Resources for Parents, Children, and Caregivers During COVID-19

Kansas and Missouri, along with nearly every state in the U.S., have now issued statewide school closures due to COVID-19. With so much disruption to families’ routines and patterns, the KC Chamber wants to come alongside families as they adjust to this new normal.

This is new terrain for all of us, and while stressful, these times also hold opportunity to build resilience and teamwork as a family. But we can’t do it alone. We’ve compiled a set of resources from experts like Sesame Street in Communities and Getting Smart to support at-home learning, to help families connect in this time of crisis, and to support caregivers and kids’ mental and physical health.

Be on the lookout for more webinars and programming from us to further support families in these unprecedented times.

Please Note: If you are an essential worker in Missouri, MO Child Care Aware, is offering assistance to securing Child Care options for all essential workers in Missouri. For more information, click here.

LEARNING FROM HOME AND ONLINE LEARNING

ARTICLE – Getting Smart: Getting Through the Challenge and Opportunity of Remote Learning
RESOURCES – KCPT: Resources for Learning at Home
FAQs ON DIGITAL LEARNING – Digital Promise: Online Learning
PODCAST – Getting Smart: Rachel Wigglesworth on Learning at Home
WEBINAR - The Learning Continues: Educating Your Kids at Home When You're Not a Teacher
ACTIVITY – Message in a Backpack: Fun Ways to build Your Childs Literacy Skills While Doing Laundry Together
QUIZ – UNICEF (for kids and parents!) Fact or Fiction: How Much Do You Know About the Coronavirus Disease?
RESOURCE - Operation Breakthrough Face-to-Face Summer School Instruction

CONNECTING IN A TIME OF CRISIS

RESOURCES – Sesame Street: Caring for Each other during Covid-19
TIPS – NYT: How to Talk to Kids about Coronavirus
TIPS – AEI: 3 Tips for talking to your kids about coronavirus and the national shutdown
ACTIVITY – Essential Partners: 5 Questions to Connect during the Covid-19 Quarantine (a great resource for families to have deep conversations in the midst of these unprecedented times)
TIPS – Turn Around for Children: 7 Tips for Parenting and Caregivers: Reassuring Children During the Coronavirus Outbreak

MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH

RESOURCES – Prevent Child Abuse America: Coronavirus Resources & Tips for Parents, Children, & Others
GUIDE – The National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Parent/Caregiver Guide to Helping Families Cope with COVID-19
NEWS – Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) Guidance for Supporting Families in Accessing Healthy and Safe Child Care During the COVID-19 Outbreak
RESOURCE – Self Care for Parents During COVID-19
GUIDE - Preparedness and Planning for Child Care Programs