July 2020



A publication of the Howard County Office of Children and Families
Family Institute
Basics Insights
NEW! Text Message Program from The Basics Howard County
to Make the Most of Your Child's First Three Years
As parents, we want to make the most of our child's first three years. Howard County's latest partnership with The Basics , uses evidenced-based strategies to help you reach that goal. Sign up during the month of July for FREE here , to receive information by text in either English or Spanish. Based on your child's birth date, content will be sent in a developmental sequence that becomes more complex as you and your child grow together.
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. C omplete this two-minute survey to determine what we can do to make it even more useful to you (and others) in the future. Your time and feedback are greatly appreciated!
Family Institute Online Workshops , New this month!
Visit the Family Institute's page for all offerings.
Emotional Intelligence
Thurs., July 16, 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Register here

It is critical to keep children both physically and emotioanlly safe during the pandemic. Children may be sensitive to changes in their routine and the stress experienced by caregivers, as well as their own feelings about the pandemic. Explore the meaning of emotional literacy and learn practical strategies to teach children how to recognize, label, as well as manage strong emotions.
Behavior Basics
Wed., July 22, 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.
Register here

Don't allow tantrums, power struggles and misbehavior make daily life difficult in your household. Learn how to help decrease negative behaviors from happening and/ or what to do when they do occur. Ask questions and leave with skills and resources that you can use immediately to help you feel more confident in your parenting. For children ages two to eight.
Addressing Racism
Resources to learn more and how to talk with your family.
How to Talk to Young Kids About Racism
CNN partnered with "Sesame Street" for a special town hall about racism, giving both kids and parents an opportunity to explore the current moment the nation is living through and to understand how these issues affect people. Watch now  

Racial Equity Resource Pages
Ideas on what to read, listen, watch and learn.

Bystander Training: Stand. Speak. Act.
Thurs., July 9, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. No Pre-registration needed.
Zoom Meeting: https://tinyurl.com/yb4dx7k9 Password: OHR2020
Learn how to safely step up and be supportive when fellow community members face harassment and hate speech. Presented by Howard County’s Office of Human Rights in collaboration with the Jewish Community Relations Council of Howard County and Howard County Library System. Interested in more details . For more information from the Office of Human Rights, email here.

What to say when your child asks why police are mean to people of color and other questions.

With the recent events related to racism, implicit bias and white privilege, early childhood professionals have an opportunity to listen, learn and model anti-bias and anti-racist beliefs and practices. These benefit children, especially those from historically oppressed and marginalized groups.

Introducing your child to what racism is can be a daunting and deeply emotional task.
PEP Parent discusses how to start talking about it, the right things to say and how can you help your child be an ally and be brave.

People of color face deep inequites and racism. Join Khan Academy to b etter understand our shared history, politics and culture. 
Managing Parental and Family Anxiety in Uncertain Times
Sage Wellness Group sponsored by The Local Children's Board

Expert panelists share strategies to help with parental anxiety, burnout and how to have courageous conversations with children. This recording addressed tough topics such as race, racism and the tragic events that have occurred in the last few weeks as well as throughout the history of our country. Topics included, creating a routine during COVID-19, self-care for parents/caregivers, screen-time use, answering tough questions, and more. Click to view here .
Parenting a Strong-Willed Child
An important protective factor for children of all ages is having a positive relationship with their parent. However, building and maintaining positive relationships can be challenging, especially during stressful times. A child’s temperament can play a role in the difficulty or ease of daily interactions that influence these parent-child relationships. Strong-willed children are determined and often don’t get discouraged or accept defeat. This can be positive or negative. Click here to learn:
  • the role of temperament in children’s behavior
  • how to identify triggers and determine the meaning of challenging behaviors
  • the importance of positive parenting strategies to support strengths, as well as help children cope with challenges, control anger and handle disappointment
The Power of Purposeful Parenting
Over 20 different professionals address topics to help parents feel empowered to raise connected, confident and compassionate children. Sign up to receive free daily e-mails from July 6 through 28. Each day, a link to a new speaker will be provided giving access to watch and/or listen to each interview. 
Encourage children to eat vegetables and fruits by making it fun. Provide healthy ingredients and let kids help with preparation, based on their age and skills. Kids may try foods they avoided in the past if they helped make them. From smoothies to dippers to kabobs, click here for more information.
Looking for new meal ideas for your family? Roving Radish promotes farm to table healthy eating habits in Howard County by providing affordable meal kits. These kits include two meals for a family of four with all the fresh produce and proteins needed; sourced from local and regional farms. The convenient kits are complete with prepared produce and packaged with the majority of ingredients needed. The cost of the two meals kit is $38. Orders are placed online with pick up locations available throughout Howard County. To learn more and order, visit: https://www.rovingradish.com/
Talk With Me
Talking, reading, singing and playing helps your baby/toddler/preschooler to develop a solid foundation for development. Learn about the research showing the power of our simple, positive daily routines.  Watch the webinar here .
Howard County Recreation and Parks
 Howard County Recreation & Parks outdoor camps arenopen though n ot all indoor camps will be offered due to new safety guidelines that include smaller groups and physical distancing. Check the website every few days to see what indoor and outdoor camps have been added. Also reopening are child care services, including all-day camps, in eight of the Howard County Public School System buildings .  For d etails on re-openings, schedules as well as all online program offerings, go to ww.howardcountymd.gov/rap .
Child Care Re-Opening  
Child care has reopened and providers are waiting to meet your needs. If you’re looking
for child care and not sure where to start, you may find child care by contacting
LOCATE: Child Care at 1-877-261-0060 or visit their site here
You may also contact the CARE Line at 410-313-2273 for additional resources. 
Additional Resources
Child Care Scholarship Program  ( h elp paying for child care)
Howard County Library System (HCLS)

To celebrate the start of summer, the holds and checkout limits on eBooks and eAudio from Overdrive/Libby have been increased from six to 10! Now you can borrow, read and request more eTitles. If you’ve never used OverDrive/Libby before, it’s simple. Get started with this quick video tutorial .
If you're looking for a riveting story to borrow right now, try The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. There’s no waiting list for this novel, which Publishers Weekly describes as “Heartbreakingly topical.”
For other great titles in OverDrive/Libby that are available right away with no waiting, including hot picks for kids and teens, romance books, fantasy, and mystery, check out

Libraries Stand Against Racism (Podcast episode 34)
Howard County Library System's talk with inclusion and equity expert Michelle Marks-Osborne who helps individuals and organizations facilitate changes to exercise anti-racism. Included is HCLS President & CEO Tonya Aikens on her call to action for the Library and our community to take a stand against racism and suggested resources to begin or continue the journey to anti-racism. Listen .
Participate in Summer Reading at HCLS to make a difference. Log books and activities in one of the games: Imagine Your Story (for infants to age 10 and ages 11 to 17) and Read for Good (for adults). Instead of physical prizes upon completion, you will earn a donation to  Community Action Council of Howard County .
Visit hclibrary.org/summer to get started. New activities and challenges added each week online, so keep reading and checking in! Watch this video for more details.
Camp Khan
This is a fun, free and flexible virtual summer camp that helps children bolster math skills and build learning habits. Children can choose the math skills they want to learn, get real-time help when they’re stuck and explore fun activities to make the most of their summer. Camp Khan runs until August 28 and you can start and stop whenever you want. Here’s how to start:
1. Sign your child up for a Khan Academy account (if they don’t already have one).
2. Direct your child to go to one of the Get Ready for Grade Level Courses (available in English and Spanish.) Courses include skills that prepare your child for their next grade level of math.
3. Select the grade level your child will be entering this fall. Start with the Course Challenge which will identify the skills your child already knows and the skills they might want to work on. Weekly emails will be sent with suggestions for goal setting, learning tips and ideas for having fun and building motivation.  
You can find more information on Facebook and Twitter #CampKhan2020.
T ake the Census!

Approximately 75.4% of Howard County residents have completed their census since its launch in March.

The Census questionnaire can be completed online, making it even easier than ever for residents to respond. Information from the census impacts the federal funding that supports critical services and personnel in healthcare, education, emergency management, workforce development and more. If you have not taken your census yet, do so right now. If you have completed your census, encourage five of your neighbors to do the same. It takes only five minutes to complete.
Rental Assistance Information
Howard County residents may receive rental and eviction prevention assistance. Families who meet income eligibility requirements (family of 4 with a maximum income of $92,461) may contact participating providers:  
·   Community Action Council 
·   Grassroots 
·   FIRN 
·   Family & Children's Services 
·   The United Way 
Families are required to complete an application for assistance to pay past due rent and/or mortgage and/or to prevent eviction. For more details and contact information, click here .  
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