Schools around Los Angeles and Orange counties have closed in an effort to prevent further spread of coronavirus.
As LAUSD officials pointed out, that wasn't an easy decision, because many families depend on schools for meals, child care, and services for students with special needs.
"Our schools provide a social safety net for children," schools Supt. Austin Beutner said at a Friday press conference. "The closing of any school has real consequences beyond the loss of instructional time."
We are compiling this list of resources for families who may need help, and we will update as we hear more. In many cases, particularly when it comes to school districts, meals will only be given to individuals 18 or younger who are there in person.
And with Spring Break coming up for some schools, some sites might not be open that week.
If you have a resource you'd like to bring to our attention or run into challenges getting meals at one of these sites, I'd like to hear from you. You can email me at cjavier@scpr.org.
Do you know of a resource that'll be available for families in need while schools are closed? Meals, supervision, services for kids w/ special needs, anything else I'm not thinking of?
— Carla Javier (@carlamjavier) March 16, 2020
I'm making a list for @KPCC+@LAist to share w/ the community & I'd appreciate any help/links!
LAUSD GRAB-AND-GO MEAL SITES
The school district had planned to offer meals and child care at family resource centers, but cancelled those plans late Monday afternoon after health authorities said they could not guarantee that it would be "safe and appropriate to do so," Beutner said in a statement.
The district now operates 63 grab-and-go meal locations. At those sites, volunteers distribute food from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
According to the district, kids can take two meals with them when they visit. The locations are mapped here:
OTHER LOS ANGELES COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND ORGANIZATIONS
In addition, other school districts throughout Los Angeles County and some community centers will be providing meals for kids up to age 18. You can find those in the map below, which will be updated. The times and details vary location by location, but you can click on the different colored dots for information about that specific location.
This is an evolving situation, and places may change their plans along the way, so be sure to check websites or call for the most up-to-date information.
ORANGE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND ORGANIZATIONS
Click on the blue dots for more information about these Orange County locations - and keep in mind, details may change, so be sure to check official websites or call providers if you have questions.
We are working to confirm other resources for Southern California students and their families. Check back for updates.
SOME STRAIGHT TALK ABOUT COVID-19
We're all living through this extraordinary and frightening pandemic. The vast majority of our newsroom has been working from home (here's some advice on that) since March 11 to bring you calm, helpful reporting. We are answering your questions and taking more.
We're here to help. And if you can help support that effort financially, we'd be grateful.
UPDATES:
April 6: This story has been updated to reflect the new hours for LAUSD's grab-and-go centers, which are now 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
March 20: This story has been updated to add Orange County school districts and organizations that are also providing meals to children. It has also been updated to reflect LAUSD''s announcement that the district will open four more centers and expand hours to 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. starting Monday, March 23.
March 17: This story has been updated to add other Los Angeles County school districts and community centers in Los Angeles that are also providing meals to children.
March 16, 5:30 p.m.: This story has been updated to reflect the LAUSD decision to cancel plans for family resource centers.
This article was originally published on on March 16 at 12:30 p.m.
