Prevent Child Abuse New York's Blog

More Trouble Ahead for Children's Programs

While we may be hearing that the economy is slowly recovering, The Great Recession continues to take a toll on America families. The unemployment rate still is nearly 10%; the nation is on track for one million foreclosures in 2010; and state finances are so dismal that California's budget crisis was featured in Time Magazine.

Amidst this backdrop, programs that serve children have once again reached a critical juncture. The Recovery Act passed in the Spring of 2009 temporarily increased federal funding for key children's services like Medicaid and education, preserving the safety net at a time when it was most needed. The increase in that rate (known as FMAP) is about to expire, with families across the nation still very much in dire straights. What will happen when FMAP expires? According to the Voices for America's Children blog:

The abstract process behind FMAP has very concrete results felt by children all over the country. Colorado is expected to eliminate full-day kindergarten for 35,000 children and preschool for an additional 21,000 children. Kansas is expected to make cuts to its education budget, including eliminating a Parents-as-Teachers home-based education program that serves 15,000 families. Mississippi was planning to use its expected FMAP funds to restore $100 million cut from its education budget.

With the Senate set to recess on August 9, time is running out to enact federal support for these vital health and education programs for children. Here's what you can do:

Contact your senators and tell them:

• Support FMAP, because it supports health, education and other vital state services for children.
• Move quickly, before Congress recesses, so special aid to children and families doesn’t expire.

Call your senators at 1-866-277-7617.

Supporting Evidence-Based Home Visiting Website

The Children's Bureau has launched a website for Supporting Evidence-Based Home Visiting. The website includes findings from 17 cooperative agreements "to support the infrastructure needed for the widespread adoption, implementation and sustaining of evidence-based home visitation programs" and a cross-site evaluation. Resources are available in the form of archived webinars, newsletters, and research documentation.

Free SIDS Training for Parents and Child Care Providers

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the unexpected, sudden death of a child under age 1 in which an autopsy does not show an explainable cause of death. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and Healthy Child Care America just released a new online training module on ‘Reducing the Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in Child Care!’

Based on AAP's Reducing the Risk of SIDS in Child Care Speakers Kit, this is a FREE course that is designed to educate everyone who cares for babies, including child care providers, health care professionals, parents, grandparents, and relatives.

In one hour, participants will learn how to create a safe sleep environment to reduce the risk of SIDS and other sleep related deaths. With an easy to use format, this course is available 24/7 from your home or office computer. Childcare providers will receive a certificate of completion for 1.0 contact hour.

For instructions on how to access this FREE course, visit

www.healthychildcare.org/pdf/SIDSmoduleflyer.pdf. 

For more information and materials on how to reduce the risk of SIDS, visit

www.healthychildcare.org/sids.html.

Healthcare Reform Passes, Including $1.5 Billion for Home Visitation Programs!

Late last night, the US House of Representatives passed the Senate Healthcare Reform bill, with a few amendments. This legislation will not only bring healthcare coverage to more than 95% of Americans, but it will also create a brand new funding stream for home visiting, in the amount of $1.5 billion over five years.

This victory is only half the battle.

Now, we ask you to continue advocating with your State Senators and Assemblypersons, whose decision on the New York State Budget will directly impact New York's ability to access over $100 million in funding for home visitation.

Take action today to let our Albany lawmakers know that Healthcare Reform has come with a $1.5 billion pot of support for families, but if Healthy Families New York receives a 35% cut in this year's buget, we may not be eligible for a dime of the $1.5 billion.

Tell your legislators:

• Healthcare Reform has passed with a $1.5 billion funding stream for home visitation, which means approximately $100 to $150 million over five years for New York State.
• If Healthy Families New York is cut by 35%, New York may be ineligible for any of that money, as the legislation requires a maintenance of effort in state funds to apply for federal funds.

Act today, and forward to your friends, family, and colleagues! This is a historic moment for all of us: let's make sure it's one we can celebrate in New York!

Take action online by clicking here.

Growing into Happy, Healthy Children: Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect

Guest Post by Annamarie Russo

Children have the right to feel loved and protected. Since children have limited capacity for reason and logic, the child's parent, guardian or caregiver is there to provide the nurturing a child needs to grow to be a positive contributor in life and society. The caregivers are there to give their best to the child and look out for the child's best interest.

Parenting tips can be picked up, but the act of parenting is a learned skill. Sometimes, the caregiver may be in a position that compromises their ability and responsibility to nurture their children. Perhaps the caregiver may have suffered a job loss or maybe a relationship between adults is having problems. Stresses like these can become too much to bear and the parental experience may feel overwhelming. Unfortunately the child may be in an environment or home where the caregiver is letting these factors get the better of them, thus hindering the well-being and development of the child, BUT with prevention and programs available to help fullfill the needs of both the child and caregivers, child abuse and neglect never needs to begin.

Children need nurturing, patience, love, and security to grow. Children need to feel they will always have someone who loves and protects them. As the child's brain develops, the caregiver can help the child have a healthy positive self-image. This helps children become smart, healthy and giving adults Abuse, maltreatment and neglect damages a child's self-esteem and diminishes their happy spirit. This makes it difficult for the child to develop a healthy mental state because of the lack of tools to do so: security and love.

Although parents have ultimate responsibility for their children, community efforts are essential to children's happiness and well-being too. An example is a teacher. The teacher may also have a positive impact on the child, helping him or her learn and feel safe. Being part of a community is great support. Community centers, libraries and schools are a good ways to involve families and friends, as a way to grow and develop happy, healthy children into positive members of society.

Annamarie Russo is an actress, a writer (including a weekly column about NFL fantasy football), an identical twin, a Speech communications, rhetorical studies and public advocacy major at Hofstra University. She has a passion to prevent and end child abuse.

Illinois Toy Screening Finds Toys Fail to Comply Lead & Phthalate Limits

The Illinois Public Interest Research Group recently released a limited screening of 87 popular toys, which showed some toys still violate the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) standards for lead and contain illegal phthalates. Two out of seven toys tested for phthalates contained phthalates which were banned by the federal government earlier this year. Dress up costumes, construction toys, musical instruments, jewelry, outdoor toys, stuffed animals, and arts & crafts are some types of toy that are on the high risk list.

Other chemicals found in some of these products are lead, chlorine, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, and bromine.

To view all the results from this latest posting please visit: http://www.healthystuff.org/departments/toys/

For further information on all toys reviewed please visit: http://www.healthystuff.org/departments/toys/product.least.php?rank=high

Dealing with a Traumatic Event

In the wake of the tragic events at Fort Hood a last week, it’s important to remember that when traumatic incidents occur, the Center for Disease Control's Injury Center can assist by providing information that can help people cope and recover.

Sometimes after experiencing a traumatic event, including personal or environmental disasters, or being threatened with an assault, people have a strong and lingering reaction to stress. When the symptoms of stress last too long, it can cause people to feel overwhelmed and have an effect on their ability to cope.

Common reactions to a stressful event can include:
Disbelief and shock
Fear and anxiety about the future
Difficulty making decisions
Apathy and emotional numbing
Loss of appetite
Nightmares and reoccurring thoughts about the event
Anger
Increased use of alcohol and drugs
Sadness and depression
Feeling powerless
Crying
Sleep difficulties
Headaches, back pains, and stomach problems
Difficulty concentrating


For more information, tips on how to hand a traumatic experience, or to read this full article please visit: http://www.cdc.gov/Features/HandlingStress/ or http://www2c.cdc.gov/podcasts/player.asp?f=5256

Improving Children's Mental Health through Parenting Education

Guest post by Michelle Gross, Projects/Public Policy Manager, Prevent Child Abuse New York

In today’s difficult times, one of the most important skills one must possess is the ability to form healthy relationships and cope with life’s challenges. Our children are not born with these skills, but rather learn them through their social and emotional development.

While providers have traditionally focused on physical development, in 2006, the New York State Legislature passed the Children’s Mental Health Act. The Act required the development of a statewide plan to address issues in children’s social and emotional health, zero to eighteen. As a result of this legislation, the Children’s Plan was developed in collaboration with nine state agencies and led by the New York State Office for Mental Health.

The Children’s Plan serves as a blueprint for New York state agencies, providers, and communities to
improve the social and emotional development of children and their families. The Plan focuses on engaging children and their families in services early, ensuring that systems are collaborating to provide effective and efficient services and meeting families’ needs by focusing on their strengths and abilities.   

Within the Children’s Plan is a directive for the Office of Mental Health to work with parenting educators to better support parents in raising emotionally healthy children.  The New York State Parenting Education Partnership has been chosen to play this pivotal role in educating providers who work with families and supporting a network of family support and information.   

NYSPEP’s efforts to provide professional development sessions for parenting educators will enhance providers’ ability to communicate the importance of social and emotional development with parents, and offer both providers and families tools to facilitate children’s healthy development.
   
For more information, visit our web site at: http://www.parentingeducationpartnership.org.

Child Abuse Prevention Programs at Risk: Call Your Legislators Today!

Special Session of the Legislature Tomorrow: Home Visitation, Trust Fund, Child Advocacy Centers, Kinship Care at Risk

Call Your State Legislators Today!

Governor David Paterson has called for a special session of the New York State Legislature to commence tomorrow, November 10th, to address the growing state deficit. While we are not certain what will take place during the special session, we know that the Governor's proposed Deficit Reduction Plan is the wrong choice for children and families and the wrong choice for New York's economy.

The Deficit Reduction Plan will cost New York millions in federal funding for home visitation and Community-based Child Abuse Prevention dollars, in addition to the short and long-term cost of maltreatment to our social welfare, law enforcement, education, and healthcare systems.

A champion for New York's children is Senator John Sampson, who has committed his vote against the Governor's Deficit Reduction Plan. Today, we ask all advocates to:

• Call Senator Sampson at 518-455-2788 and thank him for making the right choice for kids and protecting New York's economy.
• Call your local Senator and Assemblymember and encourage them to follow Senator Sampson's lead and vote against any reduction in necessary services for children and families. The script can be as simple as follows: "Hello, my name is _____ and I'm a constituent of Senator/Assemblymember _____ and I'd like to ask my legislator to vote against any cuts to services for children and families."

If you don't know who your elected representatives are, you can simply call the New York State Legislative Switchboards at: 518-455-2800 (Senate) and 518-455-4100 (Assembly), or look them up online.

Remember when calling to be polite, leave your name, address, and phone number, and follow up your call by encouraging another friend or colleague to make one of their own.

Read Prevent Child Abuse New York's testimony against the Governor's DRP (PDF).

The Future of Children: Focus on Child Abuse and Neglect

The latest issue of The Future of Children focuses on child abuse prevention. Contributors to the volume present the best available research on policies and programs designed to prevent maltreatment. They examine the gradual—and still partial—shift in the field of child maltreatment toward a "prevention perspective" and explore how insights into the risk factors for maltreatment can help target prevention efforts to the most vulnerable children and families. 

They assess whether a range of specific programs, such as community-wide interventions, parenting programs, home-visiting programs, treatment programs for parents with drug and alcohol problems, and school-based educational programs on sexual abuse, can prevent maltreatment. They also explore how CPS agencies, traditionally seen as protecting maltreated children from further abuse and neglect, might take a more active role in prevention.