Children are currently cut off from in-person interactions with many concerned individuals who may notice that something is amiss, from teachers to coaches to clergy to extended family members.
Families that struggle to provide adequate food and nutrition
likely faced tremendous barriers to being able to stockpile
based on a lack of financial liquidity at the beginning of the crisis and may be experiencing significant anxiety related to meal provision.
…go to sleep and wake up at consistent times, set timeframes for meals, and create chunks of time for major activities such as work-related, school-related, physical exercise, connecting with others through technology, and family entertainment and playing...Dress for the social life you desire, not necessarily the more limited social life you have during this period of time. Put on some bright colors—how we dress can impact our mood and feelings about the day.
The first program we covered is the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) – a forgivable loan, meaning that it can function much like a grant, to support small businesses with up to 2.5 months of payroll and certain other expenses (rent/mortgage, utilities). Funding for this was limited, and was given out on a first-come first-served basis. As a result, it has - since the webinar - run out of its initial funds.
The Centers for Disease Control also notes that it is important to watch how children behave and react, and not just focus on conversations. The manifestations of stress can differ by individual child and by age, but some key signs to watch out for which merit additional intervention or care include:
All pregnant people may experience changes to their prenatal visits as offices take steps to avoid the spread of COVID-19. This may include changes in schedule availability, restrictions on other people attending visits, or a shift, where possible, to telehealth visits.
As of mid-April, 55 million American K-12 students are home from school in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, along with millions more young children who were served in child care settings – part of a global trend which sees 1.5 billion learners out of school. Millions of parents have been figuring out a desperate scramble to make this new arrangement work alongside their own employment and family needs, while some may be feeling most anxious about this ongoing health crisis.
...reducing crowds in public places and through private gatherings is an essential piece of the state and national strategy to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and preserve essential medical resources. But what happens when you don’t have a home to shelter in, or when your regular shelter is itself crowded and doesn’t allow for isolation?
Avoiding “non-essential” procedures and medical appointments is a key component of the national effort to slow the spread of the disease, through reducing crowded waiting rooms and conserving supplies for essential COVID-19 treatment
We will highlight recommendations from experts, cross-system considerations, and opportunities to learn from other communities on health, education, child care, child welfare, pregnancy, and more. While adjusting to the realities of our new world may feel like “building the plane while flying it,” the fact is that researchers, policymakers, and providers have decades of experience and literature that can help us chart a research-informed course in the coming weeks and months.