Updates and Resources for the Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Arizonans can get important COVID-19 related information in English and Spanish by calling 211 Arizona.
For Families needing child care options due to the mandatory school closing please check out our Family Resources page: Family Child Care Options.
How is COVID-19 impacting your youth organization?
Complete this quick survey!
We are issuing a survey to better understand the impact the COVID-19 outbreak has had on afterschool programs and other youth serving institutions. If you are facing financial and/or health impacts from the spread of the coronavirus, up to and including the closure of your program, please share your story here. The more we know, the more we can state policymakers about what’s happening and what’s needed to protect our state’s critical out-of-school time infrastructure. Please take a few minutes to enter your responses. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us by email.
AzCASE wants to take some time to help programs prepare for potential disruptions due to the spread of the coronavirus. As you may be aware, the coronavirus has now begun to spread in the continental United States. Governor Ducey has declared a state of emergency in the state of Arizona. You can take precautions to help spread of viruses and help keep kids safe. Afterschool programs, like schools, are important facets of the community (read the AZ Childcare is Essential Letter sent to Governor Ducey from several local youth organizations) and must understand the risk and properly prepare in order to keep students and staff safe. Here is what the experts say to do:
Create an Action Plan and Clearly Communicate to Students, Parents, and Staff
From the CDC’s website: “To prepare for possible community transmission of COVID-19, the most important thing for schools to do now is plan and prepare. As the global outbreak evolves, schools should prepare for the possibility of community-level outbreaks. Schools want to be ready if COVID-19 does appear in their communities.”
- Talk to your students about what is happening. Here is a guide about how to talk to kids about the virus outbreak.
- Take some time to review your flu plan. If you don’t have one, you can use this CDC checklist here.
- Click here for resources on making sure parents understand when to keep their kids home.
- Encourage staff who feel sick to stay at home! You may want to review your sick leave policies and amend them to be more flexible and prepare to operate with reduced staff. Click here for more resources on staff planning.
- Create contingency plans if you are unable to run your program for an extended period time (from a couple of weeks to a month).
Teach and Practice Safe Hygiene
Ensure handwashing strategies include washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available. The CDC offers several free handwashing resources that include health promotion materials, information on proper handwashing technique, and tips for families to help children develop good handwashing habits.
Review the latest guidance from Arizona Department of Health Services for Child Care / Afterschool Programs that will remain open.
Students, staff, and volunteers should be reminded to:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, if unable to wash, use alcohol-based hand sanitizers
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
- Cover your coughs or sneezes with a tissue or your sleeve (not with your hands)
- Stay away from people who are sick and stay home when you are sick
Communicating with Youth & Families
- Talk to your students about what is happening. Here is a guide about how to talk to kids about the virus outbreak.
- Click here for resources on making sure parents understand when to keep their kids home.
- Find out how other programs are handling their response in this Afterschool Snack post.
- [GUIDE] How can families support student science learning at home?
- Exploratorium Online Learning Toolbox for COVID-19 School Closures
- Grand Canyon University K-12 STEM Outreach department has launched Weekly Wednesday Webinars, live at 10am (MST). If you can’t join live you can still watch the webinar through their YouTube Channel: http://bit.ly/K12EdDev. They are also posting Daily Tips and other resources for educators and parents, such as ideas to help create online lessons and activities for students, on social media: Facebook @SEA.GCU | Twitter @GCU_SEA | Instagram@gcuk12ed.
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3 Resources for Connecting STEM Learning to COVID-191) NPR has created Just For Kids: A Comic Exploring the New Coronavirus to help demystify the virus and to teach children how to protect themselves.2) Exploratorium has two simple science projects that break down the basics of a virus like COVID-19: [ACTIVITY] What Are Viruses? & [ACTIVITY] What Does Soap Do to Viruses?.3) This PBS NOVA scienceNOW Activity explores the 1918 Flu Pandemic with a sequence of six short simulations to model how an infectious disease can spread through a human population.
Stay Up to Date
The situation will progress rapidly so keep up to date on what is happening. Check official government sources for any new developments. The below sites from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) provide up-to-date information about coronavirus and offer guidance and resources for responding to this and other types of widespread illnesses. Be sure to reach out to city or town officials to see if they have offered any official guidance on the virus – this will vary from town to town.
211 Arizona
Arizonans can get important COVID-19 related information in English and Spanish by calling 211 Arizona. If you need assistance finding food, paying house bills, accessing free childcare, or other essential services, dial 2-1-1, search on the homepage of 211Arizona.com or download the 211 Arizona app.
CDC Interim Guidance for Administrators of US Childcare Programs and K-12 Schools to Plan, Prepare, and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/guidance-for-schools.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/children-faq.html
From the CDC
From the World Health Organization (WHO)
Local Organizations
- Valley of the Sun United Way
- Raising Arizona Kids
- Arizona Department of Education
- Arizona Department of Health
- Phoenix Community and Economic Development Department
For Employers Facing Furloughs and Layoffs or Seeking Additional Workforce
Contact the Phoenix Business and Workforce Development Center, which can help employers with recruiting staff, training temporary and permanent workers, and helping place furloughed workers. Call 602-256-3147 or Phoenix.business.center@phoenix.gov. Please visit ArizonaAtWork.com/Phoenix and scroll down to “For Employers” for more information.
For Small Businesses Facing Financial Issues
- Check out the City’s flyer on the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Disaster Assistance Loans. Companies can apply for emergency loans and small business assistance.
- SBA Disaster Assistance Portal: disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/
- The Business Development Finance Corporation (BDFC) has created the 7(a) Community Advantage Small Business Recovery Loans program for up to $25,000. (Link includes informational flyers).
Other Helpful Websites
- Employer Responsibilities: Under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act | Please click for a summary of the new law.
- Arizona Department of Economic Security | DES’s home page provides links to information associated with furloughs, wages, pay for leave, and unemployment compensation.
- Internal Revenue Service | visit the IRS website for frequently asked questions about taxes, tax deadlines, deductions and more: irs.gov/coronavirus
- Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce | Find local updates and business resources at phoenixchamberfoundation.com/wellness/coronavirus/
- AZBio has connections to resources for the exchange of services and supplies for healthcare, bioscience and life science research | azbio.org/bio-launches-coronavirus-hub-to-facilitateexchange-of-supplies-services
- PHXNewsroom | Official news outlet for the City of Phoenix: Phoenix.gov/Newsroom
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