Blog

Please take the time to check out this great story about our local heroes in Butte Baby Steps, and the impact their work is having on local families everyday.

he loss of a job — or the fear a pink slip could arrive at any time — can be catastrophic, not only for the laid-off worker, but also for members of their family. As economic fears grow, teenagers experience an atmosphere of tension and anxiety at a stage of life when stability is critical . Clearly, the best route to economic stability for these kids is a college degree. But recent research reveals a sad irony: The disruption caused by layoffs results in fewer kids from poor families...

Here in Los Angeles County, the extreme shortage of early learning opportunities for children, prenatal to age 5, is an urgent issue. According to the L.A. County Child Care Planning Committee's most recent State of Early Care and Education in Los Angeles County report , 59 percent of preschoolers lack access to state-subsidized early learning opportunities; and 87 percent of working parents with infants and toddlers lack access to a licensed child-care center seat of any kind. The $183...

A growing body of research is finding that, on the whole, job-protected paid family leaves of adequate duration and wage replacement lead to more income and gender equality, significant reductions in infant, maternal and even paternal mortality, improved physical and mental health for children and parents, greater family stability and economic security, business productivity, and economic growth.

The first 1,000 days of a child’s life are a critical window for cognitive, physical, and social development. Exposure to adverse experiences during this period and beyond in early childhood dramatically increases the potential for lifelong poor health and social outcomes. This in turn can result in substantially increased health care costs across an individual’s life span. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) — including neglect, abuse, exposure to violence, family dysfunction, etc. — also...

Few early education programs are prepared to help children recover from traumatic experiences, such as abuse and neglect, that can have long-term effects, according to a recent report . The National Center for Children in Poverty , a national public policy organization that advocates for children in poverty and low-income families, released the report titled, “Helping Young Children Who Have Experienced Trauma: Policies and Strategies for Early Care and Education.” It describes the impact of...

A colleague of mine -- here in New Zealand!! -- recently passed the attached PDF, from Scotland, onto me. It concerns a relatively recent, and still developing, proposed trauma training framework. This might be helpful to others wishing to go further in introducing TIC in their own services. It includes a consideration of ACEs. Naturally, it needs to incorporate culture-specific additions or modifications to suit your local conditions. The document as it is likely has broad application.

New Insights into the Role of Positive Experience on Child and Family Development *Health Outcomes of Positive Experience Abstract This report presents evidence for HOPE (Health Outcomes of Positive Experiences) based on newly released, compelling data that reinforce the need to promote positive experiences for children and families in order to foster healthy childhood development despite the adversity common in so many families. These data: Establish a spirit of hope and optimism and make...

It is noteworthy that in his press conference to introduce his new bill, The Trauma Informed Care for Children and Families Act, Senator Durbin (D-IL) speaks out about the impact of community violence. “As we work to address the root causes of violence, we need to focus on the impact that community violence and other traumatic experiences have on Chicago’s children,” said Durbin. “During a visit to the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center last year, I learned that more than 90 percent of...

A nationally renowned Bay Area physician, known for his impassioned belief that childhood poverty leads to disease, is bringing that message to the Hanna Boys Center in Sonoma next month as part of an ongoing networking series. Bertram Lubin, associate dean of Children’s Health at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland, will speak from 7:30-9 a.m. June 8 alongside Barbie Robinson, Sonoma County’s director of health services and Dayna Long, another physician from UCSF Benioff Children’s...

ACEs warriors from Butte, Humboldt, Del Norte, Siskiyou, Shasta, Tehama, Mendocino and Lake Counties came together in Oroville on Tuesday to hone our skills in developing concise messaging about ACEs and childhood trauma. The event was put on by the Berkeley Media Studies Group, acesconnection.com, kidsdata.com and the Lucille Packard Foundation, and the California Department of Public Health Essentials for Childhood Project. The amazing team of presenters put together a fast-paced...

Join 4CA in Sacramento on July 11 for Policymaker Education Day on Childhood Adversity! Our lawmakers need to hear from you about how childhood adversity affects your community and what they can do to help. Join with allies from across California to engage your elected officials on this important issue. (Bonus! lunchtime pep talk by Senator Holly Mitchell!) Who: 4CA Policymaker Education Day is designed for California residents who care about preventing and mitigating the effects of...