As the public health crisis surrounding COVID-19 continues to unfold,
Family
SPEAK
has gathered important information and developmentally appropriate resources to support children and families to promote the well-being of everyone. Here's what you will find below:
- Community-wide supports for families
- Resources for emotional well-being, child and family health, learning at home, and nutrition - scroll through to find those best suited to your needs. Sesame Street in Communities is listed first due to the wide range of topic available.
- Links offering Spanish translation are noted (ENG/SP).
Visit
FamilySPEAK.org
.
Over the next week, the resources below will find a home on our website and be easily accessible from the home page. While you're there, take a look at the rest of our resources including our
Community Resource Directory
!
Note to Parents, Guardians, and Caregivers:
We recommend an adult view any video included on our links prior to viewing it with children.
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Pikes Peak United Way | Care & Share | Lunch Program
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Call 2-1-1 for Information & Referral
This is the free, bilingual, easy-to-remember phone number that serves residents of 12 counties (Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Chaffee, Cheyenne, El Paso, Lincoln, Mineral, Park, Rio Grande, Saguache and Teller), helping those in need navigate the complex and ever-growing maze of health and human service providers in their community.
Trained information specialists staff the hotline from 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday, using a comprehensive database of thousands of resources including federal, state, and local government agencies, private nonprofits, as well as faith and community-based organizations. By directing people to the right resources and preparing them for their visit, 2-1-1 promotes higher assistance success and decreases frustrations.
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Those in need of food assistance can locate their nearest food pantry by visiting
Care & Share
.
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For a full list of locations and times for free food for children during school closures, click
HERE
.
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Health | Emotional Well-Being | Learning | Nutrition
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Sesame Street in Communities
offers TONS of resources that help kids (and parents!) with what matters most in young lives: health and wellness, social-emotional skills, and school readiness. All are critical to children’s healthy development…and together they build the foundation for a happy, healthy life. There are age-specific articles, videos featuring your Sesame Street favorites, activities, and printables perfect for learning at home.
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Resources for Supporting Children’s Emotional Well-being during the COVID-19 Pandemic
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently reports that the risk of exposure to COVID-19 is
low for young Americans
,
research on natural disasters makes it clear that
, compared to adults, children are more vulnerable to the emotional impact of traumatic events that disrupt their daily lives. This resource offers information on supporting and protecting children’s emotional well-being as this public health crisis unfolds.
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A Toolkit for Supporting Families Impacted by COVID-19
With the growing impact of the COVID-19 virus, ReadyRosie (The Creative Curriculum) has developed a free toolkit as a resource to support families with information and resources for supporting the children in their care. Their topics include: Prevention & Care, Emotional Well-Being, and Learning at Home.
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COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness
Watch a video featuring Devereux Center for Resilient Children Early Childhood Specialist and National Trainer Nefertiti B. Poyner, Ed.D., as she helps her 5-year-old daughter understand why her school was closed and her activities were canceled because of COVID-19 and how those important and necessary actions will protect the health and safety of students and the public
.
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The Center for Disease and Control Prevention has MANY resources related to COVID-19, including:
Talking with children about Coronavirus Disease 2019: Messages for parents, school staff, and others working with children
As public conversations around COVID-19 increase, children may worry about themselves, their family, and friends getting ill with COVID-19. Parents, family members, school staff, and other trusted adults can play an important role in helping children make sense of what they hear in a way that is honest, accurate, and minimizes anxiety or fear. CDC has created guidance to help adults have conversations with children about COVID-19 and ways they can avoid getting and spreading the disease.
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COVID-19 Fact Sheet
Knowing important information about the outbreak and learning how to be prepared can reduce your stress and help calm likely anxieties. This resource from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network will help you think about how an infectious disease outbreak might affect your family—both physically and emotionally—and what you can do to help your family cope. (This would be an emotional well-being resource as well.)
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Young Children at Home during the COVID-19 Outbreak: The Importance of Self-Care
Self-care is not selfish or indulgent—it’s how we keep ourselves well to ensure we are physically, emotionally, and mentally capable of being there for our young children. Parenting a young child is already stressful at times. That’s why it’s important to remember to take care of yourself, too. When you feel calmer, it’s easier to be there for your children and meet their needs.
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The COVID-19 Germs Experiment
This is a hands on activity that parents/care providers can do with their children to teach the importance of how handwashing keeps germs away.
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Health Resources for Parents, Kids, Teens, and Educators
The KidsHealth website has information for finding out how to take care of your body, eat healthy, and stay fit! The great part is that it has resources for all ages, including educators.
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Social Distancing: Why Keeping Your Distance Helps Keep Others Safe
As the spread of
COVID-19
continues, communities are being asked to reduce close contact between people. This is called social distancing, and it's an important and effective way to slow down the spread of this virus. Here's why:
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How to Keep School Rhythm and Routines for Young Children
As schools shift to remote learning models for the foreseeable future, parents and caregivers are finding themselves in a new role—that of the school co-teacher. Though parents are naturally a part of their children’s ongoing education, co-teaching is a new role for many of them.
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Resources to encourage your child's math learning at home!
This resource has everything from "math in the bath" to cooking and music!
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Early Learning
Babies are born learning. Very young children are learning through play, the active exploration of their environment, and, most importantly, through interactions with the significant adults in their lives. Zero to Three offers resources devoted to early learning.
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Learning at Home and Homelike Environments
Children receive the message that they are in a kind and loving place when caregivers and family members are intentional about the environments they create. This resource will teach home visitors, program staff, caregivers and other early childhood educators how to create a space that is welcoming and homelike for children.
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7 Ways to Boost Your Child's Immunity
There are healthy eating habits you can adopt that will give your child's immune system a boost.
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Foods to Keep Children Healthy
You know your kid should be eating healthy to stay healthy, but how? We'll give you the lowdown on which foods to give them, which remedies don't actually work, and tips on how to sneak healthy stuff into their meals.
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Family
SPEAK is a project of Alliance for Kids, El Paso County's Early Childhood Council
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