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.
The next Coalition meeting will be on Wednesday, December 15 from 1:30 – 3:30pm. If you have information, flyers, or events you would like to share in this publication or at the next Coalition meeting, 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
74% 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 November 15. Follow these current safety measures.
News
- The requirement for wearing masks indoors in Monterey County is now suspended. The Board of Supervisors will meet again on December 8 to decide if they will use local data instead of the CDC recommendations. See the article from Monterey County Weekly here.
- Can kids get the flu vaccine at the same time as they get the COVID-19 vaccine? Yes! This article from Boston Children’s Hospital provides some facts.
- Monterey County needs your input! Please complete this brief online survey to share your thoughts on the mental health needs of Monterey County residents to help the Monterey County Behavioral Health Bureau develop the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) Annual Update for Fiscal Year 2022-23. The MHSA provides funding to counties for expanded mental health services and prevention programs. You can find the survey here. Please feel free to share the survey with the community.
- Check out the latest updated COVID-19 guidance for operating early childhood and education programs (November 10). The new guidance listed here includes recommendations for face coverings, testing, and mitigation strategies.
- It’s not too late to join tomorrow’s virtual Town Hall with Congressman Jimmy Panetta to hear from experts in the field on key areas affecting Central Coast families including health care, education, support for immigrant families, and child care. This bilingual event will be on Friday, November 19 from 4:00 – 5:30pm. Register in advance here.
- Thinking about better ways to be more grateful? Take a look at this article from the Greater Good Science Center and learn six habits that can help you see things in a different light.
- Want to get involved in the community school movement on the Central Coast? Join the CDE Community Schools Forum webinar on Tuesday, December 7 from 5:30 – 7:30pm by registering here. Check out this graphic that outlines the four pillars of CCSPP partnerships.
- COVID-19 vaccines for kids? Yes! Vaccines are available for children ages 5+. Click here for the information on this exciting news from the CDC and keep an eye out for vaccine locations at the Monterey County Office of Education, local schools, and pharmacies. Go to myturn.ca.gov for an appointment.
- Check out some of the 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 below:
- ENGLISH
- SPANISH
COVID-19 Information
| COVID-19 Vaccine Information ➡️click here to learn more… General COVID-19 & Public Health ➡️click here to learn more… |
Resources & Tools
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.