The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), released a new brief, A Pandemic within a Pandemic: How Coronavirus and Systemic Racism Are Harming Infants and Toddlers of Color, that unpacks the harm of systemic racism to children’s development and describes how the coronavirus pandemic has magnified pervasive inequities in health, education, employment, and other factors across race and ethnicity.

Programs that help families meet their basic needs urgently need immediate shoring up. And policymakers must prioritize families of color who are most harmed by the coronavirus. We make the case for focusing on the needs of families of color with infants and toddlers in coronavirus relief and systemic policy reform efforts to ensure that policies do not continue or add to inequities.

Relationships, routine, and supportive teaching of social-emotional skills have always been important.  After any big change, these become even more essential!  Here’s a poster from the Nebraska Association for Infant Mental Health with a few reminders of those important steps you can take towards ensuring young children’s social-emotional needs are met and they are able to thrive!

In the fourth episode from a special COVID-19 series of The Brain Architects podcast, host Sally Pfitzer speaks with Dr. Tien Ung, Program Director for Impact and Learning at FUTURES without Violence, to discuss practical steps those at home can take to keep themselves and their children safe, as well as strategies others can use if they think someone they know may be experiencing domestic violence. Tien also highlights the importance of maintaining social connections during periods of physical distancing.