Strong Starts Newsletter

Information for the Strong Starts Partnership

 

October 2013

 

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In This Issue

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Trainings/Conferences
       
On-line Resouces
 An independent forum with news, programs, research, events, legislation, theory, and opinion on  education, health, welfare, and justice for California's 10 million children
Focused on promoting the social emotional development and school readiness of young children birth to age 5
 
Research and message development on child and family mental health

Promoting the health and development of infants and toddlers

Building awareness and understanding of sensory processing disorders through education and collaboration

Helping parents, teachers and health professionals to proactively manage the challenging behaviors of the 21st century child
Meeting Information

 

Next Meeting:

Tuesday, October 8th, 8:30 - 10:30 A.M.

Presentation: Butte Parent Café - Justin Margolis, Parent Café Coordinator 

 

Please Note: Parking in Blood Source lot is for clients only. Please park in lot directly across Rio Lindo or use street side parking. Thank you.

 

 

Capitol ImagePoverty Data And The Need For Equitable Policy Change   

 
Last month, the U.S. Census Bureau released the 2012 data on income, poverty, and health insurance coverage. For the second consecutive year, neither the official poverty rate nor the number of people in poverty at the national level were statistically different from the previous year's estimates-the poverty rate remained at 15 percent - amounting to 46.5 million people living in poverty. While there was not an increase in the poverty rate, the 2012 data still indicated significant racial disparities in both poverty and income. The poverty rates among non-Hispanic Whites and Asians were 9.7 percent and 11.7 percent respectively, while the poverty rates for Blacks and Hispanics were 27.2 percent and 25.6 percent respectively.

 

Black and Hispanic families continue to have disproportionally higher poverty rates and lower incomes than White families. This trend has been consistent for more than three decades. While some progress has certainly been made - the persistence of inequity is inexcusable.  

To truly see improved outcomes for the millions of poor children and families a more nuanced approach to creating policy solutions is needed. One that focuses on equity. 
  

Read more here.

 

Aya - One Of One Million Syrian Refugee Children
  
The devastating conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic has forced one million children to flee their homeland.  This short UNICEF video tells the story of eight-year-old Aya, who hasn't been to school in two years while she and her family live in a refugee camp in Lebanon.
 
 
Family Reunited After Child Welfare System Odyssey
 
The college application essay was the tipoff. It was beautifully written but painfully rendered; a high school student's story of her family's tumble from middle-class stability into homelessness and addiction. It helped Danielle Stone earn a spot at UCLA. But it also drew her family into a year long odyssey through Los Angeles County's child welfare system.
 
  
Changing The Course For Infants And Toddlers: A Survey Of State Child Welfare Policies And Initiatives

 

The Survey of State Child Welfare Agency Initiatives for Maltreated Infants and Toddlers, conducted from September 2012 to March 2013, asked state child welfare agency representatives to respond to questions regarding the policies and practices that guide their work in addressing the needs of infants and toddlers who have been maltreated.

 

This report by ZERO TO THREE and Child Trends reviews key findings from the survey, and implications for policy and practice. The report includes an index of state policies and practices.

 

    

fingerprint imageLivescan Services 
  

Valley Oak Children's Services is now offering Livescan Services.

 

Livescan Services are available Monday through Friday, from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. Please call (800) 315-4507 to schedule an appointment, or visit MorphoTrust USA to schedule an appointment on-line.

  

Workshops, Conferences and Other Resources

 

 

Impact of Depression on Families. This full-day workshop explores the dynamics of depression throughout the lifespan and how these forces impact family life. This training is geared to family resource center staff, counselors, nurses, social workers, new clinicians, and others who provide services to families. October 9, 2013 in Redding. Details here.

 

 

Therapeutic Solutions is sponsoring the first annual Mental Health Symposium for Butte County on October 12th on the CSU Chico campus. Details and registration information are here.

 

 

 

The National Alliance on Mental Illness Butte County Chapter offers a Provider Education Program.  This 5-week course presents a penetrating, subjective view of family and consumer experiences with serious mental illness to line staff at public agencies who work directly with people experiencing severe and persistent mental illnesses. The course helps providers realize the hardships that families and consumers face and appreciate the courage and persistence it takes to live with and recover from mental illness. Details are here.

 

 

The California Family Resource Association invites you to join family strengthening networks from across the state at our convening co-sponsored by CFRA and CNFSN October 30, 2013, in San Francisco. Details here.

 

 

 

Postpartum Depression and Beyond: Skill-Building for Professionals, is Second in Strategies' series on improving recognition of and care for parents experiencing perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. November 7, 2013 in Nice, Lake County. More information here.

 

 

 

The Child Trauma Academy is proud to announce the recent publication of a new text Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health: Core Concepts and Clinical Practice, edited by CTA Fellow Kristie Brandt, CTA Senior Fellow Bruce Perry, Stephen Seligman, and Ed Tronick. This book is currently available for pre-order through Amazon and is scheduled to ship in November.  Click here for more details and to order.

 

 

 

Rise Magazine offers stories written by and for parents affected by the child welfare system. In this issue, parents write about how trauma has affected them as parents, and offer insights into child welfare policies and practices that either cause more pain or support them in healing themselves and their children.

 

 

 

Kids in the House: The Ultimate Parenting Resource offers over 8000 videos on a comprehensive range of topics for a variety of age ranges for every type of family. Well respected experts present positive, useful information in short videos.

 

 

 

 

The Kennedy Krieger Institute and Maryland Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics have published an online video to improve the recognition of the early signs of autism spectrum disorders among pediatricians, parents and early intervention providers. The tutorial consists of six video clips that compare toddlers with no signs of ASD to toddlers with early signs of ASD and includes an explanation of how the specific behaviors exhibited by each child are either suggestive of ASD or typical child development.

 

 

 

Understanding and Working with Maltreated Children: The Neurosequential Model Inaugural Symposium , June 10-12, 2014. The Child Trauma Academy and Hull Services of Calgary, Alberta will be co-sponsoring a three-day conference focusing on advances in developmentally sensitive and trauma informed practices, programs and policy. The conference will take place in Banff, Alberta. More details to follow in the coming months.

 

  

When you carry out acts of kindness, you get a wonderful feeling inside. It is as though something inside your body responds and says, yes, this is how I ought to feel.

 

-Harold Kushner 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Questions or Comments?
 
Logo ImageGloria Balch, Deputy Director
Valley Oak Children's Services
287 Rio Lindo Avenue, Chico, CA 95926
(530) 899-4932
E-Mail: Gloria Balch