Creating a Safe Environment:
Meeting a child’s basic physiological needs (thirst, hunger, sleep, movement and warmth) as well as attending to their emotional needs helps to create a safe environment. Routines and predictability matter for all children and help put them at ease. Adults can help by making sense out of new information for themselves and translating that information in ways that children can understand. This includes limiting access to television or social media stories that may create unnecessary confusion and fear in children.
While it’s not necessary to create a rigid or elaborate schedule, establishing new routines and maintaining as much normalcy as possible is helpful for children and adults alike. Involving children in the creation of a new daily routine may help increase their sense of control in an uncertain situation.
The following resources can help you communicate age-appropriate information to share in a reassuring way, as well as ideas for navigating new routines in a structured and consistent manner.
Erikson Institute Resources for Emergency Childcare Providers NEW!
Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development NEW!
Essential Digital Citizenship Lessons for the Coronavirus Pandemic - NEW!
Virtual Parent Support Group: Parents of Children with Autism
How Parents Can Find Safe Child Care in Emergencies
Conversational resources for families:
COVID-19 Resources and Social Stories For Kids With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities NEW!
Sesame Street: Talking With Your Children About Health Emergencies NEW!
Time to Come in Bear: A Children’s Story about Social Distancing
Como Hablar con los Ninos Sobre el Coronavirus (Child Mind Institute)
Food resources for families:
All CPS will offer free meal pickup during the COVID-19 - Free meals will be offered between 9 am – 1 pm Monday thru Friday at all CPS district schools, as well as select charter schools. Families will be able to pick up meals outside of their nearest school and will not be required to pick up meals at their school of attendance. Any student, regardless of whether they attend CPS school, will be able to have access to meals. Each child in the household will receive a food bag which will contain three days of breakfast and lunch meals. Families who need assistance, please have them call the CPS Command Center at 773-553-KIDS (5437) or email familyservices@cps.edu
The Greater Chicago Food Depository and Chicago’s network of food providers stand ready to support vulnerable families impacted by school closures or other hardships. A full list of locations is available at www.chicagosfoodbank.org/find-food/
Catholic Charities at 721 N. LaSalle St will be giving out packaged meals on Wednesdays to be taken home to eat only during this time.