A press release from Eureka Mayor Susan Seaman:

Hello.  I’m Susan Seaman, Mayor of Eureka. 
 
As I’ve mentioned in my previous videos during this COVID-19 State of Emergency, the City of Eureka is deeply committed to supporting the health and well-being of all our citizens, our community, and our local economy. 

Today, I want to take a moment to consider supporting our youngest citizens – and those who care for them. Next week, April 11 - 17th, is the Week of the Young Child. As part of the Children’s Initiative adopted by the City last December, we committed to a plan to create a supportive community for children and families. A pandemic certainly doesn’t change that.  
 
In our yearlong assessment of how we can support our children, we were reminded about the importance of access to child care so that parents can go to work to provide for their families. In this critical time, child care providers are essential employees who continue to work so our doctors, nurses, grocery store clerks, public safety officials and others can do their jobs to keep us safe. As we think about the important work all of our essential employees are doing, let’s not forget that many can do their jobs better when they know their kids are safe in the hands of qualified childcare providers. Without a crisis, only 25% of parents can find access to their ideal child care setting. In a crisis, it’s even harder.
 
To learn about resources for parents and child care providers during this difficult time, visit Changing Tides Family Services, our local child care resource and referral website, at changingtidesfs.org.
 
In addition to those essential workers who must leave their kids with childcare providers, we have other administrative professionals who are working from home doing their essential jobs, while also serving as their child’s school-teacher and parent. It’s provided a new insight for parents and increased gratitude to the teachers who spend their days creating valuable lessons and sharing them with our kids, providing them with the education they need to be successful adults.
 
April is also Child Abuse Awareness Month, and times of great stress – with little opportunity to create space when we’re feeling frustrated – this is a real concern. Please check on your friends with children and give them an opportunity to talk through the things that are making them feel frustrated. If you’re a parent and you’re having difficulty coping, please reach out for help. You can find resources for activities or services at first5humboldt.org.
 
We know that there are families who have food insecurity and struggle to provide three healthy meals a day, so I am happy to know that Eureka City Schools, as well as the other school districts in our community, are able to provide free meals. Eureka City Schools provides breakfast and lunch on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Meals for two days will be provided on Mondays and Wednesdays, assuring that kids have enough to eat throughout the week. For more information about the meal programs, please visit eurekacityschools.org, or the appropriate school district websites for your child.
 
From City Hall, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the City of Eureka’s Little Saplings program. We are so fortunate to have Nancy Danel – truly a friend of the young child - as our Preschool Director. She and her staff are continuing to provide comforting messages both at the school, and through online videos, for her students during this confusing time. We also have a great Community Services team on staff who are truly champions for children, ready and waiting to again provide after school programs and enrichment activities to the families in our community.
 
Will you join me in celebrating Week of the Young Child? We will be offering online encouragement each day of the week: Music Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Work Together Wednesday, Artsy Thursday and Family Friday. Look for our messages with #EurekaWOYC on Facebook and Instagram. We’re inviting you to decorate your windows to provide an encouraging, social distance friendly, I-Spy activity. You can decide how you want to decorate, but we encourage you to add a new element each day of the week that fits the theme. We’ll be starting the week of our window design with a teddy bear – a symbol used across the country to let kids know that they’re not alone during this health crisis.
 
Again, I’m Mayor Susan Seaman. It truly takes a village and I thank you for joining us in recognizing that we can each take a role in keeping families and essential workers safe by practicing safe COVID-19 measures. Stay safe, be healthy, take care of your family, thank those who support you and your family and be kind to yourself. We’ll speak again soon.