Blog

By Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC News, September 18, 2021 When the Caldor Fire swooped down toward South Lake Tahoe in California, Melissa Benavidez and her family knew it was time to go. Her husband, a municipal firefighter, urged Benavidez to pack up their three children and head to safety while he stayed behind to work 12-hour shifts. Benavidez, a teacher, tried to make the experience fun for her family. They headed south to the Santa Cruz boardwalk and visited relatives in the San Joaquin...

By Mary Ann Dewan, San José Spotlight, September 20, 2021 The last 18 plus months have been challenging for students, families and all school personnel due to pandemic-related circumstances. There was a crisis of youth mental health looming and the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this crisis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , the number of people having thoughts of suicide and experiencing depression has nearly doubled as compared to the years before the pandemic.

By Jeremy Loudenbeck, The Imprint, September 15, 2021 Citing the need for “repair and healing,” members of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to expand therapeutic approaches to juvenile detention Wednesday, calling on department officials to create plans for mentorships with formerly incarcerated adults, restorative justice programs and more time outdoors. The unanimously approved plan presented by Supervisors Holly Mitchell and Sheila Kuehl also directs county officials to...

By David Gelles and Sam Kalda, The New York Times, September 2021 Children of all ages can benefit from mindfulness, the simple practice of bringing a gentle, accepting attitude to the present moment. It can help parents and caregivers, too, by promoting happiness and relieving stress. Here, we offer basic tips for children and adults of all ages, as well as several activities that develop compassion, focus, curiosity and empathy. And remember, mindfulness can be fun. What Is Mindfulness,...

By Rahil D. Briggs, Psychology Today, September 21, 2021 There are many ways to think about baby, toddler, and child well-being. Perhaps you relate to the phrase “early relational health” or maybe you read the recent journal article in Pediatrics that called out the importance of ensuring that young children have safe, stable, and nurturing relationships (SSNRs). There are conversations happening about buffering toxic stress , increasing resilience , and promoting infant and early childhood...

By Guest Author, 9/7/21, positiveexperience.org/blog Last week, the American Academy of Pediatrics released the fifth snapshot in the Family Snapshots: Life during the Pandemic series. In past blogs , we discussed the results of the survey that the HOPE team, in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics , Prevent Child Abuse America , and the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) , conducted using the national online platform YouGov.com . This survey asked a national...

By Paul S Dilorenzo, for Imprint News, September, 1, 2021 Most of what I write for The Imprint is about family support and primary prevention programming. Like many of my colleagues, I frequently distinguish between “upstream” and the “deep-end” activities of the child welfare system, which is a shortcut description of what we perceive and then, how we function. It serves our purpose for partializing our work. However, I’m sure we would all agree that this might not be the perception of the...

By Guest Author, 9/7/21, positiveexperience.org/blog Last week, the American Academy of Pediatrics released the fifth snapshot in the Family Snapshots: Life during the Pandemic series. In past blogs , we discussed the results of the survey that the HOPE team, in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics , Prevent Child Abuse America , and the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) , conducted using the national online platform YouGov.com . This survey asked a national...

In partnership with First 5 Humboldt and funded by the First 5 California Home Visiting Coordination Grant, the California Center for Rural Policy has just released the Humboldt County Home Visiting Program Environmental Scan. The findings and recommendations in the environmental scan are grounded in partner workgroups, interviews, and surveys that occurred in 2020-21 and capture the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on home visiting services. Excerpts: "The organizations that provide home...

We all have a role to play in making sure children have the opportunity to thrive. In Child Abuse and Neglect: What It Is and What to Do About It , you will learn more about the types of child maltreatment, what to do when you think a child or family needs more support, and how to make a report if you suspect that a child has been abused or neglected. We all want children to be safe and healthy. However, the heartbreaking reality is that every year thousands of children are victims of child...

By Eric Moskowitz, Bostonia, July 28, 2021 Near the end of the strangest school year of her life, Julia, a Newton North High School freshman, found herself scrolling an Instagram feed full of her friends posting COVID-vaccine selfies. Some boasted that they felt like superheroes, newly powerful. One said she could finally exhale, calling it her “first deep breath” in over a year. Neither captured what Julia was feeling as she worked up the nerve to get her first shot. “I was really nervous...

By Heather Forkey, Moira Szilagyi, Erin T. Kelly, and James Duffee, American Academy of Pediatrics, August 2021 Abstract Most children will experience some type of trauma during childhood, and many children suffer from significant adversities. Research in genetics, neuroscience, and epidemiology all provide evidence that these experiences have effects at the molecular, cellular, and organ level, with consequences on physical, emotional, developmental, and behavioral health across the life...