Editor’s note: This commentary is by Claire Kendall, who is the co-executive director of Family Center of Washington County.
There is no doubt that the Covid-19 crisis has hit all of us hard. In every way our whole community, both locally and globally, is experiencing something that is unprecedented and, in many ways, unclear.
We do know, however, that families continue to rely on the services of the Family Center of Washington County, and other Parent Child Centers across the state. For some families this need is heightened by the events going on in the world. The Family Center has not wavered from our commitment to meet the needs of these families. We have quickly and innovatively adapted the way we provide services so that we can continue to provide essential services to children and families in our community during these critical times. Although this is a time of great fear, sadness and anxiety for our country, it is also an opportunity to come together and support one another.
Parent Child Centers have ramped up our essential services and supports to meet the increasing needs. Parenting is difficult in the best of times, and families that have day-to-day challenges are now under unprecedented levels of stress. We are working on the front lines with families during these times of stress and isolation that can lead to an increase in a family’s chance of poor outcomes including child abuse and neglect. The need for housing homeless families is at a critical level due to Covid-19, and we are doing everything we can to support our families and youth who are struggling with this issue.
Parent Child Centers across the state are working hard to be there for families. We support children and families, and now more than ever we are working tirelessly to keep vulnerable children and families from falling through the cracks. As essential workers, Family Center staff are delivering daily concrete supports and essential goods to families including meals, food, formula, diapers and wipes, and working with essential persons to help them find the child care they need to continue to serve our community, helping families and child care providers navigate financial supports, baby food, etc. We have pivoted to delivering virtual services, including early intervention, family support, Google classrooms and Zoom circles and story times for our early childhood services, a Facebook live playgroup music corner and our Parent Café support groups are kicking off this week. Family Center staff are working with families via phone and by remote, triaging our families’ needs during this crisis.
Despite social distancing, we hear stories daily about our community coming together to support one another. These are the values of caring and compassion that will make us stronger together as a regional and global community. We are so grateful to our generous community for all the donations of food, formula, diapers, and many other critical goods families are needing.
Communities will need Parent Child Centers more than ever after the peak of this crisis passes and it will be critical to get families back on track and return to whatever their new normal looks like. It is anticipated that the trauma that some children and families are experiencing now will require additional supports from Parent Child Centers in the long term including general trauma response, postpartum depression, substance use, isolation risks for children at risk of abuse and neglect and rebuilding social connections and parenting supports. PCCs will be here for the immediate recovery time as well as the long term, standing strong for Vermont’s children and families.
