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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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BIG CUTS COULD HIT LITTLE CALIFORNIANS:
$1 BILLION IN PRESCHOOL AND CHILD CARE AT RISK
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Even the littlest Californians have not been spared in the governor’s big proposal to cut a budget decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s ambitious plans to expand free preschool for low-income children and increase state support for child care now are on the chopping block. He also has proposed cuts to existing, early childhood funding that advocates worry could force child care providers to reduce the number of kids they serve, or even close their businesses.
The child-friendly budget Newsom announced in January was
amended
last week, revealing cuts and takeaways totaling more than $1 billion for early childhood programs. The revisions, if passed, would sink plans to create 20,000 new preschool slots and offer more child care subsidies to low-income working families. (CalMatters)
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EARLY CHILDCARE & EDUCATION
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YOUNGEST LEARNERS PREPARE TO START SCHOOL - WITHOUT THE SCHOOL
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Almost 4 million children enter kindergarten every year — and principals are often urged to work with early learning providers to
create a bridge
between preschool or child care and the K-12 system. But many of those children might experience a very different type of transition this fall — especially if they haven’t been in a formal classroom setting.
“When children have never been part of an early learning environment, life in a classroom comes as a shock,” said Lindsay Dunckel, the school readiness program planner for First 5 Sacramento in California. “Distance learning can help with some things, but not with those fundamental experiences.” (Education Dive)
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MOST CALIF. SCHOOL DISTRICTS PLAN TO OPEN IN FALL - HERE'S HOW IT WOULD WORK
Most public school districts in California are planning to reopen campuses on their regular start dates in late August and September — but the new normal amid the coronavirus outbreak will likely include masks, daily school sanitation and smaller class sizes to maintain six feet of distance, state Supt. of Instruction Tony Thurmond said Wednesday.
Also, some school districts will likely offer a combination of in-person and distance learning, something parents have asked for, Thurmond said. (LA Times)
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WHAT THE CDC WANTS SCHOOLS AND CAMPS TO DO BEFORE OPENING
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has finally issued
full interim guidance
on how schools and other establishments can safely open during the COVID-19 pandemic, and below are all the recommendations for schools and camps.
They are detailed but worth reading to see the level of care CDC experts want school officials to consider before reopening campuses. (Washington Post)
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TEXAS PUSHES FOR KIDS TO RETURN TO NORMAL
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Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott this week said child care facilities can reopen immediately and set the stage for a return to summer camp, youth sports leagues and even summer school.
All come with guidelines on just how to do it amid the coronavirus pandemic, including sanitation practices and limits on how many children can be in one place. They also require parents to keep their distance from one another while celebrating a goal, home run or dunk. (PBS)
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CORONAVIRUS PARENTHOOD: STRESS IS HIGH, GLITTER GLUE IS EVERYWHERE
"I don't think I can fit that mold. I want to be the homeschool mom. I want to be the innovative thinker, creating all types of science projects and games for them to play, when I just want to lay down and go to sleep."
Since the start of the coronavirus shutdowns, Shammeer Dawson has single-handedly taken on her children's Spanish-language curriculum, shuttled between schools to pick up free meals, and overseen numerous craft projects. (LAist)
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PARENTS ARE RELYING ON MELATONIN FOR THEIR KIDS' SLEEP - SHOULD THEY?
An online survey of 933 parents found that among those with children who struggle with sleep, almost half had given melatonin to their children.
"It's so widely used, it is astonishing to me," said Dr. Judith Owens, M.D., M.D.H., the director of the Center for Pediatric Sleep Disorders at Boston Children's Hospital.
Supplement makers do not need to submit evidence their products work, nor prove that their listed ingredients are accurate or pure (NY Times)
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THE LACK OF RESEARCH ON CORONAVIRUS DRUGS WITH PREGNANT AND LACTATING WOMEN
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Pregnant and breastfeeding women have been excluded from clinical trials of drugs such as remdesivir to treat COVID-19, and as result, there is no safety data to inform clinical decisions, according to a new article in the journal
Breastfeeding Medicine
.
Since pregnant and lactating women are not included in clinical trials, little is known about whether the drug transfers into breast milk and reaches the infant's circulation.
The lack of such data complicates a decision between giving lactating women a potentially life-saving drug and having them stop breastfeeding or risking any potential adverse effects of the drug on the infant. (EurekAlert)
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ONLY 27% OF INFANTS MEETING VITAMIN D GUIDELINES
Just over a quarter of infants are meeting American Association of Pediatrics guidelines on vitamin D intake, leaving many vulnerable to rickets, according to a new study.
The AAP recommends infants under 1 year receive 400 international units of vitamin D daily. Breastfed infants and formula-fed infants who consume less than 32 ounces of formula daily should take a supplement to prevent softening of children’s bones.
The data showed only 27% met the guidelines. (AAP)
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CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL AWARDED $3M GRANT TO EXPAND HELP ME GROW
Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital has received a three-year $3 million grant from First 5 Riverside and First 5 San Bernardino to further efforts of the Help Me Grow Inland Empire program, providing developmental screening to children and social services resources for their families.
The program is developing a data system to house screenings, allowing early childhood educators and pediatricians to collaborate while working with the child and their family. (LLUCH.org)
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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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