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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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KIDS WHO RELY ON VENTILATORS CAN'T GET ENOUGH SUPPLIES, PUTTING THEIR LIVES AT RISK
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Sabrina Renteria of Bakersfield unfolded the letter from her son’s medical equipment supply company.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, ventilator circuits — the plastic tubes that connect Renteria’s 18-month-old son Gabriel to his home ventilator — were in short supply, the letter from SuperCareHealth said. That meant Renteria would only get one circuit in April, instead of the usual four.
At least 3,000 children in California rely on ventilators, according to the California Association of Medical Product Suppliers, and many of them are facing a shortage of the supplies that help keep them alive.
(California Health Report)
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INFANT TEMPERAMENT PREDICTS PERSONALITY 20 YEARS LATER
Researchers have found that behavioral inhibition in infancy predicts a reserved, introverted personality at age 26. For those individuals who show sensitivity to making errors in adolescence, the findings indicated a higher risk for internalizing disorders (such as anxiety and depression) in adulthood.
The study provides robust evidence of the impact of infant temperament on adult outcomes. (National Institutes of Health)
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HOME VISITING CONTINUES --
AT A DISTANCE
Along the border with Nevada, home visitors in Mono County, California, are parking near the homes of their clients and using hotspots to connect for virtual visits. They’re also recommending activities for moms and young children that only require items typically found in the home.
It's just one of the ways home visitors are adapting their services during a period in which first-time and at-risk mothers are more isolated than ever. (Education Dive)
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CORONAVIRUS LEADS TO 'ALARMING' DROP
IN CHILD ABUSE REPORTS
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On a typical day, an army of mandated reporters (teachers, doctors, dentists, counselors, coaches, etc.) and observant parents typically fill hotlines with reports of suspected child abuse or neglect. Those calls, investigators say, often save lives.
But since the outbreak of the coronavirus has hidden the lives of children behind closed doors, the reports of suspected abuse have dropped by as much as 50%. The drop began almost immediately after California began its stay-at-home orders to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. (LA Times)
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37 ILLOGICAL REASONS THAT TODDLERS
THROW TANTRUMS
Well, their readers left stories of their own toddler trials in the comments, and holy cow, they might be even funnier.
If you need a laugh (and who doesn't these days), click the link below. (BuzzFeed)
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FIRST 5 ALAMEDA AWARDS $3 MILLION GRANT
With families out of work facing critical shortages of food and supplies for children, First 5 Alameda County announced a $3 million dollar grant to help distribute food, diapers, wipes, and cleaning supplies to local parents and caregivers in need.
First 5 Alameda will distribute the funds to five organizations, including three childcare resource and referral agencies. (East Bay Times)
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AAP DOES NOT RECOMMEND HOME BIRTHS, BUT OFFERS GUIDANCE
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The AAP generally doesn't recommend planned home births, citing an increased risk for complications and infant mortality.
However, the organization says, it is up to the parent to decide -- and for those who know they'd prefer a home birth, the AAP says it's best for women who
have no preexisting or maternal disease and who can plan to have two medical providers present with the necessary skills and equipment.
Midwives are also reporting that, during the
pandemic
, they're receiving an increase in inquiries from moms about home births, said the lead author of the AAP's updated guidelines.
(CNN)
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SUSTAINABLE DIAPER STARTUP WANTS PARENTS TO DITCH DISPOSABLE DIAPERS FOR GOOD
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Disposable diapers represent the third-largest producer of household waste in the U.S.
That's what led one artist to design
Esembly
, a line of reusable and organic cloth diapers so stylish it could appeal to eco-conscious and fashion-savvy parents alike. But Esembly’s real mission is focused on demystifying the preconceptions surrounding cloth diapering.
She learned that reusables are not only better for the environment, but are better equipped to handle leaks and major messes. (Forbes)
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EARLY CHILDCARE & EDUCATION
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WHO WILL WATCH OUR KIDS WHEN WE GO BACK TO WORK?
Parents across the country are attempting to work from home while homeschooling and
caring for their children
full time. Many families can’t afford to pay for care they’re not receiving, and in March
30% of 6,000 childcare centers
surveyed said they wouldn’t survive a closure of two weeks without significant public investment. The American childcare system was already a failed market, and now COVID-19 is pushing it toward collapse.
The question of when America will go back to work has dominated the public discourse, but whenever that happens, who will watch our children?
(Time)
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DAYCARE IS FOR ESSENTIAL WORKERS, BUT ENFORCEMENT
IS LAX
As with many parents of young children, Julia Najera and Shawn Starr have found themselves without daycare for their 4-year-old son in the midst of the pandemic. Starr is a nurse, and therefore considered an "essential worker." But, their daycare provider turned their son away because of Starr’s profession.
"Once they found out that I'd be taking care of COVID-positive patients at the hospital, they asked us to keep our son home the entire month of April," Starr said. (KPBS)
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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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