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By National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University, June 10, 2020 We know that responsive relationships and language-rich experiences for young children help build a strong foundation for later success in school. The rapidly advancing frontiers of 21st-century biological sciences now provide compelling evidence that the foundations of lifelong health are also built early, with increasing evidence of the importance of the prenatal period...

By Karl G. Hill, Jennifer A. Bailey, Christine M. Steeger, JAMA Pediatrics, June 8, 2020 Key Points Question Might a universal social-developmental intervention in childhood show sustained benefits across generations? Findings In this nonrandomized controlled trial, significant differences in the offspring of individuals (now parents) who had received the intervention in childhood were observed across 4 domains: improved early-childhood developmental functioning, lower teacher-rated...

Please join us on Friday, June 5th for "A Better Normal’ community discussion with @Ed Tronick , Ph.D., and @Claudia Gold , MD. They will be discussing the work in their new book The Power of Discord, Why the Ups and Downs of Relationships are the Secret to Building Intimacy, Resilience, and Trust , which they co-wrote (details about the authors and the book below). This discussion will be hosted by @Cissy White (ACEs Connection Staff) who is the Parenting with ACEs Community Manager and...

Kids are observant. They soak in what’s around them and take their cues from the adults in their lives. In these situations, adults can lead by example in the ways we cope with stress and talk with others about COVID-19. Parents, family members, and other trusted adults can play an important role to help children make sense of what they see and hear about COVID-19 in a way that is honest, accurate, and minimizes anxiety or fear. Let the kitchen table —either real or virtual— be a safe space...

Lack of child care is quickly emerging as one of the biggest barriers to the economy bouncing back, says Patricia Cole, senior director of federal policy for Zero to Three, a nonprofit focused on early childhood development. “Child care is foundational to our nation’s ability to recover from this crisis,” Cole said during a news briefing put on by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. COVID-19 has plunged the child care industry, 90% of which is privately run, into a crisis the likes of which...

By Janis Gonzales, Santa Fe New Mexican, May 13, 2020 Over the past few weeks, pediatricians have been trying to raise awareness about the steep decline in vaccination rates that we have been seeing as parents cancel well checks and babies go months without being seen by a physician. But there is an equally alarming problem, one that also goes unseen and has remained largely under the radar while the news focuses on the more sensational COVID-19 headlines. The changes that have occurred in...

In an unprecedented global shutdown, many of us, especially without the noise and distraction of everyday life, are facing intensified, often destabilizing feelings. And that includes kids—whether they’re able to say so or not.

People are beginning to be aware that one result of the increased stress around COVID-19 is the tragic fact that child abuse and neglect is increasing, but the safety net provided by schools is no longer in place. Teachers and counselors can continue to be a hero to students in this time of crisis, and can help mitigate the negative impact of traumatic events and stress. Caregivers might not be able to do it alone. We (Dr. Rachel Gilgoff, a child abuse pediatrician and trauma expert, and...

By Zaidee Stavely, EdSource, April 23, 2020 The stay-at-home order has upended some of California’s most crucial educational and health services for infants and toddlers — home visits and early intervention services — at a time when families may need them the most. Home visiting programs send nurses, social workers and other trained professionals to the homes of low-income parents to give health and early education advice. They also help children meet milestones, like crawling, picking up...

Hello Community, I work in early years learning & wellness, and write to share an offering that might help families set up a framework for mandatory learning at home. Here's a link to the intro: imagiNATION Blog Series . Warmly, Jodi Wert

From Ben York, Parent Powered, April 16, 2020 Each community is different, but many of our challenges providing ongoing family engagement during school closures are the same. We at Ready4K have learned that early childhood educators have common needs: "Easy to understand and low cost learning activities that parents will complete with their kids when we are not there or even when parents don't answer their phones" (Iowa) "Encouraging families to understand their role as their child's first...

From CLASP, April 8, 2020 The bipartisan Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which was passed by Congress and enacted on March 27, 2020, includes resources specifically targeted to individuals and families with low incomes affected by the public health and economic crises. The package includes a number of provisions of particular importance to children and families and those who work with them, including policymakers and other stakeholders in child care and early...