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THIS WEEK'S
HEADLINES
NEWS IMPACTING CHILDREN 0-5 AND THEIR FAMILIES
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NOTE: THE FIRST 5 KERN OFFICES ARE CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. PLEASE REACH OUT TO US VIA EMAIL FOR QUESTIONS OR INFORMATION REGARDING OUR FUNDED PROGRAMS.
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.
Follow First 5 Kern on social media (@First5Kern) for more kids news, as well as information about our funded programs and initiatives.
Now for the headlines........
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EARLY CHILDCARE & EDUCATION
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AS DAY CARES REOPEN, PARENTS FACE DIFFICULT DECISIONS
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A few weeks ago the preschool that Alicia Tembi sends her daughter to reopened for essential workers. But it wasn’t until this week that she felt comfortable sending her back.
"We were unsure about the health risks because some parents work in the healthcare field," Tembi said. "Bless them for making that sacrifice, but I wasn't comfortable sending her, because she could be exposed, which leaves us exposed, so we had to choose whether to send Nina to preschool or keep seeing my mom and dad."
With day cares starting to open again for all workers, many parents are facing the same difficult decision. On one level they’re relieved that the juggling act they’ve had to perform since mid March might be coming to an end.
But are they putting their family’s health at risk by sending their kids back to a group environment amid a pandemic that is far from over?
(KPBS San Diego)
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A LOOK AT SAFETY MEASURES INSIDE ONE S.F. CHILD CARE CENTER
“I can actually see other kids even though it’s not like real summer, ’cause we can’t touch each other and stuff. But you know it’s pretty fun,” one child said.
The way this club operates under the COVID-19 restrictions serves as a model for others. For example, there are no contact sports. Equipment gets cleaned a lot and kids don’t share it.
The focus is on individual activities, with students distanced. And a dedicated person disinfects every room and item, and kids wash their hands when they come and go. (CBS San Francisco)
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SOME CHILD PROVIDERS IN COLORADO RETURN TO LICENSED CAPACITY
All eyes are on Colorado, as they started this week to inch towards normalcy in the area of child care. Beginning June 4 child care centers, family child care homes and building-based school-age child care programs were permitted to return to regular group sizes and licensed capacity.
School-age day camps and license-exempt youth programs are still required to operate with smaller ratios
guidance
required by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Resident camps are still not allowed to operate. (KDVR)
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YOUNG CHILDREN NOTICE WHAT'S HAPPENING; HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND
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there are thoughtful people who have something to say about how parents might acknowledge and discuss the topics underlying this week's nationwide protests — such as racism and social justice — while continuing to create joyful moments within their families.
"I think parents put a lot of pressure on themselves to have all the answers. And we don't," says Thea Monyeé, a family therapist. "This is a situation that we're going to have to co-create our way through with our children."
Monyeé says don't dismiss kids' questions and statements as cute or oversimplified. Use them to start a conversation. If they say, "People should just get along." You can say, You're absolutely right, but what happens when people don't get along? And listen to what your child says. (LAist)
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ONLINE MUSIC CLASSES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
Music is an artistic way to improve your children’s mood and productivity while stuck at home. It’s also a great creative outlet and a way to express themselves. Take a moment to explore these online music classes with your children, learn new skills, and have an awesome time with the family. (QNS)
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CORONAVIRUS DELAYS ADOPTIONS
Adoption plans for thousands of foster families in California have been thrown into chaos with family courts closed because of the coronavirus outbreak.
California is home to 55,000 foster children. Most in the foster system are reunited with their families, but about 1 in 10 are adopted every year.
Los Angeles County’s child welfare and public adoption agency, the largest in the nation, includes about 20,000 foster children, roughly 3,200 of whom cannot be reunited with their birth families and are in some stage of the adoption pipeline. (LA Times)
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STAYING ACTIVE DURING, AFTER PREGNANCY CAN BOOST MENTAL HEALTH
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New Canadian research has found that exercising during and after pregnancy could help reduce the risk of depression in new moms and moms-to-be, especially during the current COVID-19 pandemic which can take its toll on mental health.
The findings are the early results from a study by researchers at the University of Alberta who are investigating the impact of COVID-19 on physical activity levels during pregnancy and post-pregnancy.
For the study, 900 women who were pregnant or within the first year after delivery were invited to participate in an online survey between April 14 and May 8, during the current COVID-19 pandemic, and self-report their levels of depression, depressive symptoms, anxiety and physical activity. (Yahoo!)
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NITROUS OXIDE USEFUL, SAFE OPTION DURING CHILDBIRTH
In what study investigators are calling the largest study of its kind, new research suggests nitrous oxide is a safe and effective pain relief option for women in labor.
A survey of more than 450 women who used nitrous oxide during labor found nearly a third used only nitrous oxide throughout labor and offer insight into potential predictors of conversion to other analgesic methods.
"Nitrous oxide is a useful, safe option for labor analgesia in the United States. And for some laboring mothers, that's all the pain relief they need," said lead investigator Priscilla Nodine, PhD, CNM. (HPC)
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HOW COVID-19 MAY AFFECT A WOMAN'S PLACENTA
A small new study found signs of damage to the placenta in pregnant women with COVID-19, but it's far too early to say whether this damage actually affects birth outcomes. Most women with the novel coronavirus who had these abnormalities gave birth to healthy babies at-term.
The study researchers examined placentas from 16 pregnant women who tested positive for COVID-19, and found that the
placentas
contained blood clots and showed signs of abnormal blood flow between mother and baby.
However, the study does not prove that COVID-19 was behind these abnormalities. (Live Science)
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FACE MASKS FOR KIDS IN FUN PRINTS & COLORS
By now, most people around the globe have accepted that wearing a face mask in public is the new normal for the foreseeable future. But when it comes to face masks for children, the story gets more complicated.
I know this as a dad to a six-year-old who gets it, and a two-year-old who fought wearing a mask tooth-and-nail the first time my wife and I tried to get one on her. (Forbes)
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PEDIATRICS ASSOC. STATEMENT ON RACISM, CHILD HEALTH
American Academy of Pediatrics leaders have condemned the racism that has incited protests in recent days and are calling on pediatricians to recommit to rooting out inequities that threaten children’s health at all ages.
Children exposed to discrimination can develop toxic stress that affects their physical, mental and behavioral health throughout their lives.
“Racism harms children’s health, starting from before they are born," said AAP President Sara “Sally” H. Goza, M.D., FAAP. “A growing body of research supports this, and we cannot ignore the impact.” (AAP)
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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.
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Special thanks to
Vecteezy
for assistance on graphics
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