Tagged With "foster care"
Blog Post
2019 Economics of Child Abuse in Mendocino County
Mendocino recently shared 2019 data related to the economic impacts of child abuse. The attached documents are in a printable format.
Blog Post
3 Ideas to Update Your Self-Care Plan [gmichelle.com]
With the concept of self-care receiving more buzz than ever before, more people are practicing routines and activities to better care for themselves. At the same time, self-care is included more in our marketing, as it is being used to promote products, services and many, many, many spa services. While getting a manicure or taking a warm bath are certainly helpful self-care ideas, we want to be mindful of how our practice of caring for ourselves is actually helping us. As we reviewed how to...
Blog Post
5 Key Elements to Trauma-Informed Care [relias.com]
Unfortunately, implementing a trauma-informed framework at your organization is not as simple as bringing in experts, gathering staff for training and then riding the wave of motivation and excitement into the sunset. It involves a cultural shift at your organization, ongoing focus and training, and a commitment from leadership.
Blog Post
5 Ways Trauma-Informed Care Supports Children's Development
Happy Friday! Below is an excerpt from an article by Child Trends about how trauma-informed care supports children's development. I think it's a nice overview for the trauma-informed work that you're doing - why it's so important, and how it connects to the broader initiative. To see the full article click here . TIC helps service providers, parents, and systems recognize and respond to the needs of children who experience trauma. Each child reacts to trauma differently, but experiencing...
Blog Post
7 Ways to Help a Child Deal with Traumatic Stress
Traumatic stress feels awful. Thankfully, there are small things we can all do to help relax a hyperaroused nervous system.
Blog Post
A Guide to Creating “Safe Space” Policies for Early Childhood Programs [CLASP]
From the Center for Law and Social Policy Early childhood programs play an important role in the lives of young children and their families. But in our current immigration policy climate, families across the country are questioning whether it’s safe to attend or enroll. Providers can take steps to protect families’ safety and privacy by implementing policies that designate their facilities as a safe space from immigration enforcement. This guide explains federal agency guidance related to...
Blog Post
A Message from DSS: CCB 18 - July 2019 Reports are Due Oct 7th 2019!
Good afternoon CCB 18 County Contacts, This email is to inform FY 2019-20 Bridge Program opt-in counties of revised CCB 18 report and instructions via All County Welfare Director Letter dated August 23, 2019. The CCB 18 (7/19) report takes effect for the July 2019 report month. The July 2019 report’s due date has been extended to October 7 th . July and August report months will be due on the same day. Feel free to submit the July 2019 report at any time before the due date. Due to...
Blog Post
A New Suite of Data on Safeguards for Youth
Safeguards for Youth is a compilation of the latest data on promoting California children’s health and well-being. The data describe protective factors and supportive services, both of which are critical to building a solid foundation for life and addressing the effects of childhood adversity. Protective factors highlight the importance of preventive health care, a strong start in education, and a nurturing school community. Supportive services address adverse experiences such as health...
Blog Post
ACEs Champion Julie Kurtz Gives Every Child (and Adult) a Voice
Julie Kurtz hasn’t stopped creating ways to build and promote resilience in herself and others who have experienced trauma since she left her family home for college at age 18. Although she experienced four types of adversity during her childhood, the CEO of the Center for Optimal Brain Integration has traveled a complex journey to mitigate those adversities by recognizing her own internal resilience, building skills to buffer her toxic and traumatic stress, uncovering her voice through...
Blog Post
ACEs Connection Webinar: The trauma toll on pediatric immigrants, refugees and their families
The trauma toll on pediatric immigrants, refugees and their families Date: Friday, December 14, 2018 Time: 10:30-11:30 am Pacific Time/1:30-2:30 Eastern Time Central American asylum seekers, including a Honduran girl, 2, and her mother, are taken into custody near the U.S.-Mexico border in June in McAllen, Texas. John Moore/Getty Images Please register here for this webinar. News accounts say it all: “Families Are Still Being Separated at the Border, Months After ‘Zero Tolerance’ Was...
Blog Post
ACES Science 101 (FAQs)
What are ACEs? ACEs are adverse childhood experiences that harm children's developing brains so profoundly that the effects show up decades later; they cause much of chronic disease, most mental illness, and are at the root of most violence. ...
Blog Post
Addressing historical and childhood trauma: Why native people across the country are gathering in San Diego in October
photo/ CCO Children, in what should be the safety of their homes, experience trauma, and it is ruining lives -- and perhaps entire ethnic groups. Childhood trauma actually alters the structure of the brain – a result of consistent toxic stress, which is why it’s so difficult to heal an individual and help them attain a healthy life. Dr. Anthony Pico The science that was the springboard for making those linkages began with a now famous Adverse Childhood Experiences study of over 17,000...
Blog Post
Alaska Transfers Child Welfare Services for Native Alaskans to Tribes [chronicleofsocialchange.org]
In Alaska , a coalition of tribal governments has now begun to assume responsibility for offering some child welfare services to Alaska Native children. The Alaska Tribal Child Welfare Compact , which was signed into law in October 2017 by Alaska Gov. Bill Walker (I), allows 18 Alaska tribes to provide child welfare services with the goal of reducing the disproportionate number of Native children in foster care in the state. Previously, these services were managed solely through the state’s...
Blog Post
Book review: "Once I was very, very scared," a book on childhood trauma
The past few years have brought a wealth of evidence for the impact of childhood trauma on lifelong health. The AAP has recognized the importance of childhood trauma with conferences (2015 Violence, Abuse and Toxic Stress: An Update on Trauma-informed Care in Children and Youth) and resources ( AAP Trauma Toolbox for Primary Care .) Like many pediatricians, I have been grateful for the attention to and evidence base for an area of pediatrics I see on a daily basis but for which I have felt...
Blog Post
Book: Trauma Informed Practices for Early Childhood Educators
15% discount with this flyer! Trauma Informed Practices for Early Childhood Educators Relationship-Based Approaches that Support Healing and Build Resilience in Young Children Julie Nicholson, Linda Perez and Julie Kurtz Trauma Informed Practices for Early Childhood Educators guides child care providers and early educators working with infants, toddlers, preschoolers and early elementary aged children to understand trauma as well as its impact on young children’s brains, behavior, learning...
Blog Post
Breaking the Silence on Early Child Care and Education Costs: A Values-Based Budget for Children, Parents, and Teachers in California
By Elise Gould, Marcy Whitebook, Zane Mokhiber, and Lea J.E. Austin, Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, July 23, 2019. What this report finds: California’s child early care and education (ECE) system is underfunded, and California policymakers have not been willing to acknowledge the true cost of creating a comprehensive ECE system. Proposals for ECE reform have focused primarily on improving access and affordability for families but have ignored the elephant in the room: Early...
Blog Post
Building Resilience Grant
https://www.magnetmail.net/actions/email_web_version.cfm?ep=yGCdD8CRbHY3xIKXk_NtCs4FUb3AniOPEXihaJv83LFH6mhv-5acjUuQ2dFLxdZdUIp4INv-ZMN0tuPTQCEGSpqzR0gFmOgvH_d2IXxSjFvv-b5v1SHK2GNT6ddniIjq
Blog Post
CA to reimburse for only one of three ACEs screeners
California health care providers will soon begin to learn how many of the 13.2 million California children and adults in the state’s MediCal program have been exposed to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). But the state’s proposed decision to reimburse only one of three recommended options for screening children has drawn mixed reactions from pediatricians. “If we have mandated legislation that only looks at one screening tool, it really limits the opportunity to improve that screening...
Blog Post
California gets boost from federal government to expand early learning [edsource.org]
Though California has been at odds with the federal government on many fronts, the state is getting a boost from the Trump administration to lay the groundwork for expanding preschool and child care programs. California was one of 45 states to receive a Preschool Development Birth through Five Grant this year for improving access to child care and early learning for infants and children. California received $10.6 million. The grant will not create any new child care slots, but will help in...
Blog Post
Calming Your Anxious Mind Through Rhythmic Movement
5 Rhythmic Movement Practices That Can Calm Our Anxious Mind
Blog Post
Care for Yourself, So You Can Care for Others
December can be a busy and stressful time for everyone. Please see the message below from the Office of Head Start, reminding you to take care of yourself and giving some helpful daily tips- Safe Foundations, Healthy Futures Campaign Care for Yourself, So You Can Care for Others December 2018 December can be a particularly hard time to take care of yourself. You may be busy, over-scheduled, stressed about finances, or worried about family. This month, the Safe Foundations, Healthy Futures...
Blog Post
CCIP & TIC Communities of Practice
The regional CCIP and TIC communities of practice have been scheduled for September and October. Central Valley: Visalia, Sept. 27, 10:00am-3:00pm Bay Area: Oakland, Sept. 18, 9:30am-2:30pm South: LA, Sept. 24, 9:30am-2:30pm North: Orland, Oct. 3, 10:00am-3:00pm This is a chance for you to share your knowledge about what works, talk about challenges and solutions, and for the Network Provider Services Team to share program updates and learn how we can best support you. Share your knowledge,...
Blog Post
Child Welfare Ideas from the Experts #6: Improving Foster Care for Refugee Minors [chronicleofsocialchange.org]
The Chronicle of Social Change is highlighting each of the policy recommendations made this summer by the participants of the Foster Youth Internship Program (FYI), a group of 10 former foster youths who have completed congressional internships. The program is overseen each summer by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute. Each of the FYI participants crafted a policy recommendation during their time in Washington, D.C. Today we highlight the recommendation of Noor Kathem, 23, an...
Blog Post
COVID-19 and State Child Care Assistance Programs [clasp.org]
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...
Blog Post
Data-for-Equity Research Brief [nichq.org]
Child care offers a safe space for children to grow and learn while their families are at work, making it a critical resource to support healthy development. However, child care is unaffordable for the majority of working parents, especially for low-income and black and Hispanic working parents. This research brief provides insight and analysis about the challenges families face in affording childcare, which can exacerbate inequities in early childhood health and development. [For more on...
Blog Post
Day Care Centers For The Most Fragile Kids Struggle To Stay Open (californiahealthline.org)
Beth Kemplin said that for the first several months after the birth of her son, Bear, she had no idea he would be severely disabled. She started to notice something was wrong when, at 10 months old, he couldn’t sit up. He didn’t babble or meet her eye. He cried 20 hours a day. Now, at 5½ years old, Bear’s list of medical diagnoses is long: cerebral palsy, autism, a seizure disorder and pica, a compulsion to eat objects like rocks and toys. Kemplin had to quit a job to look after Bear when he...
Blog Post
Dr. Marrow at Echo Changing the Paradigm Conference
I wanted to give the heads up to our ACESConnection friends about Dr. Monique Marrow who is one of the keynotes at Echo's March 21 & 22nd Frontiers of Resilience conference. Dr. Marrow will be speaking on “ Addressing Trauma in System-Involved Youth ," drawing on her extensive experience as a child psychologist in the juvenile justice system. She talks about the ' invisible suitcase ' that system-involved youth carry - a suitcase full of thoughts and perceptions about the world that have...
Blog Post
Early childhood educators learn new ways to spot trauma triggers, build resilience in preschoolers
A hug may be comforting to many children, but for a child who has experienced trauma it may not feel safe.
That’s an example used by Julie Kurtz, co-director of trauma informed practices in early childhood education at the WestEd Center for Child & Family Studies (CCFS), as she begins a trauma training session. Her audience, preschool teachers and staff of the San Francisco-based Wu Yee Children’s Services at San Francisco’s Women’s Building, listen attentively.
Blog Post
Early Childhood Is Critical to Health Equity [rwjf.org]
The first few years of life are crucial in establishing a child’s path toward—or away from—health and well-being across the entire lifespan. This report, produced in partnership with the University of California, San Francisco, examines some of the barriers to health equity that begin early in life, and promising strategies for overcoming them. Key Findings Poverty limits childrens’ and families’ options for healthy living conditions. Poverty can limit where children live, and can lead to...
Blog Post
Emergency Child Care for Foster Families [saccounty.net]
By Sacramento County, SacCounty News, January 9, 2020 To recruit more loving families for children in foster care, Sacramento County is making it easier to find and afford childcare services for resource families. The Emergency Child Care Bridge Program’s goal is to increase the number of resource families for children in foster care by helping families find the right child care provider, connecting families to long-term child care subsidies, and by providing vouchers to pay for childcare...
Blog Post
For Low-Income Youth in California, Much is Promised But Little Received with Mental Health Services (chronicleofsocialchange.org)
Mental health disorders in childhood and adolescence are extremely common. Studies estimate between 13 and 20 percent of American children experience a mental disorder in a given year. National survey data indicates that one in five children and teens will suffer a mental disorder that severely impairs daily life. Common mental illnesses include anxiety disorder, depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Yet research also indicates that many children in need of mental...
Blog Post
Former Foster Youth Share Findings of Survey on Preventing Removals from Families [chronicleofsocialchange.org]
In early February, the National Foster Care Youth and Alumni Policy Council hosted a webinar on its most recent policy focus on preventing unnecessary removal of children from their families. Three former foster youth – Dani Townsend, David Hall and Nico’Lee Biddle – presented the group’s findings from their survey on the subject and recommendations that will be shared with federal stakeholders. Hall shared a few highlights from the survey, which included responses from 200 current and...
Blog Post
Free online training for Early Child Educators (English and Spanish): Watch Me! Celebrating Milestones and Sharing Concerns
This free, one-hour training offered by the CDC provides tools to help child care providers work with families to monitor children's development, share concerns with families, and help families get connected to services and support that can make a real difference. This training is available in English and Spanish, and is approved for continuing education credit. To learn more, visit: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/watchmetraining/index.html
Blog Post
From Compassion Fatigue to Healing Centered Engagement: Turning Trauma Informed Values into Action
To pave the way for a truly strengths-based approach to full healing and recovery for both service users and burned out staff, we must educate them on (1) the central role of primal body responses to trauma (past and present), and (2) the early development of adaptive thoughts and behaviors in response to
traumatic experience.
Blog Post
From Trauma-Informed to Asset-Informed Care in Early Childhood [brookings.edu]
By Ellen Galinsky, Brookings Institute, October 23, 2019 The focus on “toxic stress,” ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences), and trauma-informed care have been game-changers in the field of early childhood development. They have helped us recognize the symptoms of trauma, provide appropriate assistance to children, and understand that prolonged adversity in the absence of nurturing relationships can derail a child’s healthy development. Just look at the media’s and the public’s reaction to...
Blog Post
Genentech Call for Grants Notification: Advancing the Science behind Childhood Adversity
Grant opportunity from Genentech, for communities deeply engaged in applying ACEs science.
Blog Post
Gov. Newsom proposing to expand services for babies and toddlers [edsource.org]
Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to announce plans to spend big on babies and toddlers, significantly expanding a range of programs, from helping parents care for their small children at home to identifying developmental delays early. In his first budget proposal, which is due to the Legislature by Thursday, Newsom plans to propose $100 million to expand a home-visiting program — in which nurses and social workers visit young, low-income parents to give health and parenting advice — and another...
Blog Post
Gov. Newsom's early childhood advisor describes 'whole-child, whole-family, whole-community' strategy [edsource.org]
For the first time, a California governor has created a position in his office focused on early education. Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Giannina Pérez as his Senior Policy Advisor for Early Childhood. Peréz previously worked for Early Edge California and Children Now, both well-known children’s advocacy organizations. As an advocate, she worked to expand training for preschool teachers and child care providers to better support children who speak languages other than English at home. She also...
Blog Post
Help public radio with a story: How did separation from your parents as a child impact you?
Please see the post below from Laura Klivans of KQED: KQED is the National Public Radio affiliate in San Francisco, CA. We’d like to hear from adults (18+) who were separated from their parents when they were children. Perhaps the separation was due to economic reasons, war and conflict, incarceration, foster care, or something else. How did that period of separation impact you in the long-run? How has it impacted your connection to others and how you build relationships? If you're a parent,...
Blog Post
Helping Parents Develop Positive Relationships with their infants to toddlers (National Partnership to End Interpersonal Violence,NPEIV).
Zero to Three Resource- extracted from website and with discussion text by Karin Hecht (September 14, 2018) Bonding activities between parent and child can be a great way to help a child’s development and strengthen the relationship. The Zero to Three website has great resources for child-centered activities to help little ones learn and grow. One particularly useful resource for parents and care providers are a collection of stage-by-stage age-based tips and what to expect as your baby...
Blog Post
Hey, am I alone here? NO we are here to help!
Do you ever think, wow .... Am I the only one doing this work? And, how come it is so hard to find the resources I need to do my job? And, isn't there a better way to share and collaborate? YOU are not alone - and YES there are amazing people and communities that want to collaborate and share what they've learned! Where do I find these people? On ( clickable ) ACEs Connectio n ! Sign up for ACEs Connection and start collaborating with parents, professionals, well known researchers, and many...
Blog Post
How to Be Your Own Emergency First Responder! (3 minute read)
https://www.optimalbrainintegration.com/post/how-to-be-your-own-emergency-first-responder-3-minute-read How to Be Your Own Emergency First Responder! (3 minute read)
Blog Post
In the Arena with NOW Podcast Episode, "Cultivating Leaders of Color in Early Care and Education" (27 min)
The Networks of Opportunity for Child Wellbeing (NOW) is excited to share the third episode of In the Arena with NOW , a podcast series that lifts up the voices of community leaders who are “in the arena” -- in classrooms, playgrounds, Congressional halls, hospitals, and neighborhood streets -- working to make sure that all children and families can live healthy, thriving lives. In our third episode, we speak with members of the California Consortium for Equity in Early Care and Education...
Blog Post
Infancy and early childhood matter so much because of attachment (theconversation.com)
We are born to connect. As human beings we are relational and we need biological, emotional and psychological connection with others . Attachment is the relational dance that parents and babies share together. You can think of this when you see a baby look at their parent and they catch each other’s eyes in a wonderful gaze: the parent smiles and the baby smiles and then the parent kisses and the baby coos. Or, when an infant cries to tell their parent they are hungry, and the parent picks...
Blog Post
Join your local ACEs Connection community
If you'd like to see trauma-informed care resources and events specific to your city, county, or region, I encourage you to join your local ACEs Connection community! Below is a list of all of the current and upcoming California ACEs Connection communities. Click on the link below to join the community. Alameda County Alpine County (in progress - email Gail - Gkennedy@acesconnection.com ) Amador County (in progress - email Gail - Gkennedy@acesconnection.com ) Berkeley Butte County Del Norte...
Blog Post
Learn more about the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program for Foster Children
Learn more about the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program for Foster Children The Bridge Program aims to increase the number of foster children successfully placed in home-based family care settings, increase capacity of child care programs to meet the needs of foster children in their care, and maximize funding to support the child care needs of eligible families. One of the primary barriers for potential families seeking to take in a foster child is the lack of access to child care...
Blog Post
Limbic Revision – Love Heals Your Traumatized Brain
Limbic revision is simply another name for revising and rewiring the faulty development of our brain, namely our limbic system. In simple terms in order to truly heal we need to experience deep and attuned loving care.
Blog Post
Marin Community Clinics in California screen babies for ACEs, provide support in effort to prevent trauma
When Marin Community Clinics (MCC) first considered screening their patients for adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) they already had decided that if they were going to prevent children from acquiring ACEs, they had to take a radical approach.
Blog Post
Medicaid is Not Just for Doctor’s Visits: Innovative Early Childhood Funding Strategies [chcs.org]
If a family has no means of transportation, consistent prenatal care becomes extremely difficult. If a mother is homeless, she is less likely to attend a child wellness visit. If a one-year-old is hungry, brain development is detrimentally impacted. And if a toddler is experiencing trauma at home, he or she cannot focus on learning. While there is significant evidence around the value of investing in early childhood to improve physical, social, and emotional development later in life, more...
Blog Post
Mental Health and Resilience Month Part 1: Self-Care
Hello, everyone! Since June is Mental Health and Resilience Month, I'll be posting weekly resilience tips or resources. Hopefully these are helpful not only as you begin work in trauma-informed care, but in creating balance for your life in general. I thought I'd start us off with some information on self-care - you've probably all heard of it, and it's gotten a lot of attention recently, but what exactly does it mean? (Even if this is all familiar to you, reminders are always helpful!) See...