Ensuring Safety, Reinventing Care and Education
Highlights from Early Childhood and COVID-19 Discussion:
Several members of OSSS’s Lead Planning Team recently led an online discussion on Early Childhood and COVID-19 with Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan, and State Assemblymember Rob Bonta. Clarissa Douthard of Parent Voices Oakland (PVO), Kym Johnson of BANANAS, and Christie Herrera of OUSD Early Childhood Education rounded out the panel, which was moderated by OSSS Director Priya Jagannathan. The more than 140 participants included preschool teachers, family child care providers, parent organizers, city and county staff, community based organizations, and funders.
As Priya noted, "Covid-19 has revealed more than ever how much we rely on early care and education, and has brought up immediate needs as well as long term impacts that we need to address collectively. We need to ensure the safety and well-being of early educators, children and community members. We must reinvent our systems of care and education - with a focus on access and equity."
The full panel discussion can be found here. Highlights included:
The elected officials expressed their gratitude to the frontline childcare workers, and invited parents and caregivers to come forward with opinions and voices to help shape decision-making. OSSS partners are working to identify more opportunities to push for resources and policies that reflect the needs of the community.
As Priya noted, "Covid-19 has revealed more than ever how much we rely on early care and education, and has brought up immediate needs as well as long term impacts that we need to address collectively. We need to ensure the safety and well-being of early educators, children and community members. We must reinvent our systems of care and education - with a focus on access and equity."
The full panel discussion can be found here. Highlights included:
- Sharing of resources and updates from the elected officials and OSSS members, including COVID19 testing resources, financial resources for small businesses, requests for subsidized child care for essential workers, and anticipated changes to the statewide Master Plan for early childhood.
- Amplifying the voices of the families most impacted by COVID-19, Clarissa Doutherd shared the data from PVO’s Parent Impact Survey of Alameda County families. Families are struggling to meet their basic needs: accessing food and health care, paying for housing, and negotiating economic uncertainty.
- Kym Johnson shared how BANANAS is supporting child care providers and families. A full 85% of child care providers have closed due to COVID-19, either out of concerns for health and safety or the loss of tuition from families. BANANAS is giving direct cash assistance to providers and families, securing tablets for informal care providers and family resource centers to enable communication and distance learning opportunities, and working on distributing funds and supplies to centers serving essential workers.
- Christie Herrera discussed how OUSD’s ECE program has pivoted to distance learning -- for instance by sending printed activity packets to homes without reliable internet access. She also noted that OUSD educators and community-based organizations have weekly planning calls on reopening, with many providers concerned about workforce safety and social distancing with small children.
- Participants submitted over 100 questions related to concerns about how to safely reopen childcare centers, how childcare programs can access financial support and supplies, and how families can access services.
The elected officials expressed their gratitude to the frontline childcare workers, and invited parents and caregivers to come forward with opinions and voices to help shape decision-making. OSSS partners are working to identify more opportunities to push for resources and policies that reflect the needs of the community.