This webinar series explores tools, tips, strategies, and resources for programs to deliver high-quality virtual programs. The first webinar is called Transforming from Virtual Bleh to Virtual Yeah! It offers a wealth of concrete tips to provide structured and consistent programming, increase student engagement, and battle virtual burnout, plus a review of online tools. The second webinar is Engaging Families Online; it shares resources to engage families such as virtual field trips and scavenger hunts, and ways to support families participating in this virtual learning world.

These webinars feature thought leaders, researchers, journalists, and award-winning program leaders who share practices and research. November 16, 2020 included providers sharing promising practices during the pandemic. November 17 included journalists to explore how the election might shape the landscape and leaders who talked about legislation needed right now. November 18 included a Real Talk on Race and Education and explored ways that leaders can advance quality. This resource supports the COVID-19 response.  

This webinar provides information about how two states are supporting Family, Friend, and Neighbor care (FFN), which has become an especially important part of the child care supply in COVID-19. New Mexico has created a path for temporary FFN care that lasts for 6 months. Providers can serve up to 4 non-residential children and can access subsidy and food programs. A California Child Care Resource and Referral Center is providing extensive supports to FFN providers including play groups, story time, curriculum, provider cafes, and lots of support to become licensed.

This webinar series explores the importance of trauma-informed and healing-centered approaches in out-of-school time settings and the role they can play in helping youth manage and recover from trauma.

This webinar brings together panelists representing Afterschool Alliance, Child Care Aware of America, National Association of Family Child Care, and Urban Institute to share what needs to happen in out-of-school time as schools reopen during COVID-19. The panel explores difficult tradeoffs families are facing regarding decisions on school and child care around family health and safety, finances, and children's learning and development.

This webinar shares results of a survey from August 2020, finding that many parents are struggling to locate quality, affordable child care amid closures and capacity restrictions. While the survey was of parents with children birth-5, there are also findings for school-age children. For example, 38% of school-age parents will look for a child care provider if their school is not open in fall. The survey analysis also includes school-age considerations.

This webinar included speakers from the Weikart Center, NIOST, and PEAR to share what they are learning about the ways quality differs between in-person programs and online learning when using established quality assessment tools. Their summer experiences are showing that their respective assessment tools are working in the virtual space, and they are finding that quality dimensions for in-person space seem to matter in virtual spaces, perhaps even more.

On August 6, 2020 the National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment (NCASE) hosted a listening session designed to help stakeholders in the field better understand the current state of school-age care in the country, specifically informed by lessons learned through efforts to deliver safe and meaningful summer programming in 2020. 

This interactive session included:

In the context of COVID-19, this webinar explores Native American and Alaska Native (AIAN) traditions, philosophies, and strengths. It demonstrates how, in AIAN communities, contemporary challenges are viewed in a larger historic and spiritual framework that gives people hope and helps them adapt, cope, and heal. This wisdom guides AIAN Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This resource supports the COVID-19 response.

This webinar features Dr. Gil Noam from Partnerships in Education and Resilience (PEAR) who explores what the field might expect regarding an increase in mental health issues since the pandemic. He outlines how the PEAR Clover model can help us to focus our approach with children on building a sense of belonging, increasing active engagement and assertiveness, and offering reflection and a sense of purpose. He announced the opportunity to participate in a pilot project using PEAR Holistic Student Assessment that can assist a program in knowing individual and group strengths and challenges.