Blog

The spread of COVID-19 is impacting everyone, and every corner of life. It is particularly devastating for children and families that were in crises before this pandemic, including: Families with young children – the cohort of our state’s population most in poverty – who couldn’t access essential supports, including sufficient nutrition and quality child care and preschool; Children who were abused and neglected and/or witness to domestic violence; The majority of California students who...

We are in uncertain times. Homelife has changed. School schedules have changed. Our communities are not the same. Work, if we have it, has changed, too. The world is different and we don't know for how long. We don't know what our lives will look like on the other side, either. We are worried about health, housing, security, and our loved ones. We generally have more stress and less support, as we are taking care of our families, ourselves, and each other. It’s a lot, and for those dealing...

Sponsored by Citizens United. The registration link for participants can be found here .

We have been so encouraged to hear how HOPE (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences) is a natural fit for ACES Connection. Children who grow up in safe, stable and equitable environments are less likely to experience poor mental and physical health as adults. It is crucial to ask caregivers about the types of environments their children are experiencing. Celebrate the positive and work with families to help ensure their child has the opportunity to live, learn and play in safe and...

By Yesenia Amaro, The Fresno Bee, April 7, 2020 Fresno County child welfare investigators worry many child abuse cases may be left unreported while residents shelter amid the coronavirus pandemic – leaving young victims locked inside with their abusers. Tricia Gonzalez, director of child welfare at the Fresno County Department of Social Services, said abuse reports are down about 36% since mid-March when Fresno County began shuttering all nonessential functions. But she said she doesn’t...

From CLASP, April 8, 2020 The bipartisan Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which was passed by Congress and enacted on March 27, 2020, includes resources specifically targeted to individuals and families with low incomes affected by the public health and economic crises. The package includes a number of provisions of particular importance to children and families and those who work with them, including policymakers and other stakeholders in child care and early...

Supported Birth during COVID-19 Are you pregnant/planning to deliver a baby in California in the coming weeks? Have you recently given birth in California? If you originally planned to deliver in a hospital, we would like to know if you have questioned that decision due to COVID-19? If so, have you tried to change your plan to deliver at home or at a birthing center? Have you subsequently experienced any challenges getting your insurance company to verify if your new/alternate birth plan is...

The California Office of the Surgeon General (OSG) is creating a report to be published in the fall of 2020. The report will feature the public health response to preventing and mitigating Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and toxic stress—tentatively titled “ Halving the Burden of ACEs and Toxic Stress in a Generation—California’s Blueprint for an ACEs-Aware Public Health Movement .” An important portion of the report will be dedicated to outlining primary, secondary, and tertiary...

By Danielle Bergstrom, The Fresno Bee, April 7, 2020 On Monday the California Judicial Council approved emergency orders essentially halting most evictions and foreclosures through the summer. The order is a welcome respite for many renters and homeowners struggling to pay their rent and mortgage this month due to job losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is no rent forgiveness on the table — and renters are urged to learn their rights in these uncertain times. [ Please...

By Andrew Sheeler, The Sacramento Bee, April 7, 2020 With unemployment soaring, a statewide stay-at-home order and no end in sight for the coronavirus pandemic, this is a trying time for the mental health of all Californians. To that end, the state maintains a resource at covid19.ca.gov that includes advice and multiple hotlines to call. The site also offers some advice to people struggling at home. That advice includes limiting social media and news intake, and being mindful of your sources...

By Anna Almendrala, California Healthline, April 8, 2020 One day last week, on a sunny, beautiful Los Angeles afternoon, 23-year-old Alex Salvador Morales set up shop on a sidewalk near downtown, selling freshly cut pineapple, mango and watermelon in quart-sized plastic cups for $5. Before the pandemic, fruit stands like his dotted streets on days like this, one every few blocks on the busy stretches. With millions of people staying home amid the COVID-19 pandemic, however, business was so...

By Xenia Shih Bion, California Health Care Foundation, April 6, 2020 Californians have been living under shelter-in-place orders since March 19, but for the more than 150,000 people experiencing homelessness (PDF) in the state, complying is all but impossible. Medical experts are deeply concerned about people who are homeless contracting COVID-19 because they lack access to stable housing, sanitation, and health care. How do you practice social distancing when you live on the streets or in a...