COVID and the Youngest Learners

December 01, 2020

This webinar will cover the impact of COVID on early childhood education: what we know from the latest research about COVID, mental health implications, family engagement, and how to best advance social-emotional and academic learning goals.

Featured Speakers Include:

Dr. Walter Gilliam Elizabeth Mears and House Jameson Professor in the Child Study Center and Professor of Psychology; Director, The Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy
Dr. Heather Harris Child 360, Director of Provider Operations
Tracy Smith, LMSW Senior Early Childhood Consultant

Information

ID: 5944
To Cite: DCA Citation Guide

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00:04Good afternoon everyone and welcome.
00:06We are so glad that you're here.
00:08Great to see in the chat
00:10box as we start today.
00:11People from across the country,
00:13from Alaska to Florida to Maine California.
00:15We are so happy to be with you
00:17today for this amazing opportunity.
00:19In the first of a three part series
00:21where we get to focus on strengthening
00:24the resilience in our youngest
00:26learners through a time of covid.
00:28I want to start today just by reaching
00:30out and let you know that at Scholastic
00:32and at the GAIL Collaborative.
00:35How much we value what each of you are
00:37doing in the education field right now.
00:39Truly unprecedented times across
00:40our country and the work of
00:42our early childhood providers.
00:43You're truly doing amazing things
00:44to to make sure that our most
00:46vulnerable populations continue to
00:47have safe places to grow and learn.
00:49So we thank you.
00:50And from the bottom of my heart,
00:52I want to say today that that
00:54I hope you're healthy.
00:55I hope you're well and I
00:57hope you're staying safe.
00:58We're excited about this three
01:00part series to meet your needs,
01:01to help you continue to meet the
01:03needs of students across the country.
01:05Scholastic is certainly proud to
01:07be a part of this Yale Child Study
01:11Collaborative and the opportunity to work
01:14alongside the Amazing Group of psychologists.
01:17At Yale,
01:18who are so passionate about
01:19meeting the needs of the youngest
01:21learners from our Chairman,
01:23Dick Robinson,
01:23to the President of Scholastic Reguar LRCACO,
01:26Michael Hagan and our director Karen Baker,
01:28this is truly a passion for them to use
01:30the power of story to meet the needs
01:33of students and working with GAIL.
01:35It is so amazing to see their work
01:37as it's interchanging of ideas and
01:39what the value of that can be to have
01:42the ability to impact students were
01:44excited today and we're excited to
01:46start today with the series to talk
01:49about code in the youngest learners.
01:51My name is Jimmy Bream.
01:53I'm the vice president of academic
01:55planning and solution development,
01:56scholastic education.
01:58One of the many things I get to
02:00do is work with districts across
02:01the country around supporting
02:03their initiatives in the district,
02:05including that is working with
02:06our amazing early childhood team.
02:07Many of you know early childhood team
02:09Kathy out in the East and Ernesto
02:11Rodriguez in the in the West as they
02:14work with you to meet your needs.
02:16Today we're going to talk about
02:17Covid in the youngest learners
02:18and we have an amazing panel to
02:20share their experiences.
02:21Starting with Doctor Will Walter Gilliam.
02:23Today he will share with you his research.
02:26Around what he has found most
02:29recently on the effects of covid
02:31inside of the early childhood centers.
02:33Doctor Heather Harris.
02:34Who is the Director of Child 360?
02:37Will talk about the needs and how
02:39she is supporting districts across
02:41her area of service.
02:42And then we'll go to Tracy Smith,
02:44a licensed social worker who can share
02:46with her the experience that she has
02:48had in supporting the families of
02:49our youngest students and the mental
02:51health needs of both the students
02:53and their families and her work.
02:55We know you're in for an amazing
02:57afternoon here today and we
02:58certainly are excited to have you.
03:00I do encourage you.
03:01Our chat box is there as
03:02the panel is speak today.
03:04Please feel free to put
03:05questions inside the chat box.
03:07Will do what we can after each of
03:09our speakers have had a chance
03:11to share their work with you will
03:12answer as many questions as we can
03:15during the Roundtable session of this
03:16may not be able to get to 'em all,
03:19but I do encourage the conversation
03:21in this virtual setting which
03:22we all live right now.
03:23It's amazing to have just that
03:25minor connection with each other
03:27and I can see right now I love
03:29everybody saying good app.
03:30Noon, where they're from.
03:31That helps us feel connected and also if
03:33you have any questions with the panelists,
03:35please feel free to add those in.
03:37So without further ado,
03:38we're going to start with our first speaker,
03:41which is Doctor Walter Gilliam,
03:42who is a professor in the Child
03:45Psychiatry and psychology at
03:46the Yale Child Study Center.
03:48He has worked across the country
03:50to advocate for the importance
03:52of preschool for all students.
03:54An extended preschool programs for
03:56all students across the country.
03:58His work in his well,
04:00well earned rewards in his work for
04:02young students is truly inspirational.
04:04I actually had the privilege of learned
04:07of Doctor Guilliams original work
04:09for me was as a very young educator
04:12and his research on the effects of
04:15suspension of students in early
04:17childhood programs and the long term effects.
04:20On those students.
04:20So as a very young educator in Kentucky
04:23where Doctor Gilliam is from as well,
04:25I got to see his work and it really had
04:27that immediate impact on me to see that wow,
04:30the the decisions we make
04:32at these students at 3,
04:33four and five have impacts way beyond 3,
04:36four and five.
04:36So I am honored.
04:38I feel certainly blessed and humbled to
04:40just be on a panel today with Doctor Gilliam.
04:42And so I will turn it over to Doctor
04:45Gilliam to share his most recent work.
04:49Great, thank you very much Jimmy.
04:51And thank you all for being here.
04:53It's wonderful to be to be with you
04:55even in these incredibly challenging
04:56times or maybe even especially in these
04:59challenging times for us to be able
05:01to find an opportunity to be together
05:03and to talk about the work that we do
05:05and what it means to care for children
05:07and families and what it means to
05:09care for those who care for them.
05:11The teachers, child care providers
05:12and all the staff that work in
05:14educational in care facilities.
05:15On behalf of our children and families.
05:17So I was asked today to come
05:19and talk to you about.
05:21A little bit of the work that
05:23we've been doing recently,
05:25specific to COVID-19.
05:27Now, as you know,
05:28these are completely unprecedented
05:30times in terms of the impact that
05:34COVID-19 is had on the educational.
05:37Provision of services for
05:38children and families.
05:40You know we're talking about, you know,
05:43like a week into the pandemic.
05:46Like in early March weekend to the Pandemic,
05:49107 countries had completely
05:51closed down their schools by three
05:54weeks into the COVID-19 pandemic.
05:56194 countries that closed down their schools,
05:59affecting literally 91% of the
06:01world's school age children.
06:03That's just incredible to think about,
06:06isn't it 91%?
06:07Of the world's school age children
06:09no longer in school, you know,
06:11and and as somebody who who studied the
06:14effects of expulsion and suspension.
06:16Just like Jimmy, it said before.
06:18I mean,
06:19I've been concerned about children
06:21being expelled from preschool for
06:22the past 25 years of my career,
06:25and all of the sudden,
06:26literally 91% of all of the
06:28world's children all got expelled
06:30at about the same time.
06:32Kick completely out of school,
06:34and so did their teachers.
06:36And so did the other staff in
06:38these educational facilities.
06:39The other thing to bear in mind is
06:42that it's not just about schools,
06:45it's also about Head start programs
06:47and child care programs an it's
06:49about home based childcare program.
06:51Just about the entire industry of
06:53care and education and this false
06:55dichotomy that we sometimes create
06:58between educational facilities versus
07:00care facilities is one that we need
07:02to be able to get beyond because any
07:04education really care that we provide
07:07to children should certainly be educational.
07:09And it's impossible to educate a
07:12child that you don't care about,
07:14you know.
07:15So the concept of care versus
07:17education is something that we
07:20should certainly get beyond.
07:21And so let's think that a little bit about
07:25within programs that call themselves child.
07:28Here over 35% job loss between
07:30February and April of this year.
07:33Over 35%.
07:33I'm not talking about over 35% laid
07:36off work temporarily unemployed.
07:38I'm talking about over 35%.
07:40Completely losing their jobs
07:41within the childcare industry.
07:43Just absolutely incredible and
07:44heartbreaking and the stress that that
07:46creates not only on children and families,
07:49but on the people who care for them.
07:51You know,
07:52it's just impossible to quantify.
07:54We knew early on that there was going to be
07:56certain important things for us to consider,
07:59which is the fact that not all child
08:02care programs are going to be able to
08:05close because we're going to need to keep
08:08some of them open for essential workers.
08:10And we're going to have to keep some
08:12of them open for essential health care
08:14workers and so early on in the pandemic
08:17when many child care programs were closing,
08:19many other ones were remaining open,
08:21and so we we were curious about what does
08:23this look like from the perspective of,
08:26say, for instance,
08:27a health care worker who might need to
08:29think about the care of her own child
08:32in order to be able to go into work.
08:34And so I teamed up with a with
08:37a group that provides.
08:39Digital opportunities to use,
08:41say for instance your iPhone to be
08:44able to create a documentary an
08:46we asked a variety of different
08:48questions from different health care
08:50providers in order to understand how
08:53they were struggling with childcare.
08:55And I've got a clip here to be able
08:57to show you I'm going to move over
09:01to my computer screen and hopefully
09:03you can all see this right here.
09:06So what we had here was this iPhone app.
09:10That we sent out to a bunch of
09:12different child care providers and
09:14we ask them a few questions.
09:16Tell us a little bit about yourself
09:18and then they would film themselves
09:20doing that and they would click
09:22record what's a day like in the
09:24novel paint coronavirus pandemic.
09:25What are the your childcare challenges
09:27as a child as a health care provider?
09:30What's next for you in the in the crisis?
09:33And we had them record themselves thinking
09:35about what these challenges look like
09:37and it all went up into the cloud.
09:39Stitched it together.
09:40And then we were able to then take
09:43a look at some of the things that
09:45they were creating.
09:46And so I thought that I would start
09:48off by showing you some some what
09:50what we received from one of these
09:52child care providers.
09:53Now this is a woman named Allison.
09:55She'll introduce yourself in a minute
09:57and she is an ICU nurse in St Louis,
09:59Mo.
10:00Hi, I'm Allison.
10:01I'm a nurse manager at Saint Louis
10:03University Hospital in St Louis,
10:05Mo and mother to Brecken
10:06who's 18 months old. Before I
10:08report to my floor I get my
10:10temperature and symptoms checked.
10:11I then come and check on my
10:13patients and staff to ensure
10:15that they have everything they
10:16need to protect themselves.
10:17I swap patients
10:18under investigations. I also attend
10:20meetings to update them on anything new.
10:24My son Brecken, previously went
10:26to an in home care provider,
10:28but she closed due to the pandemic.
10:30So my husband, parents and I are
10:32trying to take turns em and work
10:34from home and also watch my son.
10:36I'm currently in the process
10:37of applying for emergency care
10:39provider through the state,
10:40which is a process in itself.
10:42It's been very stressful.
10:44My son Brecken been 18 months old.
10:46I worry about his development
10:48and peer interaction.
10:49This is the time of his life where he needs
10:51to be soaking this all up like a sponge.
10:54I worry he won't adapt to the
10:56change that we will have to find
10:58another in home care provider.
10:59I worry most about exposure and
11:01exposing him and my family who are
11:03also relief care providers for him.
11:08I am lucky that I will never have to make
11:11the decision between work and my son.
11:13I have parents and my husband who can
11:16always watch my son in an emergency.
11:18I really think about the people that
11:20are single parents and don't have
11:22the options that I have where they
11:25have to choose between their job
11:27and their child.
11:29So you see there from Allison what
11:31she was talking about was a lot of
11:33the stresses that she is apparent
11:34was having to deal with in terms of
11:36just worrying about you know who's
11:38going to take care of her child,
11:40but she also mentioned that she
11:41has it easy in comparison to a lot
11:43of the people that she works with
11:45because she had family nearby and
11:47many of the other nurses that she
11:49worked it may not have family nearby.
11:50I mean not know exactly who would
11:52be able to take care of their child
11:54and what would they do if they
11:56had to decide between staying at
11:58home with their child versus going
11:59into the hospital and.
12:00Attempting to save lives in the
12:02middle of a global pandemic,
12:04and those were some of the things
12:06that she was talking about,
12:08just in terms of the stressors
12:10that she was dealing with.
12:12And all of these pressures that
12:14this parent was dealing with.
12:15So are our child care providers,
12:18and so are our teachers.
12:19Every single one of these folks who
12:21are dealing with other people's stress
12:23have stress in their own lives too.
12:26We were interested in understanding a
12:28little bit more about COVID-19 itself
12:30and the transmission of COVID-19.
12:32What COVID-19 looks like in
12:33child care programs.
12:34How transmitted is COVID-19?
12:35We knew that at some point we're
12:37going to be curious about whether
12:39it's safe to get back into the water
12:41or not when it comes to child care,
12:43and so we needed to know a little
12:45bit about about how much risk
12:47was there in the 1st place.
12:49We did a study of over 57 thousand
12:51child care providers across the
12:52United States and God bless them
12:54for participating in our study like
12:56this in the middle of a pandemic.
12:58It just so happened that when
13:00we collected the data at the end
13:02of May in the beginning of June.
13:04About half of these child care
13:06providers have been exposed to
13:07child care regularly because their
13:09program was open and about half of
13:11the child care providers weren't
13:13exposed to child care at anytime
13:15during the first three months of
13:16the pandemic because their program
13:18closed or because they were
13:20working completely from home,
13:21and this gave us a wonderful opportunity
13:23to be able to get this information from
13:26them about their exposure to cope,
13:28the childcare there,
13:29whether they have tested positive
13:30for COVID-19,
13:31whether or not they had ever been
13:33hospitalised for COVID-19 and merge that
13:36data with the Johns Hopkins University.
13:38Data on COVID-19 transmission rates
13:40at the County level and what we
13:42ultimately found when we analyze
13:44the results was that there was
13:46virtually no relationship whatsoever
13:48between exposure to child care and an
13:51increased likelihood that the child
13:53care provider would get sick from
13:55COVID-19 or be hospitalised for COVID-19.
13:57Now that does not mean that
13:59child care providers were somehow
14:01magically immune from COVID-19.
14:03In our study of 57 thousand
14:06child care providers,
14:07427 of them. Actually did get sick
14:10of COVID-19 tested positive for
14:12COVID-19 and about 1/4 of those
14:15were hospitalised for COVID-19 but.
14:18The reason that they got sick
14:19for COVID-19 had no correlation
14:21whatsoever with whether they were
14:23exposed to child care or whether they
14:26were staying home the entire time.
14:28The other thing to bear in mind
14:30too is that we do know from our
14:33study that are black, Brown,
14:35an indigenous child care providers were
14:37caring by far the heavier burden of COVID-19.
14:40They were far more likely to be
14:42diagnosed with COVID-19 now far more
14:45likely to be hospitalised for COVID-19,
14:47but even for them.
14:48It was unrelated to whether or not
14:51they were providing childcare or
14:53whether they were staying at home.
14:56Now.
14:56We also found that childcare
14:58providers in communities where the
15:01transmission rate was high were at a
15:03much greater risk of catching COVID-19.
15:06But they were catching COVID-19
15:07because of things that were
15:09happening in the community,
15:10not because of the nature of the work
15:12that they were doing in child care,
15:15but all of this was in context of
15:16the fact that these child care
15:19providers were doing near Herculean
15:20things to keep our babies safe.
15:22About 3/4 of them were testing temperatures
15:24and symptoms every single day,
15:26and about a third of them were
15:28doing that twice a day.
15:30Symptom checking and temperature
15:31checking every single adult and
15:33child in your program twice a day,
15:3497% were disinfecting literally.
15:36Every single surface and every
15:38single fixture in their program
15:40and over half of them were doing
15:42it three or more times a day,
15:43and you place that on top of the frequent
15:46hand washing that was happening.
15:48Both of the adults and well,
15:50as with the children and the
15:51cohort in keeping groups together.
15:53All the things that these child
15:55care providers were doing,
15:56the fortunate thing is that it seemed
15:58to have actually worked and that
16:00we didn't really have a situation
16:01where child care programs were
16:03driving Community level transmission.
16:05So in other words.
16:06Child care programs didn't seem
16:07to pose a threat to communities
16:10in terms of COVID-19 transmission,
16:11but that does not mean that communities
16:14cannot threaten childcare and that
16:15communities cannot threaten schools.
16:17And if the community level
16:18transmission rate is too high,
16:20then there's no way we're going
16:22to be able to continue keeping
16:23these child care programs safe.
16:25And So what we need to do is we
16:28need to 1 focus on making sure that
16:31communities are safe so that we can
16:33keep our child care programs open
16:35that we're prioritizing child care.
16:37And school over things like in restaurant,
16:39dining and bars and things like that.
16:42And then we also give our child care
16:44providers and teachers the resources
16:46they need in order to be able to
16:49succeed on behalf of our babies.
16:51And so I'll end it with that.
16:53And I'll thank you so much for paying
16:56attention and hand it back over
16:58to our moderator.
16:59Thank you, wow doctor William.
17:00Thank you so much for your
17:02continued work and passion and
17:04advocation across the country.
17:06That. Thanks for the video.
17:07I just think that's such an
17:09inspiring way to start for our
17:11partners on the call today with
17:13us to just that reminder that
17:14that you love your students and we
17:17know we love the students that we
17:19get to serve as a as a teacher.
17:21I love my kids everyday as a principle.
17:24I love my kids everyday and what
17:26we don't get to see is frequently
17:28is that that mom who is so in
17:31need of what you do every day,
17:33a place to bring horror child to be healthy.
17:35I love what you said there.
17:37Walter, when you spoke about.
17:40The fact that there's not that the
17:43transmission inside of the early
17:44childhood centers speaks as much
17:46to the work of our early childhood
17:48providers as anything that they are
17:50relentless about making sure that
17:52everybody is safe inside of that facility.
17:54I the way you process that really,
17:57I mean that hit home to me in my head that,
18:00wow,
18:01that's right that it's not spreading
18:03in the child care providers because
18:05we've taken on that task as people
18:07who love kids to keep them safe
18:09and and they're succeeding, but.
18:11Man,
18:11does that have an effect on the
18:13emotional can have effect on the
18:15on the Wellness of the providers
18:17themselves and pretty amazing.
18:18So thank you for the work.
18:20Thank you for the talk.
18:22I have some questions that will ask
18:24when we get to our roundtable session,
18:26but I think it'll be great to
18:28hear from Doctor Harrison and
18:29Miss Smith here in a moment about
18:31what they're seeing as well,
18:33so will turn over to two
18:35doctor Heather Harris,
18:36who leads up Child 360 in California.
18:38Many of you have probably
18:40seen Doctor Harris speaks.
18:41She does work at many conferences.
18:43And work across our country and
18:45advocating for early childhood and
18:46advocating for providing the services
18:48for students really centers her work
18:50around innovation and early learning.
18:52Coaching teachers leadership
18:53development and working on other
18:55research based outcomes and best
18:57practices for early learning.
18:58So, so excited to hear about your work.
19:01Doctor Harrison,
19:02what you've seen during this time,
19:04and I know our our guest star as well.
19:07So Doctor Harris, I'll turn it over to you.
19:11Thank you Jimmy, and thank you Doctor
19:14Gilliam for conducting that research.
19:16I remember learning of the
19:18research and reading it from you.
19:20Know top to bottom.
19:22It's so important in the work that we
19:25do and I want to thank Scholastic for
19:28inviting me to be here at this seminar.
19:31To share what's happening with
19:33the boots on ground at Child 360.
19:36We serve over 550 providers
19:38and that includes Head Start,
19:40early Head Start, state preschool,
19:41family, child care providers.
19:44Family and Friends Network and we we serve
19:50those providers through coaching assessment,
19:54resource distribution,
19:55technical assistance and
19:58research and evaluation.
20:00And as well,
20:01looking at some best practices and
20:03sharing it with other providers in the
20:06field were located in Sunny California.
20:08It's a beautiful day.
20:10It's only one o'clock for me.
20:12I know I saw in the chat that some
20:15of you are from all the way in Egypt,
20:18and so it's it's late at night and
20:21we appreciate you for joining us.
20:23But thank you for all of you childcare,
20:26early childcare heroes across the
20:28nation and across the world evidently.
20:30And so at child 360.
20:32We're located in Los Angeles,
20:34CA,
20:35and I asked to include this this
20:37picture and my PowerPoint because
20:40about 8 months before the pandemic,
20:43I was a director at a school district of
20:46our early childhood education program,
20:49and it was a wonderful opportunity
20:51to serve the community and
20:53serve children and families.
20:55And about 8 months into my current
20:58position at child 360 as the
21:01Director of Pride or Operations.
21:03We went into shelter in place and
21:05so I'm here to share with you.
21:07How did we work through that and
21:09how are we working through that?
21:11And some of the strategies that I hope
21:14that will help you where you're at.
21:16Next slide,
21:17please.
21:18So I wanted to give you a snapshot of the
21:21providers that we serve and where they're at.
21:24I remember the Monday after our County
21:26put us into a shelter into place.
21:28Actually let me back.
21:30Let me go backwards a little bit a week
21:32before that we had a case management
21:34meeting and we were talking about
21:36COVID-19 and we thought about our
21:38we're getting a lot of calls from
21:40our providers and they were asking
21:43us about the seriousness of it and
21:45what should they do to prepare.
21:47And so the coaches brought that to my
21:49attention through their supervisors.
21:51And one of the strategies that I
21:54really appreciate that we put into
21:56place was that we collected all
21:59of the personal cell phone numbers
22:01of our providers and they didn't
22:04shared with our organization.
22:06But they shared it with their coach.
22:09Our coaches have been embedded
22:11in the County for over 10 years,
22:14and when you think about access an equity,
22:17we strategically place coaches
22:19and assessors and professional
22:21development consultants.
22:21Throughout Los Angeles County,
22:23they live in certain neighborhoods,
22:24and so they have a relationship
22:26with providers and so
22:27providers were happy to share
22:28their cell phone number,
22:29their personal emails,
22:30because we didn't know what would
22:32happen and then when shelter in place,
22:34a curd that following Monday.
22:35I remember the supervisors called me.
22:37We jumped on a teams.
22:38I think we were the first Department
22:40to jump on a teams meeting at 9:00
22:43o'clock on Monday and we said OK,
22:45what are we going to do?
22:46And so we said we have to keep reaching out
22:49and we have to keep serving our providers.
22:52A lot of them are so courageous,
22:54especially our family child care providers.
22:56They want to stay open.
22:57They want to serve our essential workers.
22:59How can we support them?
23:01And the interesting thing is that most
23:03of the districts had closed down,
23:05and so we're so happy that we had that
23:08contact information because that's how
23:10we were able to support our teachers
23:12and erectors to either reopen or stay open.
23:15Or how to pivot over to a
23:17virtual or hybrid offering.
23:19And so here's a snapshot as I was speaking,
23:22I was hoping you were taking a look at it.
23:25We do serve about 500.
23:2750 providers and you could see
23:30that open at full capacity only.
23:33About 10%,
23:34about 56 of our providers are open,
23:37and that's mainly RFC sees.
23:39The family child care providers limited
23:42capacity because of the ratios that are
23:45governed by Community care licensing
23:47and the Department of Public Health.
23:50Some of our providers have reduced
23:52their capacity and so we do have
23:55about 86 centers and FCC's that are
23:58still open at a limited capacity.
24:01Then I want you to.
24:04Jump over to the next highlighted column,
24:06the virtual support online.
24:08The centers.
24:09You can see that there's a large amount of
24:12our centers providing virtual support online,
24:15300 centers and one family
24:17child care provider,
24:18and those centers are mainly our school
24:21districts and those school districts
24:23are facilitating learning in the home,
24:26so our coaches support the teachers as
24:29facilitating that learning in the home.
24:31And so it has been a wonderful
24:34and reflective.
24:35Process,
24:35but I will say that it has been
24:38extremely hard on teachers to offer if
24:40they have AM in a PM and they want to
24:43meet with their children every week,
24:45you know they might make two or three
24:49times a week and if you have AM and PM,
24:51that's 48 children and giving
24:53them time to be able to speak
24:56with one another on a zoom call,
24:58it's you know it causes fatigue
25:00and so our coaches are there
25:02to support the teachers,
25:03provide developmentally
25:04appropriate practices.
25:05To facilitate that learning in the home
25:08and also to encourage family engagement.
25:10And then we do have about 54
25:12centers that provide hybrid
25:14so the children come in and,
25:16as Doctor Gilliam has spoke,
25:18there's cohorts of children that
25:20come in to the actual center,
25:22maybe two or three times a week,
25:25and then there's virtual learning
25:27at home and the exciting
25:29thing is that the right next to that let that
25:32highlighted column we do have about 15 sites.
25:35That are state preschool sites that have just
25:38joined us looking for additional support.
25:41So mainly what I want to draw your attention
25:45to is at the end there's a total of 512
25:49providers who are serving thousands
25:51of children across Los Angeles County.
25:54Whether it's virtual or in person or hybrid,
25:58and that is an amazing number
26:00that's less than 7% of our centers
26:03that unfortunately either closed.
26:05Or decided to wait until things were a little
26:10bit until we had a vaccine to open back up,
26:14but to only have 7% of our
26:18providers who aren't open.
26:20It's amazing,
26:21and I definitely attributed this to our
26:24child care early childhood care field.
26:27Just being resilient and tenacious
26:29about continuing to open their arms
26:32in their homes and their centers
26:35to families sharing resources.
26:37Providing care social emotional
26:39services to families.
26:40And that's always been president
26:42in our field.
26:43And I'm just so proud that during this
26:46time during this pandemic we have
26:48really shined as far as our dedication
26:51to our most vulnerable population.
26:53Next slide,
26:54please.
26:58Equity and access.
26:59So I was on a meeting with our coaches.
27:02I have over 40 coaches and we have maybe
27:0420 additional assessors and professional
27:07development consultants and this slide.
27:09There's a lot of information
27:11on this slide and I typically
27:13wouldn't Add all this information,
27:15but being that this is a virtual conference,
27:18I hope that you're forgiving,
27:20but I just had to list all of the
27:23amazing work that's been going on,
27:25and this doesn't include it all.
27:28Equity and access has been important
27:30coaches assessors in the in communities
27:33in neighborhoods that speak the languages
27:35of families hearing their everyday needs.
27:38Whether it's we need diapers
27:40or we need cleaning supplies,
27:42we had an issue where our providers
27:45are family.
27:46Child care providers weren't able to
27:49get milk and you know snack healthy
27:52snacks for children and so our coaches
27:55brought that information to us and we
27:57were able to inform the governor's office.
28:00Through our public policy director,
28:02we were also able to contact local
28:04markets and ask if they could include
28:07early childcare providers and their
28:08early openings of their stores so that
28:11we can ensure that children get milk and
28:13fruit and vegetables and things like that.
28:15And we were able to get this information
28:18because over the past eight months we've
28:20had over 9000 virtual coaching sessions.
28:22Initially,
28:23it was difficult, you know.
28:24Like I said,
28:25we started out with the cell phone just
28:28to call and they were Wellness checks.
28:30How are you doing?
28:32And we had a triage.
28:34Those needs eventually we were able to
28:37pivot to online coaching using zoom teams.
28:40Whatever the teacher or the
28:42director of the family child care
28:44provider was comfortable with and
28:46now we're currently using online
28:49coaching platform called Torsh,
28:51which stands for today's one room.
28:53Schoolhouse Torch is amazing because
28:56providers are able to take snapshots,
28:58video snapshots of their day or
29:01particular activity with children.
29:03And they posted on torch and then
29:05their coach can go in and view
29:08it and then post comments.
29:10And when it's convenient for the coach
29:12when it's convenient for the provider,
29:14they go back and they look at the comments.
29:18And so there's a back and forth
29:20cadence you know concerning,
29:22like how to set up and reopen after
29:24Covid as the providers became more
29:26and more ready and we started to
29:29pivot and offer different services.
29:31Those services included.
29:33Resource distribution based on
29:34the needs of our providers.
29:37We we sent out surveys.
29:38We have listening sessions so
29:40that we know what the providers
29:43needs are and so over the past.
29:45Just four months we have distributed
29:48over 54,000 books because we
29:50found that there was a need,
29:52especially in our neighborhoods
29:54with families with low income,
29:55that there you know there weren't
29:58books in the home and so.
30:00Through a collaboration with
30:02Scholastic and through state funds,
30:03we were able to supply 54 thousand
30:06children with the book in their home.
30:08In addition to that,
30:09we realize that you know,
30:11like the health care provider in
30:13the video that Doctor Gilliam shared
30:15that sometimes as a grandparent
30:17or sometime it's apparent who may
30:19not know you know how to create a
30:22cozy Nook for reading for children,
30:24so we also develop a literacy
30:26toolkit to go along with that.
30:28We provide books provided books
30:29to all of the classrooms.
30:31Another need that providers had
30:34where social emotional toolkits and
30:36these toolkits included songsan
30:38puppets so that we can talk about
30:41the pandemic and how is it impacting
30:43children and that they miss their
30:46friends and their concern about
30:48not seeing their grandparents.
30:50So we created customized social
30:52emotional kits and distribute
30:54all those kids to our families.
30:56Our child, care providers,
30:58health and safety toolkits,
31:00and class toolkits, as well as.
31:02On every Friday,
31:04food distributions through Best Start
31:06sharing aggregating data throughout
31:08neighborhoods concerning covid relief
31:11options like tenant rights and
31:13funds and small business resources,
31:15and this all happened through
31:18monthly and sometimes weekly calls,
31:21and virtual meetings with our
31:23providers next light.
31:27And Lastly, I wanted to share our
31:30resources with you because we have
31:33many free resources that you can
31:35access through www.child360.org.
31:38I won't go through all of them,
31:41but we do have an online learning
31:44management system and that was crucial
31:47especially to RLE Azar School District
31:50are lead educational agencies the
31:53unions and because of the labor.
31:56Act we were able to pivot and
31:59provide on line management through
32:01our online management system.
32:03Professional development.
32:04Because our teachers.
32:05Maybe it was because of childcare,
32:07reason, childcare issues within
32:09their own home or it was because
32:12there was a core mobility or they
32:15were taking care of a senior they
32:18couldn't return to work and so
32:20part of part of what was negotiated
32:22with the unions is that they would
32:26engage in professional development.
32:28And so we have several offerings
32:29that we offer free through our
32:31learning management system.
32:33In addition to that,
32:34we also develop sub 360,
32:36which is a substitute teaching service
32:37and a lot of teachers have lost their jobs,
32:41and so we invited them to apply to our
32:43organization and these were teacher.
32:45It was wonderful because we were able
32:47to keep the capacity in our County.
32:50'cause we do believe that we're going to
32:52reopen and we're gonna flourish again.
32:55And so we wanted to maintain that
32:57capacity and so many of those teachers.
32:59Apply for those jobs and they're
33:01in centers and their providing
33:03substitute services until you know
33:05the the workforce opens back up again.
33:08But if you see here with the
33:10COVID-19 Task force,
33:12we have an internal an
33:13external COVID-19 task force.
33:15Internally our coaches we had to
33:17take care of them so that they
33:19could take care of the providers
33:21and the providers could take care
33:24of children and families and so
33:26that included anti bias cafes.
33:28Anxiety management because there was some.
33:30Empathy,
33:31fatigue and then we align processes
33:33and resources according to the
33:35individual needs of communities
33:37and that included our family,
33:39child care providers, needed iPads.
33:41So we distributed iPads and hot spots
33:43so that we can provide virtual coaching
33:46and stay in touch financial stipends.
33:49All of our providers through the
33:52California Department of Education
33:54receive covid stipends to buy
33:55PPS and we also distributed PPS.
33:58We also work with centers to
34:00create popup centers.
34:02And so nurses who were traveling,
34:04nurses or whatever job that you had,
34:06and you needed a pop-up center we
34:09created those pops in a pop-up centers
34:11throughout the County so that we
34:13could serve our providers to the
34:16our families and our communities
34:17to the best of our abilities.
34:19I believe my time is up and but please
34:22visit our website and I'm happy to
34:25share any resources that we have.
34:27We externally we work very closely
34:29with the Department of Public Health
34:32and Community Care Licensing.
34:33And what we found was there were some
34:35a little bit of conflicting information,
34:37and so we align that information
34:39to inform our providers
34:41and so anything that we have,
34:42we're welcome to share.
34:43We wish you all the best.
34:45And thank you for all that you do.
34:49So again, what do you want to thank you,
34:51Doctor Harris, for that that information.
34:53I love how you know we introduced
34:55the innovative practice and then
34:57for you to talk about how you guys
34:59pivoted to the realization that our
35:01child care providers still have to
35:02have that coaching support, right?
35:04That's still necessary.
35:05So for you guys, the pivot and figure
35:07out a platform to make that happen.
35:09That that is that's truly incredible.
35:11We have some great questions going on
35:13in the chat that I see that we will
35:16definitely address here when we get to
35:18the roundtable but but what amazing work and?
35:20An amazing support that
35:22you do with child 360.
35:23I know Michael Hagan is
35:25super passionate about that.
35:26He shared that with me numerous
35:28times in the in the here,
35:31you today and all your doing for
35:33students in your service area.
35:35We appreciate that we're going
35:36to go to Tracy Smith now.
35:38Who is working every single day with
35:41our youngest or youngest people.
35:43Write our youngest people and
35:44their mental health needs.
35:46She spent a decade in the mental health
35:48in the mental health business working.
35:50With those in need and working on the needs,
35:53and I'd have to imagine Tracy that
35:552020 and Covid has his exasperated
35:57mental health ease of everyone but but
36:00really had to shift your work as we've
36:02talked about with Doctor Harris did.
36:04And in order to shift her work,
36:06I'm so curious to hear,
36:08and I thank you for joining us today
36:11for you to share with us about how.
36:14You have found 2020 in the situation
36:17with covid, make your work shift,
36:19so I'll turn it over to you, Tracy.
36:22Thank you and I'm so happy to be here
36:25with all of you tonight and I'm honored
36:28to be on this panel with Doctor Gilliam
36:31and Doctor Harris and share with you.
36:34Kind of the work that my program has
36:36been going through in servicing our
36:39communities throughout the pandemic.
36:41So I just wanted to give a little
36:43bit of information about ECP.
36:46It's early childhood consultation
36:47partnership in Connecticut Sora
36:48statewide program throughout Connecticut,
36:50we offer free mental health consultation.
36:53To all early childhood providers
36:55throughout the state and their families,
36:57and that we work with children ages
36:59zero to five were a strengths based
37:02program and we really focus on
37:04building capacity of the caregivers.
37:06Um, all of these early childhood providers,
37:09caregivers of these young children
37:10to best meet the social emotional
37:12needs were funded and supported by
37:15Connecticut's Department of Children,
37:16Families and the Office of Early
37:19Childhood making our service free
37:21for all of the providers.
37:22So we have consultants across the state.
37:25If we all cover different
37:27towns throughout the state,
37:28making this our program accessible to
37:30all of the home daycares and all of the
37:33early childhood providers across Connecticut,
37:35and we're also managed by
37:36Advanced Behavioral Health,
37:37and they are located in Middletown,
37:39CT.
37:40We offer a various levels of service.
37:43We offer a child specific service
37:45in a core classroom service where
37:47we further child specific service.
37:50We really bring the family and the
37:52teachers and directors together talk
37:54about concerns and talk about strengths
37:57of the child and then put together
37:59some strategies with action plans again
38:02around those social emotional needs,
38:04behavior management,
38:04teaching, social skills.
38:06All of those different social
38:07emotional pieces and we provide
38:09classroom observations we provide.
38:11On home visits as well as part of
38:13our normal service and I'll get
38:15into kind of how that service has
38:17changed throughout the pandemic,
38:18and we also provide the core
38:21classroom service where we look
38:23at the classroom as a whole.
38:25And we really meet with the teachers.
38:27Ask them what their needs are,
38:29what, what,
38:30what supports they would like
38:31around the social,
38:32emotional in the classroom.
38:34Again, put together strategies.
38:35We do class observations and then we
38:38do series of support visits where
38:39we're coming into the centers,
38:41coaching, modeling with the teachers,
38:43and really implementing all those
38:45strategies from the action plans.
38:46So right now, once the pandemic began,
38:49we had to pause all of our face
38:51to face an in person services and
38:53we first focused on.
38:55Really reaching out to all of our
38:57families and touching base with
38:58the families that were working
39:00with the classrooms that we were
39:02currently working with.
39:03You know, seeing if they were still open.
39:05If if many children were home,
39:07I found at least with my services that
39:09most of the children were home now
39:11either parents just to keep them home
39:13or the child care centers had closed.
39:15So we did a lot of outreach and kind of
39:18were able to touch base with all of
39:20these programs and see where they're at.
39:22If they were open or closed,
39:24what their needs were.
39:25Many were many state remained
39:27open throughout the pandemic,
39:28some some closed down for a period of
39:31time and then reopen some clothes until
39:33the start of the school year in the fall.
39:37Really gave us a chance to feel out
39:39what they were all going through.
39:40Especially the ones that stayed open
39:42and had to make so many changes.
39:44You know those first few months
39:46they were there.
39:47There are many changes and continue
39:49to have changes so they were they
39:51were really dealing with a lot
39:52and we we talked a lot with them
39:54about stress and financials,
39:56financial stress and everything
39:57around the pandemic that they were
39:59all going through in dealing with.
40:00Parents at home that had children
40:02at home were trying to work
40:04from home at the same time.
40:06Again, lots of you know,
40:07lots of jobs for teachers.
40:09Everything like that.
40:10So it really gave us an opportunity
40:12in those first few months since our
40:15services were paused at the time to
40:16be able to reach out and really,
40:18really kind of figure out what the
40:20mental health needs were for these.
40:22For all of these providers early
40:24in the parents and the families and
40:26how all the stress and everything
40:28that they were going through was
40:30affecting the young children as well.
40:31Around during during those first few months,
40:34our program managers were developing a
40:36virtual model of our service so that
40:38we could do our Tele consultation
40:40services and pick back up our services.
40:42So may we rolled that out and at
40:44that time we were really focusing on
40:47recruitment and outreach and trying
40:49to touch base with every single center
40:51in home daycare in our coverage areas.
40:53So we have again we have
40:55consultants across the state,
40:57so we're all working on this at
40:59the same time and that really gave
41:01us some great connections to some.
41:04Centers and providers that we
41:05that maybe don't know about us.
41:07And again we got there was an
41:09array of needs across the state.
41:12Depending on if the centers were closed,
41:13if some teachers were home again,
41:15everything that Doctor Harris
41:16also was talking about in terms
41:18of centers being open or closed,
41:20or parents choosing to keep
41:21children home so that they gave
41:23us a really nice time to to again
41:25address those mental health needs.
41:26Figure out what those needs were.
41:28All of all the stress people were
41:30going through an and talk about how
41:32this is affecting the young children.
41:34And again there were so many transitions
41:36even at that period and then again
41:38through the summer and with a lot
41:40of centers reopening in the fall,
41:41we were trying to.
41:43Really provides support work
41:44wherever we could.
41:45During that time,
41:46we're still kind of rolling
41:48out the Tele consultation,
41:50so we put together a series
41:52of webinars that we
41:54worked on. His other consultants worked on.
41:57Those are on our website that I
41:59can definitely share with you.
42:01It's www.eccpct.com.
42:02We have webinars, webinars,
42:04up their resources,
42:05handouts that we were working on related
42:07to covid stress management webinars,
42:10how to create routines at home for children.
42:13All of those different things,
42:14behavior management strategies for parents
42:17at home with many children at home.
42:21So we're working on all of those,
42:23and then our services,
42:24the Tele Consultation services
42:25specifically kind of picked up
42:27towards the end of the summer.
42:28So where I have some services open
42:30right now where we're working again,
42:32we're providing our child
42:33specific service virtually.
42:34We have all of our meetings.
42:36We are doing our action plans
42:38and providing strategies,
42:39and again,
42:39we're learning a lot about the
42:41needs of these children with all of
42:43the changes that are taking place
42:45and all of the all the guidelines
42:47around around the pandemic and what
42:49all of these centers have to do.
42:51In terms of social distancing
42:53and mass and all of that,
42:55and we also are providing rather
42:57than a core classroom service.
42:58Right now we're providing kind
43:00of a center wide level service
43:02so we can really meet the needs
43:04of the entire center rather than
43:06focusing on a specific classroom.
43:08So all of the staff in the center
43:10can can benefit from that service.
43:12We provide social emotional training.
43:14Again, the support visits many resources,
43:16strategies that they can use,
43:17and things that are really
43:19relevant to what they're dealing
43:20with currently during this.
43:22Pandemic,
43:22so again,
43:23we've throughout throughout all
43:24of this I've been in contact
43:26with many centers in my area.
43:28I have a large area that I cover
43:30and I've learned a lot about
43:32what they're going through.
43:33The mental health needs of parents at home,
43:36teachers and centers.
43:37Teachers have maybe children at home.
43:39All of the stress around that.
43:41And really,
43:41how that's affecting the young children
43:43in their care or young children
43:45that are that are home as well.
43:47So I'm happy to share that with you today.
43:50I'm excited for our discussion and to share.
43:53More more in depth of what I've
43:56what we've noticed as a program.
43:58Thank you.
44:00Again, I appreciate what the
44:02entire panel shared with us today.
44:03I will ask Tracy as we as we move into
44:06question and the answers and I appreciate
44:08we have numerous questions from the
44:10from the audience and I will get to as
44:12many of those as we can get to today.
44:15I wanted to start Tracy.
44:16Could you share, you know in terms of with
44:19your experience over the last decade,
44:21what specifically you've seen an increase
44:22of or maybe even a decrease of through
44:24covid times in children like other
44:26specific behaviors or under specific
44:28mental health needs that you've said?
44:30Oh, that's new.
44:30Or that's something different
44:31that we don't see as frequently.
44:34Yeah, there's it's interesting because
44:36the I think it's I've been looking at
44:38centers kind of individually because
44:40some of these centers have been
44:42open the whole time and I've really
44:44figured everything out and are kind
44:46of going with the flow and rolling
44:48with the changes and everything.
44:50Some centers were closed, you know,
44:52throughout the whole summer and you know
44:54had to reopen and re and really implement
44:56all these guidelines and policies.
44:58Some centers kind of opened
44:59and closed back up,
45:01so there's been a lot of
45:03changes for these children.
45:04There's been a.
45:05A lot of transitions in the classroom
45:08teachers having to leave or being out sick,
45:10and we know that you know,
45:12for children transitions are very
45:14difficult at the at the IT was
45:17interesting in reaching out to the
45:18centers at the beginning of the pandemic.
45:21They kind of shared that the children
45:23that were still that they were
45:25seeing less behavior concerns at the
45:27beginning because they had such low
45:29numbers and they were able to focus
45:32on the those particular children.
45:33Those challenging behaviors and really.
45:35You know, meet their social emotional needs,
45:37but as were you know,
45:38centers are picking back up and
45:40people have to go back to work and.
45:42So there's more and more children there.
45:44Now we're seeing more of those
45:46challenging behaviors again,
45:47but I think in terms of.
45:50Things like wearing masks and
45:52social distancing.
45:52Those have really have an effect
45:54on children because you know,
45:56our program really promotes
45:57the social emotional piece,
45:58so all of these things like.
46:01Taking turns teaching teaching
46:03cooperation skills.
46:03Working together.
46:04You know how do you teach those skills
46:06when you have to stay socially distance,
46:09you know in terms of mass for like
46:11for the toddlers and infant ages,
46:13you know these teachers have
46:15to wear masks and they don't.
46:17You know they they're missing out on
46:19those facial expressions and everything
46:20that they learn through through
46:22their face through teacher faces.
46:24So that's definitely having an impact.
46:26Even just keeping you know.
46:27How do you keep toddlers from wanting
46:30to be touching each other and?
46:31Playing together and so it's really
46:33been a shift of, you know, how do we?
46:36How do we get creative in being
46:38able to still build these skills
46:40while remaining safe and following
46:42the guidelines and protocols that
46:44all these centers have been given?
46:46So I'm working with a couple of
46:48classrooms right now that are
46:50trying to trying to again get
46:52creative and think of ways we
46:54can do cooperative activities.
46:55Kind of in our own space and how we can
46:58teach self regulation skills and be able
47:01Doctor Harris mentioned like the cozy corner.
47:03The cozy area you know, how do you?
47:05How do you make a cozy area when you
47:08can't use cozy items and you know soft?
47:10Like you know stuffed animals
47:11and things like that.
47:12How do you?
47:13How do you make that cozy for them?
47:15So we've been trying trying to work with
47:17teachers to get creative around that,
47:19and I think one of the biggest
47:21pieces of that is is to,
47:22you know, with our service.
47:23It gives you know with these teachers
47:25are dealing with so much in the
47:27classroom and the stress related to
47:29this whole pandemic it's I think it's
47:30hard for them to even take a step back
47:33to start to even think about trying to.
47:35Problem solved,
47:36any you know these different situations
47:38that they're coming across so?
47:39It's been important for with our
47:41service they they get a chance
47:43to get out of the classroom for
47:45minute and sit with me and another
47:47consultants and really problem solving.
47:49Brainstorm. How can we do this?
47:51But yes,
47:51I think in terms of the mental
47:53health needs and I think there's
47:55been an impact just on just the
47:57interactions with children.
47:58We focus so much on the relationship
48:00and those interactions.
48:01And again teaching how to take turns
48:03and share and work properly together.
48:05And when we can't be together.
48:07So I think that's one of the biggest.
48:09Things that we've seen.
48:11Yeah,
48:11absolutely yeah.
48:12That that social interaction of all ages.
48:14I think we even recognize as adults
48:16you know that that need you know,
48:18that's that's that's interesting to hear.
48:20You say that we know as adults at the
48:22zoom world has has taken its toll on us.
48:25And having the social interaction and.
48:27And yeah, that yeah,
48:28that's that's that's excellent feedback
48:30that that we have to really be looking for
48:33innovative ways to encourage that in a in
48:35a socially distance setting at that store.
48:37Or definitely in a virtual setting, right?
48:39And then.
48:40Yeah, and you said there Tracy,
48:41which I thought was so interesting,
48:43is to think about his teachers.
48:45We how we're all expressive, right?
48:46Like naturally as teachers were
48:48expressive and how that's that is part
48:50of our teaching and in the in the do
48:52that in the different with a mask on
48:54at times and what that does in oral
48:56language development is fascinating.
48:57And then the social emotional side of that.
48:59Yeah, just that closeness of, you
49:01know when when a child gets hurt you
49:03want to hug them and you want to
49:04be close and be able to create all
49:07them and and children learn those
49:08skills to do to one another one.
49:11They learned that if a child falls down,
49:13let me help him up and give him a hug.
49:15And um, if it, especially if teachers aren't,
49:17you know they have to adhere
49:19to these guidelines,
49:20but some may be really worried
49:21about it as well and might have
49:23kind of a panic response,
49:24which again that you know it's
49:26confusing for children to to.
49:28To now be kind of the opposite of everything.
49:30They've been learning this whole time. So
49:32yeah, yeah yeah, yeah, great.
49:34Great points, Heather there
49:35we had a great question.
49:36I thought you might be.
49:38Might be perfect to answer
49:39for us one I will ask.
49:41Kind of two parts here to start and
49:43then let the panel chime in as well.
49:46But one there there's a lot of interest
49:48in if if districts are interested
49:49in some of the support that you
49:51offer that aren't California based.
49:53If you have suggestions for them,
49:55but that you offer through child 360
49:57but but then maybe more specifically.
49:59If you would talk about in the.
50:00After panel, think about I thought.
50:03Families at home.
50:04We've always encouraged them to
50:05to support the learning at home,
50:07but more now than ever what we asked
50:09him to do is to encourage the learning.
50:12Maybe away from the screen, right?
50:13Because we are getting a lot of screen time,
50:16so resources or ideas to help families
50:18with you know that learning by play,
50:20which we all believe in at a young age
50:22and how you can help families do that,
50:25whether that's putting them in
50:26contact with people who can give
50:28them physical resources to encourage
50:29learning at player ideas you have,
50:31so I'll let the panel think about that.
50:33Question, and Heather,
50:34if you wouldn't mind starting with
50:37how they districts across the country
50:39might get in touch with you for
50:42the services or similar services,
50:44and then we can all extend into
50:46that that
50:47play at home question certainly please.
50:49That's why I put the our website.
50:52Please access our website.
50:53I think that the trainings are universal.
50:56We focus on we have coaches who
50:59are certified and zero to three.
51:01We have self paced courses on an.
51:04Anti bias cafe.
51:05Social emotional cafes mindfulness trauma
51:08informed care and those are universal
51:10messages that we all can benefit from.
51:13We also offer coaching institutes and
51:15so if you have coaches in your district
51:18around your County or state or if you'd
51:22like to do something like what we do,
51:25we we do offer coaching institutes,
51:27leadership Institute servant
51:28leadership institutes certainly.
51:30And concerning the second part
51:32of your question had to do with.
51:35Specific resources that you
51:36could use in the home, right?
51:39How did this, especially for
51:40play right play based learning?
51:42Yeah, on our website we have homegrown
51:45activities and So what we've done is
51:48we have model with our children and
51:50our grandchildren in our own home.
51:52Some activities and using materials
51:54around the house. And you know,
51:57they're across the different disciplines
51:58so it could be a social emotional activity.
52:01How to engage in expressions.
52:03Or it could be a math activity.
52:06And those are homegrown activities
52:08in their small video vignettes,
52:09no more than three to five minutes
52:11that you can take advantage of.
52:13And teachers and families have found that,
52:15um, extremely helpful as well.
52:18Awesome, yeah,
52:19Walter Tracy.
52:19Anything to add about about that?
52:21About the needs and really incorporate
52:23our families in play based learning,
52:25especially if they're in a fully
52:27virtual early childhood care right now.
52:32Yeah, I think again at the beginning of
52:34our of the pandemic we are, you know,
52:37reaching out to these families,
52:39especially the ones we were working
52:41with but trying to get our name out
52:44there to families that we didn't know.
52:46So we asked Chad providers to kind
52:48of give our information out to all
52:51the families so they could contact us
52:54and a lot were looking for ways to
52:56sort of mimic the the early childhood
52:58their their classroom schedule,
53:00but at home and we always encourage,
53:02you know.
53:03The importance of play and just having
53:05different interactive activities in
53:06our projects and things like that.
53:08So we we do have some resources
53:10on our website as well and I can.
53:12I can share our website in the chat or
53:14the question answer if that's easier.
53:17But just wait different activities
53:19to do at home.
53:20There's there's a resource with all
53:22all different sort of play activities
53:24that you can do with your child,
53:26and I think all those things help
53:28you know the mental health of the
53:30parent and the child together.
53:32If there's there,
53:33they incorporate these things.
53:34They're doing them together that
53:36we encourage,
53:36like some relaxing activities like
53:38doing some yoga together at home.
53:40Just anything to to really have them
53:42interacting with one another and
53:43siblings too as well, bringing siblings.
53:45And if their siblings at home.
53:47To keep you know,
53:48keep them busy throughout the day,
53:50like have some sort of schedule but
53:52have flexibility to have that play
53:54and outdoor time and all of that too.
53:56Great,
53:56I wanted to add Tracy.
53:58I know that you can relate
54:01that during this time.
54:02You know I worked in early childhood.
54:05My entire careeer Ann.
54:06I remember given orientations to families
54:08and an empowering families and sharing.
54:11You are your child's first teacher
54:13and so I think it's just motivating
54:15our families to validate them
54:17and know that they have all the
54:20skills and love and abilities to
54:22offer those in home activities.
54:24And so we have developed some on our website,
54:27some brochures that helps families.
54:29You know, with with with whether it's
54:32facilitating a discussion or an activity,
54:33but again,
54:34just for you know empowering families
54:36and then of course through the coaching.
54:38You know we jump on calls with
54:40families through family engagement
54:41and with our providers an just
54:44validate their ability to be
54:45their child's first teacher.
54:46That's so important because there's
54:48so much going on all around you.
54:50You're like I'm not equipped to do
54:52this and it's like you certainly are.
54:55You certainly able to do the
54:57best you could do in your
54:59home, right? Right, yeah
55:00awesome yeah and it Walter
55:01yeah I knew you had.
55:03Yeah go ahead go ahead.
55:04I was just going to
55:05add that I'm glad the doctor here said
55:08that parents with their child's first
55:09teacher and in the other part of the two
55:12that I might want to add is that in just
55:14about everything that you're doing already
55:16is something that could be a lesson.
55:18You know if you want to talk about, you
55:20know things that you can do at home books.
55:23There is no child so young and no child
55:25so old that you can't read with them.
55:27You can read a book with any child of
55:30any age. It's just about finding the
55:32right kind of material and finding
55:34the way in which you want to read it,
55:36either two or with or in exchange
55:38with that child.
55:39If you're making dinner.
55:40There is a reading lesson in that there
55:43is a food science lesson in there
55:45and there is a math lesson in that.
55:47How many tablespoons do I needed that laugh?
55:50I wanted to make twice as much of that,
55:52just even doing something that some
55:54people called broadcasting just going
55:56through your day and talking out loud.
55:58Just things that you think in your
56:00head about how you did that all makes
56:03everything that you do a lesson to the
56:05child who can now see what you're doing.
56:07But also hear what you're thinking
56:09just going about.
56:10Your everyday life in a way that your
56:13child can experience it and understand
56:15what it is that you're doing and why
56:17you're doing it that way in here,
56:19what your inner thoughts are is
56:21a lesson in and of itself.
56:23Parents are indeed children's first teachers,
56:25and the lessons are already built in.
56:29Yeah, that's great and what a great reminder.
56:32Undergrounding the Yale the Yale Child
56:34Study Center collaborative with Scholastic
56:35is built on the power of story, right?
56:37It's built on that idea of even though
56:39we frequently think as educators
56:41of the power of story and book and
56:43man is the power of story in book.
56:45Amazing, that's a great piece to
56:47remember that the power of story
56:49originally is oral story, right?
56:50Like that? That of course was
56:52the first story was always oral.
56:54It was way before written language
56:55and so utilizing that power of
56:57story and what you do.
56:59It is such a powerful reminder, yeah,
57:01that yeah, fantastic reminders group.
57:02Thank you guys.
57:03A quick question on kind of the
57:05physical mechanics of childhood
57:07centers and I'll start with you,
57:09Walter and go back to you to start
57:11here in terms of recommendations
57:13for and an both Tracy and Heather
57:15talked about the the what the
57:17socially distancing does inside of
57:18the classroom and how we need to pay
57:21attention to the additional social
57:22emotional needs that come from that.
57:24What are the recommendations around social
57:27distancing and even we had a great question.
57:30In the chat about are we finding that
57:32most child care providers have them wear
57:34the mask the entire day except for nap?
57:36Or is there some variations of that
57:38that that have led to success and I
57:41know that's a big question to ask,
57:43but if you guys could share
57:44experiences around that,
57:45around successes and or struggles when
57:47we'll start with Walter churning and
57:49I'd say it's a complicated thing,
57:50especially when you're thinking about,
57:52you know, like how do you social distance
57:54from my child you know who needs to be
57:57held and you want to hold the child,
57:59and sometimes they will.
58:00All of you want it.
58:02They want to protect and hold the child.
58:04And of course they want to be
58:06near each other and the masks,
58:08and I think I think both of them with
58:10the other two speakers spoke about
58:12about the complexities of wearing masks.
58:14You know around children,
58:16and can they read your facial expression
58:18like I think all of these things are
58:20things worthwhile for us to consider,
58:22but at the same time,
58:23one of the things that I learned
58:26along time ago is this.
58:27It takes a lot of time and patience to
58:30get children to change their routine.
58:32But it takes a whole lot more
58:34time and patience to get adults
58:36to change their routine,
58:37and so if the adults are generally
58:40comfortable with the change that happens and
58:42goes about it as if it is a normal thing.
58:45In many cases,
58:45children will take their cues from US adults.
58:48I can't tell you how many
58:50times I've had parents say,
58:51you know my child is getting
58:53ready to go to kindergarten.
58:55Get a bus for the very first time.
58:57What can I do to help my child feel
59:00more comfortable going to school?
59:02And usually my first thing that
59:04I say to them is how do you feel
59:06about your child going to school?
59:08How do you feel?
59:09Have you met the school bus driver 'cause
59:12you're going to put your child on that bus?
59:14If you met this person and you and your
59:17child is going to go to the kindergarten,
59:19have you had a chance to meet the
59:22kindergarten teacher who's going
59:23to be with your child all day long
59:25with the reality is when a child
59:27is uncertain about whatever thing
59:29is new or stressful or unusual,
59:30they will immediately turn to
59:32the trusted adults.
59:33And look at their expression
59:34and borrow their feeling.
59:35And if we are generally comfortable
59:37with what we're doing,
59:39then we can loan our comfort to the
59:41child and the child will take it.
59:43But if we're not comfortable
59:45with what we're doing,
59:46then we have nothing left to give the child.
59:49And so to a large degree,
59:50I think a big part of the answer to
59:53your question is we get children
59:55feeling comfortable with the
59:56new changes that we have to do
59:58in order to keep them safe.
01:00:00By making sure that we first
01:00:02were comfortable with it,
01:00:03that our teachers or child care
01:00:05providers are supported and given the
01:00:07supplies and the staffing that they
01:00:09need in order to be successful with it,
01:00:11and that they feel comfortable enough
01:00:13to be a source of comfort to their children.
01:00:17Well
01:00:17yeah, that's a great.
01:00:19What a great advice I was.
01:00:21I couldn't help but think of parenting
01:00:23advice right there when you said loan,
01:00:26our comfort to our children right?
01:00:28Like great,
01:00:28great for and they'll receive it.
01:00:30Yeah, Heather further dig
01:00:32deeper into that conversation.
01:00:33There. Certainly I agree with Doctor Gilliam.
01:00:36I think that I'd like to expand just
01:00:38a little bit to say that we have
01:00:40to ensure that our early childhood
01:00:43education providers have their
01:00:44oxygen mask on 1st so that you know.
01:00:47They can offer it to the
01:00:49children or offer it to,
01:00:51you know their their colleagues,
01:00:53and so I think taking care of self and
01:00:56being honest with yourself you know can I
01:00:59actually handle this an am I going to be,
01:01:02you know the best source of energy
01:01:04for children you know right now in
01:01:07this particular situation and then
01:01:09on top of that for administrators
01:01:11to be able to tell teachers it's
01:01:13OK if today is not your best day.
01:01:16But in order to do that we have to.
01:01:19US County level and state level
01:01:22issues that we've been talking
01:01:24about in early childhood for long,
01:01:26long time,
01:01:27which is providing the finances
01:01:29providing an opportunity for
01:01:31providers voice to be heard.
01:01:33As far as what are their needs
01:01:35and how do we actually meet them
01:01:38when the pandemic began,
01:01:40you know it was so important
01:01:42through our public office that
01:01:44we were informing the governor's
01:01:46office as far as vouchers that
01:01:49are needed PPE's that are needed.
01:01:51And so just being a voice in
01:01:53advocating for our field is a senchal,
01:01:55and that's the only way that our our
01:01:58providers are going to be able to
01:02:00put an oxygen mask on themselves.
01:02:02You know, these are all.
01:02:03It's all fine and dandy to make
01:02:05these recommendations,
01:02:06but if you don't have the funding
01:02:07available or you don't have the
01:02:09additional staff available or you
01:02:11don't have a hotspot available if
01:02:12you're not addressing digital divide,
01:02:14then, then what's the point?
01:02:16So actually hearing what the
01:02:17providers needs and then advocating
01:02:19for them to get their needs met.
01:02:22Yeah, thank you. Yeah yeah absolutely.
01:02:24And I know that education is such a huge
01:02:26part of your work that you do and and and
01:02:29we certainly support that in all we can.
01:02:32And please always reach out to our
01:02:34US as partners to support that work
01:02:36is yes we have to make sure that
01:02:38our teachers are taking care of.
01:02:40We have to make sure that they're they're in
01:02:42a safe spot in order to provide for the kids.
01:02:45But I love that conversation.
01:02:47Tracy, let me ask you a question
01:02:49that from our chat box.
01:02:50What do you feel will be?
01:02:52We know that their social, emotional
01:02:54impacts you know what level of worry,
01:02:56and I think a lot of what?
01:02:57What Heather and Walter addressed there
01:02:59with with OK take confidence in it,
01:03:01but what are your worries as a
01:03:02as a mental health problem?
01:03:07I hope it's sooner than later about the
01:03:09long term effects on these students.
01:03:11What can we expect kindergarten
01:03:12to look like for these students?
01:03:15Yeah, I think that that's definitely
01:03:17a big concern is as all the like
01:03:20when I was talking about all of
01:03:22the skills that we usually teach
01:03:24in terms of the social, emotional.
01:03:26If they're they're not able to get some of
01:03:29those things and are really affected by,
01:03:31you know, the the the adults around them.
01:03:33Going back to Walter said when I was
01:03:36reaching out to all these centers,
01:03:38that was one of the biggest themes
01:03:40that they were talking about in terms
01:03:42of what Walton had were talking about.
01:03:45That these children are resilient that
01:03:47they do what they're supposed to do there,
01:03:49wearing their masses.
01:03:50That's us adults around them
01:03:52that are having you know,
01:03:53you know so much stress and
01:03:55issues around everything,
01:03:56and that is eventually going
01:03:58to affect these children.
01:03:59But wouldn't they initially notice
01:04:01was that they were really having
01:04:03no no problem with it, it was.
01:04:05It was our reactions as adults
01:04:06that was that was different,
01:04:08but in terms of the mental health
01:04:10needs of children and being ready
01:04:12to go into kindergarten and all the
01:04:14transitions that they've been through.
01:04:16That's that is a big worry because.
01:04:19There's just so much going on for
01:04:21them right now in these centers,
01:04:24with against teachers changing teachers,
01:04:25being out sick,
01:04:26they have to go home and and
01:04:29isolate if they've been exposed.
01:04:31Even um.
01:04:33Things like parents drop off outside
01:04:34so that connection with the teacher.
01:04:36Alot of centers are having parents
01:04:38drop off outside and pick up kind of
01:04:40in an outdoor situation so they don't
01:04:42always get to kind of connect with the
01:04:44teachers and build that relationship.
01:04:46All of that.
01:04:47I think that plays a big part in
01:04:49two to everything that's going
01:04:50on with these children as well.
01:04:52If the parents don't feel less
01:04:54connected to their teachers and and
01:04:56vice versa if the teachers don't
01:04:57feels connected to the parents and
01:04:59able to communicate everything with
01:05:00them in terms of their particular
01:05:02child in the classroom.
01:05:03Uh,
01:05:04concerns how things are going those
01:05:06those those everyday interactions usually
01:05:08happen during a drop off and pick up,
01:05:10and that's that's a huge thing that
01:05:13they're missing right now and just again,
01:05:15just the skills around all you know,
01:05:18the social interaction went when we think
01:05:20of sending our children into kindergarten.
01:05:22The you know,
01:05:23those teachers want these children
01:05:25to be able to regulate their emotions
01:05:27and interact with one another.
01:05:29And all of those social emotional pieces
01:05:32that it might be difficult to really.
01:05:35Really,
01:05:35teaching and dive into right
01:05:36now with the focus being being
01:05:38so many other places around.
01:05:40You know how often do I have to
01:05:42clean these different things?
01:05:43And again, the mass,
01:05:44but I think again vector back to
01:05:46Walter said it's so important to
01:05:48do that broadcasting and narrating,
01:05:50especially for for the toddler age,
01:05:52is just constantly because we can't
01:05:54see our facial expression other than,
01:05:55you know,
01:05:56we talk about happy eyes and
01:05:58things like
01:05:58that or stern eyes.
01:06:00But you know, narrating what
01:06:01they're doing throughout the day,
01:06:03every single thought that they
01:06:04have and the importance of.
01:06:06You know these these these tiny children
01:06:08being able to hear all of that,
01:06:10but yes, that's that.
01:06:11That's definitely a worry in a concern,
01:06:13and we're we're again trying to to
01:06:15put those things out there in our
01:06:17in our support visits and meetings
01:06:19with these with these teachers
01:06:20and directors and 50 importance
01:06:22of of still trying to focus on the
01:06:25social emotional pieces as much as
01:06:27possible and get the children to
01:06:28practice these skills even if they
01:06:30have to kind of be in their own
01:06:32space to practice and read again.
01:06:34Reading reading stories about
01:06:36self regulation techniques.
01:06:37How to calm our bodies down.
01:06:38How to slower engines down being
01:06:40able to take some space in the
01:06:42in over in the cozy area?
01:06:43Or maybe maybe a solution to that
01:06:45is is building each child their own
01:06:47little cozy box where they can bring
01:06:48that box and it's their own items?
01:06:50Maybe some items from home that
01:06:52they can bring to a spot in and
01:06:54kind of talk about feelings and
01:06:56being able to self regulate and.
01:06:57And you know,
01:06:58having cooperative activities where
01:07:00maybe we're taking turns doing
01:07:01something in a Safeway and trying to
01:07:03figure out how to be be mindful of that,
01:07:05and be creative and and continue to
01:07:08build those skills as much as possible.
01:07:10My love back.
01:07:12Apple sentence is in there because I'm.
01:07:14I'm so glad that Tracy mentioned,
01:07:16you know the issue of teachers getting sick.
01:07:18You know when we were.
01:07:21Checking the survey that we that we did,
01:07:2477% of the teachers reported
01:07:25on the 57 thousand child care
01:07:27providers across the nation,
01:07:2977% reported that they were worried or
01:07:31very worried that they make it sick.
01:07:3374% worried or very worried that they
01:07:36may bring sickness home to a family
01:07:38member that they get in the course of
01:07:40providing childcare and the largest percent.
01:07:4379% worried that they themselves
01:07:44might get the children sick and so
01:07:47the amount of worry that these child
01:07:49care providers carry is significant
01:07:50and from a policy standpoint from the
01:07:53advocating standpoint that Doctor
01:07:54Harris was talking about before.
01:07:56Here's some things to advocate
01:07:58for for child care providers.
01:07:59Sick pain so that child care providers who
01:08:02are hourly workers primarily not salaried.
01:08:04Workers don't have to be put in a
01:08:06Sophie's choice of deciding whether
01:08:07or not to go to child care program
01:08:10and potentially bring sickness with
01:08:12them or stay at home and not get paid
01:08:15and not have the money necessary
01:08:16for them to be able to put food
01:08:19on the table for their own family.
01:08:21Or how about this one?
01:08:23Vaccination prioritization for
01:08:24teachers and childcare providers,
01:08:25especially our teachers and childcare.
01:08:27Providers of color,
01:08:28especially when you're talking
01:08:29about child care programs.
01:08:31Child care programs,
01:08:32especially,
01:08:32are primarily staff were disproportionately
01:08:34staffed by child care providers of color.
01:08:36If we want to protect our children
01:08:39and our child care programs in our schools,
01:08:42that means protecting women overwhelmingly.
01:08:43An especially women of color.
01:08:45The measure of how much of society truly
01:08:48loves and values his babies is how will
01:08:51we take care of those who care for them.
01:08:57Here, here.
01:08:59Yeah, and then I intentionally let that said.
01:09:02I mean, I. Yes yeah, yeah.
01:09:03May we leave today when we leave here in
01:09:0620 minutes and intake that advocation
01:09:08forward and I want us all as a group.
01:09:10That's what this collaborative is about.
01:09:12It's about bringing professionals
01:09:14together to have the open dialogue
01:09:16about what has to happen to take
01:09:17care of our youngest children and and
01:09:19and think this this collaboration.
01:09:21This conversation right now
01:09:22is is so critical for that.
01:09:24And then then the number of people here.
01:09:26As we said, we have people joining
01:09:28us from from Egypt.
01:09:30Doctor Harris,
01:09:30all somebody from Egypt today and
01:09:32in the knowledge that that's how far
01:09:34reaching this conversation is in in
01:09:36that advocation for young students
01:09:37and for for not just the funding of
01:09:39the educational programs with the
01:09:41funding of those teachers who are who
01:09:43are there for to make to make it happen.
01:09:45Yeah, I mean,
01:09:46we've we've answered the questions today,
01:09:47and I think it.
01:09:48I think it's so important that we
01:09:50that we recognize as a panel in the
01:09:52group that's come together today,
01:09:54virtually to say that the answers
01:09:56start with our reactions as adults.
01:09:57That's how you've answered,
01:09:58you know, our four questions so far.
01:10:01Is it begins with the reactions
01:10:02of those people that are that are
01:10:04at the front of the classroom?
01:10:06And so I I mean,
01:10:08I just think it's so critical that
01:10:10we continue to leave when we leave
01:10:12in 20 minutes today with the message
01:10:14to everyone who will listen about
01:10:16the importance of that.
01:10:17So, so thank you that that's powerful.
01:10:19That was goosebumps and Ann.
01:10:20And thank you,
01:10:21thank you for that conversation.
01:10:23I I'll transition that right to
01:10:25Heather and her coaching work that she
01:10:27does currently in a virtual setting.
01:10:28So when we talk about the
01:10:30early childhood providers and.
01:10:32And what you're seeing when you're
01:10:34doing coaching sessions inside
01:10:35of classrooms and a lot of times
01:10:36in a virtual setting right now?
01:10:38You know, we ask,
01:10:39try ask Tracy before about what
01:10:41she sees is kind of a a new need
01:10:43in 2020 with the situation.
01:10:44What do you see from a coaching
01:10:46standpoint from from our teachers that
01:10:48they need extra support in in this situation?
01:10:50While coaching these teachers?
01:10:52And you need that popped up for us.
01:10:55Is family engagement facilitating learning
01:10:57in the home and so that was new for us.
01:11:00You know, when it came to me in
01:11:03case management that districts are
01:11:04asking if our coaches could get on
01:11:07a call with the teacher and families
01:11:09to facilitate learning in the home.
01:11:12That was a new one for us.
01:11:14The good thing is that we have a
01:11:16wonderful pool of experts within
01:11:18our organization that specialize in
01:11:20family engagement and so we accessed.
01:11:23Those resources Anne shared them
01:11:24with all of the coaches and shared
01:11:26them with our providers as well,
01:11:28but that was a new one for us.
01:11:30Was coaching the teacher in real
01:11:31time while they were facilitating
01:11:33learning in the classroom.
01:11:35Well, well, yeah. And actually had
01:11:37another question in the chat box and
01:11:39will open this up 'cause it's kind of.
01:11:41It's a tough one and then it
01:11:43says as a former principle,
01:11:45it's something I always openly
01:11:46admit I struggled the most with has
01:11:48in this situation. Have we seen?
01:11:50Can anybody give a really strong
01:11:52example 'cause this question has
01:11:53come up two or three times today?
01:11:55As we've spoken of tangible
01:11:57resources this year that you've said
01:11:59that really work to engage family
01:12:00like that specific thing, man,
01:12:02that that that happened for him, right?
01:12:04Like that got families.
01:12:05Interested in any and again will
01:12:07anyone can start on that one.
01:12:09I'll look to see who on mute first
01:12:11so you don't talk over each other,
01:12:14but where that's really been where
01:12:16that's really been a valuable in a value.
01:12:18Added tangible examples of that
01:12:20are so critical.
01:12:22I'm so happy that you asked that question.
01:12:25Jimmy, 'cause I asked that
01:12:26question two to the coaches.
01:12:28I said what is the one thing that
01:12:31providers really appreciated and they
01:12:33said it was the books for children
01:12:36for them to be able to deliver those
01:12:38books to the home in Scholastic.
01:12:40And I'm not just saying
01:12:42this because we're partners,
01:12:43but Scholastic delivered books,
01:12:45two children's homes and that that
01:12:47was an issue that we've never
01:12:49come across as far as like the
01:12:51logistics of getting supplies.
01:12:53To children's house you know we get
01:12:55them to districts and you know they
01:12:57get distributed to classrooms and
01:12:58then from there they get to children.
01:13:00But when we when we had this funding
01:13:02and I reached out to Michael and
01:13:04Greg and I said hey we have some
01:13:07funding and we want to get you
01:13:09know books in the hands of all the
01:13:11children in California and they
01:13:12said great they put me in touch with
01:13:14the right people and we actually
01:13:16you all shipped books to children
01:13:18in their home and so for children
01:13:20to receive those books and then be
01:13:22able to talk about their books with.
01:13:24With their teacher,
01:13:25that was one of the largest and most
01:13:28grateful things that we could have done.
01:13:30You know,
01:13:31for our families and far children it just
01:13:33really infuse some hapiness in the home.
01:13:36And then I think families felt heard.
01:13:38They felt like they weren't forgotten.
01:13:40You know that we didn't have to survey
01:13:42and say who's the neediest family.
01:13:44Just it was everyone received a book
01:13:47and everyone can benefit from that.
01:13:51Wow, thank you. Yeah,
01:13:52yeah that that's that's beautiful.
01:13:54Thank you. Tracy Walter,
01:13:55any any piece that Excel
01:13:57Tracy you nodding their
01:13:59go ahead? Yes, I agree.
01:14:00We with our service we meet with
01:14:03the parents and the teachers.
01:14:05Virtually right now we put together
01:14:07action plans with strategy,
01:14:08goals and strategies around the particular
01:14:11child or the again the center as a whole.
01:14:14But with the parents involved.
01:14:16Part of that action plan is really
01:14:18bringing bringing everybody together and.
01:14:20Putting together some very specific
01:14:22strategies with resources that the
01:14:24parents can use at home with the child
01:14:26in the teachers can use in the child
01:14:28care facility in the classroom with the
01:14:30child and the goal of that is so that
01:14:33we find some responses to behaviors
01:14:35and strategies that work for the child,
01:14:37and they will.
01:14:38The child will see them in both
01:14:40places so the teachers know
01:14:42what's going on in the classroom,
01:14:44an invoice and an parents know what's
01:14:46going on as well, so vice versa,
01:14:48they both use the same exact strategies.
01:14:50In the same resources,
01:14:52so part of it part of that action
01:14:54plan meeting, I email out.
01:14:56Now that we're virtual,
01:14:57usually in person, I'll be,
01:14:59you know,
01:15:00I laminate and give them these
01:15:02printable printable social
01:15:03stories and visuals with feelings,
01:15:04visuals,
01:15:05any anything visual an things at
01:15:07tangible that they can read an look
01:15:09at when they're teaching children
01:15:10these self regulation techniques.
01:15:12Or and I can use my words book
01:15:15I can be a super friend,
01:15:17all different kinds of printable resources,
01:15:19social stories that the.
01:15:20Children can see in both places,
01:15:22both at the home and at the school.
01:15:24So it really brings everyone
01:15:26together and giving them actual
01:15:27things that they can print out.
01:15:29Hang up.
01:15:29I had an I found really through
01:15:31through our services now through
01:15:33this Tele consultation that parents
01:15:34are very engaged in the service and
01:15:36I'm not sure if it's working from
01:15:38home or kind of giving them the
01:15:40opportunity to print these things out.
01:15:42But you know,
01:15:42I have one family that took
01:15:44their child to Staples.
01:15:45They printed out all of the resources that I,
01:15:48you know,
01:15:48the social stories things I sent them.
01:15:50They got them laminated and
01:15:52they did it as an activity.
01:15:53With their child so they could
01:15:55continue using that home and and
01:15:56I encourage teachers to kind of,
01:15:58you know,
01:15:58do the same like make make it an
01:16:00activity for that particular child
01:16:01where he get where he or she gets
01:16:03to teach the class about these
01:16:05techniques and just trying to
01:16:06really bring it all back together.
01:16:07But I have found that parents have
01:16:09been very engaged in the service
01:16:10and they kind of they get everything
01:16:12printed and they start him right away.
01:16:14And you know,
01:16:14I meet him the next week for the
01:16:16support visit and they're like Oh no,
01:16:18I haven't done this one thing and
01:16:19I'm like it's amazing you've done this,
01:16:21this and this already.
01:16:22I can't believe it.
01:16:24So it is interest.
01:16:25I have seen a lot of engagement
01:16:26through just making that
01:16:28connection and give it,
01:16:30giving them those actual resources, tangible
01:16:32resource. That's that's.
01:16:33That's really that.
01:16:34Yeah, that's fascinating. Both of you.
01:16:36The tangible resource means a lot.
01:16:37Like you know,
01:16:38the conversation is always huge,
01:16:40but the tangible resource just
01:16:42to serve as a reminder to your
01:16:44families is what I'm hearing you say,
01:16:46is is so valuable that to
01:16:48do those social stories?
01:16:49Yeah, yeah, that's that's,
01:16:51that's that's excellent.
01:16:52Walter I'm going to I'm going to.
01:16:54Start with you here and um.
01:16:58Ask in terms of as you've worked with,
01:17:00you know your your work and childcare
01:17:02providers in this part of the year.
01:17:04In an early childhood setting,
01:17:06this is usually where we're getting into.
01:17:08We're getting into the,
01:17:09you know,
01:17:10more of the skill development we've we've
01:17:12spent the first part of the year developing,
01:17:14you know,
01:17:15the social emotional skills and
01:17:16hopefully we can start getting into the,
01:17:18you know,
01:17:19the the letter recognition and those very
01:17:22early early concepts of reading skills.
01:17:24Is there adjustment to be made,
01:17:26or should we expect an adjustment
01:17:28in terms of that this year and
01:17:30will trust I'll start with you to
01:17:32weigh in and what in what you seen
01:17:35in your conversations with with
01:17:36your network and then move across the panel.
01:17:38Of course, of course,
01:17:40there's adjustments to be made, you know,
01:17:42not in, not just because it's about
01:17:44COVID-19 and 2020 and all the bizarre,
01:17:46unusual things that 2020 is brought us,
01:17:48but because we're talking about working
01:17:50with young children and families and
01:17:52so of course you would just. You know,
01:17:55like if if you were a preschool teacher,
01:17:57childcare provider going to come in,
01:17:59you're going to do a lesson on pumpkins,
01:18:02'cause it's it's almost Halloween.
01:18:03So I'm going to do a lesson on pumpkins,
01:18:06but it turns out to be a freak snowstorm.
01:18:09You still come in and
01:18:10just talk about pumpkins.
01:18:12Or would you talk about the snow
01:18:14storm that's happening now?
01:18:15That's that's an example that I learned
01:18:17from a friend named Erica Chris Dockus,
01:18:20who was a a residential mass
01:18:21residential counselor at Harvard
01:18:23and then residential counselor for.
01:18:24College students at Yale.
01:18:25But she also used to run a child
01:18:28care program and she used that
01:18:30particular example to how how we
01:18:32sometimes have to make adjustments,
01:18:33childcare providers, preschool teachers.
01:18:35These are people who can walk
01:18:37to school one day,
01:18:38find 2 pebbles in an acorn and
01:18:40make a curriculum out of it.
01:18:42You know that they've got this if they
01:18:44trust themselves they've got this.
01:18:46This is all about making sure that
01:18:48the curriculum matches what that
01:18:50child and family needs right now,
01:18:52not what we think that they might
01:18:54need some other day later on.
01:18:56I mean, that's important too.
01:18:58But the most important thing is right now,
01:19:00and so if the curriculum right
01:19:02now needs to be,
01:19:03how do I feel safe when things around me
01:19:06have changed then that's the curriculum.
01:19:09And I have faith that our child
01:19:11care providers can do that because
01:19:14they do it all the time.
01:19:15And if they ever feel like they struggled,
01:19:18then I'm looking right now at
01:19:20two friends in Tracy and Heather,
01:19:22who would
01:19:23be delighted to help them.
01:19:25And so I, that's awesome.
01:19:27That's awesome. Yeah, yeah,
01:19:29Heather. Pieces of Adam there.
01:19:32I think the adjustments I think
01:19:34it's a positive adjustment is for
01:19:37everybody to just slow down and
01:19:39take inventory of how one another's
01:19:42filling and what we're going through.
01:19:44And perhaps it is facilitating
01:19:46learning activity.
01:19:47But as a coach, or if you know if
01:19:50you're working with a director,
01:19:53we've had several conversations where
01:19:55coaches have just said how are you doing?
01:19:58And the conversation isn't about reopening.
01:20:01Bing or the PPS.
01:20:02It's about,
01:20:03you know they want to talk about
01:20:05how much they miss their mother
01:20:07or they want to talk about.
01:20:09You know the challenges of having to,
01:20:11you know, educate their own children at home.
01:20:14But I think just being a human
01:20:16being and slowing down and
01:20:18checking in with one another
01:20:19has been an adjustment that our
01:20:21entire society has benefited from.
01:20:25Well. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
01:20:27that's that's that's fantastic.
01:20:29Thank you guys.
01:20:30Thank you for sharing that.
01:20:31We're going to do one last question.
01:20:33And then we'll I'll let each
01:20:35of you kind of answer it,
01:20:37and then we'll close up the data
01:20:39to make sure that we stay on the on
01:20:41the time of all our participants
01:20:43whose participated today.
01:20:45So I'll ask the question 1st and then
01:20:47give you a moment to think about it
01:20:50with covid numbers in across the country.
01:20:52Increasing in many schools,
01:20:53being once again forced to shelter
01:20:56and and are closed again and move.
01:20:58To a virtual learning environment.
01:20:59If some of our schools face that,
01:21:01and knowing that a lot of will stay
01:21:03open for essential workers as well,
01:21:05just a piece of advice that each of you
01:21:07have that we that we learn from March.
01:21:09Having seen it,
01:21:10having been having experienced it from
01:21:11each of your lenses back in March,
01:21:13what's the one piece of advice
01:21:15that should that happen?
01:21:16Again,
01:21:16you can give our participants moving forward,
01:21:18so I'm going to give you a moment
01:21:20to think that. Think about that.
01:21:21'cause that was a that was a big question.
01:21:24And again I appreciate the panel.
01:21:25Today we had a set of a few
01:21:27questions that we were ready to
01:21:29possibly talk about the day but but.
01:21:31The conversation and your questions
01:21:33in the chat really allowed us
01:21:35to drive the amazing panel today
01:21:36and and learn from them.
01:21:38And so I thank you again
01:21:39for that opportunity.
01:21:40But I'll start with you Tracy.
01:21:42Then I'll go to Heather and then
01:21:44I'll will finish with Walter
01:21:46answering that question about
01:21:47piece of advice that should school
01:21:49shut down again that you have that
01:21:51we've learned from March Tracy.
01:21:53I think one of the most important things
01:21:56that we did touch on already is for these.
01:21:59The adults in these young children's
01:22:01life to take care of themselves first.
01:22:04Whether it's having your own us,
01:22:06you know routine around self care.
01:22:08If you're going to children at home with you
01:22:11really being able to address your own needs,
01:22:13and if that's mental health related,
01:22:16you know get keep continue doing
01:22:18those things that you might be doing,
01:22:20whether it's therapy,
01:22:21whatever it is to take care of yourself.
01:22:24In order to take care of your children
01:22:26in the young children around you
01:22:27and to kind of have a plan around
01:22:30that we they've done it before.
01:22:31They can do it again if things shut down
01:22:34and now and now you're more prepared.
01:22:36You know that these child care providers
01:22:38and parents have been through so much
01:22:40and all of us have been through so much
01:22:42these past almost nine months now.
01:22:44We've had the flexible
01:22:45make changes constantly,
01:22:46and I think we're we're so,
01:22:47you know,
01:22:48we can be so prepared and all the
01:22:50experience we've had for all this to
01:22:52make a plan if that happens again,
01:22:54to make sure you're taking care
01:22:56of yourself first in order to.
01:22:58To meet the needs of your child.
01:23:01Great, thank you Tracy. Doctor Harris.
01:23:05Change is inevitable.
01:23:08Things that I've learned
01:23:10from this entire experience.
01:23:11I don't plan anything past this
01:23:14because I don't know what's gonna
01:23:17happen next week or next month.
01:23:19With that being said,
01:23:21being forgiving and treating one
01:23:23another with grace and being a human
01:23:26being has been extremely important.
01:23:29Learning from one another I've
01:23:31learned so much on this call,
01:23:34and so anytime that we can bring together,
01:23:37you know people across the
01:23:39nation in different communities.
01:23:41Different genders,
01:23:42different cultures,
01:23:43languages and say what is it like a day
01:23:46in your life and then learn from those
01:23:48strategies and share them with one another?
01:23:51Because perhaps you've already
01:23:53solved something that I'm going
01:23:54to come across next week.
01:23:56I don't know.
01:23:57I just said change is inevitable,
01:23:59so I think sharing those strategies
01:24:02is just a century old.
01:24:04You know adage that we can bank Appan is,
01:24:07you know,
01:24:08was successful and share that with
01:24:10one another so that we don't have
01:24:12to keep reinventing the wheel.
01:24:14So thank you so much.
01:24:15Again,
01:24:16Scholastic and yell for bringing us
01:24:18together to share strategies with one
01:24:20another and anything any resources.
01:24:21I have child 360 you know welcomes
01:24:24and offers it to you and I've
01:24:26learned a lot of things on this.
01:24:28This call and I hope that it's
01:24:30been helpful for the participants
01:24:32who are here too.
01:24:34Thank you doctor Harris. We love
01:24:36and appreciate you talk to Gilliam.
01:24:39It's like you know,
01:24:40most people you know whether we're
01:24:42talking about children or adults or
01:24:45parents or child care providers.
01:24:47Anybody most people want to feel safe.
01:24:50And a big part of feeling safe is
01:24:52feeling that the people who can take
01:24:54care of us have our best interest in
01:24:57mind that they're thinking about us,
01:24:59but they're holding us in their own mind.
01:25:02And so you know, a big part of,
01:25:04I think getting through this together
01:25:07is realizing that you know children
01:25:09need the adults around them to be
01:25:11able to show them that they are
01:25:13primarily concerned with them.
01:25:15Not with a curriculum,
01:25:16not with some specific routine or
01:25:19something that they normally do not.
01:25:21With anything other than how
01:25:23do you feel and how?
01:25:25How are you doing right now?
01:25:27And it's not just about children,
01:25:30though.
01:25:30You know parents parents are worried
01:25:33and concerned and they want to feel safe.
01:25:36They want to feel that the teachers and
01:25:39the providers care about their child and
01:25:42have their child's best interest in mind.
01:25:45And so do childcare providers and teachers.
01:25:47They want to feel like administrators
01:25:50have their best interest in mind that
01:25:52they're thinking about them that when
01:25:54they talk about when our political
01:25:56leaders talk about school and childcare,
01:25:58that they're not just talking about
01:26:00something that needs to be reopened in
01:26:03order for businesses to stay afloat,
01:26:04but that they actually have a plan
01:26:07in care about the human beings
01:26:09that are going to be in that room,
01:26:11taking care of children and families in
01:26:14the end, especially in times like this.
01:26:17People, regardless of their size,
01:26:19want to feel safe and are primary.
01:26:22Our primary responsibility is not to
01:26:26be perfect for the people who need us.
01:26:30To make them feel comfortable and safe
01:26:32is for us to be able to show that we
01:26:36care and that were crying and that
01:26:38we have their best interests in mind.
01:26:41If there was ever a time when
01:26:43child care providers teachers could
01:26:45connect with families,
01:26:47it's probably right now because many
01:26:49of us are going through literally
01:26:51the exact same struggles child care
01:26:54providers are also worried about who's
01:26:56going to take care of their child,
01:26:58and so are teachers.
01:27:00When schools closed,
01:27:02many teachers have children who are
01:27:04impacted by this. We're going through.
01:27:06Maybe it's different and for some
01:27:08certainly the burden is heavier
01:27:10than for others, no doubt about it,
01:27:12but many of the stressors are
01:27:14fundamentally fairly similar,
01:27:16at least in terms of the way in
01:27:19which they initially present.
01:27:21Use that to be able to show this
01:27:23is how I'm dealing with it.
01:27:26How are you dealing with it?
01:27:27How are you doing today to just be
01:27:30able to show one another that we're
01:27:32holding them in mind and that we care
01:27:35about them will take us along online?
01:27:38Thank you, yes, thank you so much document,
01:27:41I think I mean the sum up those
01:27:43those recommendations take care
01:27:44of the people you love, right?
01:27:46So they can take care of
01:27:47the kids that we all love.
01:27:49Thank you all so much for today.
01:27:51I wish I could give you guys
01:27:53so I'm going to give you a big
01:27:55virtual hug today for your work.
01:27:57I know it's hard being socially distant
01:27:59so I'll give you a virtual hug and and
01:28:01squeeze my arms and and pretend we're
01:28:03all together for for just a few seconds.
01:28:05Thank you guys.
01:28:06Thank you for sharing.
01:28:07Thank you for the amazing work that
01:28:09you're doing every single day for.
01:28:11For students,
01:28:12the this is what the the the Yale
01:28:14in Scholastic Partnership is about.
01:28:16The exchange of ideas,
01:28:18the freedom to share stories to
01:28:20share experience so that we impact
01:28:22this kids across our country
01:28:24and across our world that we all
01:28:26love that we all want to have
01:28:28beautiful and bright futures.
01:28:30This is what it's about and and we
01:28:32certainly hope that we were able
01:28:34to accomplish that today for you.
01:28:37I know I certainly got that by
01:28:38listening to these three amazingly
01:28:40brilliant passionate individuals.
01:28:42Talk about bringing that research into
01:28:44the classroom and making the impact.
01:28:46So we thank you.
01:28:47We do have two additional opportunities
01:28:49that we are that will be doing in
01:28:52this series and we do encourage
01:28:53you to join us as we dig deeper
01:28:56into how we can use the power
01:28:57of story to build resilience.
01:28:59Especially in this covid time.
01:29:01So thank you all so much we will
01:29:03post a recording of this and
01:29:05will send information to you as
01:29:07well of the participants today.
01:29:09Doctor Gilliam doctor Harrison Smith.
01:29:10Thank you all so much for your time.
01:29:13Thank you participants and we love
01:29:15you and hope you have a great night.
01:29:17Stick with the team.
01:29:19Take care. Kill thank you. Bye
01:29:24bye friends. Thank you for all you do for
01:29:26children and families, whatever it is.