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 21. Stay informed with the Monterey County COVID-19 portal.
News
- Join the Monterey County Local Child Care Planning Council on Friday, March 25 from 10:30-11:30am. This meeting is dedicated to the California State Preschool Program (CSPP) Expansion Application. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn from Monterey County program experts, ask questions, and receive technical assistance. Click on this Zoom link to join the meeting and use the passcode 793205.
- Last chance! Do you need to make some minor repairs in your child care home or center? Renovation and Repair funds are available for family child care homes and centers that serve low income children (LEA’s are not eligible for this round of funding). Some examples of minor renovations/repairs include new carpet, appliance upgrades, heating and cooling, plumbing, windows, landscaping, etc. You can also contact mortiz@maof.org, Laura@BrightBeginningsmc.org or laramirez@montereycoe.org for assistance. Applications are due Friday, March 25!
- The Monterey Herald featured the Hartnell College Pathway Apprenticeship program and the nearly $500k grant they received to promote ECE workers in Monterey County. Learn more about the apprenticeship program here and check out two of our partners, Ivan Pagan and Sonia Jaramillo, who made the local news! Watch the KSBW video here.
- Monterey County is hearing from the child care industry! Check out this article by California Forward on why closing the child care gap is pivotal to the economic blueprint of Monterey County.
- Do you have a student loan and work in ECE? Register for this webinar on Thursday, March 31 at 3:00pm to see how you can receive support! This webinar is important for anyone in the ECE workforce with Federal student loans and/or administrators who want to support their ECE staff, including those working in Head Start, Early Head Start programs, and in other ECE settings.
- The Central Coast Early Childhood Advocacy Network is excited to introduce their upcoming Policy Learning Community 2022! This is a four-session bilingual and virtual workshop for parents and community members to learn about the legislative system, the importance of advocacy, and the power of storytelling. To register, please complete the five-minute registration form in English or Spanish. The last day to submit the registration form is Tuesday, March 29 at 5:00pm. If you have any questions, please reach out to Erika Arreola at (831) 324-9702.
- Looking for ways to connect with your children? Join the free Circle of Security Parenting program in Spanish every Friday starting April 1 through May 20 from 4-6pm. This research-based program offers ways for families to understand and support their children through secure parent-child relationships. Click here for flyers and contact Florentina from Door to Hope at 831-613-1060 for more information.
- Join the F5MC IFECMH three-session virtual training series, “Let’s talk about Bruno!”, on April 13, April 27, and May 4 from 6:30-8:00pm. This training is free and open to those who work with children prenatal through age five and their families in Monterey County. The sessions will have simultaneous Spanish interpretation. Register here.
- Alisal USD is enrolling preschool, TK, and Kindergarten students! Register online and learn more here.
- Want to give input on the future of Early Education programming in California? This is your chance to give feedback directly to the state, and get $50 for your thoughts! The State is looking for educators who have opinions about the Preschool Learning Foundations and the DRDP (Desired Results Developmental Profile). Fill out this interest form to be considered for these important focus groups.
- The California Department of Public Health has released updated Mega Event guidance, which goes into effect on Friday, April 1. This new guidance is in response to the recent easing of restrictions, making requirements for vaccine verification or proof of negative test for Indoor Mega Events move to a strong recommendation.
- The Monterey County Preschool Service Corps (PSC) program is looking for new AmeriCorps members for the 2022-23 year who will 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.
- Join the First 5 Monterey County team! F5MC is looking for a Communications Coordinator to support websites, social media, talking points, and promotional materials and an Administrative Support Coordinator to work with the Executive Director and team. Apply here!
- 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.