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Covid-19 Resources for Early Childhood Educators

This page includes tip sheets and resources that early childhood educators may find helpful as children return to child care

As you prepare for and return to your classroom/child care setting, you probably have a lot of questions and concerns about how to make the experience positive and supportive for the children you work with as well as for you and your team. 

The Office of the Child Advocate and UMass Medical have teamed up to put together a series of tip sheets, videos, and other resources for early childhood educators. These include ideas and recommendations based on the best available research as well as input from local early education and mental health experts.

These tip sheets and videos don’t replace the EEC Health & Safety Guidance that all child-serving programs need to follow, but we hope they will give you ideas and resources that will help you navigate this confusing and stressful time.

Tip sheets are available in the following languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole and Simplified Chinese. 

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Table of Contents

This is an image of sample tip sheets. The tip sheets can be downloaded at a link below.

Tip Sheets for Early Childhood Educators

Download the Early Childhood Educator Covid-19 Tip Sheet Series, or click these links to download individual tip sheets:  

  • Coming Back Together: How to Talk to Children about What’s New When They Return: As children come back to pre-school and childcare, we know that many things may be different. This sheet offers ways to remind children that many things are still the same and acknowledge what is different.
     
  • When Children Worry: How to Help Children Feel Safe, Calm and Secure: Children may feel particularly vulnerable and may not be able to express their worries when they return to school. This tip sheet offers ideas to help children feel safe, calm, and secure.
     
  • Building Children’s Resilience: Children build resilience through safe, nurturing relationships with caring adults and in the growth that occurs through play and exploration.  As an educator, here are some tips to help you play an important role in supporting children during this challenging time.
     
  • Discussing the Virus with Young Children: Children may have concerns or questions about COVID-19.  As an early childhood educator, this tip sheet outlines some ways that you can help children feel safe by providing honest and straightforward explanations about the virus.
     
  • Helping Children with Grief and Loss: There has been a tremendous amount of grief and loss in recent months. This can cause distress and grief in children. This tip sheet outlines ways to help children cope with loss.
     
  • Managing Your Emotions through Self-Care: During these difficult times of uncertainty, recognize that as an educator, you need space to reflect on your own emotions to be able to respond effectively to children. This tip sheet can provide you with some guidance.

Videos: Supporting Resilience

These videos, taped especially for early childhood educators by Dr. Heather Forkey of UMass Medical, provide more detailed information on supporting resilience and regulation in children during this pandemic.

Supporting Resilience in Kids' Time of Stress

Supporting Resilience in Kids through Caregiver Regulation

Additional Resources

Resources Specific to Massachusetts: 

Regional Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Services

Massachusetts Association for Infant Mental Health


Resources from MA Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Grantees/Services:

TFK Five Tips for Caregivers
TFK Helping Young Children with Emotional Regulation

General Resources:

Sesame Street in Communities: Activities, videos and articles for caregivers on social and emotional health issues 

National Child Traumatic Stress Network:  Resources on trauma-informed care for children and teens

Boston Basics: Evidenced-based principles for caregiving for children 0-3 years old

Zero to Three: Resources for early learning, development, parenting and advocacy for children, 0-3

Spanish Language Versions

Spanish - Early Childhood Educator Covid-19 Tip Sheet Series

Simplified Chinese Language Versions

Simplified Chinese - Early Childhood Educator Covid-19 Tip Sheet Series

Portuguese Language Versions

Portuguese Early Childhood Educator Covid-19 Tip Sheet Series

Haitian Creole Language Versions

Haitian Creole - Early Childhood Educator Covid-19 Tip Sheet Series

Acknowledgements

We appreciate the time and expertise that individuals from the following organizations provided to help us develop the content for these materials:

  • UMass Medical School
  • Department of Early Education and Care
  • Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Providers 
  • Department of Mental Health
  • Massachusetts Association for Infant Mental Health
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