Help Me Grow California convenes in Fresno
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Help Me Grow California held a statewide convening hosted by First 5 Fresno last week. Organized by the First 5 Association (which organizes the counties in California into the statewide Help Me Grow system) brought in a panel of speakers and representatives from First 5 Commissions throughout the state.
Headlining the event was Dr. Paul Dworkin, who launched Help Me Grow in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1997.
Families can utilize Help Me Grow to complete a developmental screening for their child, between the ages of one month and six years. Once a screening is completed, and if there are concerns, a service referral can be made by a Help Me Grow Care Coordinator.
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Dr. Dworkin turned what was a local pilot program into a statewide program in 2004, and a year later, Orange County became the first to replicate Help Me Grow outside of Connecticut. Currently, 28 different states have their own local Help Me Grow chapter.
In California, Help Me Grow is divided into county affiliates, with 27 of those counties participating and many others in the process - including Kern County.
“We appreciate California’s model of implementation of Help Me Grow at the county level with strong state support through the First 5 Association," said Dr. Dworkin. “First 5 commissions are extraordinarily valuable in California. You have the capacity to enhance the state budget, to be an information-resource, to offer provider trainings, and to address gaps in your local early childhood systems.”
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Dr. Paul Dworkin discusses the Help Me Grow system and how it benefits children by promoting early identification and intervention during the key years of development.
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"Connor's Story" is a testimonial from Help Me Grow Contra Costa. Parents are encouraged to conduct a screening if they have any concerns about their child's development.
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Did you know...
First 5 Kern lends financial support to over 40 programs throughout Kern County, with a focus on programs supporting children aged 0-5, and their families.
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Annual MVCCP conference set for Nov. 7
The Medically Vulnerable Care Coordination is putting the final touches on their 9th annual conference, slated for Nov. 7 on the campus of CSU Bakersfield. The event will bring together over 100 health care professionals from the full spectrum of agencies in order to discuss how to best bring treatment and care to those in the most need in our community. Limited space is available; contact the First 5 Kern office for more information.
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Kern Counts video on including your children in
the 2020 Census
The Kern Complete Count Committee has produced a video highlighting children as a Hard to Count (HTC) population. This video is a reminder to count your kids in the upcoming 2020 Census. For more information on local census efforts, click the link below, and to watch the video, click the thumbnail above.
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Children were a priority in Sacramento in 2019
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The recent legislative session in Sacramento has come to a close, with Governor Gavin Newsom putting his signature - and veto powers - to use for children in our state.
The First 5 Association works with First 5 commissions throughout the state and engages statewide leadership on legislation that impacts children and their families. Their website highlights key bills that moved through the statehouse in 2019.
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KCNC annual report outlines child abuse
numbers in Kern County
The Kern County Network for Children (KCNC) recently
published their 2018-19 Annual Report
, which profiles their work surrounding child abuse in our community. The KCNC works to provide outreach and education to parents and families on child abuse prevention, and also provides supportive services to families most at-risk of experiencing child abuse and neglect.
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Their annual report notes that 14,914 children in Kern County were suspected of being abused or neglected in 2018, however the number of cases in the county has been cut in half since 2007.
First 5 Kern Executive Director Roland Maier serves on the KCNC Governing Board.
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Events supported by First 5 Kern in October...
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The Gatsby Gala is a fundraising event benefiting programs for foster youth. Organized by the Kern Partnership for Children and Families, this 1920's-era style event includes a dinner and auction.
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The
Operation School Bell Milestone Celebration recognized surpassing 150,000 children served in its history, which dates to 1956. The program provides school clothes and personal care items for children in need.
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On Oct. 22, the Safe Sleep Coalition of Kern County honored the
Gold certification in Safe Sleep Education for Memorial Hospital. They are one of just three hospitals in the state to achieve gold status.
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Lead poisoning awareness
The California Department of Public Health spent seven days in late October promoting the awareness of National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week. They point to dirt, old paint, industrial worksites, pottery, even candy and traditional folk medicines as common sources of lead poisoning.
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Small Steps send-off!
The staff at Small Steps and Discovery Depot helped organize a cool moment for their co-worker, Jennifer, whose daughter is in the Army. They all dressed the part at a recent ASQ (Ages & Stages Questionnaire) training session hosted by First 5 Kern, to send her positive energy during her final days of boot camp.
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Did you know...
Arvin, Lamont, Shafter and six areas in Bakersfield (93304, -05, -06, -07, -08, -13) are all listed among the 200 worst zip codes in the state for
lead poisoning
in children under 5, according to a 2012 study.
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