April 2020 Newsletter
What We've Been Up To
Responding to COVID-19: Federal Support Webinar for Early Child Development Center Directors  

In partnership with Whole Child Leon (Leon County, Florida), ICS hosted a webinar f or Early Child Development (ECD) centers  on April 23. The webinar reviewed the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), part of the CARES Act.
 
Many ECD centers in North Florida and across the nation were unable to take advantage of the PPP before the initial round of funding was exhausted on April 16. During the webinar, ECD center directors received important information regarding the PPP application in anticipation of “round two” legislation signed into law by the President on April 24. The legislation provides $380 billion for small businesses (including ECD centers) and includes $75 billion for hospitals and $25 billion for disease testing. 

Survey of the Pandemic's Economic Impact on the Child Care Sector

Over the last week, ICS collected responses to a survey of child care providers in South Carolina to better understand how the spread of COVID-19  – and the resulting economic impacts – are affecting the child care sector. The child care sector is essential to the health and well-being of millions of South Carolina families and to our economy as a whole. ICS wants to ensure the viability of the sector so that quality child care is available to parents and caregivers returning to work following the crisis. We look forward to releasing our report on the survey findings next week and will work with our partners to use the findings to inform policy and other solutions supporting our essential child care providers. 

COVID-19 Blog Series
We’ve been busy pumping out information for you through our ICS COVID-19 blog series. Each blog is meant to provide readers with guidance and recommendations for navigating the crisis offered by expert organizations and leading authorities in healthcare, child care, mental health, and child safety.
 
The series discusses how to reduce stress and provide structure for children and offers numerous age-appropriate activities. The blogs also give an update on the medical landscape for doctors' office visits, well check-ups, prenatal care and labor and delivery
 
Following is a compilation of what we've produced:

Pediatric Health - We share American Academy of Pediatrics and American Academy of Family Physicians-issued considerations for ensuring safety and hygiene during visits to providers.  Well visits , t elemedicine , handling child injuries, waiting room protocol and avoiding n on-essential  procedures.

Housing  - We look at observing stay-at-home orders and reducing crowds in public places when housing is unstable. Recommendations for self-isolating when one doesn’t
have a home to shelter in, or when regular shelter is itself crowded and doesn’t allow for isolation. 

Pregnancy   - We let you know what to expect regarding prenatal visits, telehealth, labor and delivery room support, baby rooming in, breastfeeding, formula shortages and newborn well-child visits. Guidance from t he American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Academy of Pediatrics and Centers for Disease Control.

Talking to Kids about Coronavirus  - Strategies for talking to youngsters, teens & tweens to help them understand the precautions we are all taking, while avoiding scaring them & keeping our own anxiety in check to avoid projecting onto them.

Round Two - Applying for Federal Opportunities for Small Business & Non-Profit Support   - With the second round of funding for the Paycheck Protection Program in the works, our webinar covers applying, eligibility, repayment & forgiveness so you can act fast when applications open back up.

Activities to Do with Your Kids - Learn 20 activities you can do with your children during the coronavirus pandemic, mess-free toddler activities and about loose parts, household and outdoor items that encourage open-ended learning.

Stay-at-home Families Navigating through Coronavirus - Glean advice such as g o to sleep and wake up at consistent times, set time frames for meals and create chunks of time for work-related, school-related and physical exercise activities. Dress for the social life you desire, not the more limited social life you have during this period.

Families Struggling with Food Insecurity and Meal Provisions - Examine how families that struggle to provide adequate food and nutrition likely faced tremendous barriers to being able to stockpile based on a lack of financial liquidity at the beginning of the crisis and may be experiencing significant anxiety related to meal provision. 
Resources
ICS's Megan Carolan Quoted in Parents Magazine
Parents Magazine recently published an article declaring maternal mortality to be a public health crisis. In American Birth Story: The Changing Face of Birth in America , our Director of Policy Research, Megan Carolan discusses how the declaration can be a powerful tool in reducing our country’s abysmal maternal mortality rate. 
Useful Links

General


SC DHEC Education & Resources

Event

As children across the country are now out of school for an extended period of time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many have raised concerns about the impact of time away from the classroom without structured in-person instruction.

Will our children fall behind academically?

Is at-home instruction sufficient?

What long term mental and emotional challenges might result?

There are families across the country who struggle with these questions on a normal day as young children are forced out of the classroom.

On Thursday, May 7th from 11:30 am – 12:30 pm , ICS invites you to join the first webinar in our series on issues in early childhood and tools to bolster the field, Preschool Suspension and Expulsion: Overview and Policy Recommendations . The webinar will include a focus on the racial biases inherent in preschool suspension and expulsion, and strategies to develop a more equitable learning experience for all children.
Staying at Home
We're hard at work, working-from-home during this pandemic.

Director of Innovation & Inclusion,
Mary C. Garvey
Senior Fellow,
Dr. Dee Stegelin
Executive Assistant,
Karen Cantu

Director of Policy Research,
Megan Carolan
(and assistant/son)
Vice President &
General Counsel
Bryan Boroughs (and little one)
Communications Associate,
Lisa Maronie
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