Useful Resources for Children and Families During the COVID-19 Crisis

We want to make sure children and families have the information they need to navigate the challenges brought on by COVID-19. Below, you will find tools and resources we’ve collected. We will continue to update this list as new information becomes available.

The Children’s Defense Fund is unwavering in our mission to make sure the voices of children are heard and the needs of families are met with urgency. As we continue to adapt to meet the challenges of COVID-19, here are our priorities:

1. Focusing our policy advocacy,, at the federal and state levels, to get children and their families the support they need to survive this crisis.
2. Retooling our community-based programs like CDF Freedom Schools® to leverage virtual training and distance learning so that we can continue to provide essential education and enrichment for children across the country this summer.
3. Ramping up our public education and outreach to make sure families know how to access life-saving resources and how best to support children through this difficult time.

To make sure we can quickly and effectively meet the needs of children in this unprecedented moment, we created the Children in Crisis Fund.

• Cash Assistance: Use this tool from the Washington Post to calculate your stimulus payment and learn about how and when payments will be sent
• Unemployment Insurance: Find out if you’re eligible to receive unemployment benefits. Here’s how to get started in applying for unemployment benefits in your state
• Unemployment Insurance, Paid Sick Leave, Paid Family Leave: If the pandemic has affected your ability to work, find out what national and state benefits you may be entitled to. 
• Mortgage Assistance: Check out Federal Housing Finance Agency’s information on mortgage assistance for homeowners. If your ability to pay your mortgage is impacted, and your loan is owned by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, you may be eligible to delay monthly mortgage payments for a temporary period. 
• Access to SNAP: To see if you might be eligible for SNAP benefits, visit SNAP’s eligibility and application process page
• Free School Meals: Check out this list from the Food Research and Action Council to find out which school districts and community organizations in your state are offering meals while schools are closed 

• Insurance Options: Remember that you can apply for Medicaid and CHIP any time of year — Medicaid and CHIP do not have restricted Open Enrollment Periods. Learn about free or low-cost health insurance options for your family based on your state, household income, and children in the home here
• Options Following Job Loss: New York Times’ Q&A on health insurance, especially for those that have lost their job – Create an account to access free up-to-date information and expert guidance on coronavirus. No subscription required

• FosterClub’s resource guide thats provides links to links to resources, information, and opportunities to find support for young people in and from foster care 
• Check out Think of Us’ resource hub that provides specifically information for foster youth and those serving foster youth

• Check out Protecting Immigrant Families’s guide for some of the federal public programs available that support individuals and families with health care, cash assistance, food assistance and unemployment assistance
• Call Freedom for Immigrant’s COVID-19 hotline to report abuse, share a story  or get connected to a love one  in detention. Calls made through their National Detention Hotline are free, confidential and unmonitored. Call: 9233 (from inside detention) Call: 209-757-3733 (from outside)
• Visit New American Economy’s website for helpful resources, and the latest estimates that show how immigrants are part of America’s fight and response to the COVID-19 health crisis
• Visit Informed Immigrant’s English and Spanish language pages to get connected to food, mutual aid funds and health care.
• Visit this Frequently Asked Questions page to find eligibility information for housing programs and other financial assistance programs included in the CARES Act.

• Blog on special education rights during COVID-19
• The Children’s Defense Fund: Check out this list of free virtual education tools for children and their caregivers
• Scholastic Learn at Home: Check out these complete day-by-day lessons and projects for preK – grade 9
• PBS Kids and PBS LearningMedia: Find tools to help support at-home learning including educational games and videos
• Khan Academy’s Daily Schedules: Use these daily schedules to help organize at-home learning for students preK – grade 12 as well as online lessons, exercises, and quizzes
• Educating All Learners Alliance: Find tech tools and resources as well as tips for accessibility.
• National Emergency Library: The Internet Archive has made 1.5 million ebooks available to borrow for free, including books for children and parents
• Cincinnati Zoo’s Home Safari Live Stream: Learn about animals through the Cincinnati Zoo’s Home Safari every day at 3 pm EST
• Virtual Tours of National Parks: Take a virtual tour of more than 30 National Parks
• Virtual Tours of Smithsonian Museums: Take virtual tours of the National Museum of Natural History, National Zoo, National Gallery of Art, National Portrait Gallery, National Air and Space Museum, and others

• Keeping Children Informed about Coronavirus: BrainPOP’s five-minute video provides a child-friendly explanation of coronavirus, social distancing, and other ways to stop the spread.
• Keeping Children Informed about Coronavirus: Sesame Street’s townhalls where Dr.Wen answers questions from children all over the world about coronavirus and Dr. Gupta explains the importance of face masks and hand washing.
• Discouraging the Spread of Germs: Children can learn from Sesame Street’s Elmo and Rosita about the best way to sneeze through this short video in English and in Spanish. They can also learn from songs with PBS Kids’ Daniel Tiger about the importance of resting when sick and washing your hands.
• Managing Anxiety and Coping: Check out Child Mind Institute’s Supporting Families During COVID-19 resource guide for parents and their children 
• Self Care for Caregivers: Visit Zero to Three’s guide on the importance of taking care of yourself 
• Helping Children Cope with Emergencies: Read CDC’s guide oh how to lessen the emotional impact on children before, during and after emergencies
• Meditation Opportunity: The Lighthouse: Black Girl Projects’ space for connection, reflection, and joy Mondays and Fridays at 1 pm EST

• The Council on Foundations has a spreadsheet with COVID-related funding opportunities for state service providers  Here is a map form:  COVID-19 Response and Recovery Funds (Source, National Center for Family Philanthropy) map
• No Kid Hungry is offering emergency grants to support local school districts and nonprofit organizations in their efforts to ensure kids get the nutritious food they need. Fill out this form to see you are eligible for funding

Families in states where the Children’s Defense Fund has a regional office can visit the pages below to access state-specific resources and learn what your local CDF office is doing to protect children and families during the COVID-19 crisis

• California
• Minnesota
• New York 
• Ohio
• Southern Regional Office
• Texas

• Paid Leave: Department of Labor’s Q&A on emergency paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave 
• Paid Leave: Paid Leave for the US’s resource guide to paid family and medical leave 
• Youth Justice: Campaign for Youth Justice’s information and recommendations 
• Bias and Hate Crimes: National and state-level discrimination and hate crime resources and links to reporting options