As COVID cases ease, what is being done to help Stanislaus County children and families?
This is Day 2 of a two-part series on the impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on children. Part 1, a look back, was published Sunday.
While the setbacks inside the classroom have been well-documented, the consequences of the pandemic-triggered instability outside of education, from housing to healthcare to food insecurity, loom large.
“We are crappy, but still alive, LOL,” said GG in a text. She’s the mother of three children, ages 12 to 18, enrolled in public schools. She asked that her name not be used, to protect the privacy of her children.
GG and two of her children lived at Modesto Outdoor Emergency Shelter until housing was found for families in July 2019. They were renting a house until November, but had to leave after a dispute with the landlord, which has been resolved. GG said she wants to move, but it’s been really hard to find a place that’s affordable.
Distance education proved to be another challenge. GG and her 12-year-old had significant hurdles with internet connection. When they couldn’t stay in their rental house, they stayed in an overnight shelter, which did not have sufficient internet service for her sixth-grader to complete schoolwork. The Modesto City Schools dstrict provided the preteen with a personal WiFi device, which enabled the student to complete schoolwork from the family’s van.
“One of the biggest things at the beginning of the pandemic was getting all the kids connected,” said Jay Simmonds, assistant superintendent of Ceres Unified School District. “Some of our students didn’t even have cell service where they lived. We tried to remove all those barriers.”
Ceres Unified has been using distance learning since last March, though some TK-3 students are following a hybrid model with in-person school two days per week.
Alison Stiles, a senior at Ceres High School, said her family had to change internet providers to have enough broadband, but self-discipline has been her main hurdle for distance learning.
“I’m in class three hours, so much is independent,” Stiles said, “I’m not learning as much as if I were in school.”
Simmonds said, “Some students seem to thrive because of their learning style, but the majority are struggling with the lack of in-person environment and the lack of human connections.”
The loss of in-person support seems to dishearten kids across all ages.
Youngest students missing out
Some parents opted out of enrolling their young children in school, in part because of the added teaching responsibilities for working parents, and for some, because of health concerns.
Enrollment in transitional kindergarten and kindergarten was down by more than 1,000 students for 2020-21, compared to the previous two years, according to Judy Boring, Stanislaus County Office of Education spokesperson.
Kindergarten is not required in California, but school attendance is mandatory starting at age 6. Parents can choose to enroll their child in first grade without kindergarten experience. However, research has shown that children who attend quality preschool and kindergarten have stronger building blocks for learning.
SCOE has been able to continue its Early Childhood Education programs, and even increase slots for children of essential workers using supplemental funding, including CARES.
“Children are receiving services in an on-site, distance learning or in a hybrid model. Families (are) appreciative that on-site services are available to them in order to return to or continue working,” said Marissa Duran, SCOE director of child and family services, including oversight of Head Start programs.
Duran said the children say they are happy to be in school with their friends, highlighting that preschool is more than learning ABCs.
Meliesa Stiles, Allison’s mother and a CUSD librarian at Fowler Elementary School, said educational goals for her students aren’t her biggest concern.
“I just worry about the kids. Are they being taken care of? Are they safe? That’s the hardest part, not being able to reach out and hug them when you know that’s the only hug they might get. ... It’s just hard not being able to nurture and comfort the kids.”
Mental health — are the kids all right?
Dr. Bernardo Mora said, “It’s hard to tell right now” if the kids are OK.
Mora, medical director of Stanislaus County Behavioral Health and Recovery services, said a big missing piece for knowing how the kids are is that they are not in their usual routines, including regular school.
Increased rates in anxiety disorders, depression and PTSD have been reported among children and teens worldwide related to COVID-19 and its mitigation efforts, including social isolation.
A 44% drop in outpatient mental health care visits, even including telehealth services, was noted in a national study.
In Stanislaus County, mental health hospitalizations for children increased 30% last year, compared to 2019, and four teens died by suicide in 2020.
Mora said similar to national trends, fewer kids are seeking mental health care, but “the kids that are going for care are presenting sicker.”
More than 20% of respondents in households with children reported feeling down, depressed or hopeless in the week prior, in a survey performed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The researchers attributed the struggles to the uncertainty, isolation and grief with so many deaths due to the coronavirus.
Last month, four Denair High School students, masked and socially distanced, discussed living through the pandemic with Terry Metzger, superintendent of Denair Unified School District, and The Bee.
All of the students said what they miss the most are their friends, school staff and teachers.
Pureza Avila, 18, senior at Denair High, said she has personally benefited from participating in RoX girl empowerment program through school, which includes coping strategies and social well-being resources.
“I miss the sounds of children,” Metzger said. “I miss hearing the kids outside my office door. I miss the buzz and vibe of campus. I can’t wait to get back to that.”
DUSD began staged reopening of in-person school on March 1.
But, as much as they don’t like current times, all of the students identified a positive from this once-in-a-hundred-year phenomenon.
Pandemic positives
Stiles said, “The good news, I can tell my children that I lived through the pandemic. The bad news, I can tell my children that I spent my senior year in a pandemic.”
“I’ve started focusing on my goals and started achieving them because I have time to do it,” said Cooper Feldman, 16-year-old junior at Denair High School, “My academic goal was to achieve above a 4.0 and it’s happening.”
Derek Coleman, 17-year-old Denair High senior, also said he’s been able to improve his grades, “because I got nothing better to do,” and everyone, including Coleman, laughed.
“I’ve learned my strengths and weaknesses and by dealing with them, I’ve become stronger” said Estefany Flores, 18, senior at Denair High.
All the students said it’s important to remember that everyone is living through COVID-19 and their individual struggles deserve to be respected.
“I’m learning to be kind,” said Avila, “Everyone is fighting their own battle. Big or small, they still need to be heard.”
School districts prepare for mental health needs of students
Metzger said she knows it’s been hard on the kids, as well as teachers, staff and parents, and the district has rallied to provide access to mental health resources.
Educators are aware of the mental health challenges for their students and they’re incorporating mental health strategies into their plans for reopening campuses.
“Teachers’ whole lives are spent interacting with kids,” said Sara Noguchi, superintendent of the Modesto City Schools district. “They’re starving for normality.”
She said it’s important to remember that “everyone has a story,” including the teachers and staff, as well as the students.
“In reopening ‘brick and mortar’ schools, it’s critical to ensure (we) rebuild a culture for students and teachers that allow a safe space and that we arm the adults to have what are sure to be difficult conversations.”
She said educators will need to “meet students where they are and not what is expected at grade level.”
MCS plans to encourage students to get involved in clubs, athletics and other school organizations to provide additional social support, especially at the junior high level. The district has continued to offer mental health resources during distance learning, though primarily remote.
Ceres Unified School District has also maintained student support services during the pandemic, which it’s ramping up as part of its reopening plan.
“For mental health, the kids are struggling,” Simmonds said. “They’re lonely, scared and some have been home by themselves quite a bit.”
He said the kids who have been able to attend in-person sessions feel more secure and say they’re happy to be back. Simmonds said the district’s reopening plans include mental health outreach and connections in all classrooms.
CUSD is already planning for an option for students to attend summer school, to help bolster academic and social-emotional progress.
All local districts provide support services including counselors, psychologists and peer clubs, though most activities are remote. In addition, Denair offers online educational sessions with a child and adolescent psychiatrist available to parents and everyone in the community.
Mora cautioned there may be an increased demand for mental health services when students return to school, as they are still living through a pandemic and school won’t be the same as it was last February.
Resources
The American Academy of Pediatrics offers advice for parents to help their kids cope with COVID-19 including: talk with kids about their worries, model how to manage emotions, maintain a routine, get enough sleep, eat a healthy diet, exercise, spend time outdoors and stay connected with loved ones. Seek professional help for concerns about a child’s behavioral or emotional well-being.
The California Surgeon General’s “playbook” posted on a new website, CalHope, with tips for all age groups to cope with the pandemic-related stress. They can also be reached by calling 1-833-317-4673.
If you or someone you know is considering harming themselves, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or the crisis text line at 741741. If danger is imminent, dial 9-1-1.
For Stanislaus County Behavioral Health and Recovery resources, visit http://www.stancounty.com/bhrs/suicide-prevention.shtm or call warm line at 209-558-4600.
For Stanislaus County Office of Education mental and emotional health information, visit https://www.stancoe.org/mental-health-resources or call 209-238-1360
For mental health resources in your school district, check your district’s web page or call the main office.
This story was produced with financial support from The Stanislaus County Office of Education and the Stanislaus Community Foundation, along with the GroundTruth Project’s Report for America initiative. The Modesto Bee maintains full editorial control of this work.
To help fund The Bee’s children’s health and economic development reporters with Report for America, go to bitly.com/ModbeeRFA
This story was originally published March 8, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
