B-3 Update: December 23, 2020
Published on Dec 23, 2020 11:42

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December 23, 2020

B3 is sending this newsletter out biweekly, but will still provide
up-to-date and relevant information as it becomes available. If you are
looking for information from past newsletters, please click here to access
all of them. Some crucial, ongoing information, such as the COVID
contacts, will remain in each letter for ease of access.


Breaking News! 

megaphoneWe are very excited to announce that Dr. Lisa Grant has joined the City of Cambridge and Cambridge Public Schools as the new Executive Director, Birth to Third Grade Partnership. Through her leadership and consultative roles, she has helped create, grow, and support some of the top early childhood programs in the country. With twenty years of experience in early childhood leadership, Lisa has served as a director, faculty member, executive, and consultant; working with such organizations as the YMCA, The National Association for the Education of Young Children, Bright Horizons, National Head Start Association, and many others.

Lisa earned a Doctorate of Education in Leadership for Educational Equity at the University of Colorado Denver with a concentration in Executive Leadership. Her research focus examines the barriers to upward mobility for Black and Brown leaders in early childhood education, and the role of social capital. Lisa has a passion for creating high quality early learning environments that are accessible to all, and that are representative of the diversity of children and families served by our early childhood systems.

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For Directors 

exclamation pointDirectors Alerts – EEC

  • new!The Playbook is here! Updates include a new section with information for Family Child Care Systems; a new section summarizing changes to licensing policy during COVID-19; an updated Scenario Planning section; and a new Additional Information section organized by issue area.
  • The Cambridge Directors Support Zoom meeting, led by B3 mentors, takes place every other week. Days and times will alternate between Tuesday and Wednesday for these meetings. You can access the schedule for October through May here.
  • A recording of the Board of Early Education and Care meeting held on Tuesday, December 8, 1-3PM is posted here.
  • new!Using and Communicating Data to Advance Racial Equity in Early Childhood Policy, January 20 | 3PM
    To develop equity-focused, data-driven policies requires equity principles be applied to how we think about and use data. This includes what research and policy questions we ask, how we engage with stakeholders to interpret data, and how we communicate. Join Carlise King and Esther Gross of Child Trends, combining with a state perspective, for a critical look at how to incorporate racial equity principles into how you use and communicate data in your advocacy work. Click here to register.

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For Directors, Providers, Home Visitors, Educators & Families

heartHealth & Wellness

  • new!Children’s Trust offering: Fathers and Family Network Virtual Meeting: Integrating Popular Media into Fathering Curricula. An Introduction for Facilitators, Teachers, and Therapists During this workshop, Dr. Unger will discuss how media representation, specifically television commercials and other mass media, impacts the fathers and families that we work with. He will walk through specific approaches to using popular media in the Nurturing Fathers Program and similar groups. By the end of the workshop, the group will be well-versed in how these approaches can be adapted to fit their specific programs better. January 29, 2021, 10AM-12PM. Click here to register.
  • Minding the Baby® Home Visiting (MTB-HV) model Co-Founder Dr. Arietta Slade will be offering a free 2-hour on-line training for family service professionals on January 26, 2021, The Relational Foundations of Reflective Practice & Reflective Parenting. Click here to learn more, or here to register.
  • Communities of Practice have begun for Home Visitors! In order to accommodate more participants, there will be 2 offerings: the first Monday of each month from 1-2:30PM, and the fourth Tuesday of each month, from 9:30-11AM. Watch for registration in your email.
  • Dominique Jean, a school nurse, will answer your urgent COVID-19 symptom questions (Is this dry cough from COVID-19 or due to allergies?). She can be reached at: 781.803.0766. 
  • For non-urgent COVID-19 related calls, please call 617.665.3648. One of two nurses will reply to all hotline phone calls and emails after they have checked the phone line or email account.
  • For more complex medically related questions, Directors should contact MA Dept. of Public Health’s epidemiologist Dr. Katherine Hsu at 617.983.6948 or [email protected]
  • EEC’s Reopening Plan requires programs to provide contact information for their local Board of Health.
    • This information should now be:
      Address: 119 Windsor St., Cambridge, MA 02139
      Phone: 617.665.3648
      Email: [email protected] 

Managing Stress and Anxiety

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For Teachers

pushpinsCurriculum Support & Professional Development

  • Click here to see B3’s Online Training Resources for the Early Childhood Workforce dated December 8, 2020.
  • Coming soon: Watch for a range of additional Communities of Practice (CoPs) run by B3 Coaches!

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For Families

happy faceResources for Families

  • new!Center For Families Resource: The Fuel Assistance Program assists households in Cambridge and Somerville with winter heating costs between November 1st and April 30th. Renters and homeowners in both cities are eligible to apply if they meet federal income guidelines. If you are in a no-heat situation or facing immediate utility shutoff, fuel assistance can be provided within 24 hours to eligible applicants. Call 617.349.6252 for immediate assistance. Find out more here.
  • It’s almost time for the Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten Lottery for the Cambridge Public Schools! The Lottery runs from January 4th through January 29th for the 2021-2022 school year. The lottery is for children born between September 1, 2016 – March 31, 2017. You can find more information here.
  • Now enrolling: Riverside Early Head Start is a home-based early childhood program that provides comprehensive parenting and family support to low-income pregnant women and families with children zero to three years of age. They work with families residing in Cambridge, Medford and Somerville. They are currently providing virtual home visits using different platforms such as Phone, Zoom and WhatsApp. Learn more hereApply here.
  • Cambridge Public Schools Home Based Early Childhood Program is recruiting families! Children must be between the ages of 18 months and 3.5 years old. Home visits can occur on a porch, in a yard, at a park, or virtually. Each visit includes free books and materials, as well as fun and engaging activities. Contact Joy Harper 617.349.6724 [email protected] or Peggy Beucler 617.349.6849 [email protected].
  • The Center for Families offers free programming and supports for all families living in Cambridge with children birth-8 years old. Center staff are available to support families in connecting with community resources, provide one-on-one support, and provide access to the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, which helps parents understand more about their child's development. You can find information on current programs in their monthly newsletter here. Want to learn more about the Center for Families and connect? You can also reach them via email or call at 617.349.6385.
  • Parents and caregivers who are experiencing any kinds of problems related to their children can call the Parental Stress Line for support: 1.800.623.8188. The Parental Stress Line is staffed by volunteer counselors who are sympathetic and nonjudgmental and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 
Activities for Families Resources for Mothers Suffering from Postpartum Depression
or Anxiety
  • Postpartum Support International (PSI)
  • MCPAP for Moms
  • JF & CS Postpartum Depression Support Group: “This Isn’t What I Expected”, Tuesdays, 1-2:30PM. For more information, please contact Debbie Whitehill via email or 781.647.JFCS (5327) x1925. Register for the video support group. (New participants should register at least 24 hours in advance.)
 
B3 logo

Birth to 3rd Grade Partnership

135 Berkshire Street, Cambridge, MA 02141
www.cpsd.us • 617.349.6554





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