The 30 Minute Guide to Educating Policy-makers about the Children and Family Trust Fund

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/463374434

Please join Prevent Child Abuse New York and Jenn O'Connor, Senior Policy Associate, Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy for the 30 Minute Guide to Educating Policy-makers about the Children and Family Trust Fund Webinar on Friday December 16th from 10:30a.m.- 11:00 a.m.

New York State's Children and Family Trust Fund protects the three most important priorities of legislators: people, government spending, and infrastructure. This webinar will help new advocates feel more comfortable and seasoned advocates will hone their skills in presenting the case for the Trust Fund.

Title: The 30 Minute Guide to Educating Policy-makers about the Children and Family Trust Fund
Date: Friday, December 16, 2011
Time: 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM EST

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

Strong Roots Professional Development Training Comes To Albany!!

Date: November 2, 2011

Time: 8:30am-4:00pm

Location: Parson's Child & Family Center - Albany, NY

REGISTER HERE

The final Strong Roots Training for 2011 has landed in Albany!! Come join NYSPEP for this one day training for all professionals who work with families, whether they call themselves "parenting educators" or not. Grounded in current research, Strong Roots Last A Lifetime offers a keynote session "Parenting Education, An Art or Science?" with Mary Haust from Parents as Teachers and afternoon workshops on: Strength-Based Communication, Parenting Styles, Group Facilitation, and Child Development.

NYSPEP Presents: Surviving & Thriving

Date: Wednesday November 9, 2011

Time: 9:00am-4:00pm

It's that time of year again! The Annual Fall NYSPEP Membership Meeting will be held at the Parson's Child and Family Center in Albany, NY. The day will include:

• SAFETalk Suicide Prevention Training
• Lunch

Afternoon Workshops:

• Advocacy Training-How to Find Your Voice and Be Effective
• Parenting Educator Credentialing Orientation

For more information & registration CLICK HERE

2011 Northeast Family Strengthening Conference

The 2011 Northeast Family Strengthening Conference will explore programs, approaches and best practices that integrate strategies for building financial assets, positive family relationships and health at program, community and state levels. It will be held at the Richmond Marriott in Richmond, VA on September 26 & 27, 2011. The conference registration fee is only $99, and the special hotel room rate is only $114 per night. You can find out more and register online at www.metcouncil.org/2011northeastfamilyconference <http://www.metcouncil.org/2011northeastfamilyconference> . Download the Conference Overview at http://www.metcouncil.org/site/DocServer/NEFSC_Overview_2011-08-08.pdf?docID=2841

What is the New Standard for Cribs?

Beginning June 28, 2011, all cribs manufactured and sold (including resale) must comply with new and improved federal safety standards. The new rules, which apply to full-size and non full-size cribs, prohibit the manufacture or sale of traditional drop-side rail cribs, strengthen crib slats and mattress supports, improve the quality of hardware and require more rigorous testing. The details of the rule are available on CPSC's website at www.cpsc.gov/businfo/frnotices/fr11/cribfinal.pdf .
The new rules also apply to cribs currently in use at child care centers and places of public accommodation. By December 28, 2012, these facilities must use only compliant cribs that meet the new federal safety standards.
When will the new, safer cribs be available for purchase?
Beginning on June 28, 2011, all cribs sold in the United States must meet the new
federal requirements. After that date, it will be illegal to manufacture, sell, contract to sell or resell, lease, sublet, offer, provide for use, or otherwise place in the stream of commerce a crib that does not comply with the CPSC's new standards for full-size and non-full-size cribs. This includes manufacturers, retail stores, Internet retailers, resale shops, auction sites and consumers.
What if I need to purchase a new crib prior to June 28, 2011?
Some compliant cribs may be available before the required date. However, you will not be able tell if the crib is compliant by looking at the crib. So, you may want to ask the retail store or the manufacturer whether the crib complies with 16 CFR 1219, the new federal standard for full-size cribs or with 16 CFR 1220, the new federal standard for non-full-size cribs.
Is this new regulation simply a ban on all drop-side rail cribs?
No, these are sweeping new safety rules that will bring a safer generation of cribs to the marketplace in 2011. CPSC's new crib standards address many factors related to crib safety in addition to the drop-side rail. A crib¿s mattress support, slats, and hardware are now required to be more durable and manufacturers will have to test to the new more stringent requirements to prove compliance.

For more information about the change to the crib standard, please use this link: http://www.cpsc.gov/info/cribs/index.html .

RECALL OF TARGET BOOSTER SEATS

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has announced a voluntary recall of Circo Child Booster Seats manufactured by Target. The booster seat’s restraint buckle can open unexpectedly, allowing a child to fall from the chair and be injured. This recall includes about 375,000 seats and expands upon an earlier recall of 43,000 booster seats in August 2009 following additional reports of the seat buckles opening unexpectedly. All Circo Booster Seats, including those sold as early as 2005 are included in the expanded recall. The seats are blue with green trim and a white plastic restraint buckle. They attach to an adult chair to boost a child to a table. “Circo” and “Booster Seat” are printed on a green label located in the front of the seat. Consumers are advised to immediately stop using the recalled booster seats and return them to a Target store for a full refund.

READ MORE HERE:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11248.html?tab=recalls

The Medical Minute: Unruly kids? Don't spank or scream

Do you ever swat your child on the behind?

Let’s hope not. Over the past few decades, numerous studies have concluded that spanking isn’t the best or most effective way to discipline a child successfully.

But when your kids misbehave, don’t replace spanking with yelling. New research shows that screaming loudly at children may also harm them. So what can parents do when their kids become unruly, especially with the summer vacation months upon us and children spending more time at home?

Tactics that don’t work

According to one large study, 63 percent of American parents admitted they had used verbal aggression -- including swearing and insults -- against their children at least once.

But yelling and spanking are both ineffective because children learn to ignore them after a while. Instead of making children responsible for their actions, physical or verbal abuse simply increases their feelings of aggression.

Parents often complain that they "have to yell" for their child listen to them. If you feel that way, it might be that your child isn’t sensing the difference between the happy, proud parent and the upset version until you bring it up a notch. Catch your children being good and constantly comment on it during the day (called "time in") is a great way to help children learn what you expect of them and lets them know you notice their good behavior.

READ MORE HERE:

http://live.psu.edu/story/53707#nw44

Dad's Take Your Child to School (DTYCTS) Webinar

TO VIEW THE ARCHIVED WEBINAR VISIT: http://vimeo.com/25092099

Actively involved fathers are a positive force in the lives of their children and their community. Dad’s Take your Child to School (DTYCTS) is an event that promotes father involvement by encouraging fathers, stepfathers, foster fathers, grandfathers, uncles, brothers, godfathers, and other significant male caregivers to take their children to school in September and remain involved throughout the year.

This webinar, presented by Kenneth Braswell Executive Director of Fathers Incorporated, Greg Owens Director of Special Projects for the Office of Strategic Planning & Policy Development at OCFS and Ann-Marie Yeates Program Outreach Specialist for the New York State Fatherhood

The Dad's Take your Child to School webinar is designed to introduce new schools to the event, and to welcome back those that have participated in previous years. As many will attest, this event can be as large or small as each institution wishes. Attendees will receive:
-A brief background of the event and its purpose;
-Examples of ways that DTYCTS has been celebrated in the past;
-Information on resources that are available; and
-A couple of small requests from the New York State DTYCTS committee.

Issues and Concerns

During a parents life there are many steps they have to take to prepare their children for the big wide world that surrounds them. An added factors that some parents have to work with is preparing their children for their (the parent's) own sexual orientation, whether they are heterosexual or homosexual.

For parent's that are homosexual, their are stigmas attached to their children and the lives that they will eventually lead. Some of the stigmas include:
1."Children will be molested by homosexual parents."
2."Children will be teased and harassed."
3."Children raised in homosexual households will become gay."
4."Children will develop problems growing up in an "unnatural" lifestyle."

A study for each of the above stigmas was conducted and the results for each indicated that children that were born into homosexual families were at no higher risk for any of the above over children born into heterosexual families.

To read more about these common miscommunication:
http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_gay/f_gayb.cfm

State-based Home Visiting: Strengthening Programs Through State Leadership

"Home visiting for families with young children is a longstanding strategy offering information, guidance, risk assessment, and parenting support interventions at home. The typical “home visiting program” is designed to improve some combination of pregnancy outcomes, parenting skills and early childhood health and development, particularly for families at higher social risk.

This report is designed to help inform the field about two central questions related to home visiting:

1. Are states investing in home visiting in ways that promote improved outcomes for young children?
2. How, in this context, do they meet the needs of those facing the greatest social and developmental risks?

The report describes the results of an NCCP survey and a roundtable discussion, each designed to increase knowledge about state-based home visiting programs, that is, those administered, managed, or coordinated by state governments."

To learn more about the results:

http://www.nccp.org//publications/pub_862.html?utm_source=NCCP+Update&utm_campaign=d8d7d63caa-Update_3_17_2009&utm_medium=email

Treating the tiniest addicts

"An epidemic of prescription painkiller abuse has led to another growing problem -- newborns exposed to the addictive drugs their mothers use.

At the Catholic Health System in Buffalo, which operates the state's largest methadone clinic outside of New York City, physicians used to see one to three babies a month with symptoms of withdrawal from narcotic pain pills. Now, the number approaches 10 a month, said Dr. Paul Updike, director of chemical dependency at Sisters Hospital.

The number of cases has grown enough that the hospital network is reorganizing services to standardize the care of addicted moms-to-be and their newborns."

Also included in this article you read about a young mothers journey through her addiction process, to realizing she was pregnant and receiving help to achieve a non-addict lifestyle. While taking care of her young infant.

To read more and find more information about this growing academic:

http://www.buffalonews.com/city/article439798.ece

Review and Updating Sought for Nation’s Foster Care System

"State and local governments need culturally appropriate strategies to ensure positive outcomes for children and families of color in the foster care system, according to a panel of child welfare experts.The recommendations came at a workshop during the America Healing conference sponsored by the Kellogg Foundation to examine strategies on how to address health, education, political and economic well-being issues for children.

Foster care “is not good for any child,” said Antoinette Malveaux, managing director of Casey Family Programs."

Reported by Jackie Jones from BlackAmericaWeb.com, she talks about the struggles and the hardships that minority children like African Americans face while going through the foster care system that is in place right now.
A new program that is being developed and hopefully soon to be intergated is a ten-point plan designed by Sondra Jackson,the Black Administration in Child Welfare's organization executive, which is designed to address the needs of black children, while also benefiting all children regardless of their race.

To read more about this article:
http://www.blackamericaweb.com/?q=articles/news/moving_america_news/28979/1

ACEs Webinar Archive - Dr. Heather Larkin

Recent medical research on "Adverse Childhood Experiences" (ACEs) reveals a compelling relationship between the extent of childhood trauma and serious later in life health and social problems. The social science knowledge base and the practical experience of social service providers become important in terms of understanding and responding to adverse life experiences in childhood and adolescence. The ACE research can be linked with prevention and intervention knowledge that involves prevention of health risk behaviors, evidence-based mental health and substance abuse treatment, recovery-oriented systems of care, integrated treatment of co-occurring disorders, community development, and service delivery and policy evaluations. Social workers located in discrete professional settings can mobilize comprehensive responses for a whole person approach to adverse childhood experiences by bringing together various professions to create more coherent systems for the development of children and the support of parents. Capital Region ACE Think Tank and Action Teams have utilized ACE research to connect various areas of concern (workforce issues, trauma-informed practice, recovery-oriented systems of care, prevention and intervention, treatment of co-occurring disorders, cross-systems/service integration). This webinar outlines the ACE research, emphasizing this connection to social service knowledge for response strategy, and reports on newer research exploring the Prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Homeless People and a representative demographic sample of New Yorkers. The mission and purpose of local ACE Think Tank and Action Team Meetings is discussed, outlining the policy journey in the NYS Capital Region along with next steps. NYS has the opportunity to demonstrate leadership in ACE response, promoting resilience, recovery, and transformation.

Pledge to Participate in the President’s Fatherhood and Mentoring Initiative

Being a dad is one of the most important jobs any man can have. As the father of two young girls and someone who grew up without his dad in the home, President Obama knows firsthand the power of a father’s presence in the lives of his children – and the holes dads leave when they are absent.

That’s why he launched the President’s Fatherhood and Mentoring Initiative. Its goal: to encourage individuals, especially fathers, to be involved in the lives of their children, and to be positive role models and mentors for other children in their lives and communities.

Signing the Pledge is just one way to show that you will do your part to be a positive and supportive figure in the lives of children to help them reach their full potential.

Join the Presidents’ Fatherhood and Mentoring Initiative by signing the pledge at: www.fatherhood.gov/initiative

En Español -www.fatherhood.gov/iniciativa

What do you get when you sign up?
- Information on local and national events that support fatherhood and mentorship
- Links to exceptional fatherhood and mentoring resources
- Access to unique content

Join now to be invited to a conference call on May 18, exclusively for those that joined the Administration in this effort. The conference call will include Senior White House officials and leading figures from around the country.

Rear-Facing Car Seats Advised at Least to Age of 2

Toddlers are usually switched from rear-facing to forward-facing car seats right after their first birthday — an event many parents may celebrate as a kind of milestone.

But in a new policy statement, the nation’s leading pediatricians’ group says that is a year too soon.

The advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics, issued Monday, is based primarily on a 2007 University of Virginia study finding that children under 2 are 75 percent less likely to suffer severe or fatal injuries in a crash if they are facing the rear.

“A baby’s head is relatively large in proportion to the rest of his body, and the bones of his neck are structurally immature,” said the statement’s lead author, Dr. Dennis R. Durbin, scientific co-director of the Center for Injury Research and Prevention at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “If he’s rear-facing, his entire body is better supported by the shell of the car seat. When he’s forward-facing, his shoulders and trunk may be well restrained, but in a violent crash, his head and neck can fly forward.”

READ MORE:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/22/health/policy/22carseat.html?_r=1

2011 Strong Roots Last a Lifetime Training Registration

2011 Strong Roots Last a Lifetime Professional Development Conference Series

* May 12, 2011 Broome County: Binghamton
* June 22, 2011 Nassau County: Oceanside
* September 21, 2011 Chautauqua County: Sinclairville
* October 26, 2011 Jefferson County: Watertown
* November 2, 2011 Albany County: Albany
* TBA: Queens County
* TBA: Brooklyn County or Bronx County

VISIT NYSPEP.ORG to register now!

APRIL 7: The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study Webinar

Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/535580787

Please join NYSPEP on April 7, 2011 from 2:00pm-3:30pm for the "Adverse Childhood Experiences" Webinar with Dr. Heather Larkin from the University at Albany.

Recent medical research on "Adverse Childhood Experiences" (ACEs) reveals a compelling relationship between the extent of childhood trauma and serious later in life health and social problems. The social science knowledge base and the practical experience of social service providers become important in terms of understanding and responding to adverse life experiences in childhood and adolescence. The ACE research can be linked with prevention and intervention knowledge that involves prevention of health risk behaviors, evidence-based mental health and substance abuse treatment, recovery-oriented systems of care, integrated treatment of co-occurring disorders, community development, and service delivery and policy evaluations. Social workers located in discrete professional settings can mobilize comprehensive responses for a whole person approach to adverse childhood experiences by bringing together various professions to create more coherent systems for the development of children and the support of parents. Capital Region ACE Think Tank and Action Teams have utilized ACE research to connect various areas of concern (workforce issues, trauma-informed practice, recovery-oriented systems of care, prevention and intervention, treatment of co-occurring disorders, cross-systems/service integration). This webinar outlines the ACE research, emphasizing this connection to social service knowledge for response strategy, and reports on newer research exploring the Prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Homeless People and a representative demographic sample of New Yorkers. The mission and purpose of local ACE Think Tank and Action Team Meetings is discussed, outlining the policy journey in the NYS Capital Region along with next steps. NYS has the opportunity to demonstrate leadership in ACE response, promoting resilience, recovery, and transformation.

Investments in at-risk children can save taxpayers millions, according to audit

NEW YORK - Programs focusing on at-risk children have proven effective at reducing the rates of juvenile violence and incarceration, according to a report released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

“Instead of waiting until a child becomes a delinquent, New Yorkers will be best served by addressing problems at the start,” DiNapoli said. “Keeping just one child out of the juvenile justice system saves our state $210,000 a year and even greater costs to victims and communities. Investing in children early is not only the right thing to do, but it also protects taxpayer dollars.”

DiNapoli’s report weighs the personal and economic benefits of early intervention programs and compares them with current initiatives that focus on children only after they’ve entered the correctional system. The study noted it costs an estimated $210,000 per person, or a total of $350 million annually, for incarceration. Juvenile delinquents often become repeat offenders and child abuse and neglect increase future criminal behavior by 29 percent.

These enormous costs could potentially be prevented by intervening early. Strategies found to be most effective at mitigating risk factors include pre-kindergarten programs, drug and alcohol treatment programs for pregnant women, and programs to assist mentally ill parents.

“Waiting for criminal activity to occur and responding accordingly is an expensive strategy that New Yorkers cannot afford,” said William Kilfoil, Port Washington Chief of Police and Immediate Past President of the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police. “It simply does not work. As Police Chiefs, we all know that prevention is cost effective and is proven to save taxpayer dollars. With today’s tight budgets, we cannot overlook this fact.”

The report encourages better coordination among state agencies and adopting an evidence-based approach to investing in at-risk children in their early years. It also advises that funding decisions be based on program effectiveness so the limited funds available in today’s economic climate could provide the most benefit for at-risk youth and state taxpayers.

http://www.empirestatenews.net/News/20110214-2.html

Giving Baby Solid Foods Too Early Linked to Obesity Later

Babies who were formula-fed and introduced to solid foods before they were 4 months old were more likely to be obese when they were 3, researchers report.

The timing of solid foods didn't increase the odds of becoming obese in youngsters who were breast-fed. But among children who were never breast-fed -- or who stopped breast-feeding before the age of 4 months -- introducing solid foods before 4 months of age was linked to a sixfold increase in the risk of obesity, according to the research, which was published online Feb. 7 and will appear in the March print issue of Pediatrics.

READ MORE:
http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/649632.html

New Federal Funds Prompt ABA Proposal to Aid Transitioning Foster Youth

ABA Journal February 8, 2011
The new changes and legal landscape, effective last October, are wrought with challenges. In response, the report, “Charting a Better Future for Transitioning Foster Youth," proposes more than 55 policy and practice recommendations for states and localities and is the result of an invitation-only national summit last spring of more than 100 childcare professionals, judges, lawyers, advocates and current and former foster youths.

READ MORE:
http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/new_federal_funds_prompt_aba_proposal_to_aid_transitioning_foster_youth/

NY: Child abuse prevention possible victim of budget cut

Faced with a $10 billion deficit, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proposed creation of a program that lumps together nine or more child welfare and juvenile justice programs. Some believe as a result, home visitation programs that are proven to uncover and help prevent child abuse and neglect will have to compete for a piece of a smaller funding pie.

READ MORE:

http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/18245-1

US: U.S. recession didn't raise rates of child neglect: study

The recession did not have much impact on rates of child maltreatment in the United States, the results of a new study suggest.

"Many of us worried about possible large increases in 2009 due to worsening economic conditions. But so far the impact of the recession on child maltreatment does not appear too dire," David Finkelhor, director of the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire, said in a university news release.
Click here to find out more!

Finkelhor and his colleagues analyzed federal data and found a 5 percent decline in sexual abuse between 2008 and 2009, a 3 percent increase in the number of child maltreatment-related deaths, and no change in rates for physical abuse and neglect.

READ MORE:
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/brain-and-behavior/articles/2011/01/12/us-recession-didnt-raise-rates-of-child-neglect-study

A civil right: Adoptees should have access to their birth certificates

This is not a commentary about "don't ask, don't tell" or any other gay rights issue, though the identical observations would certainly apply. Rather, it's about providing legal and moral equality for a segment of our population that is not generally perceived as deprived of any rights: the approximately 7 million Americans who were adopted into their families. And the right denied to most of them is so basic that it almost sounds like a joke: access to their own original birth certificates.

READ MORE:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-pertman/post_1565_b_807939.html

The Watch List: The medication of foster children

Nearly one in every 10 American children is diagnosed with a mental health disorder. Often the treatment prescribed is medication, and often the medication is heavy-duty — so-called antipsychotic drugs.

In this report, you’ll see that foster care children are prescribed drugs at a rate much greater than that of other kids. Concern over their well-being — not to mention the amount it costs to treat them — has prompted the Government Accountability Office to investigate potentially abusive prescribing practices in America’s state foster care systems. The GAO findings are expected to come out later this year.

READ MORE & VIEW VIDEO:

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/health/video-the-watch-list-the-medication-of-foster-children/6232/

Parent education is first, then children's education

A parent education program can have better results in education of infants. "Research has shown that children growing up in poverty fall behind their middle-class peers in development – even before their first birthday," says Alan L. Mendelsohn, MD, a developmental-behavioral pediatrician and associate professor of Pediatrics at NYU School of Medicine and Bellevue Hospital Center.

"Our study found that programs working with parents during pediatric check-ups increase verbal interactions between parents and children and help children in low income families keep up with their peers."
For this study the team had 675 mothers and infants under observation, some of them were assigned to the Video Interaction Project (VIP) and Building Blocks (BB).

Some participating parents (225) were randomly assigned to the VIP program, in which mothers and infants had fifteen 30-45 minute of a normal session with a child development specialist. VIP focuses primarily on supporting verbal interactions in play, book-reading and daily routines. In this activity, mothers and children are videotaped playing and reading books together, this tape is then reviewed and analyzed, the Toys and books are also provided for the family to take home and use it at their own comfort. In VIP program mothers were encouraged to read aloud in primary care, and it results in enhanced school readiness.

READ MORE HERE:

http://www.news.raafatrola.com/behavior/behavior-blogs/898--parent-education-is-first-then-childrens-education

Tips on Teaching Social Skills to Children

Games and Activities
Planning certain social skills activities for children is perhaps the best way to inculcate the same in them. Games can be fun and at the same time educate children on how to behave, communicate and present themselves in a social situation.

For Teaching "Co-operation"...
Have the kids stand in a circle. Next, draw a circle in the middle with a chalk. Give instructions that as soon as you whistle, the kids have to run and accommodate themselves in the circle drawn by you. Once the kids do that, make another smaller circle in between the previously drawn circle. Now, the kids have to accommodate themselves in this even smaller area. While doing so the kids will have to hold each other or make suggestions as to how to fit it. Thus, by undertaking such team games for children, the communication and co-operation amongst them can be improved considerably.

READ MORE HERE:
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/teaching-social-skills-to-children.html