Early Childhood CARES June 2020 e-News
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Dear Early Childhood CARES Families,

Thank you for your patience and flexibility during these last few months. We have learned a great deal about providing distance learning to you and your child and hope you have been able to connect to our services. We will be continuing our distance learning model for our 5-week summer schedule this year. Our decision was based on a recommendation from the Oregon Department of Education and guidelines from the Early Learning Division. At this point, it is not safe to provide our in-person services in classrooms or homes for both children and families, as well as for our staff. We will be in touch during the summer when we know what we are able to offer for services in the fall. Our goal is to continue to provide high quality early intervention and early childhood special education to you and your child, and we will do everything in our power to work towards resuming our in-person services as soon as it is safe to do so.
Our Summer services will run July 6 - July 24 and August 3 – August 14.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Governor Brown has asked every state agency to trim approximately 17 percent from their budget for this coming year. This includes our program. We will be communicating with you as we have more information about how this will impact our services.

These are unprecedented times that none of us could have prepared for. We appreciate your continued collaboration with us and the opportunity to work with you and your child.

With gratitude,
Kim Giansante and LaWanda Potter Co-Directors Early Childhood CARES




June-July Calendar

  • June 2, Self Care Coffee Chat
  • June 9, Coffee Chat with WellMama
  • June 13-July 5, No Services
  • July 6, Deadline to register for Summer Positive Behavior Mini Group
  • July 8, Positive Behavior Mini Group Begins
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Coffee Chats on Facebook Live

On Tuesday, June 2 @ 4 pm, we'll be having a Facebook livestream on self care. Britni D'eliso, a behavioral health strategist with Pacific Source, will share wellness strategies for parents and caretakers of young children during this pandemic.

On Thursday, June 9 @ 11 am , we will be live on our Facebook page to chat with Emily Little, executive director of WellMama. Emily will be sharing information about perinatal mental health and the resources that WellMama is currently providing. You can submit questions beforehand to Ursula at ecparent@uoregon.edu.

Our potty training coffee chat aired live on May 28, and is now available to view on Facebook and YouTube . Kathy McGrew, EI/ECSE specialist, shared tips on potty training readiness, use of rewards and visuals, and more. You can also listen to this chat as an audio file on our website here.

What's a coffee chat?: These are 20 minute chats between our Family Engagement Coordinator and service providers. These sessions will be recorded to our Facebook page and also posted to our YouTube channel , so if you miss the livestream, you can always watch it later. We hope to continue this series throughout the summer, so stay tuned for the latest updates.
The group is designed to help parents decrease negative behaviors in preschool-aged children. Topics covered will include child-directed play, praise & rewards, and household routines & rules.

The group will be led by Ursula Crawford, Family Engagement & Resource Coordinator with Early Childhood CARES, and Jo Ellyn Peterson, an Early Childhood Special Educator.

Pre-registration is required. Families should provide us with their email address at time of registration. We will be sending information on how to access the Zoom sessions via email. Families must have Internet access and a phone, tablet, or computer that is compatible with Zoom.

To register:
Call 541-346-2578, Text 541-393-7200 or Email eccares@uoregon.edu
Registration deadline: Monday, July 6.
  • Talk with a Parenting Educator from the comfort of your home.
  • Free support and education offered on your schedule.
  • Develop skills for positive parenting.
  • To get started with this personalized parenting support, call Parenting Now! Enrollment at 541.434-4343 or email enroll@parentingnow.org.
Kindness Kits from Little Hands Can

Little Hands Can is an awesome organization that introduces young children to community service in the Eugene area. With all their events shut down for the time being, they've introduced virtual kindness kits. These are free downloads from their website, that you can use to teach your children about kindness while continuing to practice social distancing.

Eight kits are available, on the following topics: kindness and social distancing, poverty and homelessness, mindfulness and mental health, gratitude, caring for animals, caring for the environment, inclusion and special needs, and celebrating difference and teaching tolerance.
Join the FREE Kids in Transition to School (KITS) program this summer. This year, due to distancing requirements and uncertainty about whether facilities will be open during the summer, we are moving to an online format called KITS At Home. KITS At Home features the same evidence-based and award-winning curriculum as in-person KITS. During KITS At Home, we meet online with parents and other caregivers in groups. Parents will learn how to:
·     encourage and support learning at home
·     help children follow directions and cooperate with parents
·     support their children to develop social-emotional skills they need to be ready for school
There will be about 10 parents in each group. Groups will be held in English or Spanish – parents can choose their preferred language.
At the end of each group meeting, to thank parents for their participation, there will be a raffle for a $20 gift card. Also, at the end of the whole program, there will be a raffle for a $100 gift card.
 
When is KITS At Home?
KITS At Home groups will meet online for one hour on two days a week. The group will last for 8 weeks. There will be a variety of times and days available.

How will parents connect to the groups?
Groups will meet through the GoToMeeting platform via video or phone. GoToMeeting works on computers, tablets, and smartphones.
If you think that you may have trouble getting access, KITS staff will work with you to try to find a way for you to join the groups. We hope to be able to provide devices for loan and stipends for internet access. School districts will also be helping with devices.

Who is eligible?
If you are a parent or caregiver (for example, grandparent, other family member, foster parent) of a child who will be going to kindergarten in Lane County, you may be eligible. KITS at home will be available in Eugene 4J, Fern Ridge, Creswell and Marcola. Other districts are still deciding what to offer as of this date.

Want to find out more?
Contact Denise at Denisef@oslc.org or 541-485-2711.
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Diaper Resources

The following organizations can provide diaper donations to families experiencing financial hardship.

Free diapers may be available for children ages 3 and older who have Oregon Health Plan. Parent needs to request a prescription for diapers from a pediatrician. Pediatrician will fax the prescription to a vendor. Some private insurances will cover this benefit and some will not. Check with your carrier.
Support our Program with eScrip

Using eScrip is even easier now with the new Benefit Mobile, Inc. app for iPhone and Androids. Click here for more info or to get the app.

Sign up for eScrip to raise money for Early Childhood CARES when you shop at Market of Choice and other partner organizations. You can designate up to three schools to receive funds when you shop. Signing up is quick and easy at escrip.com.
LaneKids has a parent newsletter. Sign up here.

Check out the LaneKids website for events, parenting classes,
and more!
Resources
Early Childhood CARES Resource Guide 2019-2020
Our annual Resource Guide lists relevant community resources for young families including library storytimes, play groups, childcare options, and more. If you would like a copy of the 2019-2020 Resource Guide — updated in August 2019 — visit our website  to download it. If you need a paper copy, contact your service coordinator or email eccares@uoregon.edu.

Free Screening for Siblings
Parents of children receiving services from Early Childhood CARES may request a free developmental screening for younger siblings. Simply call 541-346-2578. Spanish speaking families can call 541-346-0742.

Food
To find an emergency food pantry that serves you or more information, please call (541) 343-2822. Click on your neighborhood below to download the flier.


Imagination Library
The Imagination Library is now available throughout most of Lane County. You can sign your child up to receive a free book by mail every month from birth until he or she turns 5. Details available at the LaneKids website here.
 
About Us:
Early Childhood CARES provides early intervention and early childhood special education to infants, toddlers, and preschool-age children in Lane County. Services are individually designed to address the needs of the young child with developmental delays or disabilities. All services are free of charge to eligible children.

Early Childhood CARES 
541-346-2578 
800-925-8694 
1500 West 12th Ave Eugene OR 97402