Revised Extra Extra FYI from EYI...Hot Topics...Babies Gains link

Dana Friedman thumbnail

On this Valentine's Day, I can think of so many things that I'd want instead of chocolate or roses. Nothing would make me swoon more than $20 million for the first year of implementation of QualitystarsNY. I would be wowed with $30 million for home visiting, e.g. Healthy Families New York, Nurse-Family Partnership and Parent-Child Home programs. If I could have just $53 million of the competitive grants devoted to UPK, I would be taken aback. If you sprinkled that with a focus on full-day pre-K, increased per-child allocations, improved teacher preparation and transportation aid, I would be yours forever! My heart would be broken if they started moving to half-day Kindergarten. I would adore restoration of $5 million for Advantage Afterschool Programs. And finally, you can steal my heart by protecting access to high-quality Early Intervention services so they are driven by the child's needs, not by the child's health insurance coverage. If you want to know more about my Valentine wishes, go to www.winningbeginningNY.org.
--Dana Friedman, president, The Early Years Institute

Hot Topics in Early Childhood...In the News

Babies Read Lips While Learning to Speak, Researchers Find http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/early_years/2012/01/good_morning_early_childhood_folks.html?qs=early+childhood...A study published by the National Academy of Sciences suggests that infants as young as four months old pay close attention to the mouths of adults speakers. The study reinforces the importance of talking to your baby!
Early Education a Crime-Fighting Weapon?http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/early_years/2012/01/early_education_a_crime_fighting_weapon.html? qs=early+childhood...Sheriffs state that "High-quality early-learning programs for at-risk kids give them the best chance at success in school and in life, improve graduation rates, lower the need for special education and reduce later crime."
Effort to Restore Children's Play Gains Momentum http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/06/garden/06play.html?_r=1 ...Parents are choosing to embrace the fact that most of the social and intellectual skills one needs to succeed in life and work are first developed through childhood play.
Educating Immigrant Students a Challenge in U.S.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/01/12/16populations.h31.html?qs=early+childhood...Efforts to help foreign-born students and children learning new languages are complicated by immigration policy, culture and other factors.
Preschool Pays Off In College and Beyond
http://www.futurity.org/society-culture/preschool-pays-off-in-college-and-beyond/... A longitudinal study published in Developmental Psychology shows that children that were part of the Abecedarian Project in the 1970s are still reaping the benefits of high quality early education today.

EYI Kicks-off Community Cafés...in Westbury

Changing the Lives of Children through Conversations that Matter!

Community Cafes Attendees

Community Cafés are parent-hosted gatherings where people participate in a series of guided conversations. These conversations work to build community wisdom and parent voice to impact policy, practice and action to improve the lives of children and their families.

Members of the Westbury Leadership Team brought parents from their agencies to the Community Cafés to be trained by Robin Higa and Alicia Luna, from Washington State, who are parents that helped create the concept. The meeting was conducted in English, Spanish and Creole for the diverse parents in attendance. Their words were captured by a graphic artist on a full-wall canvas and everyone could see their ideas woven together to create a vision for the future of children and families in the community. When talking about families, Coach Stevan Lynn of Dare2Dream...A Father's Guide to Success, participated in the day's training with the goal of bringing father's together for a Community Cafés...conversations that relate specifically to father's.

These parents will now go back to their friends and ask them to participate in a

Community Cafés hosted by a local agency. EYI will then "harvest their ideas" and continue forming a collective vision for the children and families in Westbury that we hope will lead to collective impact.

Save the Date...Roots of Migration

Saturday, March 24, 2012

12-5pm

Middle Country Library

101 Eastwood Boulevard Centereach, NY 11720

To Register: halessi@eyi.org

Immigrants' contributions to and impact on our community and the economy
Reasons for migration
Immigration laws and their effects on immigrants, citizens, and communities
The human side of immigration: true stories of people living and working in our community

EYI Welcomes New Staff...Stella Miller

The Early Years Institute welcomes new staff member, Stella Miller, as Executive Assistant. Stella brings to EYI a strong background in administrative support, fundraising and program implementation. She is very knowledgeable in executing nature based programs for kids, youth outreach and leading volunteer committees.