The Weekly Briefing
| 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 22 | Week of August 6, 2007 |
In This Issue
- News from Children's Futures
- Measuring Outcomes
- South Ward Mom in the CF Spotlight
- CF's Center-Based Programs for Parents, Parents-To-Be and Children
- Links to News Articles and Opinions
- Lifeline for the Uninsured
- 9 New Jersey Congressmen Vote for Increase in SCHIP Funding
- A Signal on Children's Health
- New Law in NJ Aims to Wipe Out Deadly Staph Infection
- Community Activities
- Henry J. Austin Health Center Celebrates National Health Center Week
- Fathers and Families Fun Day
- ACT-Against Violence Workshops
News from Children's Futures
Measuring Outcomes
What has changed in the lives of children, families, organizations and the community as a result of Children's Futures? How are the lives of participants better? In terms of Children's Futures' vision that every child in Trenton is healthy and ready to learn, what do we know about who is healthy and who is ready to learn?
Children's Futures is in the process of establishing new data collection efforts aimed at measuring and tracking progress about healthy birth outcomes and school readiness for Trenton's children. Implementation of an "Efforts to Outcomes" software system is focused on helping Children's Futures align data collection activities across the initiative's numerous efforts. As this new system becomes operational, the Weekly Briefing will provide periodic updates about specific outcomes related to Children's Futures' four major program objectives, including: strengthening parenting, improving primary care systems, improving child care systems and integrating community support.
South Ward Mom in the CF Spotlight
When Noemi B. entered the Children's Futures' program, she was pregnant and on her own. That was two years ago. A lot of things have changed in her life since then (like giving birth to her daughter Chelsea, moving to a smoke-free home and becoming employed).
Noemi credits family support workers at her South Ward family support/parent child center with helping her learn about what it really means to be a parent. She said she also learned to appreciate Chelsea's milestones. "When Chelsea was little, my family support worker and I did simple activities together with Chelsea like putting toys into a container and taking them out again. Now Chelsea can paint and draw and make lines with crayons by herself," she said.
When Noemi and Chelsea started attending Music Together sessions at the South Ward center, they never missed a week. Noemi said those classes did more than simply introduce music to Chelsea; they also helped her daughter's social skills develop. "Chelsea started to talk more and spent more time playing with other children as a result of these programs," Noemi explained.
Through the South Ward center, Noemi was also linked with a counselor at El Centro. Noemi said, "Meeting the counselor once a week changed my life. She helped me become more self-confident and develop my personality. She made me realize that we are all equal whether a person has money or not."
Whether she is working at her job, learning to read and write with a literacy tutor, attending English classes, or making the one-hour trip on three buses to keep Chelsea with the same babysitter, it's easy to see why South Ward center staff members call Noemi a great source of inspiration.
CF's Center-Based Programs for Parents, Parents-To-Be and Children
Expectant parents and parents of newborns and toddlers have opportunities to enhance their parenting knowledge and skills by attending programs at family support/parent child centers and the father center. Each month, Children's Futures offers free workshops to improve literacy, promote nutrition, build children's musical awareness and encourage parent/child bonding. The August 2007 Program Calendar is attached above in English and Spanish. If you have difficulty opening the document or have additional questions about CF's center-based programs, please email tbellamy@trentonnj.org
Links to News Articles and Opinions
Lifeline for the Uninsured
In recognition of National Health Center Week, Gannett highlights
the importance of community health centers, like the Henry J.
Austin Health Center in Trenton, which is hosting a number of
health screenings and activities for Trenton residents this week.
Senate Passes Children's Health Bill
The New York Times describes last week's U.S. Senate vote on
the SCHIP legislation.
9 N.J. Congressmen Vote for Increase in SCHIP Funding
The Gannett News Bureau in Washington recaps the New Jersey's
Congressional delegation's SCHIP votes in the House last week.
A Signal on Children's Health
In an editorial, the Star Ledger makes a case for the support
of SCHIP Funding.
New Law in NJ Aims to Wipe Out Deadly Staph Infection
NJ.com reports on a new law signed by Governor Corzine to screen
and isolate newborns and others in New Jersey hospitals from
MRSA infections.
Community Activities
This Week:
Henry J. Austin Health Center Celebrates National Health Center Week: 321 North Warren Street; Call 278-5952 or 278-5970 for dates and times of special events including health screenings and dental care for kids.
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.
Monday, August 20:
Free ACT- Adults and Children Together - Against Violence Workshops for Parents who Speak English as a Second Language presented by PEI Kids and The English School at The Lawrence Road Presbyterian Church: Free; 6:30 p.m.; workshops will be held at 1039 Lawrence Road (Rt. 206) in Lawrenceville. The workshops offer tools and strategies to help parents teach children how they can handle anger, resolve conflicts and deal with frustration in a nonviolent way. The dates for the other workshops in the series are November 26, December 19 and January 28, 2008. Each workshop lasts 90 minutes and includes dinner. Child care will be provided. Call 882-7909 to register.
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.