CCA Webinar: COVID-19 Resources and Information
Education and Special Education
Medical-Legal: Benefits and Resources
Medical-Legal – Benefits and Resources
Memos and Updates from Jay Sicklick, Director, CCA Medical-Legal Partnership
June 24, 2020
CCA Response to Senate Democrats Junteenth Agenda for Special Session
HUSKY expansion for undocumented children and families
June 2, 2020
Reaffirmation of MLP commitment to address health disparities; CCA statement on events surrounding George Floyd homicide; Yale Pediatrics advocacy team resources to address racial and ethnic disparities; utility protections; education; update on health insurance for undocumented children.
May 7, 2020
Utility Protections: emergency moratorium on termination of electricity, heat and water, expansion of moratorium to non-residential customers, creation of Covid-19 Payment Plan; Education during pandemic; Op-Ed Advocacy Efforts to Expand Medicaid for Undocumented Children; Health equity and Covid-19.
April 27, 2020
Additional SNAP Funding, Flexibility for Medicaid Enrolled Providers to Perform Telehealth Through Audio-Only Methods for NEW PATIENTS, Guidance and Clarification on Special Education Matters, Comprehensive Benefits Training Available from MLP
April 17, 2020
MLPP Remains Open, SSI Recipients Now Eligible for Electronic Impact Payments, CHDI Provides Important Resources and Behavioral Health Access Information, Ongoing Advocacy to Expand HUSKY for Undocumented Families. See letters to Governor Lamont under Health Insurance: HUSKY below.
April 9, 2020
School Closure Update, Intimate Partner Violence, Insurance Expansion for Undocumented Children
April 3, 2020
Extended enrollment for Access Health, Energy Assistance, Emergency Snap Benefits, CARES Act Update, Letter to Gov. Lamont from 185 CT Physicians re Insurance for Undocumented
March 31, 2020
Changes in child care settings and fees, Latest Information on the State’s Medicaid Waiver, Changes in DSS policy for HUSKY and other public benefits, Brief word on the CARES Act and forthcoming stimulus checks.
March 27, 2020
Early Childhood remote services (Birth to Three), Non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT), Educational access (students with disabilities, additional resources), food pantries, cash assistance.
March 24, 2020
Meal sites, child welfare issues, housing evictions, healthcare and health insurance.
March 17, 2020
CCA assistance available to support your work.
Fact Sheet: Resources for Families, October, 2020
English
Housing, Utilities, Income Supports, Food Supports, General Support
Spanish
Vivienda, Servicios Públicos, Asistencia Monetaria, Asistencia Alimenaria, Apoyo General
Income Security
CCA Video: Covid and Electronic Stimulus Checks, May 2020
What you Need to know about Stimulus Checks, Connecticut Asset Building Collaborative, April 24, 2020
Public Assistance – Temporary Family Assistance (Cash Benefits)
- Applications online at connect.ct.gov/access/jsp/access/Home.jsp or call 2-1-1 for more information.
- In-person interviews for cash assistance have been temporarily waived.
- DSS has temporarily suspended the 21-month lifetime limit on the receipt of TFA.
Unemployment Insurance Benefits
- Applications for Unemployment Insurance Benefits online at filectui.com
Stimulus Checks
CARES ACT: What does it mean and how do you get your stimulus check?
- Every American who makes less than $75,000 will receive a one-time payment of $1,200, even if they did not work, did not file taxes or receives disability benefits.
- Every family will receive an additional $500 for every “qualifying child”. You may need to enroll your children in order to get the payment.
- For more information please go to the IRS webpage or call the MLPP (contact info below)
- Link here to get help with filing your taxes or getting your Economic Impact Payment.
Health Insurance
HUSKY
- Op-Ed: Advocacy Efforts to Expand Medicaid for Undocumented Children, Jay Sicklick, Esq; Julia Rosenberg, MD, Marietta Vazquez, MD, Hartford Courant, May 2, 2020
- April 17, 2020 Letter to Josh Geballe, Commissioner, CT Department of Administrative Services regarding Access to Care for Undocumented Children and Families
- April 16, 2020 Letter to Governor Lamont regarding expansion of HUSKY Insurance to Undocumented Families
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Updated Request to Governor Lamont to expand HUSKY Insurance to Undocumented Children, Youth and their Parents/Guardians. April 13, 2020. Signed by 233 physicians and front-line clinicians caring for vulnerable populations throughout Connecticut. As the state anticipates the surge of COVID-19 patients to continue through the next weeks, the need to implement expansion is more acute and emergent than ever.
- April 13, 2020 Email to Paul Mounds, Chief of Staff, regarding Expansion of HUSKY Insurance to Undocumented Children and Families
- Expand HUSKY Eligibility to All Regardless of Documentation Status, Letter from 185 Healthcare Providers to Governor Ned Lamont, April 1, 2020
- Applications for HUSKY, the state’s Medicaid and CHIP programs (HUSKY A & B) online at connect.ct.gov/access/jsp/access/Home.jsp or call 2-1-1.
- DSS has authorized coverage of some telemedicine services for identified health services.
Need for Health Insurance due to Loss of Employment / Meets Income Guidelines
- Contact Access Health CT at 1-855-805-4325 or accesshealthct.com
Utility Protection
Utility Protection for Low-Income Families: Hardship Customers are Protected through May 1
Utility Protections and COVID-19, Orders from the Connecticut Public Utility Commission, Sep 2, 2020
Community Outreach during a Pandemic, National Energy & Utility Affordability Coalition, Covid-19: Using New Challenges to Inspire Meaningful Solutions, Patricia King, PECO Energy, Manager, Community Engagement; and Bonnie Roswig, Esq, Director, Disability Rights Project, Center for Children’s Advocacy, July 2020
CCA Video: Covid and Utility Payments, June 2020
Video update: Although COVID-19 protection is over, your utility service cannot be turned off during the Winter Protection period of November 1 – May 1. Utility companies must offer you a plan that you can afford. Everyone receiving assistance such as food stamps, HUSKY, etc, should be in a $50/month payment plan. Call your utility company to get information. Here are the details.
Energy Assistance/Fuel Oil
- The moratorium does not apply to fuel oil, but Operation Fuel is still taking applications and may be reached at 860-243-2346 or by email at info@operationfuel.org
- Energy assistance are funds to help with your arrearages. Energy assistance is taking applications until June 1, 2020. Contact your local Community Action Agency for an application.
Food Security
Food Resources: DCF Memo April 21, 2020
WIC
WIC offices are closed for walk-in, but applications and inquiries are being processed by phone.
Contact information for WIC offices in Connecticut, Department of Public Health
Food Stamps (SNAP)
- Applications online at connect.ct.gov/access/jsp/access/Home.jsp, or call 2-1-1.
- DSS has suspended work requirements and certain time limits for enrollees.
- If the SNAP re-enrollment form was due in March, those benefits will automatically be continued through September 30, 2020; if due in April continued through October 31, 2020; and due in May continued through November 30, 2020.
Schools are providing meals to students who attend their schools.
Check the websites for individual school districts to see which school will provide meals or call 2-1-1.
- Hartford Public Schools: hartfordschools.org/understanding-coronavirus
- New Haven Public Schools: nhps.net/food
- Bridgeport Public Schools: bridgeportedu.net
- New Britain Public Schools: csdnbstudents.org/csdnbnewsarchives/coronavirus-meals
- Waterbury Public Schools: waterbury.k12.ct.us
Additional Resources for Food
- Video: Access to Food During COVID
- 2-1-1- Infoline
- United Way of Connecticut
- Food Share: Food Security in Hartford, Locations and Resources
- New Haven Resources: city of New Haven website on food resources during COVID
- CT CORE mutual aid and community support network. Fill out the form and say what your immediate needs are, such as food, housing, legal assistance, childcare, etc. They will reach out to you and connect you with the supports you need.
Housing Protections
- Temporary Rental Housing Assistance Program (TRHAP) (Click to see if you qualify)
Acting through the Department of Housing and the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, Connecticut created the Temporary Rental Housing Assistance Program to respond to issues associated with COVID-19. Effective Monday, October 26. - Extension on eviction moratorium until February 9, 2021
- How to Access Shelters in Connecticut (211 Info Line)
- Shelter “Diversion” and Possible Funding (211 Info Line)
- Moratorium on rental payments and evictions Legal Rights information (CCA video)
- Most evictions and foreclosure proceedings in CT have been placed on hold through July 1, 2020 per the Governor’s order. This means that landlords cannot start eviction proceedings until December 31, 2020. However, a landlord can evict someone who commits a crime in the apartment or is a serious nuisance to neighbors.
- If you can, continue to pay your rent. If not, there are a few steps to take to let your landlord know that you are struggling to pay rent. CT Law Help has more information, or call Statewide Legal Services at 800-453-3320.
Health and Safety Reminders
- Keeping your new baby safe during Covid-19, Office of the Child Advocate, May 20, 2020
- Maximize health: eat regularly, sleep enough, exercise, go outdoors for sunlight and vitamin D.
- Wash hands, and children’s hands, with soap, for 20 seconds, when coming in, before eating and also every few hours.
- Get backup medications from the pharmacy if possible for any medical issues.
- If ill, call medical office for advice; do not just show up in the emergency room without calling a doctor, unless it is literally life or death.
Contact
Jay Sicklick, MLP Director and MLP at St. Francis Hospital/Burgdorf: jsicklick@cca-ct.org
Ada Fenick, MD, MLP Medicial Director: ada.fenick@yale.edu
Bonnie Roswig, MLP at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center: broswig@cca-ct.org
Alice Rosenthal, MLP at Yale New Haven Health: arosenthal@cca-ct.org
Kathryn Meyer, MLP at Yale Child Study Center: kmeyer@cca-ct.org
Juvenile Justice
Connecticut
Letter to Acting DOC Commissioner Qiuros regarding incarcerated youth restricted to cells due to Covid outbreak at Manson Youth Institution , July 14, 2020
Letter to Commissioners Quiros & Cardona, expressing concerns with conditions being experienced by youth and young adults at Manson Youth Institution during COVID, Center for Children’s Advocacy, July 8, 2020.
Letter to Commissioner Rollin Cook, Dept of Correction, in Support of Incarcerated Youth and Young Adults, March 30, 2020
Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance Responds to Governor Lamont’s Lack of Action on Releasing Incarcerated and Detained Youth, Press Release, March 25, 2020
National
National Juvenile Justice Network
Resources and Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic, March 23, 2020
Contact
Martha Stone, JD, Executive Director: mstone@cca-ct.org
COVID-19 Response for Students who are Homeless or with Experience in Foster Care
Barbara Duffield, Marissa Meyers, Jennifer Pokempner, Jillian Sitjar, March 17, 2020
See Food Security listed above under Medical-Legal for school distribution locations, 2-1-1, and United Way
Contact
Adam Yagaloff, JD, Staff Attorney, Right Direction: Homeless Youth Advocacy Project: ayagaloff@cca-ct.org
Connecticut
COVID-19 Information from the Connecticut Judicial Branch
COVID-19 Information from the Department of Children and Families
Online Report of Non-Emergent Child Abuse or Neglect
FAQ for DCF Electronic Reporting
Domestic Violence (Intimate Partner Violence) Resources, Alison Karimi, MSW, Intimate Partner Violence Consultant, Department of Children and Families
Foster Family School Decisions, 2020-2021 Memo from Department of Children and Families, Debra Borzellino, Statewide Director of Foster Care, August 28, 2020.
Regarding Visitation Triage Process for Resumption of In-Person Parent-Child Visits, DCF Commissioner Vanessa Durantes, August 30, 2020
Memo from DCF Commissioner announcing that children aged 0-5 have been added to the list of children permitted to be included in the in-person visitation “triage process.” July 19, 2020
In Person Visitation, How to Minimize the Risk, Department of Children and Families, June 24, 2020
Associate Commissioner of U.S. Children’s Bureau to Child Welfare Leaders Nationwide, urging restraint in filing TPR petitions during pandemic, June 23,2020
DCF Guidance: Parent/Child Visitation Triage Protocol, Commissioner Dorantes, June 7, 2020
DCF Guidance for Supporting Children and Families during COVID-19, May 12, 2020
Child Care, Domestic Violence, Education, Family Activities, Food, Housing/Eviction, Mental Health and Substance Abuse, FAQ
DCF-800, Notice Benefits Terminations Suspended, April 21, 2020
DCF – United Way – Community Providers Collaboration: Warm Line, April 20, 2020
833-258-5011 Resource for families feeling stressed and overwhelmed
DCF Statewide Phone List, including staff cell numbers and names of supervisors, April 15, 2020
Communications and Technology: List of cellphone carriers, contact information, relief programs & discounts
Connecticut Juvenile Court Operations for Child Protection Matters
National
COVID-19 and Child Welfare Cases, Webinar, ABA Center on Children and the Law, Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice, and Commission on Youth at Risk. Panelists: Dr. Jerry Milner, Judge Ernestine Gray, David Kelly, Kathleen Creamer, and Prudence Beidler Carr, April 2020
Family Justice Initiative Website: How to provide high quality legal representation to children and parents during the pandemic
Chronicle of Social Change: Coronavirus, Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice
National Association of Counsel for Children: COVID-19 Resource Hub and Attorney TIP sheet
NACC Children’s Bureau COVID-19 Guidance, March 31, 2020
Letter from the Children’s Bureau to child welfare legal and judicial community regarding ongoing child welfare legal requirements in cases, March 27, 2020
United States Children’s Bureau and Think of Us: Virtual Town Hall – Coronavirus impact on Older Foster Youth, March 19, 2020
Parent Tip Sheet for Video Visits, rc-4.com
Contact
Stacy Schleif, JD, Senior Staff Attorney, Child Abuse Project: sschleif@cca-ct.org
State Department of Education
State Department of Education Resource Page on COVID-19 (updated regularly)
Special Education Guidance for Parents Related to School Reopening, CT Parent Advocacy Center (CPAC) and State Department of Education, August 2020
Connecticut School Reopening Plan, State Department of Education, June 29, 2020
Guidance on Student Exiters, SDE, June 5, 2020
From the SDE: official start of summer school on or after July 6. In person learning is an option given students and staffs wear masks and social distancing protocols are in place, among other guidance.
Rules for Operating Summer School, SDE, June 4, 2020
Guidance on Reopening Schools Safely for Summer School, SDE, June 4, 2020
Guidance for Extended School Year, SDE, May 20, 2020
Child Find during Covid-19, Topic Brief, Early Childhood, SDE, May 20, 2020
Covid Emergency Flow Chart, SDE, May 20, 2020
CT Educational Advocacy Group Recommendations to the State Department of Education in Response to Covid-19 Educational Crisis, AFCAMP, Center for Children’s Advocacy, Commission on Women, Children Seniors, Equity & Opportunity, Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance, Connecticut Legal Services, Greater Hartford Legal Aid, New Haven Legal Assistance Association, Office of the Child Advocate, SEEK CT (Special Education Equity for Kids), Village for Children and Families, May 14, 2020
Continued Education Opportunities and Special Ed (PPT Guidance), SDE Update, April 24, 2020
Announcement of Districts Receiving Laptops in First Round of Device Distribution,Update from Governor’s COVID-19 Learn From Home Task Force, April 17, 2020
Attendance Guidance and Assuring Student Engagement, Comissioner Cardona, State of Connecticut, State Board of Education, April 9, 2020
State Department of Education Learn from Home Taskforce, Nate Quesnel and Paul Freeman, Co-Chairs,
Governor’s Learn from Home Task Force, April 7, 2020
Due Process Activities under IDEA during COVID-19, Bryan Klimkiewicz, Special Education Division Director, Connecticut State Department of Education, April 6, 2020
Letter from the Center for Children’s Advocacy to State Department of Education Commissioner Miguel Cardona regarding recent guidance issued by the State Department of Education and the state’s response to the COVID-19 crisis and its effect on students with special needs, April 1, 2020
State Department of Education: Continued Educational Opportunities and Approved Private Special Education Programs, Brian Klimkiewiz, Special Education Bureau Director, March 31, 2020
CT State Department of Education, Special Education Division: Memorandum regarding Continued Education Opportunities and Special Ed, March 24, 2020
CT State Department of Education, Special Education Division: Memorandum regarding Continued Education
Governor Lamont Executive Orders
State of Connecticut Executive Order 7M, Governor Ned Lamont, Protection of Public Health and Safety During COVID-19 Pandemic and Response – Extension of Agency Administrative Deadlines, March 25, 2020
State of Connecticut Executive Order 7L, Governor Ned Lamont, Protection of Public Health and Safety During COVID-19 Pandemic and Response – Extension of School Cancellation, Public Health Measures, March 24, 2020
State of Connecticut Executive Order 7E, Governor Ned Lamont, Protection of Public Health and Safety During COVID-19 Pandemic and Response – Further Suspension or Modification of Statutes, March 21, 2020
Connecticut Educational Advocacy Coalition
Educational Advocacy Coalition Position Letter, July 10, 2020
New Haven Public Schools
NHPS Back-to-School resources update, Oct 2020
Hartford Public Schools
Hartford Public Schools, Distance Learning Plan, March 23, 2020
Information, Chromebook Distribution, Internet Access
National
Q & A Document from Office of Special Education Programs, in Response to Inquiries Concerning Implementation of IDEA Part B in Current COVID-19 Environment, September 28, 2020
US Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights, Addressing the Risk of COVID-19 in Schools While Protecting the Civil Rights of Students, March 16, 2020
US Department of Education Supplemental Fact Sheet, Addressing the Risk of COVID-19 in Preschool, Elementary and Secondary Schools While Serving Children with Disabilities, March 21, 2020
US Department of Education, Q&A on Services for Children with Disabilities, March 2020
Contact
Marisa Halm, JD, Director, TeamChild Youth Justice Project: mhalm@cca-ct.org
Kathryn Meyer, JD, Director, SpeakUp Initiatives: kmeyer@cca-ct.org
Immigrant Emergency Resources available during Covid-19
**Indicates support for undocumented community
