It’s Not Just COVID-19: Keeping Your Kids Healthy This Winter

  Let’s face it: Parenting has always been scary. But it’s especially so when you’re trying to keep your little ones safe in the face of a pandemic. You’d do anything to protect them. But while the world’s attention may be focused on COVID-19, there are other, perhaps even more significant health threats, parents need to guard against. Influenza It might come as a surprise, but COVID-19 and the seasonal flu share some similarities. Both are infections that can easily be spread through respiratory droplets from coughing, sneezing, and even breathing and speaking near others.  As frightening as COVID-19 may be, it seems to be the seasonal flu that poses the greatest risk to children in particular, especially those under 5. While children are by no means immune to the coronavirus or its severest complications, they appear to be far less susceptible to the worst impacts of the disease than

 It’s normal to feel uncertain, confused, and even scared by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CDC has even released a list of people/groups who respond more strongly to the stress of a crisis. That list includes children and teens. Even if you, yourself, are feeling uncertain and scared, it’s important to talk to your child about their fears regarding the pandemic. Talking to your children about their health can (and should) start at a young age, no matter the state of the world, using appropriate language for that age. By having open communication about their health and starting those conversations early, you can encourage them to make lasting healthy habits. It’s also important to talk to them about the state of the world. Children may see things on television or hear things from other people and get scared. As their parent, knowing how to appropriately discuss what is happening can

  Over the course of this year, COVID-19 has changed life as we know it. Virtually no corner of the world will be left untouched by this experience. Yet, its impact varies dramatically, even in our own country. The coronavirus has highlighted many inequalities across the U.S., as disenfranchised communities struggle to deal with the consequences of the virus both physically and economically. Among these hard hit groups are our children currently in the foster care system.  The coronavirus has drastically slowed down the process of transitioning children out of foster care and into forever families. A shutdown of government offices and facilities along with the modification of certain aspects of the foster/adoption process such as homestudies, family visits, and traveling across state has caused huge delays and left many children waiting in limbo. Although not everyone is in a position to foster or adopt at this time, there are still