COVID-19 Resources
On this page you will find resources and guidance to help you cope with the many issues surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, including loss of income, pregnancy and breastfeeding, loss of housing, food security, and home education.
We will update this site with resources as they become available.
- The state of California and Governor Newsom have issued many directives, regulations and executive orders with regards to the “stay home” policy, a pause on evictions, etc. Check here for an updated list.
Vaccination Resources
COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.
Millions of people in the United States have received COVID-19 vaccines under the most intense safety monitoring in U.S. history.CDC recommends you get a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as you are eligible.
Find a vaccine appointment:
COVID-19 Resources for Local WIC Agency Staff
USDA Food and Nutrition Services Waivers
CWA WIC Services and COVID-19 Press Release
English, Spanish, Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Korean, VIetnamese
Office Signs
- In English
- In Spanish
Home “WIC-Space” Signs
- Thank you blank
- Thank you WIC
- WIC at work – door hanger
- WIC at work – tent-sign
- WIC nameplate – green
- WIC nameplate – purple
- WIC nameplate – red
Teleworking and Virtual Training
- WIC Work From Home Activity Log
- Concord WIC Work From Home Guidance
- How to Work From Home: A Checklist of the Essentials
- Trinity County HIPAA and Telecommuting for Employees
- Trinity County HIPAA and Telecommuting
- Ergonomics Tips for Telecommuting
- Sacramento County WIC Employee Telework Survey
- Shasta County WIC Work From Home Guidelines
- Alameda County WIC Telehealth Guidelines
- Contra Costa WIC TeleWork Guidelines
- PHFE Telehealth Personal Phone Use Guidelines
- Tulare County WIC Teleworking Proposal
- WIC Remote Card Issue Log
- Virtual Staff Training Activities from Training Wheels
- Tips for Successful Virtual Facilitation From Training
- Virtual Team Building Games by Michelle Cummings of Training Wheels
Outreach Fliers
COVID-19 Facts and Office Hygiene
- USDA Food and Nutrition Services has posted guidance for use in human pandemics, and a guide for coordinating WIC services during a disaster, including a pandemic.
- CDPH WIC Latest Information and guidance for COVID-19 and WIC.
- The CA Dept. of Public Health’s provides information in English and Spanish, as well as COVID-19 related news releases from CDPH providing timely updates, and by subscribing to the Office of Public Affairs listserv, you can receive alerts and guidance.
- CDC COVID-19 Fact Sheet
- CDC Social Distancing Guidelines
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce Workplace Tips During COVID-19 Pandemic
- CDPH Face Coverings Guidance 4-1-20
- Contra Costa WIC Masking Advisory
- Contra Costa COVID-19 Exposures and the Workplace
- Tehama County COVID Masking PSA
For Breastfeeding and Expecting Parents
- The CDC has information posted, and this very specific guidance.
- Thank you to the staff of MCAH and WIC for their partnership to develop guidance for pregnant and breastfeeding women during the COVID-19 pandemic and basic guidance for obstetrical care providers. Guidance is currently available in English and Spanish.
- Guidance from American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine.
- Breastfeeding and COVID-19 posters in English and Spanish.
- Vaccination guidance for pregnant and breastfeeding people from:CDC – https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/pregnancy.html
Talking to Kids about COVID-19
Older children may have anxiety based on what they see online or hear in the news, and it’s just as important for them to have good information.
- NPR has released a comic for kids, Exploring the Coronavirus, that is printable in a zine format – check it out.
- National Association of School Psychologists has released many tips on talking to kids about Covid-19.
- CDC has published guidance for talking to children about COVID-19 in English and Spanish.
- BrainPOP published a great video about COVID-19 aimed at young children.
- Coronavirus Kids Book in PDF format available in ENGLISH and SPANISH
Employment Resources
- If you have been laid off or had you’re your hours reduced due to COVID-19, if you are ill or quarantined, or you are caring for someone who is ill or quarantined, you may be eligible for assistance through EDD.
- Department of Labor Resources
- California Labor & Workforce Development Agency Resources
Food Resources
- As of May 1, 2021, California has not yet been approved to issue P-EBT 2.0 benefits. Updates will be shared here as soon as possible!
- MyPlate Food Planning-COVID-19
- Guidance for food bank staff and volunteers.
- The CA Meals for Kids mobile app has been updated to help students and families find meals during COVID-19-related emergency school closures. It’s available on Apple, Android, or Microsoft mobile devices.
- Enfamil Resource Center
- Pandemic EBT: The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201), signed into law on March 18th, allows states to implement Pandemic EBT. Under the program, families whose children are eligible to receive free or reduced-priced meals and whose schools have closed due to COVID-19 will receive an EBT card loaded with the cash value of the meals their children would have received at school. Immigration status is not a factor in qualifying for the program. State administrators are working to establish Pandemic EBT in California. We will provide updates as they come.
General Assistance
- Find out here (also available in Spanish) for more details on Cal EITC qualifications.
- Here is more information on Governor Newsom’s 2021-22 State Budget in response to emergency needs of the pandemic, including Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) and child care.
- https://www.211.org/get-help/help-during-covid-19-pandemic
- Governor Newsom has signed legislation that extends the state’s landmark eviction moratorium to protect millions of Californians struggling as a result of economic hardships brought on by COVID-19 through June 30, 2021.
- If you are unable to pay your rent or mortgage, here are the steps you should take now: reach out to your landlord or lender/services, maintain records of financial hardship, check your local government for protection. Learn more from the California Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency: BCSH, Housing
- While California’s eviction moratorium has extended to the end of June 2021, it is important to know your rights as tenants during COVID-19. Several California laws are now in place to prevent or delay evictions and provide support with past due rent so tenants remain housed. The COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act in California adopts a framework to provide financial support to rents and landlords. A fact sheet of the moratorium can be found here.
- Find out more about Golden State Stimulus payments here: if you are eligible, and how to get it. Find out more about Golden State Stimulus payments here: English | Spanish
- Financial help for undocumented Californians.
- If your income has been affected by COVID-19 and you’re afraid you won’t be able to continue to pay for internet service, or you didn’t previously have home internet service but your kids will need it to access school resources from home, here is a helpful round-up of different options for internet access for low-income families.
Education Resources During School Closures
- If your income has been affected by COVID-19 and you’re afraid you won’t be able to continue to pay for internet service, or you didn’t previously have home internet service but your kids will need it to access school resources from home, here is a helpful round-up of different options for internet access for low-income families.
- KVIE2 will air educational programs specifically for kids in grades Pre-K through 12 from 6AM to 6PM. You can also find a number of online resources at pbskids.org/learn to help support your child’s learning during these closures.
- Wide Open School is a free collection of the best online learning experiences for kids curated by the editors at Common Sense.
- Teach.com has compiled 120 Digital Resources for Home-Schooling: Special Education, Social and Emotional Learning, and More.
- Smile, California developed lesson plans for Kindergarten – 5th graders, including reading and writing activities and projects for parents to do at home with their children. Parents can easily download the entire lesson plan or individual pieces from the lesson plan that best fits their needs. Each lesson plan also includes a “daily brushing” chart for children to keep up with their regular dental habits, which could be an especially useful resource during this hard time when there is less daily structure.
- Authors & illustrators are sharing amazing learning-at-home resources. This collection includes picture book read-alouds, writing lessons, drawing lessons, first-chapter read-alouds, & research links – all free & copyright-friendly!
- 12 museums around the world offer virtual tours so that your kid can go check them out without ever leaving the house.
- Outschool is making $100,000 worth of online classes available for free to the affected families.
- Curriculum Associates is providing free, printable activity packs by grade level, as well as other resources, for children out of school.
- Scholastic has provided projects for grade school students to keep learning and growing during school closures.
- Over 30 virtual field trips, to zoos, museums, national parks, and Mars!
- Daily Art Lessons! Mo Willems (author of such books as Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus) as well as author and artist Jarett J. Krosoczka are doing fun daily drawing lessons for kids out of school.
Wellness and Mental Health
Crisis Support and Intervention
Crisis Text Line
Text SHARE to 741741 to reach a crisis counselor, 24/7, for free, confidential support.
Crisis Text Line counselors are available to connect about anxiety related to the novel coronavirus, isolation, students’ concerns about school, financial stress, and other concerns.
Managing Anxiety
Managing Anxiety and Stress Related to the Coronavirus
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Tips on stress and coping, with specialized advice for parents, responders, and people who have been released from quarantine.
Avoiding Misinformation on COVID-19
News Literacy Project
How to spot—and avoid spreading—misinformation, and identify reliable sources of information.
Mindfulness and Movement
Meditations for Focus, Stress, Sleep—and Even Handwashing
Headspace
The Headspace app is offering a free set of meditation, sleep, and movement exercises, “Weathering the Storm,” specific to this time; a free suite of tools and guided meditations for business and employees, and free Headspace Plus accounts for providers who work in public health settings.
Dance Classes At Home
ODC
Join ODC’s teachers and community online while the physical studio doors are closed. Sign up for a live-streamed class or follow along with a Fusion Light class from Rhythm & Motion.
Exercising during a Pandemic
The Atlantic
Expert advice on getting exercise at home or while maintaining social distancing.
Sharing Art and Stories, Spreading Joy
A Daily Story to Lift Your Spirits
StoryCorps
StoryCorps is putting some of the most heartwarming stories from their collection in a daily newsletter. Sign up for reminders of heart, humanity, and generosity from everyday people.
Virtual Museum Visits
Google Arts & Culture
Key pieces from the collections of 2,500 museums worldwide, including special online exhibits.
Supporting Children and Teenagers
For many excellent resources for supporting school-age children while their schools are closed, please see Resources for Remote Learning.
Talking to Kids about the Coronavirus
Child Mind Institute
Guidance for parents of young and school-age children on talking to them about coronavirus.
Teens Facing a New Normal
UNICEF
Strategies for teens to protect their mental health while facing a (temporary) new normal.
Recursos en Español
Maneje la Ansiedad y el Estrés
Centros para el control y la prevención de enfermedades (CDC)
Consejos sobre estrés y afrontamiento, con consejos especializados para padres, personal de auxilio y personas que han sido liberadas de la cuarentena.
Cómo Hablar con los Niños sobre el Coronavirus
Child Mind Institute
Guía para padres de niños pequeños y en edad escolar sobre cómo hablarles sobre el coronavirus.
Immigrant Families and COVID-19
- List of resources for undocumented families and individuals
- In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, California is providing one-time state-funded disaster relief assistance to undocumented adults who are ineligible for other forms of assistance, including assistance under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and pandemic unemployment benefits, because of their immigration status. Applications for Disaster Relief Assistance for Immigrants (DRAI) open May 18th.
- WIC does not collect immigration status of eligible families.
- California Immigrant Policy Center COVID-19 Resource Guide for Immigrants in California (also available in Spanish).
- California Department of Public Health provides a COVID-19 Guide for Immigrant Californians in English, Spanish, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Korean, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.
- Pandemic EBT The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201), signed into law March 18th, allows states to implement Pandemic EBT. Under the program, families whose children are eligible to receive free or reduced-priced meals and whose schools have closed due to COVID-19 will receive an EBT card loaded with the cash value of the meals their children would have received at school. Immigration status is not a factor in qualifying for the program. State administrators are working to establish Pandemic EBT in California. We will provide updates as they come.
- Resources in English and Spanish from Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights: