Elizabeth Hernandez | The Denver Post “I haven’t been able to find hand soap. I haven’t been able to find Clorox. I haven’t been able to find paper towels. I hardly have any families showing up. It’s hard to be in this environment and not have the support and be told we can’t shut down.”…
How Schools Are Scrambling to Protect Homeless Students as Coronavirus Disrupts Lives
Mark Keierleber | The 74 “Even before the coronavirus prompted widespread disruption, the number of K-12 students experiencing homelessness recently reached its highest point in over a decade. More than 1.5 million students were homeless at some point during the 2017-18 school year, according to the most recent federal education data.” Youth homelessness in the United…
Parents, We Need to Connect with Each Other.
Illuminate Colorado “It is all uncharted territory and every parent has a lot to worry about right now. While everyone is encouraged to physically distance ourselves from each other, that doesn’t mean we need to socially isolate from one another.” Crises can bring communities together. It is in this spirit that many state and local…
Calls to the Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline System Drop During COVID-19 School Closures
CO-4-Kids | Colorado Dept. of Human Services “We are concerned about this significant drop in calls, particularly because children and youth who may be experiencing abuse and neglect are now home all day and isolated.” Calls to the Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline (844-CO-4-KIDS) dropped by about 41% over a one-week period as schools and…
Babies Don’t Do Social Distancing (Opinion)
The Hill | Lea Austin, Marcy Whitebook, & Ashley Williams “While schools have closed for millions of students, child care programs are being urged to remain open. Children and their teachers in child care settings are no less contagious than those in schools…” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended that both…
The Kids Aren’t All Right
The Atlantic | Vann R. Newkirk II “This is likely a once-in-a-generation disaster, and it will affect every domain of human life. It will be traumatic. And trauma always falls hardest on the youngest among us.” Trauma affects children and adults differently, and the major disruption to children’s lives caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is…
Likely Cancellation of All State Tests Would Allow Michigan to Put Third-Grade Reading Law on Hold for a Year
Chalkbeat Detroit | Lori Higgins “The cancellation of state exams will mean the end, for at least a year, of Michigan’s Read by Grade 3 law, which required that beginning this year, schools would have to hold back some struggling third-graders…” In response to widespread school closures, the US Department of Education is allowing states…
As Closures Continue, Child Care Providers and Early Educators Struggle
New America Education Policy Blog | Aaron Loewenberg “There is clearly a need for immediate and significant help from both states and the federal government in order to keep providers from closing permanently due to a lack of funds.” Child care centers continue to be closed throughout the US as a result of the spreading…
SBA Offers Disaster Assistance Loans for Small Businesses Impacted by Coronavirus
ColoradoBiz | Staff “SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans offer up to $2 million in assistance for a small business. These loans can provide vital economic support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing.” The US Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering low-interest relief loans for small businesses and…
Colorado Launches Emergency Child Care for Those on the Front Lines of Coronavirus – And It’s Free for Now
Chalkbeat Colorado | Ann Schimke “The child care providers are the real heroes in this effort and have been so enthusiastic and gracious,” said Meg Franko, director of research and policy at Early Milestones Colorado By Monday morning, the Colorado Emergency Child Care Collaborative had matched over 1,000 families with child care providers. This article…
