November 2, 2020

HEN (Humboldt Early Education Newsletter) Eighth Edition
Have something to share? Email Acervantes@changingtidesfs.org to be featured in next month's edition!
News & Updates about Legislation, ECE, Local Events, Trainings, and Job Opportunities
Hot Topics

🚨This includes child care providers who own their own businesses; they just need to use a copy of their CCL license! This is a first come, first serve until the funds are exhausted. Please look through to see what they need and how it works. đŸ‘‡


The county encourages these small business to submit applications for the Restart Grant (up to $500 of reimbursable costs related to drafting and submitting their reopening plan for the county, including any staff or admin costs to complete the plan, or hiring someone else to create it), and the Recovery Grant (up to $1,200 of reimbursable costs related to COVID, including PPE, rental assistance, equipment or environmental/building improvements to comply with quarantining, social distancing orders; wages for staff who were hired or had additional hours directly because of COVID, and other costs associated with hardships due to COVID-19 or complying with public health orders) đŸ‘‡đŸš¨
ECE NEWS
Health, Information, Security, And Community: What Family, Friend, And Neighbor Providers Need During Covid-19
The term “Family, Friend, and Neighbor” (FFN) generally refers to unlicensed or license-exempt home-based providers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many families came to rely on FFN providers as other child care settings closed or limited their enrollment. A survey from the Bipartisan Policy Center showed that a third of families who had previously relied on a child care center were relying on child care from a relative during the pandemic, and an additional 8% were relying on a friend, neighbor, or nanny for care. This means 40% of children previously in formal child care are now being cared for by informal FFN caregivers.
The current public health crisis represents an opportunity to provide support and training to this group of caregivers so that they can better guide the children they serve and help prepare them for kindergarten and beyond. In order to understand FFNs’ experiences, Early Edge California conducted a survey of sixteen agencies serving FFN providers statewide, including Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies, libraries, and County Offices of Education, and we interviewed six FFN providers in Los Angeles and Central California to better understand their experiences and challenges during COVID-19. In our new brief, we present key findings from these interviews and survey results, and share some policy recommendations for supporting FFNs based on the feedback we received from providers and the agencies that support them. 

New Simplified PPP Application Form Now Available!

THE NATION’S LEADING EXPERT ON THE BUSINESS OF FAMILY CHILD CARE
See Two Updates Below
Applying for forgiveness under the Paycheck Program (PPP) just got a lot easier!
The new Forgiveness Application Form 3508S greatly simplifies the forgiveness process.
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With this new form, providers will not have to show how they spent the money they received to have all of their loan forgiven. This is a major step forward in reducing the paperwork burden of previous forgiveness application forms. The new form is for those who borrowed less than $50,000, which should mean all family child care providers can use it.

The new forgiveness application form is one page. It asks you how much money you received from the loan and how much you want forgiven. Then it asks you to certify that you followed all the rules associated with the loan. That’s it! You don’t have to submit any records showing how you spent the money. The SBA advises that you do save such records in case the SBA asks for them later (which is highly unlikely).

This new application form replaces two previous forms: Form 3508EZ and Form 3508. Providers should no longer try to fill out either of these forms.
I recommend that providers go ahead and fill out this new forgiveness application form now and submit it to their lender. The SBA has indicated they are making it easier for lenders to process these applications quickly, so there is no reason to wait.
Outdoor classes and ‘forest schools’ gain new prominence amid distance learning struggles
Stomping through puddles, scrambling over fallen logs and digging in the dirt with sticks may not sound like traditional educational activities, but they are core parts of the curriculum in “forest schools.”


New Census Data: Anti-Poverty Agenda Must Address COVID-19, Young People, and Systemic Racial Inequities
Each year the Census Bureau releases national data on income, poverty, and health insurance coverage in the United States for the previous year. The release of 2019 data provides a snapshot of where we were as a country prior to the coronavirus pandemic and before the country fell into a deep economic recession. The Census Bureau cautions the pandemic did impact response rates for survey data that were collected in March 2020. This year’s data had a significantly lower response rate than the previous year among individuals with lower income and education levels. In other words, positive findings on declining rates of poverty and other economic improvements shown in the data may be overstated.


California Department of Education (CDE) Early Learning and Care COVID-19 Resources
The Early Learning and Care Division of CDE has created a dedicated webpage to provide guidance and directives about early learning and care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • MB 20-11 COVID-19 Guidance: Emergency Closures
  • MB 20-10 COVID-19 Guidance regarding Family Child Care Home Education Networks
  • MB 20-09 COVID-19 Guidance on Program Self Evaluation, Contract Monitoring, and Program Quality Requirements
Child Care Licensing
Coronavirus Information
Please refer to the following notices regarding Coronavirus:


Child Care Transition Process to the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) 
Effective July 1, 2021 a majority of the child care and early learning and care programs will be moving from the California Department of Education to the California Department of Social Services (CDSS).
The State of California is committed to building and strengthening an equitable, comprehensive, quality, and affordable child care and development system for the children and families in our state and has created a website about this transition.

You are welcome to share your feedback on the transition process in English or Spanish by completing this SurveyMonkey survey or filling out this form.
 
Usted puede rellenar la encuesta Transferencia de programas de cuidado infantil al CDSS: encuesta a nuestros socios en espaĂąol. Por favor, una vez que lo haga, envĂ­e el documento a CCTransition@dss.ca.gov.
 
To learn about upcoming stakeholder meetings, or for any other questions or information related to this transition, please reach out to us at: CCTransition@dss.ca.gov.
Local News & Updates
First 5’s Emergency Supplies program expands in Humboldt County

This just warms our hearts! ❤️ In partnership with SupplyBank.Org & First 5 Humboldt, we made it our mission to put essential supplies in the hands of those caring for our communities children. Our child care providers are the real champions, and we are happy to be of service! ☺️ #Thankyou #HumboldtStrong

Local Events, Trainings, and Job Opportunities
 

  • November 4th 3:00-5:00 p.m. Social Emotional Development-Interactions Link to register for this training

  • November 14th 10:00-12:00 p.m. English Language Development-Listening and Speaking Link to register for this training

  • November 19th 5:00-7:00 p.m. INCLUSION WORKS!  Link to register for this training
  • November 20,2020 1:00-3:00 p.m. Inclusion Works! Link to register for this training
  • December 1,2020 5:00-7:00 p.m. Responsive Early Education for Young Children and Families Experiencing Homelessness Link to register for this training
  • December 3,20204:00-6:00 p.m. Physical Development: Fundamental Movement Skills Link to register for this training
  • December 9,2020 5:00-7:00 p.m. Social-Emotional Development: Social Interactions Link to register for this training
  • December 17, 2020 1:00-3:00 p.m. English Language Development: Listening and Speaking Link to register for this training
To create an account on Workforce Registry, visit
https://www.caregistry.org
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Are you looking for positive ways to support all families? Join us as we explore how Trauma-Informed practices can support all children in your program.

These workshops are from:
5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

RSVP TODAY!
PLEASE CALL CHANGING TIDES FAMILY SERVICES
TO REGISTER AT 707-444-8293 OR
MESSAGE US ON FACEBOOK!


Join us from your Smart Phone:
Download the Zoom application, enter Meeting ID: 988 1759 3807
and Password: 019200 Audio only by phone: Dial in to 1-408-638-0968 or 1-669-900-6833, Enter Meeting ID 988 1759 3807 and Password: 019200
As child care providers, sometimes you need each other to share ideas, ask questions, be heard and support others. Changing Tides Family Services is proud to host a monthly Zoom time just for you called “Provider Hour”. Join the group one Monday a month from 6-7pm starting Monday November 9, 2020.

Provider Hour will be facilitated by Resource & Referral staff.
Interpretation will be available
in Spanish. Questions? Call
707-444-8293 to be sent the
Zoom link.


Como proveedores de cuidado infantil, a veces se necesitan mutuamente para compartir ideas, hacer preguntas, ser escuchados y apoyar a los demás. Changing Tides Family Services se enorgullece de ofrecer un tiempo de Zoom mensual solo para usted llamado "Hora del proveedor". Únase al grupo un lunes al mes de 6 a 7 p.m. a partir del lunes 9 de novembre de 2020.

La hora del proveedor serĂĄ facilitada por el personal de Recursos y Referencias.
La interpretaciĂłn estarĂĄ disponible en espaĂąol. Preguntas? Llame al
707-444-8293 para recibir el
enlace Zoom.

Health, Safety & Quality in Child Care Settings
ďťżDuring Covid-19 Series!
--  Part 1 - 5/15/20 General Overview of Health and Safety for Being Open and/or Reopening During COVID-19 - featuring Q&A with Community Care Licensing.  Click to view video on YouTube

--  Part 2 In case you missed this, Part 2 - 5/27/20 Completing a Plan for Reopening/Being Open During COVID-19, including how to read EPA Labels for Cleaning Products, and featuring Center-Based Care Q&A with Wendy Hill, Director, CR Child Development Center  Click to view video on YouTube 

-- Part 3 - 06/11/2020 Completing a Plan for Reopening/Being Open During COVID-19, including EPA Labels for Cleaning Products. School Age Care featuring 5 Q&A panelist from local after school programs. Click to view video on YouTube 

-- Part 4 - 06/22/2020 A Special Health, Safety & Quality session tonight on staying open during COVID-19 – Stories from the Field

-- Part 5 - 08/07/2020 A Special Health, Safety & Quality session featuring Recovery and Response After COVID-19 Positive Exposure. Click to view video on Click to view video on YouTube! 
 
Job Opportunities
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Federal Updates
Congress Updates
Learn more about the latest in Congress as negotiations on a COVID-19 pandemic relief package continue. The House of Representatives recently passed the HEROES Act with $57B in relief for child care. Get the details on the status of the pandemic relief package.  
State Updates
SACRAMENTO â€“ With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to adversely impact Californians, Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) and Senator Holly J. Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) praised a collaborative solution reached by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and the Governor’s Office to allocate $400 million in funding for Project Homekey and legislative COVID-19 priorities, including child care, food banks, and diaper banks.
 
Specifically, the request will augment state subsidized child care provider contracts by $110 million for those providers serving essential workers and at-risk populations. Second, $75 million will be allocated to the Department of Social Services (DSS) to assist food banks in addressing the increased need for food assistance among low-income and food-insecure populations. This allocation is an additional $75 million that will help combat food insecurity, and does not supplant any other state or federal funds for this purpose. Lastly, $15 million will be allocated to DSS to distribute diapers to families that are in need of basic necessities.