Councils Respond to COVID-19 with Supports for Families and Providers
Across Colorado, families and communities have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. In particular, family child care arrangements have been disrupted and supplies have been difficult to find on store shelves. In local communities, Colorado’s Early Childhood Councils are playing an important role in supporting families and child care providers while working collaboratively with community partners including:
Ensuring Child Care Access for the Essential Workforce: In partnership with the Colorado Emergency Child Care Collaborative, Councils have matched local families with available child care providers in their local communities. In many cases, they help families to navigate the process so they can continue to provide essential community services.
Providing Support and Supplies to Child Care Providers: While many child care providers want to remain open, they are concerned for the health and safety of the children served and their employees, and unsure about the viability of their business. Councils have been working with child care providers to ease concerns and help them safely continue their important work. In collaboration with the Colorado Department of Human Services, Office of Early Childhood, Councils are providing cleaning supplies and masks to child care providers. They are also delivering support and resources to safely remain open or reopen.
Connecting Families with Resources and Support: Colorado was fortunate to receive a $3 million supply order from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) which included diapers, wipes, and baby formula. In many communities, particularly those in rural areas, these supplies were difficult to find but an essential need for many families. Councils worked with their Family Resource Center to receive and distribute these supplies to local families.
Learn more:
- How Colorado Lined up Child Care for 1,000 Essential Workers in One Week published by The Colorado Sun on March 25, 2020.
- Essential Baby Supplies Delivered to Colorado from FEMA published by the Colorado Department of Humans Services on April 13, 2020.
- Inside a Colorado Effort to Keep Child Care Businesses Clean and Open published by Chalkbeat Colorado on May 14, 2020.