COVID-19 Updates and Information

Breakfast and Lunch for Students

ALH is offering daily (Mon. – Fri.) meals for pick up and is available to everyone under the age of 18.

Lunch for the current day and breakfast for the following day is available for pick up throughout the closure from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Signage is posted, directing students and families to the location where meals can be picked up, and ALH staff are available for assistance, if needed.

Social Distancing Daily Check-ins

The College Bound Department has shared this article from Mindful with helpful tips about daily check-ins you can do with yourself during this time of social distancing.

Community Support Resources

Below are resources that address social‐emotional needs of all stakeholders, including students, during an infectious disease outbreak. In addition ALH can be a source of information for students and families.

Downloadable Files

NY State of Health Letter to Families
COVID-19 Emergency Resource Guide
Resources for Mental Health and Talking to Young People About COVID-19

Additional Websites

• School Mental Health and Training Center: https://mhanys.org/programs/schools/
• NYS Office of Mental Health: https://omh.ny.gov/
• Coping with Stress During Infectious Disease Outbreaks: https://store.samhsa.gov/system/files/sma14‐4885.pdf
• Just for Kids: A Comic Exploring the New Coronavirus: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/02/28/809580453/just‐for‐kids‐a‐comicexploring‐the‐new‐coronavirus
• Fear of Coronavirus—A Good Time to Talk to Kids About Keeping Fears Realistic and Manageable, Lois M. Collins, Deseret News, Jan. 28, 2020: https://www.deseret.com/indepth/2020/1/28/21112457/fear‐coronavirus‐china‐childrenanxiety‐health‐medicine‐virus
• Scholly Student Relief Fund – Cash assistance to help cover expenses during COVID-19: http://myscholly.com/relief/
• Xfinity – Free access to Xfinity Hot Spots. https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/open-xfinity-wifi-hotspots
• College Greenlight- College Greenlight is hosting the Online College Block Party. This is a FREE, two-day, online college knowledge event for high-school students from all grade levels, parents, and counselors. Topics include: financial aid, covid-19 impact on fall college application, personal essay writing assistance, and more. We are live on April 28th & 29th ! https://bit.ly/cbpspring2020
• Strive Virtual College Exploration Week – https://www.strivescan.com/virtual/

Albany County will be offering walk-up COVID-19 test sites by appointment:

• Thursday, April 16: Capital South Campus Center, 20 Warren St., noon-4 p.m.
• Friday, April 17: Whitney Young Health Center, 920 Lark Drive, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Friday, April 17: Bleecker Terrace Apartments, North Manning Boulevard, 9 a.m.-noon
• Friday, April 17: Watervliet Health Center, 1804 Second Ave., Watervliet, 1:30 p.m.-4 p.m.

Beginning Friday, April 17, the Whitney Young Health Center at 920 Lark Drive also will be open each weekday for testing from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Testing will be available on a rotating basis each week at the other sites. We will share that information as we receive it from the county.

Please note that all testing is by appointment only, after being screened for symptoms over the phone. To be screened, please call (518) 465-4771. All sites will be available on a walk-up basis after an appointment has been scheduled.

Funding for childcare costs

New York is using a portion of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) funds to provide free childcare to income-eligible essential workers.

To qualify, essential workers must work outside of the home and use a regulated childcare provider. They will receive a scholarship for the cost of care as long as the funds to support it are available. All licensed and regulated providers who are caring for essential workers are able to participate in this new program.

In order to qualify for the scholarship, families also must have an adjusted gross income at or below 300% of the federal poverty level. For a family of four that equals an annual income of $78,600.

Parents and guardians are asked to complete this application for the CARES Child Care Scholarship. Applications will be considered complete once the online application is finished AND the required supplemental documentation is submitted to Brightside Up, the Childcare Resource and Referral Agency (CCRA) for Albany, Fulton, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga and Schenectady counties.

For parents and guardians that currently receive a subsidy from their local Department of Social Services to pay for childcare, this scholarship can cover the co-pay. Parents and guardians should apply for the CARES Act Scholarship, and then contact their local DSS to get a letter stating their current co-pay. Please address any questions to Tricia Howland at thowland@brightsideup.org.

Free WiFi Access

Spectrum is offering free Internet access to Capital Region households due to the COVID-19 outbreak and school closures, starting Monday, March 16th. The 60-day offer is available to households that are not already Spectrum customers.

Call 844-488-8395 to enroll and for more information.

National Grid Information

National Grid has put a number of practices in place to assist families and lessen financial hardships during the COVID-19 crisis. These practices will remain in place until at least the end of April. They include the suspension of collections-related activities and service disconnections, more flexible billing and payment options and crisis intervention support for customers in need.

Visit National Grid’s COVID-19 Information section for more information and ongoing updates.

For additional important information, you may access guidance and updates from the CDC (https://www.cdc.gov/), the NYSDOH (https://www.health.ny.gov/), or you may call 1-888-364-3065 for the Coronavirus Hotline.

Again, and always, thank you for your ongoing patience and cooperation as we navigate this extremely difficult health and safety situation.