The Weekly Briefing

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Welcome to The Weekly Briefing, featuring news from Children's Futures, updates about our community partners' activities and links to recent news articles about early childhood health and development.
Volume 1, Number 21	July 23-July 27, 2007

In This Issue

News from Children's Futures
- Report Questions Effectiveness of Gang Suppression Efforts
- National Zero to Three Organization Again Spotlights CF's Accomplishments
- Trenton Families to Benefit from Coalition's Programs
Research Brief

Reducing Disparities Beginning in Early Childhood

News Articles
- N.J. Children's Ranking Declines Again
- Jersey's Have-Not Children
- Kids' Health Gets Political
Community Partners' Activities
- Parenting Support Class
- Fathers and Families Fun Day

News from Children's Futures

Report Questions Effectiveness of Gang Suppression Efforts

A new report by the Justice Policy Institute (a Washington, D.C. based think tank) questions the effectiveness of efforts surrounding gang crime suppression and recommends actions to reduce youth violence and promote community safety. The report, "Gang Wars: The Failure of Enforcement Tactics and the Need for Effective Public Safety Strategies", also advocates alternatives to incarceration. Mass arrests, stiff prison sentences and other strategies that focus on law enforcement rather than intervention may strengthen gang ties and further marginalize angry young men, according to the report. Justice Policy Institute officials want more money to support social programs that target illegal gang behavior and less for large-scale arrest-and-imprison initiatives. The report calls for expanding the use of evidence-based practices and strategies that promote jobs, education, healthy communities and lower barriers to the reintegration of former gang members into society.

Union Industrial Home for Children (UIH), Children's Futures, government officials and other area organizations comprising the Mercer County Ex-Offender Reentry Partnership continue to address issues surrounding the re-entry of residents (including gang members) back into the community from incarceration. "This report helps inform our work as we evaluate possible interventions to meet the needs of ex-offenders, their families and the community-at-large and advocate for better prevention initiatives," said Zuline Gray Wilkinson, executive director of UIH and chairperson of the Mercer County Ex-Offender Reentry Partnership.

Below are links to the 16 page Executive Summary and the Full Justice Policy Institute Report.

National Zero to Three Organization Again Spotlights CF's Accomplishments

For the second time this year, the national Zero to Three organization is spotlighting CF's work on behalf of children and families. Children's Futures is one of only three programs from throughout the nation showcased on the Zero to Three website in a community policy roundup of initiatives demonstrating progress on infant-toddler issues. Please visit Trenton, New Jersey Comes Together to Improve Child Health and Development and scroll to page 11 to read the Children's Futures' update.

Trenton Families to Benefit from Coalition Programs

The Trenton Healthy Mothers/Healthy Babies Coalition, one of Children's Futures' community partners, has announced the availability of three programs for Trenton families. These include: The Safe Sleep Program, which provides cribs for eligible families; The Wal-Mart Gift Card Program, to assist families with diapers and baby items; and, the Transportation Voucher Program, for free taxi rides to and from prenatal, postpartum and well-baby visits. For more information please contact Tierra Heading at 394-7454 or theading@cnjmchc.org

Research Brief

Reducing Disparities Beginning in Early Childhood (PDF)
Many disparities in health and well-being are rooted in early childhood, according to a new research brief from the National Center for Children in Poverty (a division of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University). These disparities reflect gaps in access to services, unequal treatment, adverse congenital health conditions, and exposures in the early years linked to elevated community and family risks. The brief says reducing disparities begins with babies because many risks can be addressed in the early years, starting with quality prenatal care and interventions in the earliest stages of life.

Links to News Articles About Early Childhood Health and Development

N.J. Children's Ranking Declines Again
This Philadelphia Inquirer article describes the results of the annual Kids Count report.

Jersey's Have-Not Children
In an editorial, the Star Ledger supports enacting pending legislation to create a New Jersey Council on Child Poverty that would be charged with producing a 10-year plan to reduce the number of children living in poverty.

Kids' Health Gets Political
This Congressional Quarterly article describes the legislative battle in Washington over the State Children's Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP.

Unintended Pregnancy Predicts Feelings that Parenting is a Burden
Researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia have found pregnancy acceptance to be the first step in forming the mother/child bond.

Dispelling Pregnancy Myths: Eating for 1.5
New York Times' columnist Jane Brody describes efforts by groups to dispel nutritional misinformation for pregnant women and replace it with advice based on solid scientific evidence.

Pregnancy after 35: Healthy moms, Healthy Babies
The Mayo Clinic reports many women are delaying pregnancy well into their 30s and beyond - and delivering healthy babies.

Community Partners' Activities

Tuesday, August 7:
Parenting Class Series (8 weeks) from Millhill Behavioral Health Program in Partnership with Isles, Inc. Parents Empowering Parents program: 6 to 7:30 p.m..; Mill Hill Community Room. Free. Call 989-7333 (ext. 17).

Saturday, August 11:
The 5th Annual Fathers and Families Fun Day, presented by the Trenton Men's Collaborative and Children's Futures: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Mill Hill Park (South Broad and Front Streets). Free. Focused on Trenton fathers and their families with children three years of age and younger. Includes health screens, face painting, a magic show, party jumps and refreshments. Call 695-3663.

For a complete calendar of events, please refer to our calendar page.

About Children's Futures

Established in 2001 with major support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Children's Futures is a nonprofit organization that works city-wide in Trenton, N.J. to improve child health and development outcomes. Through an unprecedented collaboration among public agencies and nonprofit organizations, Children's Futures seeks to strengthen parenting, increase access to primary quality health care and child care systems, and increase social supports for families, so that every child in Trenton enters preschool healthy and ready to learn.

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