July 26, 2019
Here is a quick look at some headlines from this week impacting the lives of kids 0-5 and their families. The purpose of these stories is simply to inform, and they do not necessarily reflect First 5 Kern's areas of support or efforts towards these issues.

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Now for the headlines........
BAKERSFIELD RANKS AMONG THE NATION'S WORST IN CHILDHOOD POVERTY


The USA Today compiled a list 40 American cities where the rate of childhood poverty is the worst. Bakersfield's child poverty rate of just under 30% landed it at #33 on the list, but it wasn't the only Central Valley town to make the list , nor was it the worst.
CHILD CARE WAGES ARE "THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM"

This KQED report highlights a difficult dilemma in our state: child care workers don't make enough money to live, and raising the cost of child care to fix that is not an option for most Californians. The report was prompted by results of a study by the Economic Policy Institute and the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment.

The report doesn't hold back in its criticism of the state's leaders, stating that they have been unwilling to " acknowledge the true cost of creating a comprehensive ECE system."
CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS YIELD GREAT RETURNS

The Wall Street Journal explains a new paper published by a pair of Harvard economists, who compare dollars spent on economic programs for adults (which often lead to more spending) and those spent on children's programs, which appear to pay for themselves in the long run. “ The results show there’s a potential to get really high returns when you’re focusing on kids,” said one of the authors of the study. They found that for every $1 of investment in health care and education for children, taxpayers received a $1.47 return over time.
DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENING BY PEDIATRICIANS GAINS SUPPORT FROM AAP

The American Academy of Pediatrics published a story this week proclaiming the important role doctors could play in linking children with school readiness programs . How could they do this? Primarily through developmental screening .
WHEN YOUR KID PROBABLY SHOULD BE PUNISHED, BUT YOU'RE STILL KINDA PROUD

After apparently tiring of waiting for his parent to take him to the fair - which was just a couple blocks from his home - a 2 1/2 year old Minnesota boy took matters into his own hands. He hopped on his little motorized tractor and drove himself , sneaking in a back gate and heading straight for the Tilt-A-Whirl. Dad has since reportedly removed the battery from his tractor.
PERFUME, OR POISON?

Perfumes, colognes, nail polish, makeup... beauty products can be dangerous when kept within reach of kids. The Washington Post reports that over 60,000 kids under 5 have been treated for poisoning at the hands of these types of items in the last 15 years , mostly from inhaling or ingesting personal care and beauty products. The majority of those being treated are under the age of two.
ADDITIONAL STORIES FROM THIS WEEK...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced this week results from a study indicating that promotion of dietary health and physical activity at the child care level can have lasting impacts in preventing childhood obesity . The study spanned from 2012 through 2017 and involved child care centers in 10 different states.

There is evidence that recommendations in common feeding guides, if followed from age 6 to 12 months, would likely result in overfed, overweight infants . The study, published yesterday in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, called for the medical community to revisit previously accepted guidelines for solid food feeding.

A new cartoon character - Molly from Denali - is attracting attention for its positive, realistic portrayals of indigenous people in a children's cartoon. This feature from NPR explains how it is long overdue, and a far cry from the images of native people that populated cartoons throughout the years.

Newsweek took a look at a recent study that linked caffeine and coffee intake during pregnancy to liver damage. The study, which was conducted on rats, showed that t he equivalent of two to three cups of coffee appeared to raise the risk of the rats' offspring developing liver disease later in life by affecting growth hormones.

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...about First 5 Kern
First 5 Kern was established in 1998 when California voters passed Proposition 10, which levied a 50-cent tax on tobacco products. Revenues generated from the tobacco tax are used to fund local programs in the areas of health and wellness, early childcare and education, and parent education and support services that promote early childhood development for children ages zero to five.

For more information on First 5 Kern and the agencies we support, please visit www.First5Kern.org   and follow us on social media.
Special thanks to Vecteezy for assistance on graphics