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Last week, we released the first video in our series thanking pandemic child care providers who are supporting the front line workers while they respond to Ohio's health and safety needs. In just a week, this video reached over 50,000 people on social media and amassed many thank you cards and videos. This week, Groundwork released its second video in our series and hope you will once again help us in thanking child care providers by watching and sharing our latest video with your colleagues, friends, and families. Below is a simple 10 minute guide on how you can utilize this video to help keep children, child care, and early educators at the front of minds and decisions during the pandemic. Watch, share, and like our posts on Facebook , Twitter , and LinkedIn by clicking on each of their hyperlinks Write a thank you card and send it to 4041 North High Street, Suite 204, Columbus, Ohio 43214. Creating thank you cards can also be a fun stay-at-home activity for you to do with your children by using materials you have laying around the house Post a picture of your thank you card on social media and tag @GroundworkOhio or send it to jjackels@groundworkohio.org Thank you for your help in making our video go viral last week on social media and for your continued support in making sure that child care continues to be a priority during and after this unprecedented time! Watch the Video Upcoming Webinars to Tune Into As we social distance, there are many virtual opportunities to continue to your learning while at home. As such, we compiled 5 free webinar opportunities that are coming up within the next week for you to consider adding to your schedule. Today at 1:00 PM : Join the Center for Community Solutions, Advocates for Ohio's Future, Children’s Defense Fund Ohio, and Universal Health Care Action Network for a webinar on how COVID19 impacts Medicaid. Learn more and register here .  Today at 2:00 PM : Join the U.S. Office for Head Start for a webinar focused on caring for children in group settings during the pandemic. Learn more and register here . Wednesday, April 29th at 1:00 PM:  Join ZERO TO THREE for an early educator webinar focused on how to address abuse and neglect during COVID-19. Learn more and register here . Additionally, you will find past recordings on preventing child abuse and neglect for home visitors and clinicians to utilize on this page. Tuesday, April 28th at 2:00 PM: Join edWeb for a webinar designed for child care professionals on embracing anti-bias classroom. Learn more and register here . Thursday, April 30th at 3:00 PM : Join NAEYC for a family and early educator webinar on how to support early learning while at home. Learn more and register here . New Resources from National Experts Every week, experts are publishing new resources that support early childhood professionals and early childhood development. Below we have compiled a few of these resources that we found to be particularly helpful. New America Team and No Small Matter created a new resource highlighting the complexity of an early educator's job. This resource includes videos to show what this looks like in practice and is a great resource for advocacy. the Committee for Economic Development released two new podcasts for child care centers and family child care homes  addressing the strategies child care businesses can utilize to recover from COVID-19. The Brain Architects from the Harvard Center on the Developing Child released a new podcast episode on the impact the pandemic has on early childhood development. CLASP released a new report  that details strategies for advancing racial equity in maternal mental health policies. First Children's Finance created a resource hub containing a cash flow spreadsheet, tips on analyzing financial statements, and other useful business supports for child care providers to utilize. Resources for Providers & Families We know there is a lot of information and resources swirling around right now and it may feel overwhelming to some. This is why we created two pages to centralize these resources for providers and families to include background information on COVID-19, financial assistance, grant opportunities, and activities for young children. We will regularly update both these pages as we receive more information, so keep checking back for the latest resources. Groundwork Resources for Families Groundwork Resources for Providers Recorded Webinars for Providers Attend a weekly ZERO TO THREE mindfulness break on Fridays at noon We are currently working on developing resources for all early childhood related programs and hope to have this information posted within the coming weeks. Do you have a resource that you would like us to list on our page? Please contact Julia Jackels at jjackels@groundworkohio.org to share your resource. Ohio’s coronavirus reopening plan will stumble without a day care solution for working parents Ohio parents struggle to find child care as some prepare to return to work in May Two Parents. Two Kids. Two Jobs. No Child Care. Want to Support Your Community’s Equitable Recovery from COVID-19? Invest in Child Care Coronavirus and child welfare The Heartbreaking Choices Faced by Child Care Providers on the Front Lines If you are not a current subscriber and want to receive our regular updates and alerts, you can sign up for our mailing list by clicking  here .

This week we released a new video to show appreciation for Ohio's pandemic child care providers who are supporting the front-line workers responding to the current coronavirus pandemic. In less than a week, the video has already been viewed by over 15,000 people! As we go through this pandemic, we are leaning on child care professionals, now more than ever, and we want to send them thank you cards from all over the state to show that we are all here to support them. How can you get involved in showing support? It is really easy and simple! All you need to do is take a few minutes of your day to do the following: Watch, share, and like our posts on Facebook , Twitter , and LinkedIn by clicking on each of their hyperlinks Write a thank you card and send to 4041 North High Street, Suite 204, Columbus, Ohio 43214. Creating thank you cards can also be a fun stay-at-home activity for you to do with your children Post a picture of your thank you card on social media and tag @GroundworkOhio Thank you for your continued support and collaboration in making sure that child care does not go unnoticed during this unprecedented time! Watch the Video New Resources from National Experts Over the past week, many organizations at the national level have released new information, guidance, upcoming webinars and other resources.  Here are a few great new resources from this week: ZERO TO THREE Webinar Series: Addressing Abuse and Neglect During COVID-19 (available to clinicians, home visitors, early educators, child welfare professionals, and military/veteran providers) Ohio Practitioners’ Network for Fathers and Families is hosting " A Virtual Gathering of Ohio Dads: Fathering in the Pandemic " on Saturday, April 18th, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm Ohio Department of Education announced that the  Seventh Annual Trauma-Informed Care Summit: Creating Environments of Resiliency and Hope in Ohio will be held virtually on May 19-20th The Center for the Developing Child at Harvard University created a new hub of COVID-19 resources pertaining to early childhood development First Five Years Fund released a new report for child care providers and self-employed individuals to learn more about unemployment benefits in the CARES Act Child Care Aware of America's Resource Hub provides helpful resources and guidance for child care providers, families, and policymakers United States Government Accountability Office released a new report, " Maternal Mortality: Trends in Pregnancy Related Deaths and Federal Efforts to Reduce Them " detailing recent data trends in maternal mortality rates throughout the country. Supporting Children and Families During the Pandemic In case you missed it, we created a new resource  to provide guidance and resources on how we can all work together to prevent child abuse and build child resiliency during the pandemic whether you are a parent, family member, provider, community member, or policymaker. In Ohio, we saw a 43% decrease in March for child abuse and neglect referrals, but this does not mean that it is not happening. The common reporters of child abuse (teachers, child care providers, home visitors, family members, etc.) are not regularly seeing these children, resulting in child abuse and neglect going undetected. While this may be true, child abuse IS preventable and we can all make a difference by taking the steps outlined in our resource. Access Resource Child Care Programs: Share Your Story with Us As you may already know, Groundwork Ohio is participating in conversations at both the state and national levels to provide leaders with insights and solutions to address the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) on child care providers and we need your stories. If you are a child care provider in Ohio--whether you're from a family child care or center-based program and whether you've closed or are providing pandemic care--we hope you will fill out our brief survey to share how your program has been impacted by the recent pandemic. Share Your Story Resources for Providers & Families We know there is a lot of information and resources swirling around right now and it may feel overwhelming to some. This is why we created two pages to centralize these resources for providers and families to include background information on COVID-19, financial assistance, grant opportunities, and activities for young children. We will regularly update both these pages as we receive more information, so keep checking back for the latest resources. Groundwork Resources for Families Groundwork Resources for Providers Recorded Webinars for Providers Attend a weekly ZERO TO THREE mindfulness break on Fridays at noon We are currently working on developing resources for all early childhood related programs and hope to have this information posted within the coming weeks. Do you have a resource that you would like us to list on our page? Please contact Julia Jackels at jjackels@groundworkohio.org to share your resource. Reports of child abuse and neglect are plummeting across Ohio Census: Consequences of Missing a Child Last a Decade One Central Ohio foster care center sees spike during COVID-19 crisis Early Childhood Educators in America: Through the Lens of a Pandemic Exclusive: Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Tina Smith have a plan to fix the pandemic child care crisis Why Early Childhood Educators Should Turn to Mindfulness and Compassion, Now and Always Will the virus kill American child care? Centers across America need help desperately

Today, we released a new video on our social media pages to show our support for child care professionals. As we go through this pandemic, we are leaning on child care professionals, now more than ever, to support essential workers such as health care professionals, child care professionals, grocery store clerks, public safety professionals, pharmacists, nursing home workers, and so many more as they work together to keep Ohio safe and healthy during the pandemic. Without child care, many of the essential workers would not be able to do the great work they are currently doing. Today we ask you to take 5-7 minutes of your day to thank a child care professional and share our video on our social media pages to let them know they matter. All you need to do is the following: Share & like our posts on  Facebook , Twitter , and LinkedIn by clicking on each of their hyperlinks; Write a thank you card and send to: 4041 North High Street, Suite 204, Columbus, Ohio 43214. Creating thank you cards can also be a fun stay-at-home activity for you to do with your children; and, Post a picture of your thank you card on our social media posts. Thank you for your continued support and collaboration in making sure that child care does not go unnoticed during this unprecedented time!

Raising Awareness During Child Abuse Prevention Month April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and even though we are all at home practicing social distancing, it did not stop Groundwork, PCSAO, the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association, Children’s Defense Fund-Ohio, Ohioans, and many other organizations from participating in Ohio Wears Blue Day on Wednesday to raise awareness around child abuse and neglect. As a result of high participation in Wednesday's Child Abuse Prevention Day activities, #OhioWearsBlue was the number one trending topic on Twitter in Ohio. We also had high attendance during our Wednesday webinar featuring top experts on child abuse from Dayton Children's Hospital, Prevent Child Abuse America, and ZERO TO THREE. Watch the Webinar While it was important to raise awareness on social media to let families know that we are all to support them, we acknowledge that we must do more to protect children and families from child abuse during this difficult time. We've created a new resource to provide guidance and resources on how we can all work together to prevent child abuse and build child resiliency during the pandemic whether you are a parent, family member, provider, community member, or policymaker. In Ohio, we saw a 43% decrease in March for child abuse and neglect referrals, but this does not mean that it is not happening. The common reporters of child abuse (teachers, child care providers, home visitors, family members, etc.) are not regularly seeing these children, resulting in child abuse and neglect going undetected. While this may be true, child abuse IS preventable and we can all make a difference by taking the steps outlined in our resource. Access the Resource Next week, the National Association for the Education of Young Children is hosting its annual Week of the Young Child (April 11-17). While most of us are not able to celebrate young children and early educators in the classroom and our communities right now, NAEYC and America for Early Ed created a Week of the Young Child social media toolkit for you to easily use and share with friends and colleagues as you celebrate this event. Click here to access the toolkit. Kindermusik and NAEYC are also offering free webinars throughout the week. Click here to register for the webinars. Additionally, the Ohio AEYC is hosting these webinar opportunities geared towards early educators. Happiness is running through the streets to find you...even during a pandemic! with Holly Elissa Bruno on Tuesday, April 14th from 7:30-8:30 PM. Learn More and register here . Courageous Conversations on Wednesday, April 15th from 7:30-8:30 PM and Thursday, April 16th from 1-2 PM. Learn more and register here . Black Mamas Matter Alliance is a Black women-led cross-sectoral alliance. We center Black mamas to advocate, drive research, build power, and shift culture for Black maternal health, rights, and justice. Next week, join the Black Mamas Matter Alliance to amplify effective maternal health policies and solutions for Black mamas as part of the 3rd Annual Black Maternal Health Week from April 11-17. During the week, you can engage on social media and in many different webinar opportunities to raise awareness and learn more about black maternal health. #BMHW20 is an opportunity to think about improving maternal health disparities without fear, blame, or shame. Engage with BMMA and its partners by clicking here . Sign Up for the Social Media Toolkit In case you missed it, we created a new Census toolkit (which includes kids' activities, sample emails, social media posts, and more) to encourage them to fill out the survey. It has never been easier for families to respond on their own, whether online, over the phone or by mail—all without having to meet a census taker. Even though you may not be seeing the families you work with regularly during this time, we hope you will use our toolkit to encourage families to respond to the 2020 Census. The Census is critical to making sure Ohio receives the funding we need to support children and families and we need your help in making sure Ohio has a complete count! Download the Census Toolkit Child Care Programs: Share Your Story with Us As you may already know, Groundwork Ohio is participating in conversations at both the state and national levels to provide leaders with insights and solutions to address the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) on child care providers and we need your stories. If you are a child care provider in Ohio--whether you're from a family child care or center-based program and whether you've closed or are providing pandemic care--we hope you will fill out our brief survey to share how your program has been impacted by the recent pandemic. Share Your Story Resources for Providers & Families We know there is a lot of information and resources swirling around right now and it may feel overwhelming to some. This is why we created two pages to centralize these resources for providers and families to include background information on COVID-19, financial assistance, grant opportunities, and activities for young children. We will regularly update both these pages as we receive more information, so keep checking back for the latest resources. Groundwork Resources for Families Groundwork Resources for Providers Recorded Webinars for Providers Attend a weekly ZERO TO THREE mindfulness break on Fridays at noon We are currently working on developing resources for all early childhood related programs and hope to have this information posted within the coming weeks. Do you have a resource that you would like us to list on our page? Please contact Julia Jackels at jjackels@groundworkohio.org to share your resource. Mahoning agency nets $1 million to cut mortality Free book program launches in Wood County, expands in Lucas County Column: Reading and talking with young children keeps them learning The Rate of Uninsured Infants and Toddlers is Growing. Don’t Let COVID-19 Pandemic Make Things Worse “We are on our own”: How the coronavirus pandemic is hurting child care workers Coronavirus is closing day cares; child care providers worry they may never reopen

This Wednesday, April 8th we will be hosting a webinar on Preventing Child Abuse During Coronavirus Pandemic. Speakers will share insights on the impact of the pandemic on rates of child abuse and neglect in the state and how we can respond to these challenges through an early childhood mental health and trauma lens. Speakers will include: Lynanne Gutierrez , Policy Director and Legal Counsel at Groundwork Ohio Dr. Jonathan Thackeray , Chief Medical Community Health Officer at Dayton Children’s Hospital Lee Johnson III , Senior Policy Analyst for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health at ZERO TO THREE Dr. Melissa T. Merrick , President and CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America Register for the W ebinar Wednesday is also Wear Blue Day to raise awareness around child abuse and neglect in Ohio. Join hundreds of Ohioans raising awareness about this issue and to let families know that we are all here to support them by wearing blue on Wednesday and posting a picture on social media with #OhioWearsBlue (check out Groundwork’s social media toolkit here for some sample posts). We hope you will share these opportunities outlined below with your colleagues, stakeholders, providers, teachers, friends—anyone who typically interacts with families and is adjusting to this new normal during the pandemic. To help you prepare for Wednesday, we created a toolkit with sample messages, tweets, infographics, etc. to help make sharing this opportunity with others quick and easy! Download the Social Media Toolkit

Next Wednesday, April 8th Groundwork is partnering with PCSAO, the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association, and Children’s Defense Fund-Ohio to shine a light on efforts to support children and families during Child Abuse Prevention Month. We hope you will join us on Wednesday by wearing blue and posting a picture on social media with #OhioWearsBlue (check out our social media toolkit here for a few sample posts) to help raise awareness. We’ll also be hosting a webinar at 1 PM on Wednesday to talk about the challenges families and providers are facing in their efforts to reduce child abuse and neglect in Ohio in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Participants will hear from national and local experts about the impact we’re seeing on rates of abuse and neglect and brainstorm ways providers and policymakers can continue supporting and engaging with families during the stay-at-home order. Register for the webinar here . Register for the April 8th Webinar Access the Social Media Toolkit The 2020 Census will decide how much funding our communities will receive for the next decade, meaning that a baby born today will be well into elementary school when the next Census comes around. This child may need access to programs such as child care, home visiting, early intervention, public education, housing assistance, food assistance, transportation, health care, and so much more over the next ten years. The Census is critical to making sure Ohio receives the funding we need to support children and families. Even though you may not be seeing the families you work with regularly during this time, we hope you will use our new Census toolkit (which includes kids' activities, sample emails, social media posts, and more) to encourage them to fill out the survey. It has never been easier for families to respond on their own, whether online, over the phone or by mail—all without having to meet a census taker. Download the Census Toolkit Child Care Programs: Share Your Story with Us Groundwork Ohio is participating in conversations at both the state and national levels to provide leaders with insights and solutions to address the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) on child care providers. It is important for us to gather the stories of child care providers from all corners of the state so that we can not only share your experiences in our conversations but also amplify your voices in work over the days, weeks, and months to come. If you are a child care provider in Ohio--whether you're from a family child care or center-based program and whether you've closed or are providing pandemic care--we hope you will fill out our brief survey to share how your program has been impacted by the recent pandemic. Share Your Story TODAY: Pandemic Child Care Provider Discussion Forum Join us for an informational webinar today from 1-2 PM facilitated by OACCP with support from Dayton Preschool Promise/Learn to Earn Dayton, Groundwork Ohio, Ohio AEYC, OCCRRA, Southwest Ohio AEYC and others. This webinar is geared toward center-based and family child care providers who are operating pandemic child care programs. A panel of pandemic child care providers will share their insights on: Administrative procedures Staffing challenges and strategies Best practices in cleaning and sanitation Additional challenges and opportunities Register Now Resources for Providers and Families Join us for an informational webinar on Friday, March 27th from 1-2 PM with Dayton We know there is a lot of information and resources swirling around right now and it may feel overwhelming to some. This is why we created two pages to centralize these resources for providers and families to include background information on COVID-19, financial assistance, grant opportunities, and activities for young children. We will regularly update both these pages as we receive more information. Access Resources for Providers Access Resources for Families We are currently working on developing resources for all early childhood related programs and hope to have this information posted within the coming weeks. Do you have a resource that you would like us to list on our page? Please contact Julia Jackels at jjackels@groundworkohio.org to share your resource.

Over the past two weeks, we have all experienced a great deal of change in our personal and professional lives. Many of these changes are happening at lightning speed in an effort to flatten the curve and slow the spread of the coronavirus. In this time frame, Groundwork Ohio has been working across all agencies and communities to ensure that early childhood voices are heard and to relay the most up-to-date information to the early childhood community. Under the new emergency measures, all non-essential businesses have closed, a stay at home order was issued, pandemic child care programs have opened, Medicaid expanded the capability for families to use telehealth, more employees are now eligible for unemployment benefits, low-interest small business loans are now available, and so much more. This week's newsletter is lengthier than normal, but we want to make sure that you have access to all of the information and resources we've gathered over the past two weeks. We are here for you and with you and will continue to provide these updates as they occur. State Looks to Pandemic Child Care to Support Essential Workers As of Thursday, per the  Ohio Department of Health Director's Order , all of Ohio's child care programs are closed with the exception of temporary pandemic child care.  Until at least April 30, 2020 all child care programs operating in Ohio must do so under a temporary pandemic child care license.  Earlier this week, the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services released new guidance on temporary pandemic child care licensing. In this new guidance, it further clarified that family child care homes are eligible to apply to be a pandemic child care. The guidance also provided: ODJFS Provider Communication on Pandemic Child Care-Summary of Information to Date Application for Temporary Pandemic Program Child Care Center Temporary Licensing, Certification and Payment Procedures to Address the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Family Child Care Temporary Licensing, Certification and Payment Procedures to Address the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic ODJFS Pandemic Child Care Essential Worker List Background Check Requirements for Pandemic Child Care Centers​ By Thursday afternoon, there were nearly 1,200 licensed family child care homes and 1,134 centers approved to be pandemic child care programs. This temporary pandemic license will be required to operate child care in Ohio until April 30th. Click here to be directed to the ODJFS pandemic child care provider page to learn more. If you or your family needs pandemic child care, click here to be directed to the ODJFS pandemic child care family page. Child Care Programs: Share Your Story with Us Groundwork Ohio is participating in conversations at both the state and national levels to provide leaders with insights and solutions to address the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) on child care providers. It is important for us to gather the stories of child care providers from all corners of the state so that we can not only share your experiences in our conversations but also amplify your voices in work over the days, weeks, and months to come. If you are a child care provider in Ohio--whether you're from a family child care or center-based program and whether you've closed or are providing pandemic care--we hope you will fill out our brief survey to share how your program has been impacted by the recent pandemic. Share Your Story Join Us for Today's Webinar on Support for Child Care Providers Join us for an informational webinar on Friday, March 27th from 1-2 PM with Dayton Preschool Promise/Learn to Earn Dayton, Groundwork Ohio, Ohio AEYC, OACCP, OCCRRA, and others as we share helpful information and updates for child care providers. Today's webinar will cover information on… This week's developments in state and federal policy Small business supports (e.g. FMLA, unemployment, small business loans) Report from pandemic child care workgroup (OACCP) FAQs for providers (pandemic days, absent days, etc. Register Now Over the past couple of weeks, Groundwork has partnered with other leading early education organizations across the state to share timely resources and information about Ohio's response to COVID-19 and its impact on early learning programs. We know that there are only so many webinars and conferences you can attend in a day, so we uploaded the recordings of these webinars to our website for you to watch, re-watch, or share widely with your peers. While we recommend watching all of our recent webinars, there are two webinars we would like to highlight: Supporting YOUR Mental Health with Dr. Nefertiti Bruce Poyner was co-hosted by Groundwork Ohio, Ohio AEYC, and Southwest Ohio AEYC. The goal of this webinar was to provide early educators with the opportunity to learn more about how take control of your mental health during the pandemic. Ohio Child Care Pandemic Response Webinar was co-hosted by Groundwork Ohio and Learn to Earn Dayton. The webinar provided an overview of the resources available to child care providers such as unemployment compensation and small business loan assistance and whether or not these programs support your business needs.   Watch the Webinars Ohio Legislature Passes Bipartisan COVID-19 Emergency Bill On Wednesday, the Ohio Senate and Ohio House of Representatives passed Amended Substitute House Bill 197, an emergency measure to provide relief to Ohioans affected by COVID-19 and also to modify existing rules and deadlines. The bill passed both chambers with full bipartisan support and will be final once signed by the Governor. The bill includes language that delays the deadline for Step Up to Quality from July 1, 2020 to September 1, 2020 in response to the limited state and local capacity to finalize the rating process for child care programs during this time . We support the delay through September 1st for remaining programs as the state manages this crisis in order to prevent the loss of child care capacity. In the coming months, as we shift from crisis management to recovery, we do believe, however, that maintaining the state’s commitment to high-quality child care is of the utmost importance. After this period of chaos, children will need—more than ever—the consistent, nurturing caregiving that comes with high-quality early learning environments. Other key takeaways from the bill include: Suspends the staff to child ratio requirements and maximum group sizes at child care centers (aligning with the Governor's order); Allows JFS to continue making payments to publicly funded child care providers during the emergency – all this is done within existing appropriations - and is done to maintain the system so it may quickly return to full operation; Moves the Ohio's state tax filing deadline from April 15th to July 15th to align with the new Federal tax filing deadline; Extends absentee voting by mail for the March 17, 2020 primary election to April 28, 2020; and, Allows the Governor to draw down funds from the Rainy Day Fund with approval from the controlling board. The summary of the amended HB197 can be found by clicking here . Resources for Providers and Families Join us for an informational webinar on Friday, March 27th from 1-2 PM with Dayton We know there is a lot of information and resources swirling around right now and it may feel overwhelming to some. This is why we created two pages to centralize these resources for providers and families to include background information on COVID-19, financial assistance, grant opportunities, and activities for young children. We will regularly update both these pages as we receive more information. Access Resources for Providers Access Resources for Families We are currently working on developing resources for all early childhood related programs and hope to have this information posted within the coming weeks. Do you have a resource that you would like us to list on our page? Please contact Julia Jackels at jjackels@groundworkohio.org to share your resource. Only Four More Days Until Census Day! We are less than a week away from the Census Day on April 1st and we need to all work together in getting out the word to make sure Ohio counts all kids! The 2020 Census will decide how much funding our communities will receive for the next decade, meaning that a baby born today will be in primary school when the next Census comes around. This child may need access to programs such as child care, home visiting, early intervention, public education, housing assistance, food assistance, transportation, health care, and so much more and it is important to make sure they are counted so that they could receive high-quality services like these. Not only does the Census determine federal funding levels for Ohio, but it will also determine how many seats Ohio will have in the U.S. House of Representatives. Learn more about the Census here. Babies and infants are one of our most vulnerable populations and are in dire need of these programs during the earliest of years of their development. However, they are also the most undercounted population in the Census. In order to ensure that we continue to increase investments in these family supports, we need to ensure we count all people in Ohio -- regardless of age, citizenship, living arrangements, and so on. Everybody counts and we need your help more now than ever! Access Census Toolkit Federal Legislation Update Last week, Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act to provide relief to families impacted by the coronavirus (click here to learn more). Then yesterday, the U.S. Senate and House negotiated a bipartisan economic stimulus bill to provide relief to families and businesses impacted by the pandemic. In the stimulus package, there is significant relief for the child care industry to ensure that we have child care capacity during and after the pandemic. These relief measures include an increase in CCDBG funding, access to small business loans, funding for the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund, and an increase in Head Start Funding. Read More from First Five Years Fund Guidance on Health and Prevention Measures Below you can find helpful resources from the Ohio Department of Health on what COVID-19 is and how you can help in containing the spread of the virus: Guidance for Child Care Programs Coronavirus FAQ Coronavirus Prevention Flyer How to Find Your Local Health Department Educational Videos on COVID-19 In addition to visiting Groundwork's website, please visit the state's website www.coronavirus.ohio.gov for daily updates and resources. If you have any questions regarding the virus, please call the Ohio Department of Health at 1-833-4ASKODH (1-833-427-5634). Each week, Groundwork will now wrap up our newsletter by spotlighting a Groundwork Advisory Committee Member to share the great things these Members are doing for young children in their communities. Melissa Bacon Director of Government Affairs & Stakeholder Engagement OCALI Website Q: What led you to get involved in Groundwork Ohio's advisory committee? A: Applying to be a part of the Advisory Committee I believed was an exciting opportunity to engage with leaders across the state who are passionate about improving children and families lives in Ohio. Groundwork has a strong reputation for leadership and services and OCLI is excited to work with them. Q: What is your organization currently doing to help support young children and their families? A: OCALI's Center for the Young Child is currently developing new training modules for child care to increase awareness and understanding on the signs of developmental delays and how to engage parents. We are also educating on supports and services, EI, and Help Me Grow. Q: Tell us a fun fact about you. A: I am a proud graduate of OSU. Go Bucks! 5 tips for family fun time from Fran DeWine, Ohio’s first lady Ohio legislature passes coronavirus relief bill extending primary voting until April 28, waiving school testing requirements The coronavirus is decimating childcare providers. Congress must act America’s child welfare system was already failing. The pandemic could weaken it further. Ohio child care centers to close Thursday, many to remain open as pandemic care centers

In a time that no one has seen before, coronavirus has changed the way society operates from the federal to local levels. While the virus impacts different infrastructures and the economy, Ohio must be aware of the impact it will have upon our youngest children and families. In response to the pandemic, on March 18th, 2020 the Families First Coronavirus Response Act was signed into law. This is the second piece of legislation Congress has enacted as a response to the current pandemic.[1] The Families First Act covers a broad range of programs that impact children and families, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Women, Infants and Children’s Programs (WIC), school lunch, family and medical leave, unemployment insurance, emergency paid sick leave, and Medicaid.[2] The following is a summary of some of the key provisions and how they help protect some of state’s most vulnerable citizens: Nutrition With the voluntary and mandated closures of many programs and facilities, many kids will not have access to healthy and nutritious meals during the pandemic. Families First acknowledges the importance of nutrition to a child’s physical and cognitive development in a few ways: Childcare, pre-kindergarten, and Head Start programs that participate in CACFP can distribute “grab and go” meals to families during closures. When programs distribute meals, they must do it in a group setting. States also have the ability to waive the requirement for families to enroll in-person in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and request waivers for other administrative requirements.[3] By expanding WIC requirements and allowing programs to distribute healthy meals, the Families First Act will help ensure families are able to keep food on the table without feeling the burden of having to provide more meals during the pandemic. Paid Leave In response to the coronavirus pandemic, Families First also provides some employees with paid leave and other supports. Additional benefits were created to support emergency workers during this time. Eighty hours (about two weeks) of job protected paid sick leave will be allocated for full-time employees. Part-time employees are also provided paid sick leave based upon the number of average hours they work over a two-week period of time. For employers with existing paid leave policies, this leave time is addition to any leave already provided. An employer cannot require their employees to use time they already accrued before using this emergency leave.[4] To view more on the requirements and eligibility of paid sick leave please visit: Families First Fact Sheet . Medicaid As vulnerable children and families try to navigate health care during the crisis, many of them will experience the loss of their health insurance as their employment status changes. Families First has mandated three policy changes to direct how Medicaid can support states and these families.[4] A retroactive 6.2% increase in the federal Medicaid matching rate (FMAP) which will allow additional Medicaid funding to flow into states; States will now be required to cover COVID-19 testing for Medicaid and CHIP recipients free of charge (eliminating the ability for cost-sharing); A new option for states to extend Medicaid coverage for testing to uninsured individuals at federal expense, but this only applies to the covering the cost of the test and not the treatment. Most significantly, the increase in the FMAP will allow states to retroactively cover all Medicaid expenses dated back to January 1, 2020. In a world where Medicaid spending is already too low, extending funding back to January will help in covering costs in Ohio. However, there are stipulations in place to make sure families are continued to be supported during this national emergency. In order to receive this increase in funding, states are prohibited from: Implementing any eligibility standards, methodologies, or procedures that are more restrictive than those in effect on January 1, 2020; Imposing new or increased premiums on beneficiaries that exceed the amount in effect as of January 1, 2020; Disenrolling anyone who is enrolled as of March 18 or who newly enrolls during the public health emergency period for any reason (unless the individual no longer resides in the state or voluntarily disenrolls); and, Failing to cover, without cost-sharing, testing services and treatment for COVID-19.[5] Fortunately, the freeze on disenrollment greatly benefits pregnant woman in Ohio receiving Medicaid benefits. Normally, coverage for mothers is discontinued after 60 days post-partum. Under the new rule temporary rule that prohibits disenrollment, mothers will continue to stay enrolled past the 60 day cut-off and finally be able to continue to receive the services they need and deserve. These investments made in Families First takes the first step in ensuring short-term relief for Ohio’s most vulnerable children and families. However, we know that there is more work to be done to make sure that we continue to support families during and after the pandemic is over. Groundwork will continue to monitor state and federal policies impacting young children and their families as we all work to overcome this interesting time in our lives. Sources [1] CLASP, " Families First Fact Sheet ." (March 2020) [2] Georgetown University Health Policy Institute Center for Children and Families, " The Families First Coronavirus Response Act: Medicaid and CHIP Provisions Explained ." (March 2020) [3] CLASP, " Ensuring Young Children Have Healthy Meals During the Coronavirus Pandemic ." (March 2020) [4] CLASP, " Families First Coronavirus Response Act: Implications for Workers Affected by COVID-19 ." [5] Georgetown University Health Policy Institute Center for Children and Families, " How Would the Families First Coronavirus Response Act Help States Protect People and Public Health ." (March 2020)

As we learned on Sunday, beginning on Thursday, March 26, 2020, all child care programs operating in Ohio must do so under a  temporary pandemic child care license .  Today, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services issued additional guidance on rules, regulations, and procedures for programs that choose to apply for a temporary pandemic child care license and those who will be closing effective 11:59 PM on Wednesday, March 25th.   Additional resources include: ODJFS Provider Communication on Pandemic Child Care -Summary of Information to Date Temporary Licensing, Certification and Payment Procedures to Address the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic ODJFS Pandemic Child Care Essential Worker List Background Check Requirements for Pandemic Child Care Centers ​ This temporary pandemic license will be required to operate child care in Ohio until April 30th. Additional Resources For the most up-to-date information on Ohio's response to the coronavirus and how you can best support children, parents, and providers, be sure to check out the resources below. Resources for Providers ODJFS Pandemic Child Care Page  for providers includes all updated rules, regulations, forms, and Q&As that have been published by the department for providers. Groundwork Ohio's COVID-19 Provider Resource page includes links to grant and resource opportunities, small business supports (unemployment, SBA loans, etc.), additional information on COVID-19, and FAQs.  Resources for Parents ODJFS Pandemic Child Care Page for parents includes the current list of temporary pandemic child care licensed providers and relevant forms.  Groundwork Ohio's COVID-19 Parent Resource page includes information on how to access some utility and food supports, activities for young children, and more information on the coronavirus.

During today's press conference with Governor Mike DeWine, Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted, and Director Amy Acton, the Governor announced the following new measures to prevent the rapid spread of the coronavirus: Beginning on Thursday, March 26, 2020, all operating child care centers in Ohio must do so under a temporary pandemic child care license . An official order on this has not yet been released so the full details of this plan will be shared in the coming days. The following measures are expected to be included in that order: There should be no more than six children in a class. Ratios must be kept at one teacher to no more than six children. Children whose parents are employed by the same entity should be kept together whenever possible. The same teachers and children in each room should be maintained whenever possible. There should be limited use of shared space or mixing of groups. If shared space is used, a rigorous cleaning schedule must be in place. Parent interaction should be limited at drop off and pick up. This program will operate until April 30th and may be extended beyond that period of time. On Sunday, March 22th, under the direction of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton, M.D., MPH issued a director’s order to require all Ohioans to stay in their homes to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 beginning at 11:59 p.m. EDT on Monday, March 23, 2020 until 11:59 p.m. on April 6, 2020. This order prohibits holding gatherings of any size and closes all nonessential businesses. It does NOT prohibit essential activities like going to the grocery store, receiving medical care, or taking your pet for a walk. Residents can return home from out of state and can leave the state. Read the full order here . We know many of you, especially our hardworking family child care providers, still have many questions about how this will impact your program and families. We are continuing to advocate on your behalf as the department works out the final details of the order and will share more information as we receive it. Additional Resources For the most up-to-date information on Ohio's response to the coronavirus and how you can best support children, parents, and providers, be sure to check out the resources below. Resources for Providers ODJFS Pandemic Child Care Page for providers includes all updated rules, regulations, forms, and Q&As that have been published by the department for providers. Groundwork Ohio's COVID-19 Provider Resource page includes links to grant and resource opportunities, small business supports (unemployment, SBA loans, etc.), additional information on COVID-19, and FAQs. Resources for Parents ODJFS Pandemic Child Care Page for parents includes the current list of temporary pandemic child care licensed providers and relevant forms. Groundwork Ohio's COVID-19 Parent Resource page includes information on how to access some utility and food supports, activities for young children, and more information on the coronavirus. Coming this week... Join us for an upcoming webinar designed to support the mental health of early educators across the state during this chaotic time. Monday, March 23 at 6:30 PM , you will hear from Nefertiti Bruce Poyner, M.Ed. Nefertiti is an author, public speaker and provider of professional learning for the Devereux Center for Resilient Children. During the webinar, you can expect to learn more about how to support your own mental health during this pandemic. Register for the webinar here . We will be scheduling additional webinars in the coming days and weeks as we have more information and resources to share.

On Monday, March 23rd, we invite you to join us for THREE webinars providing information and support to Ohio's early childhood field in light of the current coronavirus pandemic. ODJFS Update for Child Care Providers – 12 PM First, join us at noon to hear more from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services about details surrounding the Governor’s Sunday announcement regarding child care closures later this week, the new temporary pandemic child care licensure, and more. Register Now Provider Panel on Practices for Temporary Pandemic Child Care – 4 PM Now that Ohio is moving to Temporary Pandemic Child Care licensing during this coronavirus emergency, it is important that we network as a group to share ideas and support each other's efforts.   We need to share ideas, concerns, solutions, and strategies to make these emergency centers operate successfully and efficiently.  We do not need to reinvent the wheel!   Let's come together to figure out the details and share the answers.   We are better together.! We extend a special invitation to all TPCC Center providers to join the webinar, learn new ideas, and share questions and solutions. Can’t join at 4 PM?  Don’t worry!  This webinar will be recorded and shared afterward. This webinar will be hosted by the Ohio Association of Child Care Providers. Register Now Supporting YOUR Mental Health – 6:30 PM Join us for a special evening webinar to discuss ways you can support your own mental health during this chaotic and uncertain times. This webinar will feature Nefertiti Bruce Poyner, M.Ed.  Nefertiti is an author, public speaker and provider of professional learning for the Devereux Center for Resilient Children. Can’t join at 6:30 PM?  Don’t worry!  This webinar will be recorded and shared afterward. This webinar will be hosted by Groundwork Ohio, Ohio AEYC, and Southwest Ohio AEYC. Register Now Additional Resources For the most up-to-date information on Ohio's response to the coronavirus and how you can best support children, parents, and providers, be sure to check out the resources below. Resources for Providers ODJFS Pandemic Child Care Page for providers includes all updated rules, regulations, forms, and Q&As that have been published by the department for providers. Groundwork Ohio's COVID-19 Provider Resource page includes links to grant and resource opportunities, small business supports (unemployment, SBA loans, etc.), additional information on COVID-19, and FAQs.  Resources for Parents ODJFS Pandemic Child Care Page for parents includes the current list of temporary pandemic child care licensed providers and relevant forms.  Groundwork Ohio's COVID-19 Parent Resource page includes information on how to access some utility and food supports, activities for young children, and more information on the coronavirus.

Thank you for your patience and support this past week as we have been navigating this uncharted landscape. We know child care and early learning programs are on the front line of the pandemic and we are working diligently to ensure your receive timely information, your voices are heard, and you are supported during this time. Over the past week, there have been so many new updates pertaining to early learning and health programs--particularly child care--and we want to make accessing these updates as easy as possible for you. We now have a new resource page that will host all COVID-19 news and updates for providers and families. Now, let's dive into the developments from the past week and what it means for child care and families... Temporary Pandemic Child Care Centers This week, the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services announced open applications for current child care centers and other qualified facilities to apply to be a temporary pandemic child care center . In the event of statewide child care closure, temporary pandemic child care centers will provide care to essential and critical personnel to help support them as they battle on the front line of this pandemic ( learn more about who can apply ). Once you apply for this license, ODJFS will review your application and issue your license. Learn more about temporary pandemic child care centers by clicking here . Additional Rules & Guidance from ODJFS Over the past week, ODJFS has released new guidance and rules pertaining to child care. All of the new rules and guidance are listed here on their new COVID-19 page. Also, make sure to check out our FAQ for child care providers resource by clicking here . We will update this document as we receive additional information. Please note that this resource was not created or distributed by the State. New Webinar Opportunities Join us for two upcoming webinars designed to support Ohio's early educators and to provide the most up-to-date information on Ohio's response to COVID-19. Today, March 20th at 4 PM , you'll hear from experts in small business supports to provide more detailed technical assistance on accessing small business loans and unemployment as well as an update on any new state and federal guidelines. Register for the webinar here . Please note that this webinar was previously scheduled for 1 PM, but due to unforeseen circumstances, we have moved the webinar to 4 PM . If you have already registered, your link will still work at 4 PM. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but we will be sure to post a recording of the webinar once it is over if you are no longer able to participate live. Monday, March 23 at 6:30 PM , you will hear from Nefertiti Bruce Poyner, M.Ed. Nefertiti is an author, public speaker and provider of professional learning for the Devereux Center for Resilient Children. During the webinar, you can expect to learn more about how to support your own mental health during this pandemic. Register for the webinar here . As we schedule more webinars, we will list the webinars on our new page with an RSVP link. All previous and future webinars recorded by Groundwork (and the resources shared) can be accessed by clicking here . Resources for Providers & Families We know there is a lot of information and resources swirling around right now and it may feel overwhelming to some. This is why we created two pages to centralize these resources for providers and families to include background information on COVID-19, financial assistance, grant opportunities, and activities for young children. We will regularly update both these pages as we receive more information. Access Resources for Providers Access Resources for Families Do you have a resource that you would like us to list on our page? Please contact Julia Jackels at jjackels@groundworkohio.org to share your resource. Moms2B Opening in Montgomery County On March 25th, we will be co-hosting a Census Twitter chat with our friends at PRE4CLE, Children's Defense Fund Ohio, and the American Academy of Pediatrics -- Ohio Chapter to spread awareness around the importance of participating in the Census. Sign up for our Twitter chat toolkit by clicking the button below. The 2020 Census will decide how much funding our communities will receive for programs such as child care, home visiting, early intervention, housing assistance, food assistance, transportation, health care, and so much more. Not only does the Census determine federal funding levels for Ohio, but it will also determine how many seats Ohio will have in the U.S. House of Representatives. Learn more about the Census here . Babies and infants are one of our most vulnerable populations and are in dire need of these programs during the earliest of years of their development. However, they are also the most undercounted population in the Census. In order to ensure that we continue to increase investments in these family supports, we need to ensure we count all people in Ohio -- regardless of age, citizenship, living arrangements, and so on. Everybody counts and we need your help more now than ever! Register for Toolkit Join a Courageous Conversations Session Join the Ohio AEYC for Courageous Conversations today at either 12 PM or 7:30 PM by clicking the button below during your preferred time. During these conversations you can expect to listen, share, and support fellow early educators as they share what is on their heart or to seek support during this challenging time. Join the Conversation Guidance on Health and Prevention Measures Below you can find helpful resources from the Ohio Department of Health on what COVID-19 is and how you can help in containing the spread of the virus: Guidance for Child Care Programs Coronavirus FAQ Coronavirus Prevention Flyer How to Find Your Local Health Department Educational Videos on COVID-19 In addition to visiting Groundwork's website, please visit the state's website www.coronavirus.ohio.gov for daily updates and resources. If you have any questions regarding the virus, please call the Ohio Department of Health at 1-833-4ASKODH (1-833-427-5634). New Resources for Early Childhood Professionals Recently, OCALI's Center for the Young Child released the following new credit opportunities and resources for early childhood professionals. Suite of Resources for Early Childhood Professionals This new suite of resources includes modules for early childhood professionals to participate in to receive professional credit hours. Each module is approximately one hour of content covering a variety of early childhood topics. During each module, you will be provided with information and resources you can use in your setting right away. After completion of the module, you will receive a certificate and Ohio Approved Credit for participating. Learn more about this opportunity here . Early Care and Education Seminars Designed for early care and education professionals, this seminar will build your knowledge about infant and toddler growth and development information from prenatal and fetal development from the prenatal period through age 5, with a focus on before birth through age 2. This seminar will provide you with information and resources related to human development, developmental milestones, growth and developmental domains, and integrating skills across domains within natural environments and activities. After completing the module and the pass and post-assessment, you will receive a certificate and Ohio Approved Credit for participating. Learn more about this opportunity here . Each week, Groundwork will now wrap up our newsletter by spotlighting a Groundwork Advisory Committee Member to share the great things these Members are doing for young children in their communities. Pat Bebo Assistant Director Extension, Family and Consumer Sciences Ohio State University Extension Website Q: What led you to get involved in Groundwork Ohio's advisory committee? A: The work of Groundwork Ohio is a perfect complement to our own work of providing research based and skills focused education to childcare professionals, parents and children in order to create thriving and successful families throughout Ohio. My involvement with the advisory committee allows us to learn about and support each other’s work. Q: What is your organization currently doing to help support young children and their families? A: Extension Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) in particular has an early childhood education team that is focused on providing the required education credits for early childcare professionals as well as the FCS broader focus on education the areas of parenting, nutrition and financial well-being. Extension as an organization includes 4-H, known worldwide for its expertise in youth development. Q: Tell us a fun fact about you. A: I grew up in Cleveland, lived in multiple cities around the country over 30ish years and find my self happily back in Ohio for the last 8 years, living in Columbus with my best fur buddy, Sophie. Also I walked my first half-marathon last year!