RESOURCES FOR KIDS AND FAMILIES

This  is a trying and frightening time for families, parents and kids, with daycare, schools and workplaces closed; beloved caregivers and teachers absent; everyday routines and schedules disrupted; and family members confined in close quarters. The economic uncertainty and hardships facing so many working families add to these stressful factors. Help is available through the National Parent Helpline.  Resources for parents, children and caregivers are available here:

For Families and Friends of those Experiencing Violence:

• Ways to help children and adults living with violence
• Formas de ayudar a niños y adultos que viven con violencia
• Minimizing Opportunity During Coronavirus Quarantine from Darkness to Light
• COVID-19 Resources for Families and Support People from The HEAL Project

Child Welfare Clinical and Supportive Resources:

• Resources for Maintaining Connection from Help Me Grow National Center:

Resources for Kids Learning at Home:

• Wide Open School

Helping Children Understand COVID-19:

• How to Talk to Your Kids About Coronavirus from PBS; in Spanish: Cómo hablar con tus hijos sobre el coronavirus
• Preview this free, downloadable “A Kids Book About COVID-19” (for ages 6+) and if it feels right for your kids,read it with them!
• #COVIBOOK: Printable book to help kids understand coronavirus in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and more languages.
• Age-appropriate responses to common questions and tips for families by Zero to Three:
• NPR comic: What is Coronavirus?
• Traditional Indigenous Kinship Practices at Home: Being Child-Centered During the Pandemic from Indigenous Motherhood

Recursos Adicionales para Familias en Español:

• Rosa Contra El Virus (Spanish-language story for kids)
• Misión: Quedarse En Casa (Spanish-language coloring book about social distancing for kids)
• Spanish-language suggestions for activities, learning resources with kids – under “Para Niñxs/Familias”

Activities, De-stressing, Self-regulation for Parents and Kids:

•   “How you and your kids can de-stress during coronavirus”  by PBS
•  Tips for parents and families during Coronavirus – Prevent Child Abuse
• Making a new home routine by PBS
•  “7 music games for practicing self regulation with kids” by PBS
• Stress relief tips (apps, websites, movie suggestions) from Common Sense Media
• How to prepare for extended school closings – Upworthy
• Parents guide for surviving COVID-19 – Early Learning Imagination
• Online learning resources and activities for children – NIEER
• Coping with stress for parents and kids – CDC
• Helping kids cope in a disaster -CDC

For Educators:

•  Psychological First Aid for schools and educators
• CDC guidance for schools and childcare programs
• Supporting children experiencing trauma –    Head Start vlog
•  Head Start Coronavirus guidance for programs 

For parents and caregivers in need of additional financial support: 

• The Families First CoronaVirus Response Act provides some paid sick leave, paid leave for some workers who need to care for sick family members, free COVID-19 testing, as well as emergency food and nutritional assistance (SNAP), and unemployment benefits for some workers whose jobs have been impacted. Those benefits become available April 2, and more details are available here.
• Congress is considering additional Coronavirus legislation that may provide cash supplements to families. We will keep you informed of those developments.
• Immediate financial assistance for specific needs is available here:
  • Coronavirus Care Fund for Domestic and Low Wage Workers organized by the National Domestic Workers Alliance.
  • COVID-19 Financial Security Offering