|
|
THIS WEEK'S
HEADLINES
NEWS IMPACTING CHILDREN 0-5 AND THEIR FAMILIES
|
|
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........
|
|
DESPITE CYBERSECURITY RISKS AND LAST MINUTE CHANGES, THE 2020 CENSUS GOES ONLINE
|
|
After centuries of putting pen or pencil to paper, the U.S. government is getting ready to rely on digital screens and the cloud for its first-ever primarily online census.
Starting March 12, households across the country are expected to be able to participate in the once-a-decade national head count by going to
my2020census.gov
to complete the online census questionnaire, which is set to be open to the public through
July 31
.
For
those who have limited Internet access
or prefer to stay offline, the bureau is also collecting census responses over the phone and on paper forms, which are scheduled to arrive at some homes by mid-March and then in early April to every household that hasn't responded by then. (NPR)
|
|
RELATED: Census Questionnaire Action Kiosks are being rolled out across Kern County by several Kern Complete Count Committee partners
, allowing people to fill out the Census online even if they do not have a computer at home. Among the more than 50 sites throughout the county are more than a dozen Family and Community Resource Centers that partner with First 5 Kern.
For more info on local Census efforts, visit KernCounts.org or click the below link.
|
|
|
|
EARLY CHILDCARE & EDUCATION
|
|
MORE SCHOOLS ARE ADDING PRE-K CLASSROOMS, BUT DO PRINCIPALS KNOW HOW TO SUPPORT THEM?
|
|
A series of reports have recently detailed the need to better prepare principals to work with young learners—and also highlight some potential solutions.
Research shows there is a clear need for this: A 2015 survey found only 20 percent of early-career principals in schools with pre-K classrooms felt “well-versed” in early ed; and a 2017 nationwide scan by New America found in most states, principals start without “the knowledge and skills they need to best serve young students.” (The Hechinger Report
)
|
|
 |
CALIFORNIA SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND IS LOSING
A $15 billion state proposal to fund school and higher education facilities — the largest school construction bond in state history — is losing badly, at least for now.
With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Proposition 13 is winning in only 10 of the state’s 58 counties. Narrow margins of victory in Los Angeles and Santa Clara are small compared with where it is behind. It has drawn only 31 percent support in Kern County, 43 percent in San Diego County and 35 percent in San Bernardino County. (EdSource)
|
|
|
|
HALF CENT SALES TAX FOR EARLY CHILDCARE IN ALAMEDA
Alameda County voters have passed a half-cent sales tax increase to pay for child care related programs. Money generated by the measure will be divvied up for pediatric health care, child care, pre-school and early education programs to be administered by First 5 Alameda County.
The measure so far has received about 61 percent of the total ballots counted. Measure C didn’t draw any organized opposition and no ballot argument was submitted against it.
(East Bay Times)
|
|
|
|
REPORT REVEALS LINK BETWEEN CHILDHOOD
TRAUMA AND ADHD
|
|
|
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other learning disabilities are more common in families locked into a cycle of poverty, a new U.S. government report suggests.
Nearly 19% of children living in families below the federal poverty level had a diagnosis of ADHD or a learning disability, compared with about 13% of families at or above the poverty level, the new report shows.
(US News & World Report)
|
|
|
|
|
INSIDE A PRESCHOOL THAT TREATS THE YOUNGEST VICTIMS OF FOR THE OPIOID CRISIS
The youngest victims of the opioid crisis are preschoolers whose parents or caregivers misuse painkillers; some have become addicted to heroin or other street drugs as a result. Educators haven’t given up on them, but they recognize teaching these kids brings unique challenges.
These kids are among a small but growing number of children who, like addicts themselves, require rehabilitation. Many encounter unspeakable trauma and abuse before they’ve learned to walk or read. (EdSurge.com)
|
|
|
|
BREASTFEEDING ASSOCIATED WITH LOWER RISK OF ALLERGIES
In a recent study, exclusive breastfeeding for the first 3 months was linked with a lower risk of respiratory allergies and asthma when children reached 6 years of age.
In the study of 1,177 mother-infant pairs, exclusive breastfeeding for 3 months was associated with a 23% lower relative risk of respiratory allergies at the age of 6 years. It was also associated with a 34% lower relative risk of asthma, but only if the children did not have a family history of asthma. (News Medical Life Sciences)
|
|
|
|
SURVEY SAYS: MOMS NEED BETTER LACTATION SPACES AT WORK
|
A survey of more than 2,000 working moms found that a majority of women feel they lack the support they need to continue breast milk feeding when they return to work after baby.
Only 40% of moms said they had a dedicated lactation space or mother's room with a locking door. More than 26% reported not having a space at work to pump at all.
California
now has a law
on the books that companies with 50 or more employees must provide a dedicated breastfeeding space. (Yahoo! Finance)
|
|
KIDS ARE WONDERFULLY WEIRD; THEY NEED SPACES THAT ENCOURAGE THAT
|
Kids need places that are truly weird. For as free-thinking as kids naturally are, there simply are not very many places that reflect the illogic and joy of how a young person views the world.
All over the world, there are courageous local leaders who believe that school-aged students in their city deserve an extraordinary place all their own. This movement started with 826 Valencia in San Francisco, whose acclaimed youth writing and tutoring program now includes three stunning locations, each serving a different neighborhood, as well as city-wide programs on-site in public schools. (Newsweek)
|
|
A FIRST-TIME MOM'S PERSONAL HOW-TO GUIDE
|
Nurse Family Partnership is an evidence-based home visiting program for first-time, income-eligible moms and their babies. Moms of the program are assigned a nurse to help them through some of the unknowns they might face through their first pregnancy, the birth of their first child, and during those tender first years from infant to toddler. (NorthCentralPA.com)
NOTE: Locally, the Nurse Family Partnership program operated by Kern County Public Health is one of First 5 Kern's longest-funded programs.
|
|
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
