Friday, October 5, 2007
Creating Responsive Systems for Children Exposed to Domestic Violence
 
8:00 a.m.
Walnut Creek Marriott Hotel
A professional development conference exploring emerging practices, policies and innovations on children exposed to domestic violence. Topics include fatherhood and male leadership, cultural dynamics, child custody, and new prevention models. Contact (925) 335-1092  or visit www.contracostazt.org.

Saturday, October 6, 2007
May I Play, Too? Workshop
 
8:30 a.m. to noon
Diablo Valley College, Trophy Room
CARE Parent Network is offering a repeat of its very successful workshop “May I Play, Too? Resources for Including Children of All Abilities in Early Education and Child Care Programs.” Space is limited so pre-registration is required. Contact (925) 313-0999 ext. 107.

Saturday, October 6, 2007
Monument Community Health Fair 
 
11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Meadow Homes Park
Detroit Avenue and Sunshine Drive, Concord
The Monument Community Partnership’s annual health fair provides families with health screenings, cooking demonstrations, health insurance information and enrollment, and activities for children. Contact: (925) 671-3494.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Program and Evaluation Committee
 
1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
1340 Arnold Dr., Suite 125, Conference Room, Martinez

Saturday, October 13, 2007
Super Saturday Family Fest
 
11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
John F. Kennedy Park
350 South 41st Street, Richmond 
See article for more information.

Monday, October 15, 2007
Executive Committee
 
9:30 a.m.
1340 Arnold Dr., Suite 125, Conference Room, Martinez

Monday, October 29, 2007
Harvest Festival
 
10:00 a.m. to 12 noon
2707 Dover Avenue, San Pablo
Celebrate the fall season at the West County First 5 Center. Please call (510) 232-5650 to RSVP.

Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Smith Family Farm Field Trip
 
10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Sellers Ave. at Delta, Knightsen
The Delta First 5 Center is sponsoring a field trip for 60 families to enjoy hay rides, corn mazes, and farm animals at Smith Family Farm. Contact the Center to register: (925) 516-3880.

Monday, November 5, 2007
Commission Meeting
 
6:00 p.m.
50 Douglas Drive, Second Floor Conference Room
Martinez

Childhood Matters Schedule:
Tune in to Childhood Matters Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on 98.1 KISS-FM
for parenting information and advice. Visit www.childhoodmatters.org to learn more and listen to past shows.

Oct 7:
Advocating for Your Child’s Special Needs

Oct 14:
Choosing a Preschool for Your Child

Oct 21:
The Effects of Mental Illness on the Family

Oct 28:
The Importance of Play

Childhood Matters’ Spanish-language counterpart, Nuestros Niños, airs every Sunday at 8:00 a.m. on KLOK Cumbia 1170 AM and KBBF, La Nuestra 89.1 FM.

Oct 7:
Parents’ Mental and Emotional Health Impacts Nuestros Niños

Oct 14:
Let's Play!: Our Young Nuestros Niños Learn Through Play

Oct 21:
Sweet Dreams?: Nightmares and Problems in Nuestros Niños' Sleep

Oct 28:
Death and Dying: Addressing the Subject with Nuestros Niños

You may have seen a front-page article in the Contra Costa Times last month called "From ABCs to PH.D.s – Preschoolers face academic pressures" which highlighted how today’s preschoolers continually face more and more academic pressures in preschool and from their parents.

I'm always pleased to see the spotlight shined on the importance of quality preschool, especially since study upon study has demonstrated that quality preschool helps children to acquire skills that benefit them in kindergarten. But these skills are not just about academics.

The best preschools provide a setting for children to do the things they do best: play, explore, dance, sit, or sing. Through a range of age-appropriate activities – what's interesting and engaging to 3- and 4-year-olds – children will discover language and math and science on their own. But more importantly, they will learn through play the social and emotional expectations of being with peers, participating together in activities, developing curiosity and a love of school, and following instructions.

That's the kind of preschool experience that sets children on the right path, regardless of what educational aspirations their parents may hold for them.

- Sean Casey, Executive Director

• Click here to find programs and services happening at the Antioch, Bay Point, Delta, Monument, and West County First 5 Centers.
  

• First 5 Contra Costa will be releasing an RFP to expand home visiting services in West County later this month. The RFP will be posted here once it is released.

• Mothers who used our Kit for New Parents demonstrated improved parenting skills and a greater understanding of their child’s needs, according to the results of a three-year study published in the latest issue of The American Journal of Public Health. A full copy of the report is available at www.ajph.org. To receive a free Kit, contact (925) 755-4200.

• Congress faces a deadline affecting two programs of critical importance to California's low-income families. Last week, the House passed a measure reauthorizing the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). While the Senate is expected to pass the measure, the Bush Administration has threatened to veto any significant funding increase. Click here to read more.

	Antioch families enjoy a story in the Center’s new community room.

More than 200 community members joined Brighter Beginnings (formally the Perinatal Council), First 5 Contra Costa, and elected officials to celebrate the grand re-opening of the newly expanded Antioch First 5 Center last month. The Center has nearly doubled the amount of space available for programming by adding a new community room and children’s developmental play room.

Funded by First 5 Contra Costa and implemented by Brighter Beginnings, the Antioch First 5 Center serves more than 500 low-income families of children ages 0-5 and their parents. The Center offers parent-child activities involving music, art, stories and physical play that promote bonding and foster children’s learning and development.

“The future of Antioch begins right here, with its children,” said Barbara Bunn McCullough, Ph.D., Executive Director, Brighter Beginnings. “Brighter Beginnings is dedicated to providing a safe, nurturing environment where young children and their parents can learn and grow.”

The Center’s unveiling featured a ribbon cutting ceremony with speakers such as Assembly Member Mark DeSaulnier followed by an open house, an ice cream social, raffles, live animal shows, crafts, and story times.

 The Antioch First 5 Center is located at 512 West 5th Street. Contact (925) 757-5303 for more information.

	First 5 California Executive Director Kris Perry is joined by Governor Schwarzenegger to announce First 5’s allocation.

In an important step toward providing health coverage for all of California’s youngest children, First 5 California announced last month its commitment to invest $20 million in a statewide health care program. This funding will help provide health access to all uninsured children ages 0 to 5, making California among the first states in the nation to cover all young children.

“First 5 is doing a remarkable job of helping and supporting our children. Putting up $20 million for health care for children is an important foundation to build on,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “We all have to work together to provide health care not only for all children, but for all Californians.”

California has 174,000 uninsured children under age six, according to the California Health Interview Survey conducted by the University of California, Los Angeles.

Studies conducted by The California Endowment have shown uninsured children are 70 percent less likely than insured children to receive medical care for common conditions such as ear infections, and 30 percent less likely to receive medical attention when they are injured. Further, children without health coverage are often ill, hindering their ability to pay attention in class and keep up with school activities.

The $20 million contribution by First 5 California is contingent upon the state establishing a health coverage program for all children effective January 1, 2008. The newly-developed program must provide for ongoing funding beyond First 5 California’s 2007-08 commitment.

First 5 California’s Hands-on Health mobile van – California’s only traveling health exhibit geared toward young children – made a stop last week at Richmond’s Home Front Festival by-the-Bay, providing hundreds of local families with important health information.

Launched in June 2006, the Hands-on Health mobile outreach campaign is a groundbreaking, grassroots effort aimed at addressing key health issues facing children ages 0 to 5 and their families. The exhibit travels across the state, reaching families at venues such as fairs, parades and expos.

To help develop good exercise habits, First 5 California’s fall mobile outreach tour has a new focus on physical fitness. The American Council on Exercise reports that by the time children reach high school more than 60 percent are no longer physically active.

The exhibit offers educational games, such as hula hoops, pineapple dumbbells and a healthy food toss, for visiting children. For parents, the exhibit provides educational materials, including exercise tip sheets that can help families adopt healthy habits.

Since its start, the Hands-on Health van has traveled to more than 60 different cities across California, reaching more than 145,000 Californians with helpful health messages.

The 6th annual Super Saturday Family Fest is on October 13th from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at John F. Kennedy Park, located at 350 South 41st Street in Richmond. Don’t miss this free, fun-filled event that attracts well over 3,000 West County families with young children each year.

Super Saturday provides valuable information for parents with children ages 0 to 5, including information about raising healthy, active kids, finding quality child care, and ways to prepare children for kindergarten.

Children will enjoy the abundance of free activities, such as arts and crafts, a petting zoo, prizes, children’s entertainment, face painting, pony rides, a jumpee structure, carnival games, relay races, storytelling, and raffle prizes. Free parenting kits and other giveaways will also be provided.

The event is sponsored by First 5 Contra Costa and coordinated by First 5’s West County Regional Group (WCRG), a volunteer group of parents, grandparents, child care providers, and other concerned residents who want to make West County a healthier, safer and more family-friendly place for our kids. The WCRG is working in collaboration with the City of Richmond and the Greater Richmond Interfaith Program’s 21st Annual Harmony Walk to End Hunger.
   
For more information, contact (925) 335-9991 or visit www.firstfivecc.org. Click here for the Super Saturday Family Fest Flyer (English and Spanish)

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, breastfeeding is the best way to give babies a healthy start to life. In partnership with the AAP, First 5 Contra Costa offers the following advantages to breastfeeding for both moms and babies.

Benefits for Your Baby
Research shows that breast milk is the best food for your newborn.

• Breast milk strengthens your baby’s immune system by providing antibodies that help protect against germs and diseases. Breastfed babies have fewer illnesses (and less frequent doctors’ visits) than babies who are formula-fed.
• Breast milk provides the most ideal nutrition for infants and includes ingredients that help develop your baby’s brain.
• Studies show the longer a mother breastfeeds, the less likely her child will become overweight later in life.

Benefits for You
The benefits of breastfeeding are not only limited to babies, but have advantages for moms too.

• Studies find women who breastfeed for at least three months often return to their pre-pregnancy weight more quickly.
• Breastfeeding helps lower your risk of breast and ovarian cancers, along with reducing the risk of developing osteoporosis later in life.
• It’s free! Breastfeeding saves you money by limiting the number of bottles and formula you must buy.

Benefits for Both
Breastfeeding is a valuable investment in your child’s future and your relationship together.

• Breastfeeding offers one-on-one time between you and your newborn. Feeding is the first real connection between you and your baby.
• Breastfeeding provides an emotional bond which helps you and your baby get to know one another.
• The skin-to-skin contact offered by breastfeeding can reduce stress in both the baby and the mother.

For more information on breastfeeding, contact the Contra Costa Breastfeeding Support Warmline, which provides dependable breastfeeding information and support to Contra Costa County women: 1-866-878-7767.

The Lift Every Voice Program, of Contra Costa Health Services’ Family Maternal and Child Health Program helps to ensure that incarcerated pregnant women and teens deliver healthy babies. The program's Home Visiting Liaison visits with women in jail or juvenile hall and serves as the link between the mothers and their family, social services, substance abuse treatment programs, or probation officers.

The LEV Program has been instrumental in facilitating a dialogue among Health Services Department and correctional facilities staff to better meet the needs of incarcerated pregnant women and juveniles.

“The leadership of the correctional facilities and nursing staff from the Health Services Department have been very supportive,” said Jeannie Cummings, the program's Home Visiting Liaison. “We have made huge strides in working collaboratively since the program began two years ago and we have successfully impacted system improvements on behalf of our clients.” For example, LEV worked with officials to end the practice of shackling women while being transported to the hospital and during labor and delivery.

Cummings typically visits up to 20 pregnant women at a time, often meeting with them twice a week. Once a mother is released from jail, Cummings visits her until she can facilitate the mother's enrollment in another home visiting program to ensure the mother continues to receive support. Last year, 88 women were enrolled in the program and half of them were connected with a case management program upon their release.

For more information, contact (925) 313-6313.