Mid-July marks the fourth month of living under a quarantine. While many families have been pushed to the edge with job losses, child care and school closures, teaching their child through distance learning while working, and increased stress from isolation, other families have fared well overall, further enlarging the education, wealth and health gaps that existed in our country long before the pandemic.
Much of the information in this newsletter is selected with the hope we can decrease that divide through the sharing of resources, the building of bridges, development of community, and bolstering your parenting skills or encouraging you to seek help when needed.
Free, high-quality preschool for children ages 3-4 who are income-eligible. To receive an application once available this summer, for the program this fall, fill out our
online interest form in English and Spanish
.
Family First Coronavirus Response Act
Many parents/caregivers are still weighing how to simultaneously care for their children while working. Check with your employer to see if you are eligible for paid leave through the
Families First Coronavirus Response Act
. This program is funded through the government, not ultimately paid by an employer, and could help as families struggle to find available child care and summer camps.
Available child care
Rec
ent
data
from the state indicates in Lane County, around 27% of child care slots are still available. Contact
Quality Care Connections at 541-463-3300 and leave a message to receive a referral for child care or contact
211info
.
Masks in public spaces
With coronavirus cases increasing around Oregon,
face coverings are required for all indoor public spaces. Children under the age of 12, and people with a disability or a medical condition that prevent them from wearing a face covering, will not be required to wear a face mask.
Parenting in a Pandemic
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Fresh Additions to LaneKids.org
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We have gathered dozens of resources for parents, caregivers, educators and adults to help you in your journey to learn more, know more and do more in the fight for racial equity.
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Check out the all NEW LaneKids Calendar
With fewer in person events, the LaneKids calendar has looked a little sparse. We have been searching for more content to include in each day and came across this incredible
calendar from First Book
. We are excited to now include holidays, month long observances, and added dates of cultural, historical or inclusive significance, all pinned to the top of each day.
Just click on a title and explore these important people, holidays, and moments in history to expand your view of the world.
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Gestating in the Time of Corona
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One woman’s experience of being pregnant during the pandemic
I want to acknowledge that I have tremendous privilege being a white, able bodied, straight, cis-gendered person. I also have a loving and supportive partner, stable housing, access to health care, and a job I can do from home. These things have sheltered me in my experience of the pandemic, and I would have been much more adversely affected if these were not my circumstances.
Being pregnant with my second child during a viral pandemic has been, in a word, interesting.
As a natural introvert, in some ways it has been a nice shield: No hiding my morning sickness, because I was at home! Sweatpants every day! No strangers commenting on or touching my changing body! In other ways, it’s been very isolating: I haven’t been able to see friends or family and share my pregnancy with them. It’s been challenging to stay physically active while maintaining safe distance in public outdoor spaces. Forget shopping for baby things in real, live stores, or having my husband and daughter attend an ultrasound.
The pandemic amplified every normal pregnancy fear, and added the constant, nagging worry that
if I got coronavirus it might harm my baby, we might have to be separated at birth, or I might pass it on through breast-milk.
My husband and I obsessively tracked our local hospital’s policies in hopes that they won’t separate laboring women from their birth partners, and maintained fastidious mask-wearing, hand-washing, and social distancing. The incredibly sobering thought crossed our minds that if one of us were to contract the virus, we might die and leave the other with 2 young children. There is a sense of loss, even in the midst of the joy of anticipating our baby, knowing we will need to isolate ourselves once the baby arrives- a time when we know from experience we will need support.
We have also felt thankful, and enjoyed the quality time at home with our daughter, made endless jokes about our ‘Rona Baby, and it has been a source of delight and excitement when the news of the world has otherwise been heavy. I’m glad to have had a more “typical” experience with our daughter, almost exactly 4 years ago. My husband was able to attend all those ultrasound appointments, we took birthing, nursing, and infant care classes, had a baby shower, saw friends, and went out to eat with abandon, soaking up our last child-free days. Those things now seem like such luxuries.
My heart goes out to all the first-time parents who aren’t able to have those experiences, and to share them with their partners, friends and families.
Ultimately, it still feels remarkable to know that soon there will be another little person joining our family, and that their life holds so much potential. I have 8 weeks left in this pregnancy, and
while I worry about what things will be like, pandemic-wise, in our community and in the world when my due date rolls around, I’m also just as happy and excited to meet my baby as I was the first time.
I know that I’ll still marvel at its tiny hands and feet, and smell its head, and forget the outside world exists, at least for a little while.
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National Disability Independence Day
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July
26th is the 30th anniversary of the signing of the American's with Disabilities Act (ADA). The legislation prohibits discrimination and guarantees that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else to participate in the mainstream of American life.
Plus, this list of
60 Books about Disability and Differences for kids
features people of all differing physical abilities and neurodiverse children. Read some of these books as a family and talk about what those central characters face that is different from how your child experiences the world. And, how can we make changes so services and experiences are more accessible for that person?
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Picky Eating: Is there such a thing?
Toddlers and food-it's a funny thing. Some toddlers seem to snack all day, while others only stop periodically between playtime to grab a handful of crackers or apple slices. Some toddlers gladly eat whatever you put on their plate, while others...
Read more
www.lanekids.org
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Emmanuel's Dream by Laurie Ann Thompson & Sean Qualls
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Born in Ghana, West Africa, with one deformed leg, Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah was dismissed by most people--but not by his mother, who taught him to reach for his dreams.
Emmanuel's inspiring true story is nothing short of remarkable. Emmanuel vows that he would show, "everyone that being disabled does not mean being unable." To get to the closest school he must hop on one leg, two miles, each way. And, when his classmates refuse to play with him, he saves his money to buy a new soccer ball so they will join him in a game.
As Emmanuel grows older he fights for awareness of the rights and the humanity of people with disabilities on a national scale through an incredible 400 miles bike trip around his country. His advocacy leads to the parliament of Ghana passing laws protecting the rights of people with disabilities.
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Financial Resilience Webisodes
DevNW produces weekly
Financial Resilience webisodes
every Tuesday live on Facebook at noon in English and 12:30pm in Spanish, exploring timely financial wellness topic.
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Fridays and Saturdays in July and August
Welcome to the Lane Events Center Summer Movie Series! Some of our favorite Fair Food vendors will be featured so come hungry and enjoy the drive-in show!
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July 10-12
While the annual McKenzie River Lavender Festival has been canceled, over this weekend you can visit the farm and experience the lavender in bloom with a much smaller number of guests.
Tickets are limited and must be purchased in advance. All guests must wear face masks.
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July 11 or 13
Want to understand how to talk to your child about race? This one hour virtual workshop will help you answer questions like Where to Start? What do I say? How much is too much?
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July 18
Blueberry picking, music, food & drink for purchase and activities for children. Feel free to bring a picnic and enjoy the event. A benefit for
Project Koru.
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We love to hear your questions, feedback on the content of our newsletter, or recommendations on what you would like to read about next time!
You can reach us at
Info@LaneKids.org
.
Also, you can forward this email to a friend, sign up to receive this newsletter in
English
and
Spanish
, and read last month's newsletter in
English
and
Spanish.
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LaneKids is Lane County’s parenting education hub.
Our mission is to ensure all
parents in Lane County have the knowledge, tools, and support to nurture their child’s optimal development for success in school and life.
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LaneKids is made possible with support from:
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