COVID-19 : Colorado P-EBT (Pandemic EBT)

By:  Gloria Sanchez, GRANDcares Site Coordinator, Adams County 

Putting food on the table during this pandemic may prove to be a difficult task for many American families.  Thankfully, many school districts have continued to provide grab-and-go meals to all children, school-age or not, from ages 1-18.  No paperwork is needed and there are no eligibility requirements to fulfill.  In some instances, additional produce boxes and adult meals are also being distributed.  The process is hassle-free, simply drive up, let them know how many children you have and get loaded up.  Despite the ease of it, not all families have benefited.  Unfortunately, those families that do not have access to transportation are unable to get the help.  

The loss of access to food due to COVID-19 school closures has greatly impacted many families.  It is because of this ongoing struggle that a new initiative to support families has been approved under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).  The Colorado Department of Human Services and Department of Education are working together to issue Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) financial assistance to all eligible students who would have qualified for the free and reduced meals for the 2019-2020 school year.  The benefit is retroactive for the eligible days in which students would have been in school during the months of March, April and May.  The average benefit will be of $5.70/child per day or up to $279 per eligible student.  If a family is already participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and their child attends a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program, then the P-EBT benefits will be automatically loaded onto their Colorado EBT card and can be expected by mid-July.  Families that are not currently enrolled to receive SNAP benefits, but that have students in schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program will need to complete an application and get a Colorado EBT card to receive Pandemic-EBT.  These families will be receiving information directly from their school or school district on how to apply for the P-EBT. 

To access the P-EBT application visit:  https://www.colorado.gov/cdhs/p-ebt .  For more information visit Colorado Department of Human Services’ Frequently Asked Questions webpage. 

Making an Action Plan: You Have to Take Care to Give Care

By Raquel Daniels GRANDcares Site Coordinator, Larimer County

Many grandparents are taking care of grandchildren as they raise them in their home. However, there is one important piece that often gets put on the back burner—self-care. With all that grandparents do for their families including getting kids ready for school, working perhaps, and completing essential tasks, there hardly appears to be enough time to do something for themselves. Taking care of oneself is essential. In order to continue to care for others, it is important grandparents start with themselves.

How do I begin self-care?

Start with an action plan! An action plan is an agreement with yourself to help you do something you want to do during the week. The key is doing something you want to do. While it may be tempting to use this allotted time to go to the grocery store or tackle a load of laundry, that is not the purpose of an action plan. This is dedicated to hold you accountable to do something that you enjoy.

What are the parts of an action plan?

An action plan is first and foremost something you want to do. This can be any activity that brings you joy, makes you feel relaxed and helps you feel better in taking care of yourself.

An action plan is also reachable. Think of something you can easily complete during the week. If it is doable you can be successful.

Be behavior specific. Walking around the block, reading one chapter of a book, gardening once a week are all specific behaviors and the more specific the better.

Answer the following questions to turn your action plan into reality:

What? (what are you going to do?)

How much? (how much are you going to do?)

When? (when will you do this?) Example: in the morning, after school, before bed

How often? (days of the week)

Confidence level? (How confident on a scale of 1 to 10 are you that you will be able to accomplish your action plan?)

Taking time out from the day to do something for yourself is beneficial to you and in turn beneficial to the ones you care for. Not only is it giving yourself “me-time,” it is modeling to others in the family such as the grandchildren the value of taking time to rest and recharge.

Powerful Tools for Caregiver, adapted Grandfamilies version of 2016 PTC of Children with Special Health and Behavioral Needs, Class 1 Updated 07/20/2017

Supporting the Service Providers

By Raquel Daniels GRANDcares Site Coordinator, Larimer County

An important part of the GRANDcares Project along with providing the Powerful Tools for Caregivers- Grandfamilies program and GRANDcares Youth Club, is to provide educational content for service providers working with grandfamilies. Grandfamilies often face challenges navigating systems as caregivers including barriers to having access to resources or awareness of resources available to them in their communities.

Service providers who regularly interact with grandfamilies in providing resources and referrals also need support to continue to serve grandparents. Grandparents raising grandchildren are in unique family systems that present their own challenges. Service providers need education on navigating this unique family system. The more understanding and education service providers can gain by learning about the barriers grandparents may face will increase their awareness of grandfamilies' resilience and strengths. Service providers play an important role in helping grandparents navigate the infrastructure of services and assisting grandparents with referral, case management, parenting skills, and emotional support (Fruhauf, Pevney, & Bundy-Fazioli, 2012). The need for services geared specifically for grandparents is essential. The more service providers have knowledge of resources in the community and are able to direct grandparents to such resources that will be most beneficial to them, the more supported grandfamilies will be.

Please check out our webinars through the link below on strengths-based approaches for grandfamilies, trauma and resilience, evidence-based practices and more, to continue to equip service providers with more knowledge about this population they serve and continue to meet the needs of grandfamilies.

Webinars for service providers

Fruhauf, C. A., Peyney, B., & Bundy-Fazioli, K. (2015). The needs and use of programs by service providers working with grandparents raising grandchildren. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 34(2), 138-157.

Care Tips for the Body

By Raquel Daniels GRANDcares Site Coordinator, Larimer County

It is time to check in with your body. What does it need in this moment? Does it need to stretch, walk, or relax?

Many people are continuing to stay home which means staying indoors. Staying indoors or working from home also means many people may be sitting for extended periods of time at a desk or in front of a computer. It may be time to ask yourself, “how long have I been in front of the computer?” Do your eyes need a rest or does your body need a change? 

Checking in with your body can be done by doing a simple body scan. Just take a moment to notice where there may be tension, tingling, itchiness, coolness or heat in your body. You can start from the feet and move up or start from the head and work down. Simply draw attention to any sensations that parts of the body may be experiencing and give that part some attention. After exploring parts of the body seperately, bring your attention to feeling your entire body as a whole and taking a few deep breaths. Occasionally checking in with the body can provide insight to what your body may need. It may also be helpful to take a moment to reflect on other areas that can influence how the body feels in the following areas:

Sleep. Another area that involves taking care of the body involves sleep and getting a good night sleep. The average adult needs anywhere between seven and nine hours of sleep each night to feel rested and ready to start the day. Setting up a bedtime routine can let your body know it is time to relax. This may involve stepping away from the phone or television screen, reading a book, or stretching.

Food. It is important to keep in mind continuing to have balanced meals to provide your body with nourishment and energy to get through the day.

Movement. Moving the body has been shown to boost your mood and performing little movements can also ward off stiffness in the body. Movement can be done in all kinds of ways, pick movements that work for you.

Please always consult with your physician before making any significant changes to your routine.

Tips for Families to Get Ahead of the Phrase “I’m Bored”

By Raquel Daniels GRANDcares Site Coordinator, Larimer County

It is that time of the semester when the final days of school are upon children and the anticipated excitement of summer begins. Summer is often a time spent traveling, visiting family and being involved in summer camps among other activities. However, with the current pandemic of Covid-19, much of traveling has come to a crawl, plans have been halted and most summer camps and programs have been cancelled. With this change of plans there is uncertainty with how the time spent during the summer months will go.

Therefore, during times like these it is time to put on the thinking caps for how to spend some time during summer. Some activities may require a little innovation and creativity, while others have always been fan favorites. Some activities can be planned as a family and others just for the kids. Even spending some time one-on-one with each child can feel special. There is no shortage of fun ways to engage children and there is always the opportunity to learn something new together. Summer can still be a time to have fun, all you need is a little imagination to get started.

Below are a few ideas to spend some time indoors or outdoors:

Activities inside: Card games, board games, puzzles, Pictionary, Simon says, musical chairs, build a fort, bake a new recipe, read a book, have a treasure hunt, or get crafty

Activities outside: hide and seek, hop scotch, four square, tag, ride bikes, go on a hike, have a picnic in the backyard, garden, make an obstacle course, play kickball, basketball, baseball, volleyball, soccer

Visit a virtual museum:

Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation 

The Smithsonian 

Denver Museum of Nature & Science

The Morgan Library and Museum

The American Museum of Natural History

Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose

The National Museum of Wildlife Art

The San Diego Museum of Art

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

The Taubman Museum of Art

For the Grandparents: Stay Connected

By Raquel Daniels GRANDcares Site Coordinator, Larimer County

Grandparents raising grandchildren and older adults are currently part of the vulnerable population that is being affected by Covid-19. As part of this vulnerable population, extra precautions are necessary when going to get groceries, pick up medicines, visit health centers and complete other essential tasks outside of the home. With much of the state continuing to follow the safer at home order there is less ability to socialize with others. With children at home 100% of the time now, many caregivers are making sure youth stay busy and make time to connect with friends virtually, by mail or by phone. This also serves as a reminder for grandparents not to forget about themselves. It is important for grandparents to receive social support from others to ward off isolation and provide a sense of community. All caregivers need breaks from the kiddos to be able to rest and recharge. Joining a support group is one of the ways to continue self-care so that you can continue to care for others.

Many communities have support programs for grandparents raising grandchildren. These spaces offer grandparents an opportunity to connect with one another in a supportive environment and potentially feel less alone. Participating in a support group allows for sharing similar experiences, sharing resources, and learning from one another. Participating in a group regularly also provides something to look forward to each week that is dedicated “grandparent time.”

Below are several resources to connect with a support group near you:

Colorado State University Extension :Extension offers support groups in multiple counties. Times/dates may have changes due to Covid-19 and some meetings may be online so be sure to call to make sure the information is correct.

AARP Grandfacts Sheet :This link allows you to search by state for support groups, each Grandfacts Sheet includes links to local resources, programs and assistance.

Generations United :Has a database with intergenerational programs across the country. You can search for support groups or programs by keywords or by state.

Guía para Padres

By Raquel Daniels GRANDcares Site Coordinator, Larimer County

Durante este tiempo hay un cierto grado de duda con el futuro. Guardando los niños en casa ha estado un desafío y muchos padres han encontrado maneras creativas para que los niños están ocupados. Hoy en día hay un poco más libertad pero se recomienda que muchas personas se queden en casa.

Campios están ocurriendo cada día entre los estados y es importante mantenerse informativa para ser proactivo en mantenerse a salvo y mantener a otros seguros. Continúe conversando con los niños si tienen preguntas sobre Covid-19. Hacer preguntas permitirá a los padres comprender mejor lo que los niños están experimentando.

 ¿Lo que los niños saben es correcto? Como muchas personas se conectan a través por internet, a veces puede ocurrir información errónea. Guardianes tienen la capacidad de aliviar duda y ayudar a los niños a comprender de una manera apropiada para su edad.

Abajo hay tres enlaces sobre cómo hablar con los niños sobre Covid-19 para recibir más información.

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Para los guardianes, todavía hay recursos y organizaciones preparada a ayudar Ustedes, en Colorado:  

Adopta un vecino

Los voluntarios ayudan a los vecinos que son vulnerables a Covid-19 con tareas diarias como la compra y entrega de comestibles, recoger medicamentos y cuidado de mascotas. Simplemente complete un formulario para incluirlo en una lista para recibir ayuda.

Para recibir ayuda en Español: 970-416-8001

  

El departamento de trabajo y empleo de Colorado