MAOF for more information.
- The Monterey County Preschool Service Corps (PSC) program recruits, selects, trains, and places AmeriCorps members who serve as supports for language and literacy development in partnering preschools. AmeriCorps members receive a monthly stipend, training, benefits, and an education award. For further information, visit Monterey County’s United Way website or contact Taylor Jonte-Saiz, Monterey County Preschool Service Corps Program Manager at (831) 757-3206 x 204.
- Additional funding is available for families who qualify for subsidy! The Alternative Payment program administered by MAOF received an additional $5,824,877 to serve around 350 more families in child care settings, including centers and homes. Contact MAOF at 831-424-6939 for more information and to get on the waiting list.
- California has allocated $130 million in ongoing preschool funds. The Request for Applications (RFA) for CSPP funds are for Local Education Agencies (LEAs) interested in serving full- or part-day preschool for 3 and 4-year-olds. New LEAs as well as currently operating CSPP programs are encouraged to apply. Learn more about the funding process here. Applications are due April 7!
- Maternal Mental Health 101: There’s still time to register for the complimentary webinar hosted by 2020 Mom and presented by Postpartum Support International on Thursday, March 17 from 10:30am – 12pm. Learn about the various maternal mental health disorders, the differences between them, risk factors, and treatment options. A link to the recording will be sent to all those who register.
- 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:
- Free Testing Clinics
- Free Vaccination Clinics
- Note: some clinics are short staffed due to COVID outbreaks and may need to close on short notice.
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.