We are hearing so many inspiring stories about community members supporting one another right now. It’s important to share both the struggles and the great efforts to help one another that are happening all across Colorado. Click here to share your story with us.

CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR PROGRAMS DURING CLOSURE

I just got Pamela’s notification that centers will be closed until Friday, April 3, and I also read that the plan is to refund parents.

I want to ask you all not to refund our family. I know that these are going to be incredibly difficult times for all child care providers, and I would like for Mile High Early Learning to keep our full March tuition. I know how critical it is for you all to have some stability of revenue, and my family is fortunate enough to be able to maintain steady employment and income during this time, so we do not require a refund.

Mile High Early Learning Parent

ECE TEACHERS CONNECTING WITH STUDENTS

The teachers have been doing the sweetest things to stay connected to the children and families. They have been recording themselves reading stories and singing songs… They have also scheduled Zoom play dates, sent video messages to each child, and mailed postcards home… I sent home a video of the school fish yesterday so everyone would know how he was existing without them.

Teacher, Boulder Journey School

CHILD ANXIETIES ARE REAL

We are hearing about kids playing “clean things” and “sanitizing” around the house, as well as increased incidents of bed wetting and bad dreams. One mother reported, “My five-year-old son had a bad dream last night. He said, ‘The trees wouldn’t let me wash my hands, and I got coronavirus.’”

GETTING CREATIVE WITH FAMILY ENGAGEMENT

I spent an hour with Valley Settlement’s amazing program staff today on Zoom, listening to their thinking on how to best continue to engage families in this new world… The Little Bus staff are developing and delivering weekly activity bags. They will be exchanging videos of teachers reading books and children doing activities at home. We are brainstorming home visits through iPads and online child-specific apps. Lifelong Learners will be busy with the targeted resources Alejandra Magaña has found. The compassion, creativity, and commitment to the Latino community demonstrated by Valley Settlement’s amazing staff is a fantastic antiviral (figuratively speaking, of course).

Elaine Grossman, Interim Executive Director of Valley Settlement and Early Milestones Colorado Board Member