• Please fill out the SCASD Family Needs Assessment form if your family has any unmet needs such as: food, transportation, internet, mental health support, counseling, etc. Once we receive the form, someone will contact you. Please be assured that the information provided will be kept confidential and shared only with SCASD support services.
• Click here for community resources related to unemployment, social services, insurance, power/utilities, etc.
• COVID-19 Emergency Meals are being provided weekly each Wednesday for all children under the age of 18 while schools are closed. Please click here for details on how to place an order and pick up a meal if you are in need. Families need to place their weekly orders by 8 a.m. each Monday. 
• If you are unable to pick up your own meals, please fill out this form.  Someone from SCASD Student Services will work with you to help meet your needs. 
• For any other questions or concerns, please reach out to Megan Schaper at mas15@scasd.org or call 814-231-5095.
• Pandemic Electronic Benefit for Free and Reduced Eligible Students: As provided in the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020, students who are approved for free or reduced-price school meals will receive an electronic benefits card from the PA Department of Human Services to help purchase food for home. The value of the benefit is $5.70 for each day that school is closed. We do not have details of when families can expect to receive this card but have been notified that the PA Department of Education will be collecting information from schools to help direct this benefit to eligible families
  • If your family is already approved for free or reduced-price school meals, there is nothing that you need to do.
  • If your family has lost income since schools were closed and you might now be eligible for free or reduced-price school meals, please apply. Approval now will qualify you to receive the electronic benefits card and will qualify your child for free or reduced-price school meals for the first 30 days of school when schools reopen. 
  • More information about applying for free or reduced-price school meals can be found at www.scasd.org/Page/1050.  Download a paper application or find the link to apply electronically at this same site.
• Community resources:
•  If you are on Facebook, local “Buy Nothing” pages are allowing gifting of essentials right now.  I have seen people gifting school supplies, non-perishable food, and personal care/health supplies. To find your local group, login to your Facebook account and in the search bar, type in “buy nothing groups near me.” 
• If you are in the State College area, find out which local buy nothing group is for your area by checking out this map: https://www.scasd.org/cms/lib/PA01000006/Centricity/Domain/2596/ElementaryMap.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2PSkB2DTxI_PzRsGrifYKkQtUrxLf5aUPo_744g4tBEGqm5WBWKgLyjKY OR this map: https://www.statecollegepa.us/373/Municipal-Boundaries OR by looking up your address on this website: https://munstats.pa.gov/Public/FindMunicipality.aspx
• A community site that lists resources for food, healthcare, spiritual needs, transportation, home/family, economic, etc. Also a way to get connected to help, if you are in a position to do so.https://cccovid19response.org/about-us/?fbclid=IwAR3A1Afur07tLvon7dVZiYuFO6uPI6w9Ys00A7qiav8SJ52e_uby9fvmJYM

• Coronavirus Parenting: Managing Anger and Frustration (article from Childmind Institute with Recommendations)
• Screen Time During the Corona Virus: What limits are appropriate for kids stuck at home?
• Links to daily Facebook Live Q&A chats, parenting advice email list, & more, from the Child Mind Institute: https://childmind.org/coping-during-covid-19-resources-for-parents/

Equity:

• Countering COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Stigma and Racism: Tips for Parents and Caregivers
• How to Respond to Coronavirus Racism

Schooling At Home:

• How to Reduce the Stress of Homeschooling on Everyone
• Sample Weekly Planner Page

Behavioral Tips & Supports:

• Behavior Specialist Menus posted on the Family Google site
• Home Behavior Support Newsletters:
• Home Behavior Support Newsletter#5
• Home Behavior Support Newsletter #4
• Home Behavior Support Newsletter #3
• Home Behavior Support Newsletter #2
• Home Behavior Support Newsletter #1   

• Videos providing behavior management strategies, from the Behavior Response Support Team from the University of Utah: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxkGHLVVqVpni8rpWfK9p_g/videos
• Video series offering behavior management strategies to help set up practiced routines (specific to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder or other developmental delays), from the Practiced Routines Curriculum: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLi08Aejqezrdyq4rTcBUmI63EzBKPNkx  
• Tips on creating routine & structure at home, from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital: https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/patients/coronavirus-information/family-resources/routine-structure
• Tips on creating structure & rules, from CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/parents/essentials/structure/index.html
• How to make a new home routine, from PBS: https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/schools-closed-how-to-make-a-new-home-routine
• Activity ideas for various ages, from ReadyRose/The Creative Curriculum/Teaching Strategies: https://healthyathome.readyrosie.com/en/
• Sample schedule for elementary student with ADHD (could be used for students without ADHD):  https://www.additudemag.com/learning-at-home-resources-schedule-elementary-school-adhd/
• More sample schedules & tips on making yours: https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/sample-kids-home-schedule_ca_5e6e5904c5b6747ef11f12ce
• Do & Don’ts of Behavior Sticker Charts for parents, from Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dont-worry-mom/201408/the-dos-and-donts-the-sticker-chart

Example chart for 3 expectations: https://www.freeprintablebehaviorcharts.com/theme%20chart%20pdf/three-expectations.pdf

Helping Children Cope with COVID-19

• Bear learns about physical distancing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DA_SsZFYw0w&feature=youtu.be
• Helping children cope with COVID-19: https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/school-climate-safety-and-crisis/health-crisis-resources/helping-children-cope-with-changes-resulting-from-covid-19 (PDFs available in 10 languages)
• Talking to kids about Coronavirus: https://childmind.org/article/talking-to-kids-about-the-coronavirus/
• Talking with children about COVID-19 (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/talking-with-children.html
• More tips for comforting your child & talking about COVID-19 (UNICEF): https://www.unicef.org/coronavirus/how-talk-your-child-about-coronavirus-covid-19
• How to talk to your anxious child/teen about COVID-19: https://adaa.org/learn-from-us/from-the-experts/blog-posts/consumer/how-talk-your-anxious-child-or-teen-about
• A Comic for Discussing Coronavirus with Kids (NPR): https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/02/28/809580453/just-for-kids-a-comic-exploring-the-new-coronavirus
• Family activities to do together:
• Creating a COVID-19 time capsule, highlighting positive things & remembering living through this historical time: file:///Users/cer5266/Downloads/COVID-19%20Capsule%20for%20students.pdf 

Parent Mental Health:

• Family Mental Health for Parents During the Corona Pandemic
• https://docs.google.com/document/d/1urHj-akG9JhiVV9IhXYbzA8tfkFTggDCcRviyfHN5pQ/edit
• Care for Caregivers- why it’s important to take care of yourself and how you can start to do that, from NASP: https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/school-climate-safety-and-crisis/mental-health-resources/care-for-caregivers-tips-for-families-and-educators
• Managing stress and anxiety during COVID-19 (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fprepare%2Fmanaging-stress-anxiety.html
• Free meditations, sleep stories, soothing music & sounds, from Calm: https://www.calm.com/blog/take-a-deep-breath?fbclid=IwAR0QtMDQiPoxJHgn8AT8hNB2gbbnc5xxuXR6OOkSvRSglyaKGdI619M3e5w#calmmusic
• Free 10-minute journal prompts: https://www.christiezimmer.com/10-minute-journal-pages
• Warmline: A call line called "Warmline" is available 24/7 - people can call and talk if they need therapy services - non crisis number. Can be used for parents and students. It is FREE and they can provide clients with "minutes and data" for the service if need be. This number is 1-855-284-2494. 

Child Mental Health: 

• Breathing exercises: 5-finger breathing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAt58vJLBsQ
• List of links with activities, resources, & tips for supporting child & teen mental health from Children’s Mental Health Campaign: https://childrensmentalhealthcampaign.org/resources/covid-19-resources
• How to ease children’s anxiety about COVID-19, from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/March-2020/How-to-Ease-Children-s-Anxiety-About-COVID-19
• Tips on caring for your child’s (and your own) mental health during this time: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/kids-mental-health-coronavirus_l_5e81fb57c5b66149226b540e?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAADEH4A4oOJFwz6TIMJeW9rciWLh7xFw52HKDgytxk6eK54PNirZJ-cMSXnGE8FkZw_Z-DA4e1hDvngYOzG4E3zpyaAj3T1dMUS3f-MreE4P7HK0_2I0zIAusoNsJD7v7ELstoxiWvB2oKyU3ebeAF3MwW_Js03NhPZ40rC-4c1f5
• Ideas & resources for family self-care, managing boredom, conversation starters, a kindness challenge, and more, from Nationwide Children’s Hospital: https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/giving/on-our-sleeves/find-help/tools-for-you/coronavirus