HMG, Health Equity, and Young Children

Photo Credit

Dr. Dworkin, founder of Help Me Grow, writes in his blog about how HMG addresses disparities and promotes equity by focusing on vulnerable children, collaborating across sectors to address adverse influences on children, and recognizing that so many disciplines are relevant to children's healthy development. Read more on the HMG National blog here!

April is... National Child Abuse Prevention Month

Felicia Wilburn is the Early Childhood Resource Coordinator for the Alabama Partnership for Children (APC) and shares below on how the APC is helping prevent child abuse through resources and programs.

Babies don’t come with instructions. Many times parents lack knowledge of child development and parenting skills to nurture their child’s development. Without this knowledge, parents can be left to ineffective habits which lead to frustration, or even anger toward the child for not behaving the way the parent expects them to behave. One way to help protect children is by giving parents the knowledge and skills they need to decrease their frustration and nurture their child’s well-being.

Alabama Partnership for Children offers a few programs to help parents gain the knowledge and skills they need to not only increase their child’s physical and emotional health, but also to be a leader in their community promoting child well-being.

• Smart Start Parenting Kit is a tool designed for parents of newborns to give them immediate access to important information to assist in their difficult and joyous job of being parents. It includes materials that answer frequently asked questions and provide easy access to toll-free telephone numbers and websites of state agencies and public programs, and information on the importance of quality child care, children’s health, safety and child care products. Parenting Kits are designed to be useful through all stages of a young child's development.
• Smart & Secure Children (SSC) Parent Leadership Project was designed with parents through a community participatory study, to introduce/improve quality parenting as a way to strengthen vulnerable families raising children 0-5 years old who may have been exposed to negative childhood experiences. The parenting curriculum is delivered through a conversational learning environment that activates parents to improve their own habits which, in turn, improve their children’s brain development and emotions.
• Alabama Parent Leadership Project targets parents who have been through an SSC or other parenting skills experience and who wish to contribute their voice to decisions that affect their children, families, and communities. These parents will be recruited to participate in a conversational learning environment centering on identifying priority concerns about their families and communities, communicating ideas and recommendations effectively and broadly, learning how to/effectively engage local leaders, and learning how to influence and participating in state policy work.

April is... Week of the Young Child

National Week of the Young Child is a celebration of the children we serve and the steps we take to help ensure that their early years are learning years. Week of the Young Child is April 12-18 and this year's theme is "Celebrating Young Learners"! To learn more about how you can participate this week and join the Alabama Partnership for Children at the Alabama State House on Tuesday, April 14, visit http://www.smartstartalabama.org/get-involved/. 

As we celebrate Week of the Young Child, check out this infographic from Rasmussen College.

Photo Credit © 2012

April is... Autism Awareness Month

Autism Society of Alabama

The Autism Society of Alabama is coordinating walks this month to raise funds and support Autism Awareness Month. Visit http://www.walkforautismal.com/walk_locations.php to see information for walks this month.

Furthermore, there is an Alabama Interagency Autism Coordinating Council meeting in Montgomery on April 13, a Glenwood Lecture featuring Brenda Smith-Myles in Birmingham on April 15, and a Simpson-Ramsey Lectureship focusing on Transitions in Education, Employment and Health Care for Adolescents and Adults with Developmental Disabilities in Birmingham on April 16.

Lastly, check out the video below to see what it can be like to experience sensory overload.

Sensory Overload (Interacting with Autism Project) from Miguel Jiron on Vimeo.
© 2012
Some people with autism have difficulty processing intense, multiple sensory experiences at once. This animation gives the viewer a glimpse into sensory overload, and how often our sensory experiences intertwine in everyday life.

Getting Ready for Week of the Young Child

In honor of young children and early childhood educators around the nation, we are celebrating Week of the Young Child from April 12th-18th!

Week of the Young Child (WOYC) is the annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The idea for a designated week of celebration and awareness was inspired by numerous successful city and state events, and the desire to coordinate efforts around the country. WOYC was established nationwide in 1971 to focus on young children, their families, and care providers.

In Alabama, we encourage you to use Week of the Young Child as an opportunity to draw attention to early childhood programs and services by reaching out to your legislators and community leaders. WOYC is a special time to recognize those who are currently serving young children and families well, and to consider how our communities can provide even better for all young children.

For more information and ideas on how you can participate, visit www.smartstartalabama.org/get-involved and www.naeyc.org/woyc.