The NATURE of Childhood!
Our children’s lives are out of balance. Children today spend less time outdoors than any generation in human history, devoting just four to seven minutes a day on average in unstructured outdoor play while spending an average of seven and a half hours every day in front of electronic media.
• Our children’s health is declining. Obesity and attention deficit disorders are on the rise in America, especially among children. Obesity is the cause of many major health issues, decreasing the quality of life for Americans and straining our nation’s economy. Attention deficit disorders are impacting America’s competitiveness and readiness to learn in the classroom.
• Our economy is struggling. In addition to the negative economic impact of childhood obesity, the outdoor retail industry, many local tourist destinations or “gateway communities,” and state fish and wildlife agencies rely on revenue generated when Americans spend time outdoors.
• Our conservation legacy is at risk. Those who do not spend time in nature are less likely to protect it, leaving the future of conservation, our nation’s immense natural resources and America’s hunting and angling legacy at risk.
• Our military readiness is declining. Nearly one in four applicants to the military is rejected for being overweight or obese – it’s the most common reason for medical disqualification.
To find out more about outdoor activities – visit the National Wildlife Foundation’s Be Out There page at http://www.nwf.org/Get-Outside/Be-Out-There.aspx
Birthday for Artisphere!
Come to the free Birthday Open House for an arts adventure for the whole family! Arlington’s Artisphere is celebrating its first birthday with animated films, salsa lessons, shadow puppets, and more!! The event is Sunday, October 9th. Find out more about it here: http://www.artisphere.com/
Solving the Inactivity Crisis!
Are you concerned about the rising childhood obesity rates? Did you know that almost half of children ages 2-5 are considered overweight in Alexandria, VA? One of the problems facing our children is reduced opportunities for physical activity. Click HERE to listen to a panel of four experts discuss the concerns and offer practical solutions to this important issue! More information is available at http://www.kaplanco.com/KaplanRadio/.
In the News for Build-A-Star!
Check out the great article about our Build-A-Star program and a participating Arlington program, Calvary Children’s School! We are doing great work to improve outcomes for children AND teachers! Clarendon Patch
School Readiness Tips!
During “School Readiness Month,” families can help their young children prepare for success in the classroom, whether that’s in a daycare, preschool or elementary school setting. Here are 10 school readiness tips for parents: School Readiness Month Tips
Free Parent Fair in Arlington!
Saturday, Sept. 10. The Journey to Parenting: A Resource and Information Fair for Expectant and New Parents. A free event to learn about resources in Arlington County for prenatal care through baby’s first year. Informational exhibits and hands-on demonstrations, plus prizes and snacks! Mom, Dads, grandparents, childcare providers, and other caregivers are welcome! 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Come for all of part of the event. No preregistration required. Walter Reed Community Center, 2909 S. 16th Street, Arlington. Questions? Contact Cheryl Fuentes at 703/228-1551 or cfuentes@arlingtonva.us
Free Arlington Parenting Fair!
Saturday, Sept. 10. The Journey to Parenting: A Resource and Information Fair for Expectant and New Parents. A free event to learn about resources in Arlington County for prenatal care through baby’s first year. Informational exhibits and hands-on demonstrations, plus prizes and snacks! Mom, Dads, grandparents, childcare providers, and other caregivers are welcome! 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Come for all of part of the event. No preregistration required. Walter Reed Community Center, 2909 S. 16th Street, Arlington. Questions? Contact Cheryl Fuentes at 703/228-1551 or cfuentes@arlingtonva.us
As a Parent it is Never Too Early!
Previous research says on average, children living in poverty are less well prepared to start school than children from middle-income homes. Now, new research says home learning experiences may help low-income children’s school readiness.
“Our findings indicate that enriched learning experiences as early as the first year of life are important to children’s vocabulary growth, which in turn provides a foundation for children’s later school success,” said Eileen T. Rodriguez, survey researcher at Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
Over a five-year period, the study examined the learning environments of more than 1,850 children and their mothers from predominantly low-income households; that is, households at or below the federal poverty line. Researchers used home visits to gather information when the children were one, two, three and five years old.
The researchers gathered information on how often children took part in literacy activities, such as shared book reading; the quality of mothers’ engagements with their children, such as children’s exposure to frequent and varied adult speech; and the availability of learning materials, such as children’s books.
“As a parent, it is never too early to engage your child in learning,” noted Story. “This research suggests that the degree to which parents read and talk to their infant; point and label objects in the environment; and provide engaging books and toys when their child is only 15 months old can have long-lasting effects on the infant’s language skills years later.”
US Military Depends on Health of our Children!
While I understand the challenges and costs of implementation, House action on June 16 to roll back new nutrition standards in our schools will not only be a setback for our children, but also for our military (“Showdown looms in House over public school lunches,” June 15). With one in four young adults ages 17 to 24 too overweight to join the armed forces, obesity poses a serious threat to our future military readiness by limiting the pool of young adults qualified to enlist. To combat child obesity, it makes sense to focus on improving food served in our schools, since many children consume as much as half of their daily calories during school hours.
Last year more than 100 retired admirals and generals of the nonprofit group Mission: Readiness, including myself, strongly supported passage of the “Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act” to update school meal standards so that they reflect the latest dietary guidelines. This summer, Congress can help finish the job by supporting the swift implementation of science-based meal standards. By enhancing the quality of meals that end up on millions of school trays every day, we can improve our nation’s long-term health and ultimately strengthen our national security. (as printed in TheHill.com From Ret. Lt. Gen. Norman R. Seip, U.S. Air Force, Alexandria, Va.)
Playgroup Summit a Success!
Smart Beginnings and The Giving Circle of Alexandria co-hosted a City-wide Playgroup Summit on Tuesday, March 1st. The Summit included representatives from Alexandria City Public Schools, The Alexandria Health Department, Center for Alexandria’s Children, and Early Head Start – among others. Dialogue included identifying the unique characteristics of playgroups, understanding the “vulnerable” families to reach, and next steps in creating an evaluation instrument. The summit was facilitated by Preston Bruce of PKB Associates and included information from Travis Wright of George Washington University on the challenges and benefits of data collection centered around services provided and families attending. Another summit is scheduled for late Spring 2011.
SPEAK UP for Alexandria Issues!
Want to improve the quality of life in Alexandria?
Speak up! The Partnership for a Healthier Alexandria is collaborating with ACT for Alexandria and Virginia Tech to develop a better way to inform key decisions in Alexandria – through “quality of life indicators.” The indicators will serve as reminders and rallying points around which community minded individuals and groups can focus their efforts to make a measurable difference.
Speak up! Join us at a Town Hall meeting or take 5 minutes to vote online with ACTion Alexandria. Voting begins February 7th.
Town Hall Meetings (SAVE THE DATE!):
February 16: Charles Houston Recreation Center, 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
March 2: William Ramsey Recreation Center, 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Help Restore Funding for Virginia Early Childhood Foundation!
As you may be aware, the General Assembly is now in session and will be deciding whether to restore VECF’s funding. Last year, we managed to avoid devastating budget cuts, thanks to your help in spreading the word and gaining local support. Again, we would like to ask for your assistance in engaging legislators that are responsible for making this decision.
We ask that you reach out to your networks and ask committee members and leadership council members, as well as friends and supporters, to contact their legislator by e-mail or phone if they sit on the House Appropriations or Senate Finance Committees. Please ask your local business leaders and grassroots individuals to write a letter to the editor or Op/Ed in your newspaper that highlights the importance of funding for VECF and urges others to contact their legislators.
The House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees will be discussing this Budget Item this week, so immediate action is required. Please let Heather Farber (heather@vecf.org) know what Senators and Delegates are contacted and by what means (email, letter, phone, etc) so that we can track this information. We greatly appreciate your assistance in working to secure this crucial funding.
Quality Child Care Rating Expands to Home-Based Providers!
The Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF) and the Virginia Office of Early Childhood Development (OECD) are pleased to announce a pilot program to expand the Virginia Star Quality Initiative (VSQI) to include child care services provided in home-based settings. VSQI is a voluntary program that assesses, improves and communicates the level of quality in early care and education settings.
“There is both a moral imperative as well as sound economic reasons to expand the VSQI,” said Thomas N. Chewning, VECF Board Chair and former Chief Financial Officer of Dominion. “While helping young children become school-ready is the right thing to do, this project also strengthens Virginia’s child care industry, enables working parents be more productive on the job, and helps ensure that Virginia will have smart and talented future workers in the pipeline for long-term economic growth.”
Six communities in Virginia were selected to participate in a pilot demonstration of the Family Child Care Home standards. The following community organizations were awarded competitive grants: ChildSavers (serving the Greater Richmond region), Fairfax County Office for Children, Smart Beginnings Alexandria/Arlington, Smart Beginnings Appalachia, Smart Beginnings Central Virginia and Smart Beginnings South Hampton Roads.
“A substantial number of young children receive care in home-based settings,” said Zelda Boyd, Director of the Office of Early Childhood Development. “This VSQI pilot expansion now gives the same opportunity for quality improvement to home-based providers and the children they serve that center-based child care facilities have had for the past three years. It’s an exciting next step in Virginia’s ongoing efforts to help young children be ready for school.”
“For a variety of personal and financial reasons, many families seek a Family Child Care Home as the preferred child care setting for their preschool children,” said September Jones, Coordinator of Smart Beginnings Alexandria/Arlington. “These settings are a valuable and respected child care option, and we are excited to help them identify and develop quality activities that focus on kindergarten readiness.”
Evidence clearly shows that quality early education is critical. Children with access to high quality early learning experiences are more likely to acquire the skills they need to enter kindergarten ready to succeed.
During the home-based pilot, 75 providers will be rated on four standard areas: education, qualifications and training of staff; overall learning environment; staff-to-child ratios and group size; and program management. In addition, they will receive mentoring services and provide feedback on the process of participating in the pilot.
“By testing the standard in 75 Family Child Care Homes in six diverse Virginia communities, we are able to evaluate the process prior to releasing it statewide,” said Maria Brown, Vice President of Programs for the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation. “The pilot also includes the development of a Family Child Care Toolkit that will help all providers build and maintain quality child care services.”
A grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provided stimulus funds for this pilot, which concludes in July 2011. Outcomes will be evaluated and a report will be posted online to share with other states developing quality rating and improvement systems.
“The Virginia Star Quality Initiative is a groundbreaking project that could transform the developmental and educational performance of Virginia’s future generations,” said Scott L. Hippert, President of the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation. “We give credit to Virginia’s business community and political leadership for having the vision to invest in all aspects of school readiness, particularly the VSQI. This project is a model of a strong partnership between the public and private sectors. Greater investments from both sectors are needed to bring it to scale, but in doing so Virginia will save millions in remedial services that will more than offset the costs of fully-scaled VSQI.”
Webinar: Parent Partnership Strategies!
Join the Quality Improvement Center on Early Childhood for this exciting webinar that addresses developing effective partnerships with parents and families and building community with and in human systems to foster respect, inclusion, and equity!
DATE: Monday, November 29
TIME: 3:00 – 4:30 Eastern Time
The Quality Improvement Center on Early Childhood (QIC-EC) is a five-year project to generate and disseminate new knowledge and robust evidence about programs and strategies that contribute to child maltreatment prevention and optimal development for infants and young children (0-5) and their families. A service of the Children’s Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, USDHHS, the QIC-EC was awarded to the Center for the Study of Social Policy, partnering with ZERO TO THREE: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families and the National Alliance of Children’s Trust and Prevention Fund.
New Grant Received!
Congratulations! Smart Beginnings Alexandria/Arlington is pleased to announce the award of an 8-month grant from Virginia Early Childhood Foundation to implement the Virginia Star Quality Initiative Pilot for Family Child Care Homes! This exciting opportunity will allow ten Homes to provide valuable feedback on the new VSQI procedure and receive quality mentoring from January to July 2011. For more information call 703-224-2342.
Smart Beginnings Summit!
Register now for the upcoming 2-day summit in Richmond featuring Virginia’s First Lady, Maureen McDonnell and Secretary of Education, Gerard Robinson. Information available at www.vecf.org or call 804-358-8323.
Report: Children in Poverty
According to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau today, 15.5 million children in America—or more than one in every five children—lived in poverty in 2009. This is an almost ten percent increase over 2008. Now is the time to act and invest in the future for our children!
CDF NEWS: Millions More Children Living in Poverty Visit http://childrensdefense.org
Federal Policy Update!
From the Zero to Three Policy Center: Congress took several actions important to infants and toddlers before leaving for its August State and District Work Period (aka “recess”). The Senate Appropriations Committee approved funding for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, echoing the strong support for child care and early learning programs shown by the House Appropriations Committee. Increases included $990 million for Head Start/Early Head Start and $1 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), amounts sufficient to continue the funding gains achieved in the stimulus package last year. Part C Early Intervention would receive an additional $20 million. The Committee also included $300 million for the President’s Early Learning Challenge Fund, to help states build stronger and more effective early learning systems. Final numbers will likely have to wait until after the election.
In addition, the Children First Act of 2010 (S. 3667 and H.R. 5938) was introduced in the Senate by Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and in the House by Representative Joe Crowley (D-NY). It would increase mandatory child care funding by $800 million in FY 2011, adjusting for inflation annually after that. The Senate passed the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 (S.3307) to reauthorize child nutrition programs including the Child and Adult Care Food Program. The bill increases funding by $4.5 billion over ten years – the largest funding increase ever, but something short of the levels proposed by President Obama. Troubling to many advocates is the use of $2.2 billion in cuts to future SNAP funding to partially offset the cost of the bill. The House needs to pass its own bill before the program expires at the end of September.
Most of your Members of Congress will be in their states until Congress reconvenes on September 14. This is a prime opportunity to talk with them about the importance of continuing investments in very young children, even with concerns about the deficit. Click here for talking points to guide you in your discussions.
Wired: How Preschool Changes the Brain!
Wired Magazine had a recent blog post about the importance of preschool education. It’s great news that early childhood is spreading across all industries – soon EVERYONE will understand the implications of educating our youngest children. Read the article at: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/07/how-preschool-changes-the-brain/
Smart Beginnings in the News!
Smart Beginnings Alexandria/Arlington, a local collaborative coalition working to approve the quality of early education and care, recently received a $125,000 grant from the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation, a public-private partnership. Read the full article here: Sun Gazette News: Arlington
