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April 2020
A publication of the Howard County Office of Children and Families
Family Institute
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Keeping Kids Active
Now that playgrounds and common spaces are closed, the options for children getting exercise has dwindled.
Research shows that exercise is a great way to be healthy, decrease anxiety and give your mind a break from everyday stressors. Some neighborhoods are playing scavenger hunts so families can walk around and see sidewalk chalk drawings, look for pictures posted in windows or play I-Spy to find stuffed animals hidden in yards. Inside, you can u
se favorite music that your children like to listen and move to or check out the options below to get their energy out.
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At this time,
The Howard County Food Bank
located at 9385 Gerwig Lane in Columbia, will be providing pre-packaged bags of food to clients, in order to practice social distancing and protect the well-being of staff and clients. Partnering with the Howard County Diaper Project, diapers of various sizes may also be available upon request. For more information, visit:
www.cac-hc.org/programs-services/food-assistance/.
New clients should bring identification and proof of Howard County residency for their first visit.
Food Bank hours:
Tuesdays
: 1 to 4 p.m./
Wednesdays
: 1 to 4 p.m./ 5 to 8 p.m. (by appointment only)
Thursdays:
1 to 4 p.m./
Saturdays:
9 a.m. to noon (by appointment only)
The Community Action Council of Howard County is also creating
Pop up Food Pantries
throughout the County. Both
food donations and financial support
is needed. Maintain social distancing and MD's 'stay at home' directive and
donate online
.
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Free Grab-N-Go meals
The Howard County Public School System will continue to provide free Grab-N-Go meals to anyone age 18 and under and/or any HCPSS student, regardless of age, throughout state-mandated school closures, extended through April 24.
Meals are available from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., weekdays
(No meal service April 10 or 13.)
Parents have the option of collecting meals for their children, who do not need to be present.
Participants will be given a Grab-N-Go snack, lunch and dinner for that day, as well as a Grab-N-Go breakfast for the following day. Participants are encouraged to bring a bag to carry home meals each day.
Friday distributions at school locations also will include weekend meals. To view the e
xpanded locations for meal distribution
click here.
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Child Care for Essential Employees
If you are an essential employee in need of childcare amid the coronavirus outbreak, the county provides additional guidance. To date, Howard County has 150 approved child care sites. For a directory of approved providers’ information and availability; the types of employment eligible for this program; and how to register,
click here.
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Howard County Library System
is closed but continues to offer online support for learning. All online materials are FREE and are easily accessible from home with your library card at
www.hclibrary.org
If you do not yet have a library card, apply online and use the temporary number for immediate use. Howard County Public School System students may continue to access eContent using their A+ student accounts.
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Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
presents Dolly’s new weekly read-aloud video series called, "
Goodnight with Dolly
," The Book Lady sits down to read books from the Imagination Library to children and families. It launches on April 2 at 7 p.m. This 10-week series will focus on comforting and reassuring children during the shelter-in-place mandates. Dolly hopes these videos will provide a welcomed distraction during a time of unrest, and also inspire a love of reading and books in the hearts of children.
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Social stories
are a good way to explain difficult concepts to children. There are free online social stories available to share with your children to help talk about social distancing and why they must stay home.
For very young children
(in 18 languages)
For young school age children (in over 9 languages)
(Video) By Kim St. Lawrence
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Family Time - Sibling Fighting
The increased amount of time that families are spending together as they shelter in their homes has an impact on family dynamics. This continuous time together can increase the amount of conflicts between siblings. Ideas to help to mitigate family discord such as praising the positive, getting to the root of the problem, and making a plan, can be found in the Child Mind article,
When Siblings Won't Stop Fighting
.
Teach children to calm themselves and get along:
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Difficult Conversations
Conscious Discipline's
Free Resources
Children have a lot of questions and concerns as the world around us is changing. Many of these conversations can be addressed in
Responding to Difficult Questions
.
This article is filled with complementary print-offs, a social story, webinar, and examples of dialogue to assist with conversations with children.
This article provides ideas on helping build positive connection with your children. The information helps parents understand and work with children's behaviors and provides printables, social stories and videos to help you in the process.
Daily tips presented on Child Mind's
Facebook
page
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Webinar Recordings from
Parent Encouragement Program
(Free)
Parenting Survival Strategies in the Age of the Coronavirus:
English
or
Spanish
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Digital
Sanity
Summit
Navigating Technology in the Modern World of Parenting.
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Free webinar recording for families from Bright & Quirky
- How to deal with anxiety, stress and worry in both kids and parents
- How to create daily family structure, especially if you're working from home
- How to approach potential regression in therapies or academics
- How to develop strengths and interests, family connection and life skills
- How to create community in these challenging times
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Free academic resources for children of
all ages
to learn online.
Khan Academy offers personalized practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom. Topics cover math, science, computer programming, history, art history, economics, and more.
Once children are ready, Sal’s
daily schedules
for learners ages 2 to 18 can help build routines and keep learning during school closures.
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Ready Rosie
Looking for fun, easy ideas to make everyday moments learning moments?
Turn to Ready Rosie for hundreds of short educational videos to gain ideas of what you can do with your child. This resource for children five and under is available in English and Spanish. If you don't have Ready Rosie yet,
c
lick here
to get free access.
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CARE Line
C
hild and
A
dolescent
R
esources and
E
ducation
Howard County provides a FREE information and referral service for people who have questions about children in Howard County. The CARE line staff works with families to identify their needs and help find solutions. Topics include: county resources, behavior issues, finding child care, school age programs and camps, child care assistance, special needs, parenting classes, health/mental health concerns, grandparent support, financial assistance, and support groups.
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HoCo Counts, 2020 Census
Amid this current crisis
, we ask that all residents complete the census online. One of the most historically under-counted populations are children under five years old. Now, more than ever, we need to make sure each child is counted. For every person not counted, Howard County loses approximately $18,250. These dollars go towards school lunches, education, roads, healthcare, and other critical services that may directly affect your family and the community. Respond to the census at
https://my2020census.gov
. If you have any questions, call
410-313-6325
(voice/relay), or visit
https://howardcountymd.gov/2020census
.
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