October 2016 | ISSUE 25
This Early Childhood-LINC newsletter connects communities across the country as they build and strengthen systems to help children and families thrive. Click the box below and enter your email address in the Stay Informed box to sign up. 

 
      


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COMMUNITY NEWS
Palm Beach Fights ACEs -- As a Community


In late September, the Children's Services Council of Palm Beach County (CSCPBC) participated in a community-wide meeting focused on the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and toxic stress on children in the county. 


The meeting included a screening of the documentary "Resilience: The Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope," along with a panel of local leaders who shared their experiences and strategies in addressing ACEs. CSCPBC CEO Lisa Williams-Taylor recorded a video discussing how CSCPBC and partner agencies are tackling issues related to ACEs in Palm Beach County.  
"In the near future, we are going to bring together a lot of the major players and stakeholders in working with children and families so we can collaborate in creating a trauma-informed community," Williams-Taylor says. "It's really important because it's not just a school district issue, not an early childhood issue, not a criminal justice issue. We have to work together to fight ACEs."



Continuing the Legacy of Boston's Thrive in 5


This past summer, Boston's Thrive in 5 ended as a formal initiative. The initiative was launched by United Way and the City of Boston in 2009 with funding and a directive to operate for 10 years to ensure that young children of all races, ethnicities, incomes, abilities and languages have the opportunities and support they need to achieve success in kindergarten and beyond.



United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley will continue the early childhood systems building efforts that were previously under the banner of Thrive in 5, including taking the lead in Boston's participation in the EC-LINC network. In addition, United Way will house all of the resources and tools that Thrive in 5 created during its tenure.



To that end, Thrive in 5 has collected and shared essential resources from their work. These materials include a Parent Leadership Toolkit, excerpts from the Parent Screener Handbook and the Ready Educators Quality Improvement Pilot Toolkit.


"We anticipate that these resources will be utilized by communities around the country looking to replicate similar efforts to Thrive in 5. Early childhood has always been a priority for United Way, and there is still more to do to build on the success of Thrive in 5, particularly in the areas of family engagement, parent leadership, and developmental screening," said Sunindiya Bhalla, Senior Director, Educational Success at United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley. 


"As the only remaining funder in Boston and a leader in early childhood efforts, United Way is continuing to convene Boston's stakeholders to continue to drive collective impact efforts to ensure that Boston's young children thrive," said Bhalla.



NATIONAL NEWS
New Study Shows Impact of Implicit Bias in Preschool


In late September, Yale University researchers released findings from a major study (also discussed in this NPR article) on the disproportionate preschool expulsion of black children, and black boys in particular. The study found that preschool teachers and staff show signs of implicit bias in administering discipline.



Implicit bias, according to the Kirwan Institute, refers to the attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions and decisions in an unconscious manner. In this case, the study discovered, the implicit bias of preschool teachers leads them to more closely observe "black students, and especially boys, when challenging behaviors are expected," more than white students, according to YaleNews. This close observation, the researchers posit, may directly lead to racial and gender disparity in how preschool students are disciplined.



Race also played a role in parent and teacher relationships, according to the research. When the two were of the same race, knowing about family stressors increased teacher empathy and positively changed how the teacher perceived the child. The exact opposite was true when parents and teachers were of different races.



The study suggests that unchecked implicit bias becomes a systemic problem that can deny access to preschool education for black children, and black boys in particular. It also suggests that addressing implicit bias, on an individual and system-wide level, and supporting early education professionals as they strive to understand family struggles, is crucial for achieving equity in early childhood education.

RESOURCES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD SYSTEM-BUILDING:

Implicit Bias
 
Assessment Tool
Testing for Implicit Bias
 

Assessment Tool Testing for Implicit Bias Psychologists at Harvard, the University of Virginia and the University of Washington created Project Implicit to develop tests that can reveal implicit bias, as being aware of our biases can help us shift them. The tests cover race, gender, sexual orientation, mental health and other topics. 





Annual Report
Implicit Bias Review
 
This publication from the Kirwan Institute highlights new literature on implicit bias through the lenses of criminal justice, health and health care, employment, education and housing. It also includes the latest research-based strategies for mitigating the influence of implicit biases.

EXPLORE MORE RESOURCES ON IMPLICIT BIAS FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD SYSTEMS
    • For system-builders: This webinar recording from Early Childhood Investigations Directory examines effective strategies and tools that early childhood leaders can adopt in order to execute a substantial anti-bias approach in their work. 

       
    • For providers: Evidence from the Pyramid Model Consortium suggests that use of the model can reduce implicit bias in early childhood education discipline. 

       
    • For parents: This article from Greater Good Science Center explores how kids learn about race and how parents can foster tolerance.

       
    • For researchers: This PolicyLab article examines current and emerging research on implicit bias in pediatric care. While little to no explicit bias has been found among healthcare providers, most exhibit implicit preference for whites over blacks.

       
    • For policymakers: This overview from Preschool Development Grants covers state and federal policies relevant to preschool expulsion and suspension rates, and offers policies, guidelines and preventative practices from states working to lower such rates.
    • For funders: This Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy webinar recording from 2016 explores the definitions of implicit bias, its effect on all of us as individuals and its influence on decisions and trends in philanthropic institutions.
 
Early Childhood-LINC is a learning and innovation network developed by and for communities. Our mission is to support families and improve results for young children in communities across the country with a focus on accelerating the development of effective, integrated, local early childhood systems. We are currently made up of 10 member communities across the country.  Learn more about the innovative work of our communities.

 

                           


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