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 31 | December 7, 2007 |
In This Issue
- News from Children's Futures
- Conference Highlights Successful Strategy to Support Parents and Prevent Child Abuse
- CF High Risk Pregnancy Identification Project Earns Support for Statewide Expansion
- Annual Toy and Book Drive Party Will Brighten Holidays for Trenton Toddlers
- CF and School District Convene Meeting with "Key Communicators" to Discuss Policy Efforts to Prevent Violence Against Students
- December Center-Based Programs for Children and Families
- Links to News Articles
- New Science on Fetal Alcohol Exposure
- Radiation Exposure of Pregnant Women More Than Doubles in 10 Years
- Teen Birth Rate Rises in U.S., Reversing a 14-Year Decline
- Weekly Star Ledger Column by Dr. Kendall Sprott
- Community Activities
- CF Holiday Toy and Book Drive
- Arts and Culture Family Day
News from Children's Futures
Conference Highlights Successful Strategy to Support Parents and Prevent Child Abuse
Last week, nearly 200 health and social services practitioners, policy leaders and regulators from throughout New Jersey gathered at the Trenton Marriott to learn about the benefits to families of the highly regarded Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) program from its founder, Dr. David Olds. NFP is an evidence-based, nurse home visiting program that works to improve the health, well-being and self-sufficiency of low-income, first-time parents and their children.
In addition to Dr. Olds, attendees heard riveting testimony from Reverend Darrell L. Armstrong, the statewide Director of the Division of Prevention and Community Partnerships of the New Jersey Department of Children and Families, about the importance of increasing support for vulnerable parents and reducing the chances that children become victims of child abuse.
Other speakers included Trenton Director of Health and Human Services Carolyn Lewis-Spruill and Brookings Institution Child and Family Policy Fellow Julia Isaacs. During the event, Children's Futures and its partners were recognized for progress in administering NFP and other evidence-based home visiting programs.
Children's Futures' president and NFP Conference
master
of ceremonies Floyd K. Morris, Jr. welcomed Nurse-Family
Partnership developer Dr. David Olds to Trenton last week.
Reverend
Darrell L. Armstrong, Director of the Division of
Prevention
and Community Partnerships of the New Jersey
Department of
Children
and Families (seated far right) is
interviewed
following
his address to NFP Conference attendees.
CF Project with CHCS to Improve Birth Outcomes Earns Support for Statewide Expansion
Children's Futures' project uniting five Medicaid managed care plans in identifying high risk mothers earlier in pregnancy has set the foundation for statewide expansion. Working with Children's Futures, the Center for Health Care Strategies, the state Medicaid agency and community stakeholders, the five Medicaid managed care plans (AmeriChoice of NJ, AMERIGROUP NJ, Health Net, Horizon NJ Health and University Health Plans) have developed a standardized perinatal risk assessment form used to screen thousands of women. By identifying medical and social risks through screening, the plans have been able to better manage their patients' care. The State will be investing $100,000 for this project in 2008. Children's Futures will soon begin using demographic and risk factor data from these assessment forms for community outreach and interventions.
Representatives from five Medicaid Managed Care
plans
working
on a standardized prenatal assessment form that
has since been
used to screen thousands of women early in pregnancy.
Horizon NJ Health Medical Director Dr. Phillip
Bonaparte
described his plan's early commitment to the program.
Annual Toy and Book Drive Party Will Brighten Holidays for Trenton Toddlers
Children's Futures' 7th Annual Holiday Toy and Book Drive party is planned for next Friday, December 14th beginning at 6 p.m. at the Trenton Marriott. The event will be hosted by comedian TALENT of 98.7 KISS-FM. Admission is free for those bringing new, unwrapped toys and/or books for toddlers valued at $10 or more.
Some toys previously collected and distributed by Children's Futures throughout Trenton are pictured below. Organizations and individuals are invited to donate new, unwrapped toys and/or books for toddlers at CF's Annual Holiday Toy and Book Party next Friday, December 14th at the Trenton Marriott beginning at 6 p.m.
CF and School District Convene Meeting with "Key Communicators" to Discuss Policy Efforts to Prevent Violence Against Students
Members of Children's Futures' Key Communicators' advisory group joined with Trenton Public School officials and parent liaison staff yesterday to learn about efforts to ensure the safety of Trenton's children. During the session, assistant superintendent Dr. David Weathington described the "Watchful Eye" program and other initiatives intended to protect every public school student. The "Watchful Eye" is a web-based program that helps school officials quickly identify and respond to reports involving the safety of students. Key Communicators and the parent liaison staff members also used the meeting to build connections to help link parents to community resources and encourage greater involvement in school and Children's Futures' program activities.
Assistant School Superintendent Dr. David Weathington (right)
shares
information with some of the Key Communicators
who attended yesterday's
joint session on student safety with
school parent liaison staff.
December Center-Based Programs for Children and Families
Expectant parents and parents of newborns and toddlers have opportunities to enhance their knowledge and skills by attending programs at Children's Futures' family success/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 December 2007 Program Calendar is attached above in English and in Spanish. If you have difficulty opening the document or have questions about center-based programs, please email tbellamy@trentonnj.org.
Links to News Articles
New
Science on Fetal Alcohol Exposure
This in-depth report from Minnesota Public Radio examines what
happens to children's brains when pregnant women drink alcohol.
Radiation
Exposure of Pregnant Women More Than Doubles in 10 Years
The Radiological Society of North America describes a study about
an unprecedented increase in the use of radiologic exams on pregnant
women.
Teen
Birth Rate Rises in U.S., Reversing a 14-Year Decline
The Washington Post reports on a jump in the teen birth rate
last year.
Infant
Can Lift Her Head, But Not Turn Over
Children's Futures' Board Member Dr. Kendall Sprott writes this
weekly column for The Star Ledger.
Community Activities
December 2007
Friday, December 14:
7th Annual Children's Futures' Holiday Toy and Book Drive Party: free admission with donation of toys and/or books for toddlers valued at $10 or more; 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.; Trenton Marriott at Lafayette Yard. For more information contact Spencer Lester at slester@childrensfutures.org or Doug Smarr at dsmarr@comcast.net
January 2008
Saturday, January 5:
Arts and Culture Family Day focused on Anti-Violence: free; 12 noon to 9 p.m.; Medical Arts High School-50 North Clinton Avenue; featuring Mayor Douglas Palmer and Dr. Benjamin Chavis. For more information contact Mustapha Muhammad at capitalcityloc@yahoo.com.
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.