Education & Childcare




EDUCATION


Weekly COVID Testing: As of December 7, 2020, students in grades 1 - 12 and staff in all reopened school buildings will be randomly tested for COVID-19 on a weekly basis. In order for your child to attend in-person learning, you must submit a COVID-19 testing consent form.  Information on filling out the consent form and a full description of testing policies can be found here.

Daily COVID Case Map: You can use this map here to see all known cases of COVID-19 at NYC public schools as well as all classroom and school building closures.

2020-2021 School Year: Click here for the latest updates from the NYC Department of Education regarding the 2020-2021 school year.  

Choosing Fully Remote Learning: If your child is in blended learning, you can switch them to fully remote learning at any time by filling out this form here or calling 311. At this time, a child in fully remote learning cannot switch to blended learning.

Letters to Families: Previous letters from the Department of Education can be viewed here.  


Family and Student Information Sessions: The NYC Department of Education is hosting live information sessions for students and families regarding school closures and reopenings. You can register for the live info sessions and view the recordings of past sessions here. The sessions are delivered and recorded in English, Spanish, Cantonese and Mandarin.

Find a School Tool: You can locate the contact information for the administrative staff at your child’s school by using the NYC Find a School tool here.

Free COVID Testing: All NYC School students and employees are eligible for a free COVID test. Call 311 to learn more.

Pre-Screening Requirement: Students will need to complete a COVID pre-screening before they arrive at the school building on days they are learning in-person. The online pre-screening can be accessed here and more information on the screening requirement can be found here.

School Year Calendar: See the full 2020-2021 School Year Calendar here.

Transportation: General information regarding student busing and transportation can be found here. Your child’s bus assignment and route can be found in your NYC Schools Accounts.

Parent University: This is a free service for parents that offers courses and resources in a wide range of subjects to help them support their students. You can register
here.

Mental Health Tips: Check out this article here for advice on how to calm your child’s anxieties about school during the pandemic.

Free Learning Resources

NYC Schools Account: Track your child’s education by signing up for an NYC Schools Account here. Services are available in all DOE languages.

All: The New York Public Library system offers free online tutoring from early elementary school to high school from 2-11pm daily. See here for more details on how to get started.

New York Public Library: NYPL has begun a limited reopening, with grab-and-go services available at 50 library locations. Expanded services, including book browsing and public desktop use, is available at 14 library locations. See here for more details.

Additionally, you have free access to Google Classroom, Microsoft Office 365, and Zoom for all students. To access, click here. Click to learn how to use google classroom, microsoft office, and zoom.


Early Childhood: Free access to activities for Infants, toddlers, and young kids 3-4 years old here.

Specialized Instruction:
  • Please see here for the DOE’s message to parents of children with disabilities.
  • For help with Assistive Technology, click here
  • For Occupation Therapy supports, click here
  • For Physical Therapy Support, click here
  • For Speech Therapy Support, click here

Activity Packets: Click here for resources for learning from home from K-12 (and for more information, click here!)  




CHILDCARE


Updates: Click here for the latest NY updates on childcare.

Information for Parents: Click here for a comprehensive guide to child care created by the NY Division of Child Care Services.

Information for Providers: Click here for a list of resources that may be useful to child care providers.

COVID Vaccination: Providers and staff of NYC child care centers are now prioritized groups for receiving a COVID vaccine. Click here for more information on new vaccine guidance for child care providers.

COVID Vaccine Scam Alert: The NYS Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) and the Department of Health (DOH) are warning about scam phone calls to child care programs from people who claim to be part of OCFS/DOH. The scammers will ask the child care provider for personal information to put them on a vaccination list, and will threaten to shut down the child care program if the provider does not comply. OCFS and DOH are NOT calling providers to scheduled COVID vaccinations. To report a scam call, you can either call 1-800-HHS-TIPS or file a report online by clicking here.

Phishing Fraud Alert: The NYS Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) is warning about scam phone calls that claim to have your CARES funding and then ask for your financial information. OCFS will NOT call you for financial information. OCFS will only discuss financial information via email.

Child Care Guide: The NYC Department of Health released a child care guide for parents/guardians. You can read the guide here.

Child Care Centers Reopening Requirements: Requirements for opening a child care center in the city can be found here.

Child Care Centers Operating without License: Click here to see the list of child care centers currently operating without a license or registration.

Background Check Guidance: NY State has updated the schedule for completion of Comprehensive Background Check requirements for child care providers. You can find the schedule here.

Learning Bridges Program
NYC plans to provide free childcare on days that children are not in school buildings. You can fill out the application and learn more about the program here. You can now also call 311 to fill out the application over the phone. If you already completed the expression of interest form, there is no need to fill out this application again.  Children in 3K through 8th grade are eligible. Families with parents/guardians that cannot work from home are prioritized, especially parents/guardians who are essential workers and previously had their children enrolled in a Regional Enrichment Center. Currently, families with students enrolled in fully-remote learning are not eligible for Learning Bridges.

Tax Credit for Child Care: You may be eligible for a tax credit to help pay for child care. Find out more about the tax credit, including how to apply, by clicking here.

Child Care Search: You can search for child care services that you may be eligible for here. In addition, the Child Care Subsidy Program can provide financial support for childcare. Furthermore, you can compare the performance and health inspection records of child care centers here.

Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies: For assistance in searching for child care, you can contact your local CCRR office. If you tell them the specifics of your child care needs, they can provide a list of nearby providers that meet those needs. Click here to see the CCRR office contact list.

Access NYC Child Care: Child care for babies and toddlers and Head Start programs are available for free/low-cost through Access NYC. Find out more information and determine your eligibility here.

Diapers: If you are in need of diapers, please call 211 on your phone or search online at 2-1-1.org to find out if an agency in your area provides diaper assistance to families in need.

Healthy at Home Tips: Click here for tips and resources to keep your children safe, healthy, and engaged while staying at home.





The website was developed as a service provided by medical students in New York City.

This website provides selected information available about a range of disease topics. Like any printed material, it may become out of date over time. It is important that consumers rely on the advice of a health care professional to employ good clinical judgment for the specific conditions of individual patients. This information is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a health care professional, or a recommendation for any particular treatment plan. External sites are not necessarily endorsed by the medical students who created this website.