ECD FIELD CATALYSTS
Quarterly Newsletter - May 2020
From the Director...
Dear Early Childhood Development Colleagues,
I hope this newsletter finds you all safe and healthy. As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, protecting our families and ourselves is paramount to all else; however, we must also continue the important early childhood development work. We value and appreciate you for all the ways you assist our most vulnerable children, families, and communities. The mission of the Office of Early Childhood Development (ECD) is to act as a catalyst to create a collective impact and support the early learning and care of our nation’s children and their families. This mission is one that I believe provides much value across the Administration for Children and Families and as we work with our many public and private partners. Our 4 core strategies (Communication; Coordination and Partnerships; Sustainability; and Resource sharing) support this mission and allow us to continue to find effective solutions to support early learning.
ECD will be issuing a quarterly newsletter to provide another opportunity to communicate with the field. You can also access information on our website at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ecd. We are excited to share resources and information with you on a quarterly basis. To be added to the email list, please send an email to EarlyChildhoodDevelopment@acf.hhs.gov. Again, thank you for your interest and we look forward to our continued partnership and don't forget to follow us on Twitter (@ecdgov)!
Virtual/Remote Services for Primary Prevention
The Office of Early Childhood Development, the Children's Bureau, and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau have joined together as federal partners to to urge our grantees and their state/territory/tribes and local partners to collaborate in new and creative ways to engage and support the whole family.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused us to re-examine how we provide supportive services for our families, especially now with the varying uncertainties and school and business closures. With these stressors come the possibility of an increase of abuse and neglect, or other adverse experiences. So, early childhood-serving programs are encouraged to "think outside the box" and include virtual primary prevention strategies for families during this critical time, and perhaps beyond.
As a result of this changing environment, programs have begun to implement virtual/remote service delivery, i.e., teleconferencing, videoconferencing, and expanded use of the internet. Virtual/remote services can effectively provide family support to assist those who need help. Encouraging primary prevention strategies can reduce the risk of maltreatment both now and in the future.
Here are helpful resources for providers:
COMING SOON! Joint Letter- Office of Early Childhood Development/Children's Bureau/Maternal and Child Health Bureau
New guidance on Caseworker Visits Via VideoconferencingMyPeers Can Support Virtual Work During COVID-19
FCC COVID-19 Telehealth Program
Virtual Case Management Considerations and Resources for Human Services Programs
Improving Human Services Using Virtual Technical Assistance
People in Low-Income Households Have Less Access to Internet Services
How Head Start is Supporting First Responders and Families at Home
COVID-19's Early Impact on Home Visiting
Tele-Intervention and Distance Learning
Trending in the News...
COVID-19
For States, Territories, Tribes, and Providers
Summary of CARES ACT
Office of Child Care COVID-19 Resources
Latest Updates from the Office of Head Start
supplemental summer programs and about $250 million is available for one-time
activities in response to COVID-19
For Parents, Providers, and Teachers
CDC Guidance for Schools and Child Care Programs
CDC Guidance for Child Care Programs that Remain Open
Managing Stress, Fear, and Anxiety
Supporting Children and Families
The Center for Excellence for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC)
National Network to End Domestic Violence
General Information
Department of Health and Human Services - Coronavirus Guidelines for America
ACF COVID-19 Responses and Resources
Whole Family Approach to COVID-19
Governor's Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER)
HHS Encourages Increased Access to PPE for Child Welfare Workers
New Information Memorandum on the CARES Act for Child Care
The Office of Child Care (OCC) is pleased to announce the release of new guidance on Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds for child care. The purpose of this Information Memorandum (IM)—CCDF-ACF-IM-2020-01—is to provide an overview of and guidance to state, territory, and tribal lead agencies on the supplemental Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) discretionary funds made available through the CARES Act. This IM provides guidance on allowable CCDF program activities, support for providers during closures or decreased enrollment, support for child care services for essential workers, exemptions from quality and direct-service activities spending requirements, important dates for obligating and liquidating funds, the process for making changes to CCDF Plans and policies, and monitoring efforts. The new IM is available on this OCC website.
Coming Soon: Early Childhood Development Information Memorandum!
A Free Virtual Mini-Conference for Early Childhood Educators: Young Child Expo & Conference COVID 19-Response
Join this conference to hear more about what early childhood educators, schools, and government-funded companies have encountered and how they have responded to the Covid-19 crisis. Our panelists include PreK-12 Superintendents who will share their approach to remote instruction and enrichment for their early childhood education program. Government-funded developers will highlight free early childhood products and services they are providing to support remote instruction for the rest of the school year, including testimonials and case studies. Early childhood teachers in New York will be able to earn CTLE credits for attending. For educators outside of New York, a Certificate of Completion will be provided. Register here
Tuesday, May 5, 2020, 01:00 PM
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In the Spotlight...
Enjoy this short and funny video showing how even something like telling jokes encourages great relationships between children and their Dads!
"ECD’s mission is to act as a catalyst to create collective impact and support early learning and care of our nation's children and their families."
E-Mail: EarlyChildhoodDevelopment@acf.hhs.gov
Website: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ecd
Follow us on: Twitter handle: @ecdgov