SUBJECT:

Childcare and Resources for Parents and Caretakers During COVID-19

Dear Colleagues,

At this critical time, for parents and caretakers who continue to
perform multiple roles for the university, I offer my sincere gratitude
and acknowledgement of the extra challenges you face. I understand quite
a few appointees navigate not just university responsibilities, but also
the many personal matters needing tending related to keeping their
families safe during the pandemic.

Additionally, with many outside and on-campus child care centers
currently closed, several appointees have informed my office that they
struggle to find adequate child care while sheltering in place. It is in
this spirit, for those parents and caretakers who may be helped by
additional guidance, that I offer the following resources curated by
offices across the campus to assist you:

For essential workers seeking emergency center-based child care,
Children's Paradise is an available resource
(http://childrensparadise.com/), as is the YMCA Childcare Resource
Service (https://bit.ly/2VTv2xJ) that offers enhanced referral services,
including specialized searches of their database for all licensed family
child care homes and centers in San Diego County. YMCA advisors can be
reached at 619-952-0242.

For faculty and academic appointees who do not qualify as essential
health care workers, or first responders, the YMCA's traditional child
care referral line may called at 1-800-481-2151. In addition, all
parents may use the many COVID-19 resources linked to on the page above.

As UC affiliated resources, benefits eligible appointees may also sign
up and use the University of California sponsored Bright Horizons
Sitter-City program, where comprehensive Bright Horizon databases may be
searched to find babysitters, caretakers, nannies, online tutoring
resources for school-age children, housekeepers, and pet-sitters and the
Years Ahead program, which provides guidance regarding caring for
elderly dependents. Please visit our Academic Personnel Services Bright
Horizons Care Advantage page to learn more about these benefits
(https://aps.ucsd.edu/services/family/brighthorizons.html).

In addition to Bright Horizons' Sitter City and Years Ahead family
support programs, Bright Horizons Family Matters Resource Room
(https://www.familymattersresourceroom.com/) can be accessed for helpful
tools for parents and webinars and the new Bright Horizons(r) World at
Home site (https://worldathome.brighthorizons.com/) provides a library
of guided learning opportunities for children of all ages.

Though the UC San Diego Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC) and the
Mesa Child Development Center (MCDC) are not currently able to open for
students, for parents affiliated with UC San Diego, they have been
generating educational content and activity ideas in their Virtual
Classroom, where ECEC and MCDC teachers connect with pupils via YouTube
videos made to keep children learning and keep connections alive
(https://sites.google.com/view/ecec-mcdc-virtual-classroom/home).

Another resource for parents is UC Rec's new Knock Around Kids area on
the UC Rec Playground (https://recreation.ucsd.edu/) where content
continues to be created and released to entertain, educate, and help
kids stay active. Knock Around Kids hosts live Zoom classes and online
recreation classes. Zoom links are available by emailing
kshawbullock@ucsd.edu

For a dedicated page with these links and more where useful guidance
such as remote work guides for parents and links to city and state
childcare programs during COVID are being gathered, visit the ECEC/MCDC's
Resources for Families at Home site
(https://child.ucsd.edu/resources/home.html).

We hope to provide more information and content as it comes available.
Again, for all appointees conducting the difficult but rewarding role of
parent or caretaker as well as employee here at the university, I would
like to stress that your tireless work is appreciated, that your extra
challenges are registered, and that I and your Deans, Chairs and
colleagues across the campus are here to help and support you.

With deep appreciation and warm regards,

Elizabeth H. Simmons Executive Vice Chancellor