The Parent Connection | ELC at Home (Week 3 Update) What Is Literacy?

The Parent Connection Newsletter

Sunday, April 5, 2020 @ 11:45 PM

Special Copy to Child Care Providers...

Now featuring WEEK THREE of our Extended Learning Opportunities; a.k.a. easy "at-home" story-times, learning activities, Facebook Live! opportunities, and more information that you can use for your children...

This week's content focuses on Literacy & Language Development - more than just reading and writing! Literacy is a process to further develop one's thinking through learning, to help them better understand themselves and the world around them.

We can't wait to share all that we have planned this week! Please continue to check your emails for this week's content & refer back to our social media as we are continuously sharing helpful community resources throughout this time.

@ELCPalmBeach on Facebook
@ELCPalmBeach on Twitter
@ELCPalmBeach on Instagram
@ELCPalmBeach on YouTube

We are here to be a supportive resource and partner with you in the early education of your children.

Please feel free to contact us via:

Phone: 561.514.3300
E-Mail: Contacts@elcpalmbeach.org

Thank you and stay safe,

Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County

Early Learning Activities

Week Three | For Parents/Families

"What Is Literacy?"

Week Three | Early Learning Activities

Monday, April 6 | ~~YouTube: "What Is Literacy?"~~ [ABOVE]

Tuesday, April 7 | YouTube: "Sorting Syllables" for Providers

Tuesday, April 7 @ 1 PM | Facebook Live! - Spelling Out Your Name

Wednesday, April 8 | YouTube: Virtual Story Time!

Thursday, April 9 | YouTube: "Spelling Compound Words" for Providers

Thursday, April 9 @ 1 PM | Facebook Live! - Tracing Letters & Numbers

Friday, April 10 | YouTube: Let's Get Physical!

Week Three Calendars

Parents | Families

Providers | Educators

Click on the images above for a full-size/link-enabled PDF versions.

UPDATED RESOURCES & INFORMATION

PBC Feeding Site Changes Starting April 6, Child No Longer Required to Be Present

Posted on 04/01/2020

The School District of Palm Beach County continues its commitment to feeding students while schools are closed. Starting April 6, 35 sites across Palm Beach County will be distributing ‘Grab and Go’ bags filled with breakfast, lunch, supper, and a snack.

For the week of April 6, feeding sites will be open Monday through Thursday. Those who come on Thursday to pick up meals will be receiving meals for both Thursday and Friday. Starting Monday, April 13 and until further notice, the 35 feeding sites will be open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Two days worth of meals will be provided each days'.

Click here for School District locations distributing ‘Grab and Go’ bags filled with breakfast, lunch, supper, and a snack, from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Click here for FLIPANY-Eastern locations distributing food from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., and three locations that are distributing food from 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Click here for FLIPANY-The Glades locations distributing food from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Go to: https://summerbreakspot.freshfromflorida.com/ for more information about site locations. Meals are FREE to anyone under 18 years of age (under 22 for ESE students), regardless of financial need. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has provided a waiver to allow parents/guardians to pick up meals without the child being present. The parent needs to provide confirmation of the number of children for which they are picking up meals, by one of the following methods: student ID, student passport, student library card, student birth certificate, or a photo of adult picking up the meals with the students for whom they are picking up meals.

The parent will show the identification to staff providing the meals, and meals will be provided for the number of children identified. The District follows food distribution rules as outlined by the USDA.

To limit person-to-person contact, please remember to adhere to social distancing. Those driving to one of the feeding sites are asked to open the trunk of their car, or leave a seat open where staff can place the food. People walking up to a site should remember to maintain a distance of at least six feet. These measures are taken very seriously and are intended to keep everyone safe.

The meals provided may contain allergens. Adults picking up the food are asked to be vigilant and ensure they do not take food if allergies may be a concern.

Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) ACCESS & Economic Self-Sufficiency Program Information:

To safeguard the public and employees from the spread of COVID-19, all ACCESS storefronts and lobbies are currently closed to public access. With more than 90 percent of customers filing for benefits online or by phone, closing storefronts to protect our employees and the public is the best mitigation strategy to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The quickest way to make changes or check the status of your benefits, and avoid any wait time, is to use the ACCESS Self-Service Portal, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

To apply for food assistance (SNAP), cash assistance (TANF) or Medicaid, individuals should go to https://www.myflorida.com/accessflorida/.

Clients logging in to the ACCESS Self-Service Portal should go to https://www.myflorida.com/accessflorida/.

Customers are required to complete an interview to receive benefits. Customers should call 1-866-762-2237 or 850-300-4323 (TTY 1-800-955-8771) to complete an interview telephonically.

Customers can order an EBT card, get information about EBT transactions, or report an EBT card as lost or stolen at https://www.myflorida.com/accessflorida/ or by calling 1-888-356-3281.

If you have trouble understanding English or need help communicating with the Department of Children and Families, Economic Self-Sufficiency Program, please call 1-866-762-2237 or 850-300-4323.

If you are an individual with a disability and need help with the application process or other ACCESS services, please find the region point of contact listed at the following website: https://www.myflfamilies.com/service-programs/individual-with-disability/auxiliary-aids-plan.shtml.

Recertification Extension

To ensure Floridians can safely access SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid benefits, DCF has implemented a six-month recertification extension for individuals and families scheduled to recertify in April or May.

Extending the recertification period, allows the state to ensure the continuity of, and safe access to, SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid benefits during the current public health crisis and periods of social distancing. For more information regarding Florida’s benefit programs during this time, please visit https://www.myflorida.com/accessflorida/ or contact the customer call center at 850-300-4DCF.

To check the status of your recertification, log into your MyACCESS account here: https://www.myflorida.com/accessflorida/.

Work Requirements Waiver

At the request of Governor DeSantis, and in accordance with the federal Families First Coronavirus Act, the Department of Children and Families (DCF) will waive work requirements for individuals participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.

DCF and the Department of Economic Opportunity have partnered to apply good cause statewide for TANF and SNAP recipients normally subject to participate in mandatory work requirements as a condition to receive program benefits effective immediately. The temporary suspension of mandatory work requirements will alleviate any undue burden during this public health emergency on individuals normally required to participate in these programs with no disruptions to the receipt of cash and/or food assistance benefits.

To check the status of your benefits, report changes, receive information faster by opting-in to receive electronic notifications, and upload documents 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, log into your MyACCESS account here: https://www.myflorida.com/accessflorida/.

Maintain Medicaid Eligibility

We will maintain Medicaid eligibility for current recipients through the last day of the month of the state of emergency. This means no Medicaid recipient will lose Medicaid eligibility during the state of emergency. We are working on notifying recipients who may have received a termination notice in the month of March that their benefits will continue.

Extend Time to Complete Medicaid Application

During this state of emergency, individuals applying for Medicaid may be unable to submit all the documentation required to process their application. Beginning with applications received in February 2020, we are extending the timeframe for individuals to submit any necessary paperwork to 120 days from the date the application was received. If the Medicaid application is approved, the individual’s Medicaid eligibility effective date will still be the first day of the month that the initial application was received.