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May 2020
A publication of the Howard County Office of Children and Families
Family Institute
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Awareness Week May 4 - 8
As today’s crisis is putting stress on people everywhere and families are taking the lead with their children’s learning, the family connection component for the annual Children’s Mental Health Awareness Campaign is more relevant than ever. Mental health impacts how we think, feel and act. This also includes how a child feels about himself; relates to other children and adults; and handles change, stress and other life situations.
Please join the Howard County Office of Children and Families' campaign,
Boosting Social Connections While Physically Distancing
, and participate in five days of engaging activities with your preschool child. The activities include topics of optimism, building
social connections at home, mindfulness, the power of play, and kindness.
Now is a great time to learn social-emotional skills in fun ways that can assist in children's healthy development.
Sign up for free
here
.
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If you have questions or need assistance, call Howard County’s Free Information and Referral
CARE Line at 410-313-2273
or email
children@howardcountymd.gov
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Benefits to Routines
A routine is defined by Webster Dictionary as
a sequence of actions regularly followed
. We all have routines we live by as adults. But routines are a vital part of a child’s success as well, especially during difficult times. According to
zerotothree.org
and
csefel.vanderbilt.edu
there are many benefits to using routines with children.
Routines can help children feel secure, teach expectations which lead to smoother transitions and reduce behavior problems and power struggles.
What is your most challenging time of the day? Can you create a new routine to help?
View
CARE Center's
entire article
here
for how to make your household run smoother.
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Helping children to understand the COVID-19 pandemic
Children may struggle to understand COVID-19. In the absence of concrete explanations, in words they can understand, children can often imagine the worst and blame themselves for the changes they are experiencing. This story was developed to support caregivers and children in having conversations about the pandemic and to give children a way to express and manage their worries. Available in English and Spanish. Click
here.
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Help us help you!
The Parent Pages has over 2,000 subscribers, and we are continually looking to improve our ability to serve parents in Howard County.
Please complete this two-minute survey to determine what we can do to make it even more useful to you (and others) in the future. We would greatly appreciate it!
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What are the most essential skills for kids to be working on at each age? How much structure should parents provide? How tough should you be and when should give your kids and yourself a break?
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CAREAPP
C
ommunity
A
ccess to
R
esources through
E
nhanced technology
A
pplications for
P
roviders and
P
ublic. Visit to find local resources such as access to care, food assistance, health, transportation, housing, health, education and employment.
www.hccareapp.org/
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Wednesday Watch Party “Shorts”
Lunch, Learn and Listen
Presented by Maryland Families Engage
Facebook @MDEngageEarly, Wednesdays, 12:30 p.m.
Parents and families are invited to gather the little ones to learn a short activity and then listen to a short story together during lunch! Review the upcoming schedule
here.
If you want to see the previous Watch Parties, visit their video page
here
.
#MDFamiliesEngage #InThisTogether
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There are many benefits to being outside. Getting fresh air and exercise help people become both physically and mentally healthier.
Parents are concerned about keeping safe and sometimes choose to stay inside with the family instead. Read tips from
Healthychildren.org
to learn things to do and ways to stay safe, to help you and your children get a healthy dose of nature while still practicing good social distancing.
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Resources for Special Needs
Parenting through COVID-19: Webinar for Parents of Children with Special Needs.
Register
here.
PPMD (Parents Place of MD)
has new webinars uploaded to their website and Youtube channel weekly including:
COVID-19 and What's Next ;
resources on what parents need to know about how the pandemic and school closures affect your child’s education and special education services, companion tip sheets and resources to help to collect data and monitor your child's progress.
Family Fun and Games. Fridays, 10:30 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. (Zoom Session)
Maryland Coalition of Families invites families and loved ones who care about someone with mental health, behavioral health or substance use challenges. This provides an opportunity to leave struggles behind for a little while and to share some fun and laughter. Games will be geared toward children ages 8 and older, but everyone is welcome.
NAMI - National Alliance for Mental Illness
Free Online Support Groups
- Parent Support Group (PSG) for parents/caregivers of school-aged kids
Monday, May 11, 7:30- 9 p.m. (Second Monday of the Month)
Register here
- Connection Support Group for adults living with mental illness
Monday, May 11, 6:30-8 p.m. (Second & Fourth Mondays)
Register here
- Family Support Group for family members of individuals w/ mental illness
- Parent Support Group -Transition Age Youth (TAY) for parents/caregivers of TAY. Thursday, May 14, 7:30 - 9 p.m. (Third Thursday) Register here
Supporting Families Webinar Series
Wednesdays, May 13 & 27, June 10 & 24, 12:00 p.m.
The
Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA)
will host the Maryland Community of Practice for Supporting Families interactive, bi-weekly, webinar series. Utilizing the principles and tools of Charting the LifeCourse framework will address different topics and areas of concern, (connecting with family members and lessening the trauma during COVID-19; activities to do at home when practicing social distancing; virtual person-centered planning meetings; transition; self-care, and caring for the caregiver). Families will have the opportunity to share their stories, ask questions and provide feedback. Register
here
.
Howard County Autism Society
O
ffers online General Family Support and Latino Family Support groups. Also offers a
COVID-19 resource page that provides information including social stories, activities, educational resources on the
state, local and national level
.
Visit
here
.
SECAC
has created a COVID-19 resource page. Information from state and county governments and Howard County Public School System as well as other resources. Check for updates
here.
Building Youth Resiliency
is a rapid-access mental health program that connects families who have commercial insurances or who are uninsured to outpatient psychiatric services and resources. This program includes Targeted Case Management services also known as Care Coordination. The Building Youth Resiliency programs are facilitated through Center for Children and Therapeutic Connections and serve children and youth ages 3 to 24. For more information,
click.
Local Care Team
The Howard County Local Care Team (LCT) is an inter-agency council designed to provide resources and support to families who need to access services for a child with intensive emotional and behavioral needs. The primary goal of the LCT and its family focused partners is to help families receive the support and services they need to ensure their children remain in the homes and communities. Families can self-refer to the Local Care Team by contacting the LCT Coordinator, Candace Ball at
cmball@howardcountymd.gov
or by calling 410-313-6552.
For more Special Education resources, contact the
Howard County Family Support and Resource Center at 410-313-7161.
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Part of the PBS KIDS Read-Along series.
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The SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s
Storyline Online®
, streams videos featuring celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations. Reading aloud to children has been shown to improve reading, writing and communication skills, logical thinking and concentration, and general academic aptitude, as well as inspire a lifelong love of reading. Storyline Online is available 24 hours a day. Each book includes supplemental curriculum developed by a credentialed elementary educator, aiming to strengthen comprehension and verbal and written skills for English-language learners.
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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 young children, 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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Talk With Me, Howard County
Many are home with their little ones more than before and may be wondering about those interactions with their babies, toddlers and preschoolers. The Talk With Me Howard County team is home too with their own kids, grandkids and their heads are full of ideas on what you can do with your own little ones during this very different and somewhat difficult period.
Visit their latest videos
here
to see how you can make the most of those early learning moments.
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Howard County Library System (HCLS)
Play, Learn, Create!
Now through May 29, families can track their reading, listen to stories and explore mission lists full of family activities! Discover HCLS e-resources along the way! Earn points and unlock badges. New missions added every Thursday.
No library card? No problem.
While HCLS is closed, residents can apply online for a temporary library card, good for six months, to immediately access HCLS’ wide range of
eContent
for all ages including kindergarten readiness resources. Visit
http://hclibrary.org/kindergarten-readiness/econtent/
to explore interactive picture books (Tumblebook Library), brief video world language vocabulary lessons and more.
Maryland Day-by-Day Family Literacy Calendar
This free resource was developed by the Maryland State Library. Download a monthly calendar. Each day has instructions for a different learning activity that’s both fun and educational. Every month also includes a book list of suggested titles to read with your child. Visit
https://www.marylandlibraries.org/Pages/Day-by-Day-Calendar.aspx
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Safety for children in the home is very important especially as they are there in the home 24/7. Marylanders are invited to request a poison safety packet for their home. This free packet includes poison safety information, Mr. Yuk stickers, telephone stickers, and a magnet. Visit
Maryland Poison Center
t
oday to request the packet and find additional resources to teach your children safety.
If you are concerned about a poison emergency, call 800-222-1222.
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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. 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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