COVID-19 Supports
Resources for ParentChild+ Staff, Families, and Friends During COVID-19 Crisis
We are all living in the midst of a very difficult time, particularly for families with young children. This curated list of resources is designed to provide ParentChild+ staff, families, and friends with useful information and with an array of resources for fun parent-child/family time, and for reading and learning together with children of all ages.
These resources include information about COVID-19, access to books and stories online, access to learning materials and games that parents and children can do online together, fun ways to get up and move around, and resources to entertain the whole family.
Please check back often as we will continue to update this list, and email us with your suggestions of resources we should add to the list, info@parentchildplus.org.
Information About COVID-19
- Free at-home COVID-19 tests.
- Resources, available in multiple languages to learn about COVID-19
- Kit De Recursos Para El COVID-19
- Postal Service information on COVID-19
- Comic that explains Coronavirus (for children ages 4+)
- Germs, Germs, Germs: Video Resources to Explain Germs to Young Children
- Once I Was Very Scared – video picture book addressing trauma
- How to Talk to Your Kids About Coronavirus
- Helping Children Cope With Stress During COVID-19 Outbreak
- Answering Your Young Child’s Questions About Coronavirus
- Talking to Children About Coronavirus
- Parenting Information During the COVID-19 Crisis
- “Holdin’ Pot” by Chandra Ippen (free Kindle edition) – picture book about handling difficult feelings
- Supporting and Talking to Kids During the Coronavirus Crisis
- How to Use Sesame Street in Communities (webinar)
- Free e-Books About the Coronavirus
- COVID-19 Vaccine FAQ – English
- COVID-19 Vaccine FAQ – Spanish
Information for Immigrant Families
- Information for Immigrant Families
- Right to Health Care
- Public Charge and Health Care Information (in multiple languages)
- COVID-19 Information in Multiple Languages
- Guidance on Countering COVID-19 Discrimination
- Anti-Stigma Resources
- Speaking Up Against Racism
- MA Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition: COVID-19 Resources
Internet for Low-Income Families
Read Together – Children’s Picture Books
- Scholastic Learn at Home (pre-k to k)
- Actors reading children’s books
- Authors reading children’s books
- Children’s books, audio only (includes some with songs)
- List of Read Aloud by Children’s Book Authors
- Storyline Online
- Goodnight with Dolly – weekly readings by Dolly Parton from the Imagination Library
- HarperKids from Home
- Read Together, Be Together: Penguin Random House and Parents Magazine sponsor digital activities, tips, and printable activities
- Latino Family Engagement and Language Development – Stories and Activity Sheets (English and Spanish)
- The World Will Be Better – A Book for COVID-19 (coronavirus) Times
- Something Strange Happened in my City: A COVID-19 Social Story for Young Children
- Digital Children’s Books to Address the Virus (English and Spanish)
- Digital Access to Selected Starbright Books
- FirstBook Marketplace – Including Low Cost Items and Free Digital Resources
- Reading Train – Interactive Books
Please note: many popular children’s picture books are available as videos on YouTube. Search for your favorite author or title on the YouTube website. Here is a sample of just some of the Pete the Cat books available:
- Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons
- Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes
- Pete the Cat: A Gift for Mom and Dad
Movement Activities + Action Songs:
- Little Story Bug
- Movement and Action Songs/Videos
- Cosmic Kids Yoga
- Music and Movement Activities – English and Spanish
- Go Noodle: Energy at Home
- Go Noodle: Moose Tube
- Go Noodle: Awesome Sauce
Games + Activities
- Sesame Workshop – on-line learning, off-line learning, caring and comforting one another
- Sesame Street – videos, games and art activities
- PBS Kids – videos and games
- Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems
- Coalition for Children: Play & Learn (books and activities featured by an agency that is a ParentChild+ site!)
- Art Club For Kids
- Math Activities Using Items from Around the House
- Monster Meditations – Mindfulness for Children
- Montessori-inspired Indoor Activities for Young Children Using Household Items
- Vroom Tips for Activities (English)
- Vroom Tips for Activities (Spanish)
- At-Home Early Math Learning Kits (English and Spanish)
- 1,000+ Games for Preschoolers and Kindergarteners (in 16 Languages)
- Outdoor Activities
- Educational Games (Ages 2-5)
Games + Learning Activities for Older Children (5-12)
- Scholastic Learning at Home
- Mystery Science – learn-at-home science lessons
- Highlights for Kids – activities, jokes, and games
- National Geographic for Kids – games, videos, science experiments, and more
- Mind Yeti – Mindfulness and Meditation Exercises
- Emory University Children’s eBook Competition
Science Videos + Activities
Virtual Field Trips
- Animals from all over the world
- Cincinnati Zoo daily Facebook Live
- Children’s Museum of Manhattan – interactive activities for preschoolers
- Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh – interactive activities
- Boston Children’s Museum – play and learning at home
- National Zoo Webcams
Washington State Resources
WA Emergency Paid Leave Information –
NY State Resources
- United Together: A Response Fund to COVID-19 – this fund is specific to Long Island to assist low income wage earners who were laid off or furloughed from their jobs due to the COVID-19 situation.
- Unemployment Insurance Benefits
- NY State Resource Guide for Caregivers
- Various Resources from Advocates for Children of New York
- Strong Children Wellness – is now able to provide telemedicine services to children across NY state for acute conditions.
- Strong Children Wellness (Spanish site)
- NYS Department of Health-Novel Coronavirus Information (updated daily)
- NYS Contact Tracing Information
- NYS Contact Tracing Information (Spanish)
- Roll Up Your Sleeves NY – Toolkit for Black Communities (English)
- Roll Up Your Sleeves NY – Toolkit for Black Communities (Spanish)
- Roll Up Your Sleeves NY – Toolkit for Black Communities (French Creole)
NYC Resources –
- DOE Free Meals – to find locations of free meal pick-ups. You can also call 311 or text “Food” or “Comida” to 877-877 to get locations near you.
- Three free grab and go meals available daily for all NYC youth (18 and under), all three meals can be picked up at the same time
- No registration, ID, or documentation needed
- Monday -Friday 7:30 am to 1:30 pm for pick up
- FoodHelp NYC – locate emergency food sites
- NYC Human Resources Administration Emergency Food Hotline: 866-888-8777
- Community Food Advocates – includes a map of free meal pick up along with other food assistance resources on their website
- Hunter College New York City Food Policy Center – find neighborhood specific information on DOE school meal distribution, grocery stores, senior meals and more
- Webinar – Equity Begins with Early Literacy: City’s First Readers (Thursday, June 11 at 12:00 PM)
Massachusetts Resources
Financial support guidance for child care providers and early educators –
- Massachusetts Loan and Recovery Programs for Small Business
- Massachusetts Income Support Programs for Unemployed Workers
Information for Family Child Care Providers
- Video on Unemployment Insurance and Child Care
- Q&A About Unemployment Benefits For Family Child Care Providers
- Federal COVID Legislation and Impact on FCC Providers
- Unemployment Benefits In the CARES Act
Free ongoing professional learning –
- Child Care Environments
- Family Child Care Professionals
- Keeping Children Safe – injury prevention in early care and education settings
- Medication Administration in Early Care and Education Settings
- Multi-hazard Planning for Child Care
- Watch Me! Celebrating Milestones and Sharing Concerns
- Planning for the Needs of Children in Disasters
- Supporting Children with Challenging Behaviors
- Ways to Promote Children’s Resilience to the COVID-19 Pandemic
