News & UpdatesCoronavirus: resources, benefits and legal informationPlease visit this webpage to learn more and access resources for family in San Luis Obispo County.
Census 2020 - Every Family Deserves to Be Counted
Now more than ever it is vital that ALL residents of San Luis Obispo County are counted in the 2020 Census. This count is used to determine federal funding levels for critical services, including Head Start, WIC, CalFresh, child care programs, and Medi-Cal. Children under 5, low-income families, and immigrant families are the most likely to be undercounted.
You can help by sharing Census messaging with your families on social media frequently (just follow First 5 SLO County and repost Census messages). It's important to get the word out about how to participate in the census (especially for families who are sharing housing) and to let immigrant families know that there is no citizenship question. Please remind parents when appropriate to make sure to fill out their Census survey by phone or online. To fill out the survey online by smartphone or computer: https://my2020census.gov/ (a Spanish version can be selected in the upper right corner) To fill out the survey by telephone: call (844) 330-2020 for English or (844) 468-2020 for Spanish. Watch our webinar to learn more about why the Census is important and what you as a SLO County provider can do to help to ensure the count of all young children: 
Census Handouts: Parent information handout in English and Spanish, customized with San Luis Obispo County wording:
Information about fraud and scams from the Census Bureau:
2020census.gov/en/avoiding-fraud.html 2020census.gov/es/avoiding-fraud.html Fraud and scam information in handout form (English/Spanish): 
FAQs and messaging from First 5 Association of CA:
media.thesocialpresskit.com/gmmb-team-23/First5CensusMessageGuideFINALEnglish11719_1.docx More FAQs from 2020 Census Orange County Counts: occensus.org/faqs/ Census coloring books and coloring pages (English and Spanish):
www.census.gov/schools/resources/games/coloring.html media.thesocialpresskit.com/gmmb-team-23/F5AActivitySheetsr1v6.pdf Pre-K activities and teacher guide about the Census and counting:
www.census.gov/programs-surveys/sis/2020census/2020-resources/pre-k.html Social media campaign from First 5 Association of CA in English and Spanish:
thesocialpresskit.com/first5-2020census |
Funds for Undocumented ResidentsThe California Department of Social Services has released information on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Disaster Relief Assistance for Immigrants.
In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, California is providing one-time state-funded disaster relief assistance to undocumented adults who are ineligible for other forms of assistance, including assistance under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and pandemic unemployment benefits, because of their immigration status. This state funding is expected to reach about 150,000 undocumented adults. Individuals are eligible for a one time grant of $500; A maximum of two adults per household can qualify for this assistance for a total of $1,000 in assistance per household. A household is defined as individuals who live and purchase and prepare meals together. The funds for San Luis Obispo County are being distributed by Community Action Board Santa Cruz, (800) 228-6820, cabinc.org/2020/05/13/beginning-may-18-2020/ Funds will be available on a first come, first served basis as of Monday, May 18. Families in need of support should contact them at (800) 228-6820 as soon as possible on Monday morning. Funds will go quickly. Detailed information can be found at: www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/immigration/covid-19-drai. Covered CA Re-OpensWith the large-scale job losses due to COVID-19, many people are losing their health insurance as well. Covered California, the state insurance exchange that provides health insurance subsidies to individuals who do not qualify for Medi-Cal, is now open for anyone who is uninsured. This is a Special Enrollment period due to the new coronavirus.
Adults who work full time for low wages often earn too much to qualify for Medi-Cal. They will face new state tax penalties in 2020 if they do not have health insurance and they are at risk for high medical costs during the current epidemic. You can help by referring uninsured clients to: www.coveredca.com/individuals-and-families/getting-covered/special-enrollment/ Clients can apply online at www.coveredca.com or get help from a certified insurance agent or certified enrollment counselor: www.coveredca.com/find-help/ Sign up for our monthly newsletters:
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Download our Directory of Family Resource CentersThis quick and easy reference guide contains contact information along with a brief description of numerous resource centers available for families in San Luis Obispo County. The list of supporting organizations include pregnancy support, homeless resources, mental health and much more.
We invite you to download our 2019 Directory of Family Resource Centers and share it with your colleagues and clients. | ||||||||
The Health Access Training Project is a project of First 5 of San Luis Obispo County which advocates for quality programs and services to support children from prenatal to age five, ensuring that every child is healthy and ready to learn in school.