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Greetings!
Spring is here and the ECAC is springing ahead with projects and programs to move the early childhood agenda forward in the State. Whether you have been a subscriber from the beginning, or are receiving this newsletter for the first time, we look forward to having you as our reader. As always, please send comments and concerns to ecac@ccf.ny.gov. |
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QUALITYstarsNY Is Being Implemented in Many Regions of the State
The ECAC has begun implementation of QUALITYstarsNY. Implementation across the State is made possible with funding from private and public sources, including the ECAC.
1. With $ 4 Million in funds from NYS Education Department (SED), the ECAC is implementing QUALITYstarsNY in communities throughout the State with schools that have been deemed Persistently Lowest Achieving. The communities include Albany, Buffalo, New York City, Poughkeepsie, Rochester, Roosevelt, Schenectady, Syracuse, and Yonkers. Over 300 programs will be chosen to participate statewide. Priority will be given to programs that serve at least 25% low-income children.
2. The ECAC is funding implementation and support of programs that participated in the field test that are not eligible for SED funding.
3. Thanks to funding from the Rauch Foundation, QUALITYstarsNY is also being implemented in the Westbury and Central Islip communities on Long Island, where there will be learning communities to help programs through implementation.
4. With funding from the Western New York Women's Foundation and the ECAC, Buffalo continues its quality improvement activities and has developed an innovative learning collaborative. The learning collaborative, modeling a peer support network that includes many of the programs that had been part of the field test, meets once a month to share information.
In addition, QUALITYstarsNY is planning to hire 5 part-time Quality Improvement Specialists in various communities around the State. Please click here to read the announcement and job description for more information.
Applications are due by April 23rd.
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New York State ECAC Selects Social-Emotional Development Support Consultants
The New York State ECAC is pleased to announce that it haschosen the Children's Institute, Inc. of Rochester, NY, to provide consultation on social-emotional development support projects. The Children's Institute will help the ECAC to infuse social-emotional development knowledge into the trainings of a wide array of professionals in the State who work with young children; develop strategies for incorporating social-emotional development curriculum and other supports into early learning and development programs; promote use of developmental, social-emotional and maternal depression screening tools within early learning and developpment programs and primary care; and create a webpage that will highlight and describe best practices and resources that support children's social-emotional development. |
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Children's Mental Health Awareness Events Planned Throughout the State
Children's Mental Health Awareness Week, May 7th - 11th, is a project of the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to focus the nation's attention on the importance of children's positive mental health. To that end, SAMHSA is encouraging communities and states to create their own celebrations.
At the state level, the ECAC is a co-sponsor of: What's Great in Our State: A Celebration of Children's Mental Health Awareness Week, scheduled for May 7th and 8th. Other co-sponsors include the Office of Mental Health, Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill - New York, Families Together in New York State, Early Care and Learning Council, and the Council on Children and Families. Events include:
- The national Invest in Us interactive exhibit - on display May 7th-8th on the first floor of the Legislative Office Building, and on Tuesday evening at the New York State Museum.
- Reception- Tuesday, May 8th, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm at the New York State Museum in Albany to celebrate and thank all in our State who support children's social-emotional health and well-being.
- A press conference - scheduled for Tuesday, May 8th at 11 am in the LCA Room of the Legislative Office Building
For more information contact Jenn O'Connor at joconnor@scaany.org.
New York State also has many communities planning events that will occur throught the State during the week of May 7th - 11th, including:
Westchester County - Open Door Family Medical Centers' Project LAUNCH will be partnering with Reach Out and Read for the day's events, including readings of books on feelings, parenting tips derived from evidenced based nurturing parenting curriculum, and a feelings oriented art project for kids and parents. For more information contact Karen Mandel at
kmandel@odfmc.org.
New York City - NYC Project LAUNCH and the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene will be hosting Community Conversations in celebration of Children's Mental Health Awareness Week, and to provide information about healthy social and emotional development and the availability of initiatives and services in the community to support them. For more information contact Jessica Auerbach at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene at jauerbac@health.nyc.gov.
For more information on Children's Mental Health Awareness Week, and to view other activities occurring throughout the State, click here.
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ECAC Members Corner
We are proud to announce that the ECAC's leadership, and its role in moving the early childhood agenda forward, will be evident at the upcoming NYSAEYC Spring 2012 conference in Buffalo on April 19th - 21st.
- Co-chair Bob Frawley and member Doris Fromberg will be receiving Champions of Children awards at the NYSAEYC conference Annual Dinner on Friday, April 20th.
- Several ECAC members and staff will be leading workshops and featured in panels, including Sherry Cleary, Patty Persell, Mary McHugh, Susan Perkins and Regina Canuso. To see a preliminary schedule, click here. The conference will also serve as the setting for the release of two major products of the ECAC: the revised Core Body of Knowledge and the Early Learning Guidelines. A complimentary copy of each document will be provided to all conference participants.
ECAC member Dr. Donna Noyes will be part of a Public Health Live broadcast on Thursday, April 19, 2012 from 9 to 10 am about early childhood development, developmental screening, and resources in New York State for referral if there is a concern.
- Dr Judith Lucas, who is a developmental pediatrician at Albany Medical Center, will also present.
- The target audience is professionals who work with parents of young children and parents with young children.
- The broadcast is free and available over the Internet. Participants must register before the event. The broadcast will be recorded and archived for individuals who are unable to watch live.For more information, or to register, click here.
Fight Crime: Invest in Kids-NY, whose State Director, Meredith Wiley, is an ECAC Member, is holding a series of events throughout the State to mark the month of April as Child Abuse and Prevention Month. The events will highlight the role of early childhood programs and services, including home visiting, as a deterrent to child abuse. For more information, and to find a site near you, click here.
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Thank you for your interest in the Early Childhood Advisory Council. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please contact me at: ecac@ccf.ny.gov.
Sincerely, |
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Regina Canuso
Project Manager
NYS Early Childhood Advisory Council
View our ECAC e-mail Newsletter Archive |
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