Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Talking to children about COVID-19 – for child helplines.

• Our Swedish child helpline member Bris has provided this information for child helplines on how to talk to children about the coronavirus.

Talking to children about COVID-19 – for parents.

• COVIDparenting.com is a great initiative from the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children, the Internet of Good Things, USAID and Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. It offers a range of 24/7 parenting advice and tips, in a wide range of different languages.
• Use this helpful guide, which was developed by UNICEF, to speak to children about the virus and its current and potential impact.
  Français.
  Español.
• SOS Children’s Villages has also produced advice for parents on how to speak to children about coronavirus.
• Advice from the US National Association of School Psychologists and National Association of School Nurses.
• Talking With Children: Tips for Caregivers, Parents, and Teachers During Infectious Disease Outbreaks

What parents and other caregivers should know about coronavirus.

• UNICEF’s advice on how to protect yourself and your children.
  Français.
  Español.
  Arabic.

Coping with stress during the outbreak.

• The WHO has released two helpful resources for coping with stress regarding COVID-19: one for adults and another for children.
• UNICEF has published six ways parents can support their kids through coronavirus.
• UNICEF has published six strategies for young people to protect their mental health during coronavirus.

School closures – accessing distance learning solutions.

• UNESCO has a list of up-to-date educational applications and platforms to facilitate student learning at home or away from school.

Keep children safe online

• Resources from Thinkuknow, including parent helpsheets for both primary- and secondary-aged children.

Keeping your children entertained during self-isolation or lockdowns

• Education for Justice (E4J) is UNODC’s initiative to help parents support and entertain their children at home. UNODC has launched programming for children, all of which are available in a multitude of languages. This package includes:
• The Zorbs, an animated video series that tells the story of an imaginary planet and its inhabitants who overcome a range of challenges thanks to core values and skills promoted under E4J.
• Zorbify, a comic creator tool that encourages children to build meaningful stories in an engaging, creative way.
• The Zorbs lesson plans, which include family activities to do together with children
• the Zorbs comic books, colouring books, and a children’s book
• Chuka, a mobile game addressing gender-based violence, along with an accompaniying parents’ guide and comic book
• The Online Zoo, a book on online safety for children.

Marginalised and vulnerable groups.

• Download this article on including marginalized and vulnerable people in risk communication and community engagement during the COVID-19 outbreak.
• Read this guidance document from IASC on scaling-up readiness and response operations to the COVID-19 outbreak in refugee and internally displaced person camps.
• UNICEF Children on the Move Quick Tips for COVID-19.

Latest information from these resources:

UNICEF

End Violence Against Children