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
84% 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 May 2. Stay informed with the Monterey County COVID-19 portal.
News
- Calling all Monterey County licensed family child care educators and centers! Quality Matters Monterey has released the 2022-23 application for new Quality Matters sites. Join a community of ECE professionals and receive coaching, technical assistance, stipends, and resources to support your professional growth. Complete the application here or contact ECE Specialist Gelacio Gonzalez at ggonzalez@montereycoe.org for more information. Applications are due June 15.
- Looking for ways to start or improve your small business? El Pajaro is offering a 13-week course for businesses in Monterey County. Classes start May 13 from 6-9pm. Click here for more information.
- As of April 18, the CDC’s previous order requiring masks on public transportation and at transportation hubs is no longer in effect. The CDC continues to recommend that people wear masks in indoor public transportation settings at this time.
- The Child Health and Disability Prevention (CHDP) Program provides crucial services for families, children, and educators in Monterey County including current health informational presentations, trainings, free health checks, and immunizations. Check out these flyers to learn more.
- Last chance for your input! The Healthy Monterey County Needs Assessment can help shape the future of health in Monterey County. Click here to access the survey.
- Interested in serving children after school or during the summer months? The Community Foundation for Monterey County is offering expanded learning grants for public and private programs to serve school age children with enrichment and academic support. Learn more here. Applications are due Friday, May 13.
- Microbusiness COVID-19 Relief Grants are available for Monterey County businesses that made less than $50k in 2021. Apply for the grant here.
- Check out the Building Businesses Back (BBB) website to find grants, loans, workshops, and other resources for your small business. They can help with child care businesses, too! Check out this webinar recording here.
- MPUSD is enrolling toddlers, Pre-K, TK, and Kindergarteners! Check out and 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.