COVID-19

What is COVID-19 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

COVID-19 Pandemic from The World Health Organization (WHO)

Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) COVID-19: Schools and Child Care Webpage

Wisconsin Department for Children and Families (DCF): COVID-19 Child Care Resources

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers Executive Orders

NEW: DCF Guidance Order #3 Wisconsin Shares Child Care Subsidy information for local agencies related to COVID-19

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Support The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) March 26, 2020

WEDC announces targeted grants to small businesses suffering losses due to coronavirus emergency

Unemployment COVID-19 Public Information from Wisconsin’s Department of Workforce Development

Webinar Recording: What Early Childhood Programs Need to Know About the Financial Side of the Coronavirus with Tom Copeland

Managing Your Personal Finances in Tough Times UW Division of Extension

COVID-19 Information and Resources from 211 Wisconsin

Coronavirus Grant Request from No Kid Hungry

1. No Kid Hungry is offering real time funding and assistance for early child care providers that are making sure kids have access to the meals they need as schools close due to COVID-19.
2. No Kid Hungry is providing emergency grants to support these local efforts like home delivered meals, grab and go meals, school and community pantries, backpack programs, and others to help reach children and families who lose access to meals. We’re providing $1 million in emergency grants on a rolling basis. This is the first phase of an ongoing multi-million dollar response.  

Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) are available for small businesses and most nonprofits in declared-disaster areas. The interest rate is 3.75% for small businesses and 2.75% for nonprofits. The loans are long­term, up to 30 years. Funds may be used to: Pay fixed debts, Payroll, Accounts payable, Employee sick leave. Funds may not be used to: Refinance debts incurred prior to the disaster event, Make payments on other loans owned by another federal agency or the SBA, Pay tax penalties or non-tax criminal/civil fines, Repair physical damage, or

You can apply for one here.

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA or Act) requires certain employers (over 50 employees) to provide their employees with expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19. Small businesses with fewer than 50 employees may qualify for exemption from the requirement to provide leave due to school closings or child care unavailability if the leave requirements would jeopardize the viability of the business as a going concern.

• Two weeks (up to 80 hours) of expanded family and medical leaveat the employee’s regular rate of pay where the employee is unable to work because the employee is quarantined (pursuant to Federal, State, or local government order or advice of a health care provider), and/or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and seeking a medical diagnosis; or
• Two weeks (up to 80 hours) of expanded family and medical leaveat two-thirds the employee’s regular rate of pay because the employee is unable to work because of a bona fide need to care for an individual subject to quarantine (pursuant to Federal, State, or local government order or advice of a health care provider), or care for a child (under 18 years of age) whose school or child care provider is closed or unavailable for reasons related to COVID-19, and/or the employee is experiencing a substantially similar condition as specified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Secretaries of the Treasury and Labor.
• A covered employer must provide to employees that it has employed for at least 30 days: Up to an additional 10 weeks of expanded family and medical leaveat two-thirds the employee’s regular rate of pay where an employee is unable to work due to a bona fide need for leave to care for a child whose school or child care provider is closed or unavailable for reasons related to COVID-19.
• Tax Credits: Covered employers qualify for dollar-for-dollar reimbursement through tax credits for all qualifying wages paid under the FFCRA. Qualifying wages are those paid to an employee who takes leave under the Act for a qualifying reason, up to the appropriate per diem and aggregate payment caps. Applicable tax credits also extend to amounts paid or incurred to maintain health insurance coverage. For more information, please see the Department of the Treasury’s website.

Kiva is a crowd-lending platform that provides 0% loans to small businesses through a platform of online lenders (local and global). Effective immediately, U.S. applicants for a Kiva loan will have access to the following expanded lending options in response to the pandemic: n Expanded eligibility: More businesses will be eligible for a Kiva loan. n Larger loans: The maximum loan on the Kiva platform will increase from $10,000 to $15,000. n Grace period: Applicants may receive a grace period of up to six months for greater financial flexibility. Women-, minority- and veteran-owned businesses may also have access to a 50% match, up to $5,000, from WEDC. To apply for a loan or sign up to be a lender yourself, visit kiva.org.

WEDC Small Business 20/20 Program provides funds to Wisconsin-based Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) to make grants to existing loan clients to mitigate short-term cash flow issues and protect jobs and public health in response to the Covid-19 outbreak. Approved CDFIs and collaboratives will make program grants available to for-profit businesses that are current loan recipients in good standing as of 3/1/20 with the approved CDFI and/or its collaborating CDFIs. These businesses must have 20 or fewer full-time or part-time employees and greater than $0 but less than $2 million in annual revenues. Preference will be given to service and retail businesses. www.wedc.org/sb2020

Background

Access to child care for the essential workforce was deemed an essential objective by the state’s emergency management planning team. DCF is the agency lead on the task force to respond to this objective. Our success is dependent on your ability to serve the families of essential workers – and we are committed to supporting and helping you.

To date, DCF has surveyed health care provider parents, child care providers, and educators. From the results of those surveys, DCF has partnered with Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (CCR&R) and Wisconsin Early Childhood Association (WECA) to help connect the healthcare providers who have needs with the services of child care providers (regulated and in-home options). On March 24, DCF has launched updates to these existing applications as well as the development of a new system to more quickly connect the essential workforce with care.

1. If you are a health care worker in need of child care, please fill out this survey.
   **Essential services survey coming soon**
2. If you are a child care provider who is willing to serve our critical workers, please fill out this survey.
3. If you are a child care teacher willing to help serve this population, please fill out this survey.
4. If you are a K-12 educator willing to help serve this population, please fill out this survey.
5. For further questions, please email dcfmbcovid19@wisconsin.gov.

New: Release and Waiver of Liability

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that older adults and those who have or have members in their household with compromised immune systems, respiratory problems, hypertension, diabetes, heart problems, chronic kidney disease, or cancer are at greater risk for more serious complications associated with COVID-19. Providers can use this waiver provided.

Order 11: Considerations for launching an emergency child care location

Emergency Child Care Plan created by WECA and Abbi  Kruse, Executive Director at The Playing Field 

Emergency Child Care Plan – A dynamic and robust implementation plan that includes guidance for programs that elect to continue operating, to understand how to help prevent the transmission of COVID-19 within their facilities and among their staff, how to react quickly should a case be identified, and to help administrators plan for the continuity of caring for children. The plan also includes recommendations for emergency child care best practices, how to enroll children in this care, as well as the necessary supports for child care programs providing this service to families of critical workers.

From Minnesota Association of Child Care Professionals  Support Family Child Care During Pandemic | Support FCC During Pandemic – Spanish

FREE Access to Wisconsin Shared Education Resources (WISER) platform.

Sample Letters and Documents:

• Sample letter to families regarding the coronavirus
• Sample policy letter on closures due to large scale illness
• Child Care and The Prevention of Covid-19 Cautionary Procedures
• El cuidado de niños y la prevención de COVID-19
• Sample letter to Families: Spanish
• Sample Letter on closure due to large scale illness: Spanish

Trainings provided by WECA:

• FREE Access to Wisconsin Shared Education Resources (WISER) platform.
• Active Early: A Wisconsin Guide for Improving Childhood Physical Activity
• Healthy Bites: A Wisconsin Guide for Improving Childhood Nutrition
• Business Practices Tutorial
• Cultivating Childhood Wellness Through Gardening

Questions regarding the above trainings, email weca@wisconsinearlychildhood.org

Other local, State, and National Trainings available:

• 2020 Satellite Family Childcare Professional Development Opportunties: GoogleDoc
• NAEYC webinars: https://www.naeyc.org/events/trainings-webinars/recorded-webinars
• Early Childhood Investigations Webinars: https://www.earlychildhoodwebinars.com/webinar-resources/
• Zero to Three: Learning Center
• My plate: Resources for Professionals
• Birth to 3: Professional Development
• CACFP: Child and Adult Care Food Program trainings
• Eileen Flanagan: Building Confidence as an Online Teacher – March 26
• NAFCC – Tom Copeland: Dealing with the financial side of COVID (family child care)
• PBS Wisconsin
  • PBS Wisconsin Educator Connection Live: Register here (live Q and A/chat)
  • Educator Resources
  • Online education
  • Prek Videos
• Forest and Nature Schools: Free Recorded Webinars
• Kaplan: Online Professional Learning (most seem to be about $30; Spanish courses available)
• Perpetual Preschool: Online Workshops (most are about $16)
• edWeb.net: Free edWebinars
• Hatch Early Learning: Online Trainings
• Center for Early Learning Professionals: Online PD Modules (costs involved)
• Sesame Street in Communities: Professional Development
• Kohl’s Building Blocks Webinar: Learning Through Play: Register Here (Thursday, March 26: 2pm)
• ProCPR by ProTrainings
• Inclusive Preschool Environments for LGBTQ Families

The Registry provides continuing education hours for online training as well as in-person training and anyone with a free Registry account can track their training.  When attending an online training or webinar, remember to obtain a certificate of completion. The certificate must include the training topic, date of completion, and the number of hours completed. You will have to save a copy and submit it to the Registry at your next membership application or renewal.  You will receive general continuing education hours when your application is processed.”  If a certificate is not provided, Child Care Licensing allows up to 5 hours of continuing education for documented independent reading and watching of educational materials. Please use THIS FORM to submit trainings that did not have a certificate.

Wisconsin Alliance for Infant Mental Health: You Are Not Alone

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Mental Health Resources Available to Help with the COVID-19 Pandemic

Calm.com: Tools to use to take care of our minds and stay grounded

Yoga with Adriene YouTube Channel

Untangle

Untangle, is the podcast from the 5-star app, Meditation Studio and Muse, the Brain Sensing Headband. Experts and ‘real people’ share stories about how mindfulness practices have changed their lives. Hear experiences from business leaders, psychologists, neuroscientists, nutritionists, authors, mindfulness teachers, storytellers and more. We cover everything from why it’s important to meditate to how self-compassion practices change us from the inside out to why meditation helps with anxiety in adults and kids. 

The Minimalists Podcast

DCF Order 16: Frequently asked questions for child care providers regarding “Safer at Home” as of March 24, 2020