For Directors 

Directors Alerts

• Banks are again accepting Payroll Protection Plan (PPP) applications. More Info >>
• Programs needing free legal advice should contact NBI Remote Legal Clinic. They provide MA child care providers a 45-minute remote consultation with a volunteer attorney.
  More Info >>
• Learn how EEC is thinking about programs’ reopening by listening to Commissioner Aigner-Treworgy’s taped presentation Re-Opening Early Education and Care: Considerations & Methods of Engagement.
  More Info >>
• Any EEC contract (ex. voucher) or renewal (program license) that expires during program closure will be extended until further notice.
• Susan MacDonald, through Bunker Hill Community College, will be facilitating a 6-session workshop, The Upward Spiral - Positive and Empowering Strategies for Challenging Times, from May 6 to June 10. To register, contact Vanessa Reiss-Vaughn at [email protected] or call 617.580.2655.
• B-3 Mentors, Bess Emanuel and Polly Smith, are facilitating Zoom Cambridge Directors Support meetings every Friday at 2PM (open to all Cambridge directors). Check your email inbox every Friday morning for the invitation (Zoom link).

Funding

• Children’s Investment Fund is offering free PPP technical assistance. More Info >>
• For more economic recovery info for early childhood, check out EEC’s website. More Info >>
• The Small Business Administration is only processing EIDL applications that are already in the queue on a first come, first-served basis.

For Teachers

Curriculum Support & Professional Development

• B-3 Coaches will facilitate Zoom Communities of Practice for any Cambridge educator interested in attending on May 20th. More details to follow.
• Two Fisher College courses (Child Growth and Development and Infant Toddler Curriculum) that were interrupted in March 2020 will resume as online courses. B-3 is currently working with students to make this transition. If you have a “student” who might need support, please be in contact with her or him.
• Currently, EEC has removed the annual renewal requirement for EEC Essentials Training Programs. More Info >>

For Families

Activities for Families

• PBS website offers great explanations about how young children learn through every day experiences in literacy, math, and science followed by simple activities. More Info >>
• Dr. Susan Linn and Audrey Duck video explains lots about COVID-19: social distancing, children playing on their own while parents work, and children identifying their emotions during this difficult time. More Info >>

Resources for Families

• Mayor’s Disaster Relief Fund is still accepting applications from Cambridge residents. To apply for a grant, families should go to this website for directions and application. More Info >>
• Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) application website is now processing applications. PUA is for parents who were self-employed (like an Uber or Lyft driver) or part of the “gig economy” (i.e., independent contractor) and are no longer working or have reduced hours.
  More Info >>
• The Early Years Project is offering their services directly to Cambridge/Somerville parents with children 5 years old and under and at no cost. If parents have concerns or questions about their child’s needs, development, emotions, or behavior, or are having difficulty managing the stress of being a parent during this demanding time, they should email [email protected] or leave a message at 781.686.0435 to arrange a consultation.