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THIS WEEK'S
HEADLINES
NEWS IMPACTING CHILDREN 0-5 AND THEIR FAMILIES
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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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Does Quality Early Childhood Education lead to more successful lives as adults? |
The National Academy of Sciences released a paper this week detailing their research on quality early learning.
The science clearly indicates that the professional task of educating young children requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development, content knowledge, and educational practices as that of educating older children.
Yet, the perception that educating young children requires less expertise than educating older students helps to sustain policies that make it difficult to maximize the potential of early learning programs and early childhood educators. (National Academy of Sciences)
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Quality child care is expensive, hard to find in California
The child-care crunch in California is real, and a new poll commissioned by Children Now confirms parents are having hard time finding and paying for adequate care.
Among the findings, 62% of parents said they had to sacrifice quality when selecting a preschool, and half say they are very concerned about the costs of child care. (Public News Service)
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Fearing distance learning, many parents opt out of kindergarten
Many California parents are opting out of kindergarten this year, due to concerns about whether distance learning or attending school for the first time with strangers in masks will be good for children.
The largest district in the state, Los Angeles Unified, had about 6,000 fewer kinder-gartners show up this fall compared to last year — a drop of about 14%. (EdSource)
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Report spotlights California among the few states that set children up to excel in Early Education |
Only California, New Jersey and the District of Columbia have implemented all of the state policies that research shows contributes to young children’s health and well-being during their first three years, according to a comprehensive new “roadmap” released Tuesday.
The five state policies highlighted in the roadmap are: expanded income eligibility for health insurance, reduced barriers to applying for food stamps, paid family leave, a minimum wage of at least $10, and a refundable state earned income tax credit that is at least 10 percent of the federal one. (The 74)
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CDC Study shows young kids at daycare centers can seed COVID-19 outbreaks |
Coronavirus spread through several Utah childcare centers earlier this year and eventually infected parents, the latest indicator that toddlers and infants can transmit the virus to adults, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found in a study released Friday.
The CDC looked at three daycare centers and camps in the Salt Lake City area that saw small Covid-19 outbreaks between April and July.
At least a dozen kids and 10 staff members contracted the virus across the three facilities, including toddlers and an eight-month-old infant, though none of the children showed severe symptoms. (Forbes)
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More than 1 in 3 pediatricians dismiss vaccine-refusing families
A nationwide survey found 37 percent of pediatricians said they often dismissed families for refusing vaccines, and 6% said they would dismiss a family for choosing to spread out crucial early vaccines. (HealthDay)
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Maternal stress during pregnancy linked to infant illness
Greater maternal stress during pregnancy is linked with significant increases in the number and variety of infant illness during the first year of life, independent of the level of stress after birth, according to a study led by researchers at UC San Francisco. (UCSF)
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Discipline vs. Punishment: what parenting experts want you to know
Teaching kids right from wrong, positive from negative, and that actions have consequences isn't always easy. What can a parent do to ensure that their child will not only understand that their actions aren't appropriate while also providing context for why and ideally helping them understand that they should not continue this behavior going forward? (Mind Body Green)
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The best parenting book for dads
“Congratulations; you’re going to be a father!”
If you've heard these words recently, you've probably begun preparation for your life as a dad. While there isn't an official owner's manual that comes with the new little bundle of joy, there are quite a few books that you can explore that cover popular topics -- including special books just for dads. (Chicago Tribune)
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New CDC report links COVID-19 and preterm births |
The CDC released a report on Wednesday that links preterm births with COVID-19 infections.
The report looked at women ages 15 to 49 hospitalized with COVID-19 across 13 states from March 1 to August 22. For those who were pregnant, 45.5% were symptomatic. Of those women, 16% were admitted to intensive care units, 8% required mechanical ventilation, and 1% of the patients died from COVID-19.
According to researchers, one important study finding involved COVID-19's impact on preterm births. Symptomatic women were more likely to deliver preterm, at 23.1%, more than twice the overall rate of preterm births for the general US population (10.2%). (Health.com)
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Pregnant women in SF to receive monthly stipend in pilot program
The Abundant Birth Project will provide an unconditional monthly income supplement of $1,000 to approximately 150 Black and Pacific Islander women in San Francisco for the duration of their pregnancy, and for the first six months of their baby’s life.
The program’s goal is to eventually provide a supplement for up to two years post-pregnancy. (KRON)
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Too much weight gain during pregnancy may raise allergy risk in babies
A recent study found that excessive weight gain during pregnancy may be associated with an increased risk for childhood asthma and allergy.
Such children in the study had a 13 percent increased risk of asthma, allergic rhinitis or food or drug allergy, and a 9 percent increased risk of eczema. (NY Times)
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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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