Television Viewing Associated With Increased Combative Behavior In Young Children

Recent research suggests that television watching is related to hostile behavior in children under the age of three. While investigators in the current study (published in the November issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine) found that young children who received corporal punishment, resided in a dangerous community, or had a mother who was distressed or under mental pressure were more likely to display aggressive behaviors, they also found that television viewing (both direct and indirect) had a statistically meaningful effect on children’s aggression.

The study, conducted by Dr. Jennifer Manganello- an assistant professor of health communication at the University of Albany School of Public Health- provides results from an analysis of national data collected for over 3,000 children born between 1998 and 2000. Because so many variables can impact a child’s actions, the investigators attempted to control for as many variables as possible, including maternal parenting beliefs, maternal experience with violence, the security of family surroundings and demographic characteristics. Even after weighting for these variables, television was more likely than many other factors to elevate aggressive behaviors.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is disturbed enough about the media’s impact on the behavior of young children that they recently refreshed their protocol on media brutality:

“Exposure to violence in media, including television, movies, music and video games, represents a significant risk to the health of children and adolescents. Extensive research evidence indicates that media violence can contribute to aggressive behavior, desensitization to violence, nightmares and fear of being harmed,” wrote the AAP Council on Communications and Media.

According to Richard Gallagher, director of the Parenting Institute at the New York University Child Study Center in New York City, television is not a harmless instrument- it does have an impact on children and families. While media subject matter may influence actions, Gallagher suggests that children’s behaviors may also be influenced by “opportunities lost.”

In other words, when an infant or toddler is viewing a television show, which is an inactive behavior, the child does not have the occasion to engage with other family members and may have decreased interaction with his or her companions. “The AAP guidelines that children under 2 shouldn’t watch any television may be fairly strict and hard to carry out, but parents should be judicious about how much TV young children are watching, and be aware that it’s not likely to be appropriately stimulating,” stated Gallagher.

Parents should operate as a television “purifier” for their young children. For instance, moms and dads should indicate when something is nonsensical on television and that it is not a real-world situation. Also, if they happen to see something disturbing or violent- even in a television show designed for children- parents need to translate that situation for children, and inform them of what would happen if that were a real scenario.

For more resources on parenting and early child development, please visit The Urban Child Institute’s Parenting Resources webpage at http://www.theurbanchildinstitute.org/Parenting.

References

Gordon, S. (2009, November 2). TV may increase aggression in toddlers: The more watched, the more aggressive the behavior, study finds. HealthDay Reporter.
http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=632720

New Research Links Tobacco Exposure During Pregnancy to Various Neuro-developmental Problems in Early Childhood

According to new research presented at the 2009 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Annual Meeting, tobacco exposure during pregnancy has been found to be associated with disagreeableness in very young infants, inadequate concentration and information synthesizing during the first year of life, as well as impulsivity during the preschool years.

“We found that even in the first year of life, we can see differences in attention and irritability and in the regulation of emotions…Then at age 3, we saw that kids with prenatal tobacco exposure seem to have trouble waiting for an award, which ties in with findings that smoking during pregnancy can have a specific impact on the parts of the brain that are involved in regulating behavior, ''stated Dr. Sandra A. Wiebe, lead investigator and professor at the University of Alberta, Canada.

An estimated 10% to 30% of females in the United States use tobacco during pregnancy (Brauser, 2009). Last year in Tennessee, over 16,000 (18.8%) of mother’s giving birth in our state reported cigarette smoking during pregnancy . Over 1,100 (6.9%) of the birth mother’s reporting cigarette smoking during pregnancy gave birth in Shelby County (TN DOH, 2009).

Dr. Wiebe acknowledges that it can be difficult for mothers to quit smoking; however, she believes that information and education on the effects of prenatal tobacco exposure can help encourage moms to abstain. “We need to explain that it can affect how well a baby learns about the world, as well as how well they’re able to behave adaptively in various situations once they start preschool or kindergarten,” she suggested.

Local Resources

The Church Health Center's Hope and Healing Center offers health and wellness programs including weight loss classes and smoking cessation counseling. Their Freedom From Smoking program is eight weeks of group counseling designed to help participants kick the smoking habit. They offer sliding scale membership fees based on income and family size. For more information, please call 901-259-4673.

For more information on the well-being of young children in Memphis and Shelby County, please visit The Urban Child Institute website at http://www.theurbanchildinstitute.org/Home/.

References

Brauser, D. (2009, November 9). Prenatal tobacco exposure linked to multiple problems. Medscape Medical News.

Tennessee Department of Health, Division of Health Statistics. Personal Communication, November 12, 2009.

Following AAP, the American Dietetic Association Supports Exclusive Breastfeeding For 6 Months

According to a recent policy report released by the American Dietetic Association (ADA), breastfeeding provides health advantages to both mothers and babies; thus, the use of human milk for infant feeding should be advanced and applauded.

“It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that exclusive breastfeeding provides optimal nutrition and health protection for the first 6 months of life, and breastfeeding with complementary foods from 6 months until at least 12 months of age is the ideal feeding pattern for infants. Breastfeeding is an important public health strategy for improving infant and child morbidity and mortality and improving maternal morbidity and helping to control health care costs,” the ADA stated in a press release.

The recommendations of the ADA mimic the breastfeeding policy statement of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The AAP recommends exclusive breastfeeding for six months after birth, continuous breastfeeding for at least 12 months after birth, and thereafter as long as mutually desired (AAP, 2005).

The authors of the policy report developed a science-based examination on the framework of breastfeeding customs and health advantages in the United States and in other nations. They determined that human milk supplies superlative nutrient content for very young children and weakens the possibility of developing multiple serious and enduring conditions.

The health advantages for babies include:

- A sound immune system

- Reduced possibility of developing asthma, lower respiratory tract complications and gastroenteritis

- Elevated defense against allergies and sensitivities

- Appropriate growth of teeth and jaw

- Correlation with increased IQ and improved educational achievement

- Decreased risk for SIDS, as well as recurrent illnesses, including weight issues, diabetes, heart problems, elevated blood pressure, high cholesterol and childhood cancer

The ADA suggests that dietetic specialists and registered dietitians maintain a critical role in endorsing and fostering breastfeeding for its health advantages for children and families. Additionally, dietary professionals also have a crucial position in administering pragmatic research on breastfeeding-related matters. The authors suggest that more research on breastfeeding promotion campaigns is of particularly high priority.

For more information on the current Shelby County breastfeeding campaign, please contact Dr. Julie Ware (President of the Shelby County Breastfeeding Coalition) at julieware2@bellsouth.net. The Shelby County Breastfeeding Coalition is a county-wide collaboration that aims to implement national breastfeeding policy recommendations. The collaborative consists of nine organizations and represents a partnership between the public and private sectors, as well as uniting the community with medical, academic, public health, research, and business groups.

For more information on the well-being of young children in Memphis and Shelby County, please visit The Urban Child Institute at http://www.theurbanchildinstitute.org/Home.

References
American Academy of Pediatrics. (2005). Policy statement: Breastfeeding and the use of human milk. Pediatrics, 115 (2).

Breastfeeding benefits moms and babies: Report. (2009, November 6). Healthday: Yahoo!News.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20091107/hl_hsn/breastfeedingbenefitsmomsandbabiesreport

Flu Vaccination During Pregnancy: An Effective Way to Help Improve the Health of Memphis Babies

With the very real concerns surrounding the flu this winter, many of us are wondering if it is safe for pregnant women to get the flu shot.

Research that was recently presented at the Infectious Diseases Society of America meeting found that getting a flu vaccine during pregnancy greatly improves a child’s chances of having healthy birth outcomes. The researchers examined the effect of having a regular flu vaccination and not the H1N1 vaccination. However, the CDC does recommend that all pregnant women receive the swine flu vaccine as well (CDC, 2009, November).

Why does vaccination help? Pregnant women are especially vulnerable to infectious diseases like the flu because their immune systems are depressed in order to protect their developing babies. Additionally, infants cannot be vaccinated against the flu for the first 6 months of life, so they are vulnerable unless they have received the vaccination second hand while they are in utero (Fox, 2009, October 29).

Specifically, the studies have revealed that flu vaccination during pregnancy at the height of the flu season can reduce an infant’s chances of being hospitalized in the first 6 months of life by up to 85%. Pregnant women who were vaccinated against the flu were also 80% less likely to have a premature birth and 70% less likely to have a baby that was small for gestational age. Their babies, on average, were a half pound heavier than those of unvaccinated women (Fox, 2009, October 29).

Sources

Fox, M. (October 29, 2009). When Moms Get Flu Shot, Babies Benefit Too: Study, ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=8951864

Centers for Disease Control. 2009 H1N1 Influenza Shots and Pregnant Women: Questions and Answers for Patients. http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/pregnant_qa.htm

New Study Estimates That 50% Of Our Nation’s Children Will Receive Food Stamps Before Their Eighteen Birthday

Recent estimates from researchers at Washington University in Saint Louis suggest that almost half of our country’s children (and a staggering 9 out of 10 African American children) will receive food-related governmental assistance at some point during the first eighteen years of life. The study, released earlier this week in the November issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, states that repercussions from the recent economic crisis could heighten these numbers dramatically.

Lead investigator and sociologist Mark Rank cautions that this increase is a health issue that the medical community needs to be mindful of given that children on food assistance are at risk for dietary deficiency and other afflictions related to economic deprivation, including insufficient cognitive, social and emotional development. “This is a real danger sign that we as a society need to do a lot more to protect children, “ Rank advised (Tanner, 2009, p. 1).

According to a federal brief released last month from the United States Department of Agriculture, almost 29 million citizens received food stamps in a typical month last year, and about 50% of these recipients were children. Food stamps are a government-run program for low-income families, covering many food items (with the exclusion of prepared hot items and alcohol).

In Shelby County, over 233,000 individuals (26% of the county’s population) were receiving food stamps as of June of this year (TN Department of Human Services, 2009). Approximately 63,000 (27%) of these recipients are under 18 years of age. In other words, about one in four Shelby County children are currently obtaining food-related assistance (CUCP estimate, see footnote). Furthermore, according to recent information released by the Tennessee Department of Education, approximately 86% of students currently enrolled in the Memphis City school system are from families who meet certain income criteria making them eligible to receive free or reduced price lunch (TDOE, 2009).

This research is consistent with other current studies that estimate that upwards of 40 percent of our nation’s children will reside in impoverished or low-income families by their late teenage years, and that one in two will at some point live in a household that is headed by a single parent (Tanner, 2009).

“The current recession is likely to generate for children in the United States the greatest level of material deprivation that we will see in our professional lifetimes,” stated Stanford pediatrician Dr. Paul Wise. “I find it terribly sad, but not surprising.”

In the midst of our current dire economic climate, what can the Memphis community do to support the healthy development of our youngest citizens? We welcome your thoughts, comments and suggestions.

For more information on the well-being of children in Memphis and Shelby County, please visit The Urban Child Institute website at http://www.theurbanchildinstitute.org.

References
Tanner, L. (2009, November 3). Half of U.S. kids will get food stamps, study says. The Associated Press.

Tennessee Department of Education, 2009,
http://edu.reportcard.state.tn.us/pls/apex/f?p=200:1:829762500068372

Tennessee Department of Human Services. (2009, September). Tennessee Monthly Food Stamp
Participation. Nashville, TN: Author.

CUCP estimate: Please contact us at cucp@theurbanchildinstitute.org for more information.

Premature Births Lift U.S. Infant Mortality Rate

The Wall Street Journal reported this week on a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that examines the link between prematurity and infant mortality around the world. (The U.S. ranks 30th in the world in terms of infant mortality rates).

The study concludes that premature births, which are often due to poor prenatal care of low-income pregnant women, are the main reason the U.S. infant mortality rate is higher than in most European countries.

About 1 in 8 U.S. births are premature. Early births are much less common across most of Europe; for example, only 1 in 18 babies are premature in Ireland and Finland.

Poor access to prenatal care, maternal obesity and smoking, too-early cesarean sections and induced labor and fertility treatments are among the reasons for preterm births, experts said.

Premature babies born before 37 weeks tend to be more fragile and have under-developed lungs, said the lead author of the new report, Marian MacDorman of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Premature births are the chief reason the U.S. has an infant mortality rate more than twice as high as infant mortality rates in Sweden, Japan, Finland, Norway and the Czech Republic.

If U.S. infants were as mature as Sweden's are at birth, nearly 8,000 infant deaths could be avoided and the U.S. infant mortality rate would be about one-third lower than it is, according to a calculation by Ms. MacDorman and others at the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics.

Why so many more premature infants here? Experts offered several possible explanations:

■Fertility treatments and other forms of assisted reproduction probably play a role because they often lead to twins, triplets or other multiple births. Those children tend to be delivered early.
■The U.S. health care system doesn't guarantees prenatal care to pregnant women, particularly the uninsured, said Alan R. Fleischman, medical director for the March of Dimes.
■Maternal obesity and smoking have been linked to premature births and may also be a factor.
■Health officials are also concerned that doctors increasingly are inducing labor or performing C-sections before the 37th week. However, Fleischman said most infant deaths do not occur in babies just shy of 37 weeks gestation, but rather in those much younger,
Labor was induced in nearly 16% of premature births in 2006, up from about 8% in 1991. Cesarean sections were done in 36% of preterm births, up from 25% in 1991, Ms. MacDorman said.


The report also found that while the U.S. more commonly saw premature births, survival rates for infants at that gestational age were as good or better than most European countries.

"So, once the baby is born too early, we do a good job of saving it. What we have trouble with is preventing the preterm birth in the first place," Ms. MacDorman said.

Improving Infant and Toddler Care: Considerations from the National Center for Children In Poverty

Careful research shows that better prepared family care providers offer our youngest children higher-quality care. In order to improve the cognitive, social and emotional development of infants and toddlers, policy leaders have instituted training and education qualifications for licensed providers and designed multiple initiatives to prepare and inform early care staff.

So what works? What types of education are most effective in advancing the quality of family child care homes and centers? Researchers from the National Center for Children in Poverty (2005) reviewed a wide body of literature on training methods for early care providers and provide the following summaries for professionals and policy-makers:

- Coursework that provides higher education credits and is supplemented with technical support seems to enhance quality in the early care setting, particularly for family care providers. Caregivers receiving technical assistance demonstrated higher quality scores in language/reasoning and basic/personal care.

- Noncredit training has a greater impact on caregivers who have no affiliation with a professional organization (such as the National Association for the Education for Young Children) than on affiliated providers. Prior to training, affiliated providers typically have higher observed levels of quality than unaffiliated providers.

- Scholarships providing enrollment in community college-level coursework in child development appear to increase overall quality ratings in center-based providers.

- Long-term, personalized coaching for caregivers can improve early care quality. Infant caregivers involved in mentoring programs have demonstrated improved quality in discipline techniques, sensitivity and learning activities.

More research needs to be done on infant and toddler caregiver training and education. What we do know is that training methods need to match the particular types of providers, and trainers need to be ready to make adjustments as the research advances.

For more information on the well-being of children in Memphis and Shelby County, please visit The Urban Child Institute at http://www.theurbanchildinstitute.org.

References

Kreader, J., Ferguson, D., & Lawrence, S. (2005, August). Impact of training and education for caregivers of infants and toddlers (Research-To-Policy No. 3). National Center for Children In Poverty.

Revised WIC Guidelines Provide Incentives To Breastfeeding Families

As of October 1, the federally-funded Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) has altered subsidy provisions in order to provide improved nutritional support to low-income families. In addition to including more food items that will reduce the amount of saturated fats and increase healthy fiber in the intake of WIC participants, the revised food packages better encourage and endorse sustained breastfeeding and reinforce WIC’s breastfeeding promotion endeavors.

The adjusted nutritional package provides mothers who solely breastfeed with the opportunity to receive more choices and increased quantities of approved foods, including a monthly $10.00 voucher which can be redeemed for fresh fruits and vegetables. Babies who are solely breastfeed receive increased quantities and a more mixed selection of baby food at 6 months of age. Breastfeeding mothers can also receive breast pumps and other breastfeeding aids to help support the initiation and continuation of breastfeeding.

Although WIC promotes breastfeeding as the preferred method for feeding infants, WIC has historically faced numerous challenges in increasing the prevalence of breastfeeding among participants. Through nutrition knowledge and breastfeeding promotion efforts, WIC employees encourage and support mothers in the breastfeeding process; however, the time that staff has to counsel and educate pregnant women on breastfeeding is restricted. Furthermore, a mother’s choice to breastfeed may be determined by other variables beyond the WIC staff’s control, such as opinions of partners and friends, her doctor, and community acceptance.

Although more research is needed to determine the most effective breastfeeding promotion and support measures needed to increase breastfeeding among WIC participants, we applaud the efforts of the WIC system in altering food packages in order to provide incentives to breastfeeding mothers. By recognizing and supporting the breastfeeding guidelines suggested by the American Academy of Pediatrics[1] (AAP), the WIC program is making positive progress in achieving optimal infant and child health, growth and development in vulnerable, low-income families.

WIC is a federal program designed to provide supplemental food to low-income pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women, infants and children until the age of five. For more information on the Tennessee WIC program, please call the Shelby County Health Department at 901.544.7583.

For more information on the well-being of children in Memphis and Shelby County, visit The Urban Child Institute at http://www.theurbanchildinstitute.org/.

References

Oliveira, V. (2003, July). WIC and breastfeeding rates: Food assistance research brief. United States Department of Agriculture (Report Number 34-2).

Tennessee WIC brings more to the table. (2009, October 19). Tennessee Department of Health. The Daily Times.


[1] The AAP recommends exclusive breastfeeding for approximately the first 6 months after birth, continuous breastfeeding for 12 months after birth, and thereafter as long as mutually desired.

Recession’s Toll On Very Young Children: How Can Parents Promote Optimal Development During Times of Financial Strain?

Counselors, educational analysts and school therapists report seeing an increasing number of children dealing with strain and pressure as a result of their parents’ recession-related monetary issues. A perception of disaster can create profound unhappiness or worry, particularly if families unleash their distress or exasperation, argue about finances, or change housing arrangements and/or school districts (Brody, 2009).

Three out of four parents state that the economic downturn has increased tension in their household, and a third report that their children have demonstrated apprehension or agitation about the economy, according to a current U.S. study by Wakefield Research. Approximately twenty percent of children will develop a mental health issue at some point during the lifespan, and financial hardship could provoke a concealed anxiety issue.

“We’re living in very difficult times,” said Rosalind Dorlen, the American Psychological Association’s New Jersey public education coordinator. “It would be naïve to assume kids going through this would be unaffected. Is this going to be the ‘Worried Generation’?”

Experts at the Carsey Institute suggest that children of all ages experience the ramifications of financial distress, but our youngest citizens are particularly susceptible. For children less than age six, the demands of economic deficiency include insufficient health, decreased access to high-quality educational programs, inferior cognitive and social and emotional development, and heightened parental pressure. Evidence also suggests that financial hardship is linked with a lower quality home setting and inadequate parenting methods (Poiter, 2009).

How can parents assist and help prevent the development of unneeded stress and anxiety in their youngest family members? According to Jane Burdsall of the New Jersey Association of School Psychologists, a primary step is to remember to speak calmly and without frustration to all members of the household. Young children need to feel secure, and it is crucial that parents’ remember children’s ages and developmental stages when sharing and discussing economic information. Although young children are resilient, it is important for parents to reassure infants and toddlers in order decrease tension levels and promote a secure environment.

What else can parents to do encourage optimal cognitive, social and emotional development in our youngest children during this tough economic time? We welcome your thoughts, comments, and suggestions.

For more information on the well-being of children in Memphis and Shelby County, please visit The Urban Child Institute at http://www.theurbanchildinstitute.org/Home.

References

Brody, L. (2009, October 13). Recession’s toll on children: Parents aren’t the only only ones who
suffer when jobs are lost and money is tight. McClatchy/Tribune News.

Poiter, B. (2009, September 30). Recession’s impact on young child poverty uneven throughout
nation. UNH Campus Journal.

Increasing Political Will for Investment in Early Childhood Development Programs

Nationwide public opinion polling conducted in the last year and a half on behalf of the Partnership for America’s Economic Success, and in conjunction with Professor James Heckman, offers important findings about what the public, policy influentials, and policymakers understand about the importance of investing in early childhood interventions in order to support the optimal cognitive, social, emotional and physical development of children (ROI Ventures and Neimand Collaborative, 2009, October).

Here are some of their findings:

- On a scale of 1 to 100, policymakers are 75% of the way towards being ready to make large investments in early childhood education and services.

- Policymakers understand the long range benefits that will accrue for children and society if we make strategic investments in early childhood, but they are hesitant to make large new investments in services without a clear mandate from policy influentials and the public.

- On the other hand, early childhood investment has a relatively low amount of salience for the general public as a political issue. The public is significantly more interested in seeing public investment to solve problems with the economy, health care and crime.

- The public and influentials are about 25% of the way towards being willing to support large public investments in early childhood services.

- There is wide-ranging support for the notion that children need access to high quality early care, education and support services; however, there is widespread disagreement about who should pay for those services.

- Roughly 50% of the public is willing to pay higher taxes in order to provide expanded services to children between birth and five; the other half is unwilling to do so.

Many of the strategies that have been pursued by advocates of early childhood investment have failed to convince the public of the value of investing in early childhood. Frequently, advocates have suggested that the non-poor should invest in high quality early services for the poor in order to close the academic achievement gap or create more equal outcomes between non-poor and poor children. However, since many members of the public are currently struggling to provide services for their own children, they are not persuaded that they should pay to provide services for poor children as well.

Many advocates have also spent a lot of time focusing on the negative outcomes associated with not establishing healthy foundational social and emotional skills instead of emphasizing that the time from birth to five is a window of opportunity to maximize development. Messages about “use it or lose it” brain development, which suggest that children who do not experience optimal development are doomed to lives of failure are not convincing to the public since they are skeptical that a child’s life outcomes could be “determined” before they are even in kindergarten.

Research on effective framing demonstrates that the public will support investments in early brain development only if they understand that providing services to support early brain development will help fix societal problems such as the current economic crisis, crime and health problems. In other words, we can fundamentally shift public will towards investment in birth to five services if we can help people understand how they and society at large will benefit in the long run from those investments.

Sources

Barnett, W.S. (1996). Lives in the Balance: Age-27 Benefit-Cost Analysis of the High/Scope Perry Preschool Program. Monographs of the HighScope Educational Research Foundation, 11. Ypsilanti, Mich.: High/Scope Press.

National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. (2004). Young Children Develop in an Environment of Relationships. Working Paper No. 1. Retrieved [August 21, 2009] from www.developingchild.net/pubs/wp/environment_of_relationships.pdf

ROI Ventures and Neimand Collaborative. (2009, October). The Heckman Equation: Talking Dollars and Sense about Investing in Early Childhood Development. Washington D.C.: Partnership for America’s Economic Success. [Accessed October 5, 2009] http://www.partnershipforsuccess.org/uploads/20091007_100709HeckmanPPTDRAFT.ppt

Ramey, C.T. & Ramey, S.L. (2004, October). Early Learning and School Readiness: Can Intervention Make a Difference? Merrill Palmer Quarterly, 50, 4, 471-491.

High-Quality Infant/Toddler Care: What Should Parents Look For?

The evidence keeps pouring in: the first years of life are a critical period of brain development, and a baby’s first care-givers can help to encourage – or impede – optimal social, emotional and cognitive growth.

In Shelby County and across the nation, the majority of young children will spend a significant amount of time every week-day in the care of non-family members while their parents are at work. And when it comes to their children, most parents want the same thing- They want their infant or toddler to have access to a high-quality early education setting. Parents spend a great deal of energy and time researching and trying to find an available slot in a high-quality, affordable child development center or family provider.

How can parents know when they have found the right child care setting? What are the markers of a superior infant or toddler classroom? The following list is comprised of some of the indicators that can confirm for parents that developmentally correct practices are being used in their child’s early education setting.

Continuity Of Teachers and Children In The Classroom. Known faces are critical to high-quality care for very young children. Continuity provides regularity and security- this eases children’s adaption to new environments and makes the departure and reunion process easier for both kids and parents.

Involvement Between Children and Staff Members. One of the most crucial elements of superb early education for infants and toddlers is the interactive setting- parents need to observe teachers actively engaging with children. Staff members should react swiftly to requests, comment on what children are doing and seeing, and check in often to see if assistance is needed.

Variations In Pace Throughout The Day. Because young children enrolled in early education can spend the majority of their week at the child care location, pace changes are essential, both for the children and the staff. Parents should look for evidence that infants and toddlers get opportunities to play outside and in the gym, to sing and respond to music, and to experience variations in the learning setting. Parents need to see the pace in the classroom elevate and become lively and brisk during some parts of the day, and then ease off to become cozy and softening during others.

Parents As A Fundamental Component Of The Early Education Setting. The knowledge that parents are a child’s primary and most important educators is the foundation for a positive parent-staff relationship. When families are incorporated as a principal component of a young child’s early school experience, the teachers, parents and children all prosper and flourish.

For more information on the well-being of children in Memphis and Shelby County, visit The Urban Child Institute at http://www.theurbanchildinstitute.org/.

References

Albrecht, K., & Miller, L. G. (2007). Quality for infants and toddlers: A view from the door. Early Childhood News- Excelligence Learning Corporation.

Just When Does the Achievement Gap Start?

Research on early brain development suggests that the human brain is partially completed in utero and continues to develop long after birth. Although infants are born with all the neurons they will ever have, the connections between neurons, or synapses, have not been established at birth. Most synapses are formed in the first 3 years of life. However, synaptic pruning continues into the teenage years. Brain synapses connect and are pruned in response to external stimuli. This means that the brain develops in response to children’s relationships and their environment. This is important because the accuracy and effectiveness of synaptic connections will determine how effectively the brain will function as children grow to adulthood (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2004).

A child’s ability to develop effective cognitive, social and emotional skills in early childhood is dependent on the accuracy and effectiveness of their synaptic formation. Early brain development is crucially linked to later development because it provides the foundation upon which all of the more complex skills and abilities will be built (Thompson, 2001, Spring/Summer; Cunha & Heckman, 2007, May).

Children growing up in diverse economic and family circumstances do not have equal access to the relationships and environments that will support their early brain and mind development. This is critical because it means that their foundational skills, which will enable them to develop more intricate traits and abilities as they grow, are fundamentally different.

Ramey & Ramey (2004) discuss differences in the early childhood experiences of different groups of children in order to determine when it is possible to see a gap opening in the cognitive abilities of disadvantaged children and their more advantaged peers. Their research, conducted over the last 30 years on participants in the original Carolina Abecedarian Project and subsequent cohorts of participants, has established that poor children and their more advantaged peers have demonstrable differences in their cognitive abilities beginning at 18 months of age.

At 18 months, disadvantaged children scored an average of 18 points lower than their more advantaged peers on the Mental Development Index of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. Disturbingly, without intervention, this gap persisted and grew as the children in the study progressed to kindergarten. By the time they reached the kindergarten classroom, more advantaged children were an average of 2.5 years ahead of their disadvantaged peers developmentally (Ramey & Ramey, 2004, October). Multiple other studies that have tracked cohorts of young children have demonstrated the same early achievement gaps between poor and non-poor children and their persistence as children grow up (National Center for Education Statistics, 2007, Table 110; National Center for Education Statistics, 2007, Table 111; Barnett, 1996)

However, there is good news. Children who get access to high quality early childhood programs, like the Abecedarian Project, end up doing about as well as their more advantaged peers in early childhood. The Abecedarian Program provided disadvantaged children with high quality, full time child care from 6 weeks to 3 years of age, regular home visiting to help provide support and information for parents, access to economic supports like free diapers, free food and free transportation, full year pre-kindergarten from 3 years old till school entry. The gains that children in the program made, versus their peers who were not enrolled, persisted as the children grew into adulthood.

Sources

Barnett, W.S. (1996). Lives in the Balance: Age-27 Benefit-Cost Analysis of the High/Scope Perry Preschool Program. Monographs of the HighScope Educational Research Foundation, 11. Ypsilanti, Mich.: High/Scope Press.

Cunha, F. & Heckman, J.J. (2007, May). The Technology of Skill Formation. American Economic Review, 97, 2, 31-47.

National Center for Education Statistics. (2007). Table 110. Mean reading scale scores and specific reading skills for fall 1998 first time kindergarteners, by time of assessment and selected characteristics: Selected years, fall 1998 through spring 2004. Digest of Education Statistics. [Accessed September 2009] http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d07/tables/dt07_110.asp

National Center for Education Statistics. (2007). Table 111. Mean mathematics and science scale scores and specific mathematics skills of fall 1998 first-time kindergartners, by time of assessment and selected characteristics: Selected years, fall 1998 through spring 2004. Digest of Education Statistics. [Accessed September 2009] http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d07/tables/dt07_111.asp

National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. (2004). Young Children Develop in an Environment of Relationships. Working Paper No. 1. Retrieved [August 21, 2009] from www.developingchild.net/pubs/wp/environment_of_relationships.pdf

Ramey, C.T. & Ramey, S.L. (2004, October). Early Learning and School Readiness: Can Intervention Make a Difference? Merrill Palmer Quarterly, 50, 4, 471-491.

Thompson, R. A. (2001, Spring/Summer). The Growth of the Brain. The Future of Children: Caring for Infants and Toddlers 11, 1. [Accessed September 2009]. http://www.princeton.edu/futureofchildren/publications/journals/article/index.xml?journalid=44&articleid=186&sectionid=1212

Supporting the Cognitive, Social and Emotional Growth of Young Children By Inviting Parents Into The Classroom

While the central practice of an early education teacher fittingly targets the security and guidance of young children, often too little consideration is paid to the role of family members- both as engaged partners and as part of the regular curriculum- in the early education environment.

Recent research suggests that quality child care doesn’t just benefit kids- it also supports families (See “Child Care Programs Assist Parents In Building Social Capital: Suggestions For Administrators and Faculty”).The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the accreditation body that is recognized as the gold standard in the field of early childhood education, understands the importance of family involvement in the development of young children, and mandates that centers follow explicit family engagement standards in order to maintain their accreditation status. There are many simple ideas that early educators can integrate into their program in order to promote family involvement in the educational setting- both directly and through projects that permit children to think about and discuss their families regularly throughout the school day (Francis, n.d.).

- Ask parents into the facility to display and share hobbies and pastimes, cultural rituals, unique foods, etc. This is not only an great time for a young child to observe and enjoy her own family- it also lets parents know that their exceptional stories are acknowledged and welcomed in the classroom.

- Construct a welcoming, family-focused environment and let parents know that their participation is desirable. Make sure family members know where art supplies, toys and books are kept so that they can engage without restriction.

- Assist children in making a family tree. For infants and toddlers, this may simply be naming people in their households and those special to them. Keep the tree uncomplicated and straightforward and mention it often as a source of communication.

- Choose quality reading materials- there are hundreds of fantastic children’s books that recognize the diversity of modern families. Be perceptive to family variance with any activity you do, but recognize that books provide you with a unique opportunity to mention and encourage all families.

For more information on the well-being of children in Memphis and Shelby County, visit The Urban Child Institute at http://www.theurbanchildinstitute.org/.

References
Francis, K. (n.d.) Inviting family into the classroom. EarlychildhoodNEWS: The Professional Resource For Teachers and Parents.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children. (n.d.) Introduction to NAEYC standards and criteria. Washington, DC: Author.

How Much Better Prepared for Kindergarten Are Children Going through Head Start and State Pre-K?

Early Childhood: The Most Economically Efficient Time to Invest in a Child’s Development

Children undergo their most rapid brain development between conception and age 3. Nobel prize winning economist James Heckman has pointed out that the rapid and foundational nature of this period of early brain development means that it is an excellent time to invest in young children’s developing skills. His recent research has also demonstrated that investments in children’s cognitive and non-cognitive skills after 5 can only achieve maximum effectiveness and return to society if they are built on a solid foundation of early skills development (Heckman, July 2008). Heckman reached these conclusions about early investment, in part, by studying the returns to society and the individual that were achieved by children who participated in high quality early interventions, such as the Perry Pre-school Program and the Abecedarian Program in the late 60’s and early 70’s.


Measuring the Effectiveness of Current Investments in Early Brain Development

Spurred on by the hope of increasing children’s preparation for kindergarten, particularly their cognitive and social/emotional development, the federal and state government have been making investments in Head Start and more recently, state pre-kindergarten for the last several decades. However, questions still remain about how much more prepared children are for kindergarten after participating in Head Start and/or state pre-kindergarten. We also do not know a lot about whether children who participate in Head Start are better off, worse off or about the same as children who participate in state pre-kindergarten.

In order to address these questions, the researchers at Early Ed Watch have been writing an interesting series of articles comparing the salient features of Head Start and state pre-kindergarten programs around the country in order to determine whether children do better, worse or the same in each type of pre-school program. Their blog can be accessed here.

To complicate matters, programs in many communities, including Memphis are in the process of merging their state pre-kindergarten and Head Start programs so that funding can be leveraged to produce a higher quality program for more children.

Most of the national level research on Head Start comes from two studies, the Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) and the Impact Study. These studies have demonstrated that most children are better prepared for kindergarten, but their gains in kindergarten readiness are not comparable to the Perry or Abecedarian programs that helped spur public interest in funding these programs. However, in programs such as the Abbott Pre-School Program in New Jersey and the Tulsa Pre-K Program, children are seeing gains in pre-kindergarten readiness which are much more comparable to the results achieved by the Perry and Abecedarian programs.

Maximizing the Return on Our Current Investments

What are the salient features of the Abbott and Tulsa programs which helped improve student’s early learning outcomes so much? The primary factors involved appear to be higher teacher salaries and an equalization of quality standards including teacher education and ratios. Teacher salaries played a large role in increasing program quality because they attracted highly qualified individuals who are good at “engaging students in academic concepts and had a close relationship with them” (Guernsey, September 11, 2009). Giving children access to these high quality teaching experiences, in turn, significantly improved their preparation for school. For more information on this topic please see the Early Ed Watch Blog at http://www.newamerica.net/blog/early-ed-watch/2009/checking-assumptions-about-school-readiness-14507.

We are hopeful that the forthcoming collaboration of Shelby County Head Start and the Memphis City Schools pre-kindergarten teacher will allow the district to leverage funding and equalize quality standards between the two programs so that our investment in vulnerable Memphis children’s early development can be maximized.

Sources

Guernsey, Lisa. (September 11, 2009). Checking Assumptions about School Readiness. Early Ed Watch Blog. Washington D.C.: New America Foundation. Accessed September 23, 2009. <>

Heckman, James J. (July 2008). Schools, Skills and Synapses. Economic Inquiry 46, 3, 289-324.

National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. Young Children Develop in an Environment of Relationships. (2004). Working Paper No. 1. Retrieved [August 21, 2009] from
<www.developingchild.net/pubs/wp/environment_of_relationships.pdf>

"Hang up the cellphone and talk to young children"

In today’s New York Times, Jane E. Brody has a column entitled “From Birth, Engage Your Child With Talk.” Brody reminds us that communication begins as soon as a child is born. She writes: The way you touch, hold, look at and talk to babies help them learn your language, and the different ways babies cry help you learn their language. According to the American Medical Association, parents should talk to their babies whenever they have the chance… “your calm, reassuring voice is what he needs to feel safe. Always respond to your newborn’s cries – he cannot be spoiled with too much attention.”

While we often stress the importance of language in the home for early child development, Brody points to the negative effect of electronic distractions on today’s parenting. She writes: “all too often, the mothers and nannies I see are tuned in to their cellphones, BlackBerrys and iPods, not their young children.”

What difference could this possibly make on child development?

According to Randi Jacoby, a speech and language specialist, “Parents have stopped having good communication with their young children, causing them to lose out on the eye contact, facial expression and overall feedback that is essential for early communication development. Young children require time and one-on-one feedback as they struggle to formulate utterances in order to build their language and cognitive skills. The basic skills are not being taught by example…”

Ms. Jacoby advises parents to: “Reward your little one’s communicative attempts with your heightened attention to his/her conversation. Be prepared to put down your cellphone and look them squarely in the eye as they share their thoughts with you.”

What would effective parent/child communication look like?

Jane Brody reviews several guidelines for parents:
• Avoid baby talk and baby words, which can confuse a child who is learning to talk. If your child uses a baby word, repeat it, but also use the correct one.
• Play word games like “This Little Piggy” or “The Itsy-Bitsy Spider” and encourage your child to do the accompanying motions.
• Count the steps as you go up or down.
• Ask questions that require a choice, like “Do you want milk or juice?”
• Sing songs and recite nursery rhymes.
• Read together every day, and ask your child to name or describe the objects and characters in the story.
• Above all, when your children try to talk to you, give them your full attention whenever possible.

Which Quality Factors Improve Children’s Cognitive Development Between Birth and 5?

Children undergo their most rapid brain development between conception and 36 months of age (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2004). Children’s brains and minds develop in tandem; therefore, access to resources that promote optimal development is particularly important during a child’s earliest years. Early mind development is a compilation of the cognitive, social and emotional skills that human’s develop and build more complex skills upon as they age. In turn, early growth is an important predictor of later life outcomes. Early brain and mind development are both experience dependent (Thompson, 2001, Spring/Summer). Young children utilize the components of their early relationships and resources to support the physical development of their brains as well as the acquisition of their cognitive, social and emotional developmental skills.

Years of research has demonstrated that children who receive supportive, nurturing care in a rich language environment have better cognitive development by the time they enter kindergarten (Burchinal et al., 1996; Willms, 2002; Howes, 1997; National Institute for Early Education Research, 2003, December). In turn, increased kindergarten readiness has been linked to better performance in school and enhanced preparation for the workforce. There are many things that parents can do to support their children’s cognitive development including:

Speaking to infants and children often and trying to use at least 5 words per sentence;

Reading to their children daily from an early age;

Using the teachable moments of daily life to help children gain understanding of early math and science concepts, for instance cooking together can be an excellent opportunity to explore things like ratios and fractions and the differences between liquids, solids and gases (Zero to Three, n.d.).

Not surprisingly, the same characteristics that help improve cognitive development at home also apply to child care settings. Child care settings that have small caregiver to child ratios and well educated caregivers who receive ongoing training and support provide demonstrable increases in children’s language and cognitive development and also in their school readiness. Small caregiver to child ratios provide caregivers with the energy and time to respond more sensitively and thoroughly to children’s needs. Ongoing education and training arms providers with the information and skills they need to provide a rich language environment and utilize effective curriculums that improve children’s pre-literacy and pre-math skills (Burchinal et al., 1996; Willms, 2002; Howes, 1997; NIEER, 2003, December).

Sources

Burchinal, M.R., Roberts, J.E., Nabors, L.A. and Bryant D.M. (1996, April). Quality of Center Child Care and Infant Cognitive and Language Development. Child Development 67, 2, 606-20.

Howes, C. (1997). Children’s experiences in center-based child care as a function of teacher background and adult: child ratio. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 43, 404-425.

National Institute for Early Education Research. (2003, December). Can A College Degree Help Preschoolers Learn? Fast Facts: Issue No. 1. New Brunswick, N.J.: Author. <>

National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. Young Children Develop in an Environment of Relationships. (2004). Working Paper No. 1. Retrieved [August 21, 2009] from http://www.developingchild.harvard.edu

Thompson, R. A. (2001, Spring/Summer). The Growth of the Brain. The Future of Children: Caring for Infants and Toddlers 11, 1. Accessed September 2009. < journalid="44&articleid=" sectionid="1212&submit">

Willms, J.D. (2002). Vulnerable children and youth. Education Canada 42, 3, 40-43.

Zero to Three. (n.d.). Everyday Ways to Support Your Baby or Toddlers Early Learning. Washington D.C.: Author. Accessed September 2009. < docid="3081&AddInterest=">

High-Quality Early Care Promotes Social, Emotional and Cognitive Development In At-Risk Young Children

Eighty percent of brain development occurs in the first three years of life, and early environments can encourage or impede effective cognitive growth. Science affirms that residing in poverty means more than economic hardship for infants and toddlers- young children raised in impoverished households lack access to crucial resources needed for optimal social, emotional and cognitive development. Unfortunately, child poverty is on the rise in Memphis- from 2003 to 2007, the percentage of children living in impoverished families rose from 35 to 42 percent (The Urban Child Institute [TUCI], 2009).

However, researchers may have found a potential equalizer: high-quality early care and education. For our youngest at-risk kids, attending an enriching early care program may be enough to negate the impact of vulnerable home environments and present them with the framework needed for academic success. According to Boston College professor Eric Dearing, whose team evaluated data of more than 1,300 children in 10 regions across the United States, “even minimal exposure to higher-quality child care at times was enough to offset the deprivation often encountered when growing up poor” (West, 2009, p. 1).

Dearing suggests that the advantages of high-quality early care were seen in most children, no matter their socioeconomic status; however, the observed impact became more significant as the family income levels dropped. The study results also suggest that the effect of high quality care increases with exposure—the more time spent in an educational setting, the better.

What is high-quality early care? The study team, which includes researchers from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Samford University, defines “higher quality” day care as environments that provide better than typical personal care, cognitive engagement and emotional support to infants and toddlers. Effective early care, Dearing suggests, should not be mistaken for the exclusive programs usually located in wealthy neighborhoods. Instead, top-notch early care can be provided in a setting as familiar as a grandparent’s house or as standardized as a traditional community day care center.

Low-income families, just like wealthier families, need caring child care environments while parents are on the job or attending school; however, impoverished families are typically obliged to utilize inferior care because they have few options. Although the study did not make targeted suggestions on how to enhance early care in poor environments, the researchers implied the need to better inform families on how to access high-quality early care and dispense increased public funding of education initiatives for children less than five years of age. The findings from the assessment appear in the September/October issue of Child Development.

For more information of the well-being of children in Memphis and Shelby County, please visit The Urban Child Institute website at http://www.theurbanchildinstitute.org/Home.

References

The Urban Child Institute. (2009). The State of Children in Memphis and Shelby County: DataBook. Memphis, TN: The Urban Child Institute.

West, P. (2009, September 16). Better day care, smarter kids? Yahoo News!: HealthDay Reporter.

Tennessee Receives Incentive Funding From HHS To Improve Programs For Children In State Custody

This week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded $35 million in incentive awards to states that have increased the number of children adopted from foster care. Tennessee is one of 38 states receiving recognition and a financial award from HHS for improving policies and programs for maltreated children.

The Adoption Incentives plan was developed in conjunction with the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997. The initial plan rewarded states for moving children from state custody to permanent adoptive homes. Under the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008, incentives were increased for moving children from foster care into adoptive households. The Act also mandates the use of consistent and comparable data on foster care and adoption.

This is positive news for our community, where 925 children were in state care as of June 30, 2007. Approximately one in five of these kids were preschoolers - the time in which the most rapid cognitive, social and emotional growth takes place. It is imperative that these susceptible infants and toddlers have access to the resources that promote healthy development- including a loving, consistent and established family. We applaud Tennessee for earning these incentive funds and look forward to their continued success in achieving permanent placement for these children into attentive and caring homes.

According to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, “Adopting a child from foster care is a wonderful way to enrich any family’s life…We congratulate the states that performed so well this year and we thank the parents who are providing loving and permanent homes” (Reuters, 2009, p.1).

A complete listing of each state’s adoption incentive award amount can be found at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/news/press/2009/fy09_adoption_incentive_awards.htm.

Policy suggestions to support young children and their adoptive families (Zero To Three, 2009):

- Provide continual post-permanency supports for adoptive families after permanency has been established. Infants and toddlers who depart foster care for a permanent adoptive home may continue to have developmental and mental health needs. For these placements to be successful, enduring emotional, financial and logistical services should be readily available.

- Guarantee that court administrators are informed about child growth and development and utilize their education to ensure stability and security. In order to accomplish their leadership and governing roles in cases involving very young children, court authorities should be aware of current scientific advances and possess the ability to apply that comprehension in their legalistic decision-making.

For more information of the well-being of children in Memphis and Shelby County, please visit The Urban Child Institute website at http://www.theurbanchildinstitute.org/Home.

References

Cohen, J. (2009). Securing a bright future: Infants and toddlers in foster care. Washington, DC:
Zero To Three Policy Center.

HHS awards $35 million to states for increasing adoptions. (2009, September 14). Reuters:
Business Wire 2009. http://finance.yahoo.com/news/HHS-Awards-35-Million-to-bw-1239344910.html?x=0&.v=1

TN Department of Children’s Services. Annual Report FY 2009. Nashville, TN: Author.
http://www.state.tn.us/youth

Providing Consistent and Nurturing Care for Infants in the First Year of Life

Children undergo a period of rapid brain development between conception and 36 months of age. Early brain development is experience dependent. This means that infants and toddlers need nurturing, consistent care from a regular caregiver in order to develop their foundational social, emotional and cognitive skills (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2004).

- In Shelby County, 60% of mothers of infants were also in the labor force (American Factfinder, 2007).
- Similar percentages of single and married new mothers are working. Fifty-nine percent of married mothers of infants were employed, compared to 62% of single mothers of infants (American Factfinder, 2007).

Tennessee Maternity Leave Laws

The federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 stipulates that all employees in the United States are entitled to up to 12 weeks of uncompensated leave for any of the following reasons:

• for the birth and care of the newborn child of the employee;
• for placement with the employee of a son or daughter for adoption or foster care;
• to care for an immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health condition; or
• to take medical leave when the employee is unable to work because of a serious health condition (U.S. Department of Labor, 2009).

The 1987 Tennessee Maternity Leave Act law only provided unpaid leave for female employees and did not require employers to grant unpaid leave to families who were new parents through adoption (Baker Donelson, 2005). Following a 2005 amendment, the Act now entitles both male and female employees up to 4 months of unpaid leave in relation to pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or adoption. The period of leave for employees who are expecting a child can begin during or after the pregnancy at the employee’s discretion with 3 months prior notice to their employer. Leave for the adoption of a new baby begins when the adoption occurs (TN Code Annotated 4-21-208, 2005). Whether or not an employee is compensated during maternity leave is at the discretion of employers; however, some organizations allow new mothers to utilize unused, compensated sick and/or vacation time while they are on maternity leave (TN Dept of Human Resources, July 2009).

Finding Affordable, High Quality Infant Care

Who takes care of babies when mothers go back to work? In Tennessee, the two primary sources of publically funded care for infants (under 12 months of age) are Department of Human Services (DHS) child care (designed for low-income families receiving government assistance) and Early Head Start.

- In 2009, only 7% of DHS child care recipients were infants under one year of age (NACCRA, 2009). In Shelby County, this would mean that roughly 3,131 (~20% of those born every year) infants were receiving subsidized child care (TN CCR&R, October 2008).

- Currently, there are 95 Early Head Start slots in Shelby County and these are available for children between 6 weeks and 3 years of age (Warr, 2009).

As of December 2008, the average weekly cost of full time infant care in a 3 star or NAEYC accredited child care center in Shelby County was $140.00, or $7,280 annually and ranged from $110 a week to $191 a week (CUCP estimate, 2008).

If they had to pay the market rate, what percent of a family’s income would be devoted to child care? Median family income for married couples with children in Shelby County is $81,698 a year - this suggests that the average two-parent family in Shelby County would spend 8% of their income per year, per child for high quality infant care. By comparison, single mothers with children earn a median annual income of $22,007- These families would spend 33% of their annual income per child for high quality infant care.

Expanding Affordable Care: The Illinois Infant/Toddler Set Aside

Over the last few decades, our neighboring state of Illinois implemented a set of innovative child care programs that offer promising models for Tennessee. During the 1980’s, the Illinois legislature created three different programs to target services to children and their families who were between birth and age 5. In 1997, the legislature decided to combine the funding for all 3 programs into one block grant, which became the Illinois Early Childhood Education Block Grant (ECEBG). This grant money is used to fund early care and education, parent training programs and early intervention services. The legislature set aside 8% of the ECEBG to provide services directly to children from birth to age 3, and this is known as the Illinois Infant/Toddler Set Aside. The set aside became available to service providers around the state beginning in 1999. In 2004, they increased the amount of the set aside to 11% of the block grant funds and also began exclusively funding best practice proven programs (Ounce of Prevention Fund, 2007).

For the 2009/2010 fiscal year, the Infant/Toddler Set Aside will generate $37.6 million in funding for best practice programs for infants and toddlers in Illinois (CUCP Estimate, based on Bellinger, August 2009). While this does represent a 10% cut in funding from the 2008 levels, it still enables the Illinois Department of Education the leeway to create and fund high quality, affordable programs for infants and toddlers (Bellinger, August 2009). Tennessee does not have an Early Childhood Education Block Grant currently, but we do have many of the programs that were utilized to create the ECEBG in Illinois and it is not beyond our capacity to set aside a portion of those funds to create more affordable, high quality options for our youngest children.

Sources

American Factfinder. (2007). Table B13012. WOMEN 16 TO 50 YEARS WHO HAD A BIRTH IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS BY MARITAL STATUS AND LABOR FORCE STATUS. Washington D.C.: U.S. Census Bureau

Baker Donelson. (July 2005). “Amendment to Tennessee Maternity Leave Act Allows Leave for Adoptions and Male Employees,” Labor & Employment Alert. Memphis: Author. Accessed September 8, 2009.

Bellinger, Catharine. (August 2009). “Illinois Governor Protects Part of Early Childhood Budget, But Still, State Funding Drops,” Early Ed Watch Blog, Washington D.C.: New America Foundation. Accessed September 11, 2009 < http://www.newamerica.net/blog/early-ed-watch/2009/illinois-gov-protects-some-money-early-learning-all-early-childhood-programs-fac>

National Association of Child Care and Resource Referral Agencies. (March 2009).Average Monthly Number of Children Served by Age. Author. Accessed September 8, 2009.

National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. Young Children Develop in an Environment of Relationships. (2004). Working Paper No. 1. Retrieved [August 21, 2009] from www.developingchild.net/pubs/wp/environment_of_relationships.pdf

Ounce of Prevention Fund. (2007). Illinois’ Infant Toddler Set Aside: What It Is and How It Works to Promote School Readiness. Chicago: Author. Accessed September 11, 2009. < http://www.ounceofprevention.org/includes/tiny_mce/plugins/filemanager/files/Infant%20Toddler%20set%20aside-pub%20rev%2007.pdf>

Tennessee Child Care Resource and Referral Agency. (October 2008). Personal communication with Katie Devlin.

Tennessee Code Annotated 4-21-408. (2005). Leave for adoption, pregnancy, child birth and nursing an infant. Accessed September 10, 2009. http://www.state.tn.us/labor-wfd/Title4-21-408.htm

Tennessee Department of Human Resources. (July 2009). “Maternity Leave,” State Employee Benefits. Nashville, TN: Author. Accessed July 8, 2009.
United States Department of Labor. (2009). Family and Medical Leave Act: Overview. Washington D.C.: Author. Accessed September 10, 2009.

Warr, Mike. (March 2009). Personal Communication with Katie Devlin.

Understanding Why Poverty Harms Children and How to Fix It

In Shelby County roughly half of all children live in poverty during the critical years between birth and kindergarten entry. This start in life matters for the students and adults that these children will become. This is because children growing up in poverty lack access to the ingredients that make for positive early childhood development.

Resources and relationships are the primary ingredients that shape a child’s intellectual, emotional and relational skills. Further, the skills that infants and toddlers acquire in their first years of life are the building blocks that all of their later life learning and abilities will be built on (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2007). Poverty is one of the strongest known correlates to negative developmental outcomes (Brooks Gunn et al., 1994; G. J. Duncan & J. Brooks-Gunn, 1997; Lee and Burkham, 2002; Hart & Risley, 1995). However, very few people who research child development attempt to discern why poverty so consistently harms children’s development. Said another way, what is it about the experience of growing up in poverty that is so bad for children?

An impoverished childhood is literally like limiting a cake baker to flour and water. Poverty is about more than just a lack of financial resources. Meeting children’s developmental needs requires relationships, interaction and active give and take and this is no less true for children in poverty than for middle-class kids.

Parents raising their children in poverty are not poor parents. Rather, they are parents who lack some or all of the resources their children need to thrive. Helping children and families escape poverty and its devastating effects requires the extension of resources and relationships to parents and their children. Lest we forget, we are all affected by the devastating consequences of poverty on children’s development when they enter school unable to participate, fall behind, fail out, become involved with crime and drugs and then continue the cycle by raising their children in poverty.

In 2001, a book entitled Bridges Out of Poverty explored what it means to live in poverty, how living in poverty shapes people’s thoughts, choices and actions and what it requires to help people move permanently from poverty into the middle class. The authors define poverty as “the extent to which an individual does without resources” (Payne et al., 2001). They argue that poverty may include the absence of the following resources:

- Financial – Having the money to purchase good and services;

- Emotional – Being able to choose and control emotional responses, particularly to negative situations, without engaging in self-destructive behavior. This is an internal resource and shows itself through stamina, perseverance and choices;

- Mental – Having the mental abilities and acquired skills (reading, writing, computing) to deal with daily life;

- Spiritual – Believing in divine purpose and guidance;

- Physical – Having physical health and mobility;

- Support Systems – Having friends, family, and backup resources available to access in times of need. These are external resources;

- Relationships/Role Models - Having frequent access to adult(s) who are appropriate, who are nurturing to the child, and who do not engage in self-destructive behavior;

- Knowledge of Hidden Rules - Knowing the unspoken cues and habits of a group; and

- Coping strategies – Being able to engage in procedural self-talk and the mindsets that allow issues to be moved from the concrete to the abstract. It is the ability to translate from the personal to the issue (Payne et al, 2001, pg. 11).

Sources

Hart, Betty and Todd Risley. (1995). Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experiences of Young American Children. Baltimore: Brookes Publishing Co.

Lee, Valerie E. and David T. Burkham. (2002). Inequality at the Starting Gate: Social Background Differences in Achievement as Children Begin School. Washington D.C.: Economic Policy Institute.

Duncan, G.J., Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, and P.K. Klebanov. (1994). Economic Deprivation and Early Childhood Development. Child Development. 65,296-318

Duncan, G. J. & J. Brooks-Gunn (Eds.), Consequences of growing up poor. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. (2007). The Timing and Quality of Early Experiences Combine to Shape Brain Architecture: Working Paper #5. http://www.developingchild.net

Payne, Ruby K., Phillip E. DeVol and Terie Dreussi Smith. (2001). Bridges Out of Poverty: Strategies for Professionals and Communities. Highlands, TX: aha! Process, Inc.

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Encourages U.S. To Spend More On Early Childhood

According to a recent report released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a France-based supervisor of industrialized nations, the United States has some of the modern world’s worst rates of child impoverishment, teen pregnancy and infant mortality. These results are striking given that the U.S. spends more per child (approximately $140,000) on welfare and educational services than the OECD average of $125,000 (Keller & Kurowski, 2009).

Child poverty statistics in the U.S. are almost twice the OECD average, at 21.6 percent compared to 12.4 percent. The rate of adolescent births in our country is triple the OECD average, with only Mexico reporting a higher rate among the 30 member OECD countries.

Why did the United States fare so poorly in the child well-being survey, despite spending more money per child? The OECD report suggests that U.S. government funding for children is heavily skewed to older children and adolescents (ages 12-17). U.S. spending on education, health and social services for children under six years of age trails far behind other industrialized nations- we spend about $20,000 on early childhood compared to the OECD average of $30,000 (Keller & Kurowski, 2009).

In “Doing Better For Children”, the report released last Tuesday, the OECD encourages the United States to transfer more of its public funding to our youngest citizens in order to advance our health and educational attainment. “A better balance of spending between the ‘Dora the Explorer’ years of early childhood and the teenage ‘Facebook’ years would help improve the health, education and well-being of all children in the long term,” the OECD said. The group suggests that the U.S. could benefit from investing in early childhood programs that strengthen pre- and post- natal services, promote breastfeeding and educate parents about healthy diet and risk factors such as smoking.

There is an urgent need to address these risk factors associated with poor child welfare, as they are especially prevalent in our community. In Memphis, almost one in five births are to females less than 20 years of age (Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2005). Additionally, over 40% of Memphis children (under 18 years of age) live in impoverished households (Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2007) . Each year, more than half of the children born in Shelby County are born into families in poverty and lacking access to basic resources that young children need for optimal early childhood development [TUCI], 2009).

Research shows that spending on early childhood is one of the smartest investments a society can make. By focusing on our youngest children and families – particularly the cohort of young children most in need - and implementing successful interventions, we can make economic and social decisions now that will enhance the well-being of the next generation (TUCI, 2009). We encourage our local, state and federal officials to consider the suggestions offered by the OECD- invest wisely in our youngest citizens in order to reach the future we envision for our community and our nation.

For more information on the well-being of children in Memphis and Shelby County, visit The Urban Child Institute at http://www.theurbanchildinstitute.org/.

References

The Annie E. Casey Foundation, KIDS COUNT Data Center, www.kidscount.org.

Keller, G. & Kurowski, R. (2009, September 2). US fares poorly in child welfare survey. The Associated Press. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g_CQ5dFodttwmt5mQB0fQiOrq_uwD9AEMF2O4

The Urban Child Institute. (2009). The State of Children in Memphis and Shelby County: Data Book. Memphis, TN: The Urban Child Institute.

Child Care Programs Assist Parents In Building “Social Capital”: Suggestions For Administrators and Faculty

Eighty percent of human brain development occurs during the first 36 months of life, and early surroundings can either encourage or impede effective cognitive growth. Sixty-five percent of mothers with very young children (under age 3) are employed; therefore, many infants and toddlers across the country and in Shelby County spend a substantial amount of time in the care of providers others than their parents (The Urban Child Institute [TUCI], 2009).

Quality child care benefits children and their families. First, parents are able to retain regular employment and provide for their children when affordable daycare is accessible. Second, enriching early care can advance children’s intellectual and social/emotional skills, ensuring that they reach the kindergarten classroom prepared and ready for academic success (TUCI, 2009).

Recent research from the University of Chicago suggests that early care programs have an often unnoticed capacity- linking parents with each other as unofficial consultants in parenting practices while also connecting them to organizations that can assist with the obstacles of child rearing. According to the study of 3,500 mothers in 20 U.S. cities, child care programs are regularly as beneficial for the parents as for the kids in terms of building companionable relationships and forming a support system. Early care programs become headquarters where parents can build “social capital”- the associations they require to assist with issues such as child behavior and locating quality medical care and schools. Child care programs that coordinated parent gatherings and had rigid drop-off and pick-up times where parents could connect had particularly effective parent support systems (Goldsmith, 2009).

“Parents come to school to find someone to care for their children, and they end up learning ways of taking care of each other…When you are a parent, particularly a first-time parent, the best resource you have is another parent” (Small, quoted in Goldsmith, 2009, p.1).

Early care administrators and teachers can easily encourage relationship building among enrolled families (Raising Children Network, 2009):
- Invite parents to a welcoming party at the beginning of the school year.
- Send home a weekly newsletter informing parents about classroom events and upcoming activities.
- Set up informal, monthly meetings between parents and teachers. Invite mothers and fathers to bring a packed lunch and join staff for a casual question and answer session.
- Formally recognize parent contributions (through a bulletin board or notes sent home).
- Establish positive communication with all families.

For more information on the well-being of children in Memphis and Shelby County, visit The Urban Child Institute at http://www.theurbanchildinstitute.org/.

References

Goldsmith, B. (August 30, 2009). Child care helps parents make invaluable friends too: study.
Reuters Life! http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE57U0E720090831

Involving parents in school and child care. 2006- 2009 Raising Children Network (Australia).
http://raisingchildren.net.au/working_with_parents/working_with_parents_landing.html

The Urban Child Institute. (2009). The State of Children in Memphis and Shelby County: DataBook. Memphis, TN: The Urban Child Institute.

Numbers Matter: How To Help Young Children Learn The Foundational Math Skills They Need For Kindergarten Success

This summer, the Committee on Early Childhood Mathematics of the National Research Council issued a report entitled "Mathematics Learning in Early Childhood: Paths Toward Excellence and Equity" (Cross et al., 2009). The report details the importance of incorporating early math skills in the pre-school curriculum and provides information for parents and teachers to use in making sure that children are mathematically ready for school. Most parents know that learning to count and recognize basic shapes are important skills that will help their preschooler get ready for kindergarten. However, the report recommends that parents and pre-school teachers help children master more than these basic skills . Specifically, young children need to learn, “concepts of number, space, passing of time, (and) volume” (Chute, August 30, 2009, 1). Understanding these mathematical concepts at an early age helps children connect mathematical ideas to the physical world. This knowledge – in turn – provides preschoolers with a solid foundation on which to build a more complex mathematical understanding later in life.

Helping young children get ready for math does not have to be difficult. In fact, many pre-math skills are best learned through play. As children explore the world around them, they naturally make observations about numbers, space, time, and shapes and sizes. These are all key pre-math concepts. Parents and caregivers can enrich this exploration by helping children understand and interpret what they are observing. The most important thing is that children need to understand math concepts through their experiences of the tangible world and not as abstractions. The evidence is clear: even very young children benefit from an early introduction to key math concepts.

Sources

Chute, Eleanor. (August 30, 2009). “Back to School/Do the Math: Latest 'new math' concept: Start early and make it fun,” Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Accessed August 31, 2009. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09242/994281-298.stm#ixzz0PnO4uPu4

Cross, Christopher T., Taniesha A. Woods, Heidi Schweingruber, Eds. (2009). Mathematics Learning in Early Childhood: Paths Toward Excellence and Equity. Washington D.C.: The National Academies Press. < http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12519 >

Duncan, Greg J. et al. (November 2007). School Readiness and Later Achievement. Developmental Psychology, 43, 6: 1428 – 1446. http://www.apa.org/journals/releases/dev4361428.pdf

Parlakian, Rebecca. (n.d.) Growing Up Healthy: What Local Governments Can Do to Support Young Children and Their Families. Washington D.C.: Zero to Three. Accessed August 31, 2009. < http://www.zerotothree.org/site/DocServer/GrowUpHealthy.pdf?docid="1722">

New Pediatric Sub-Specialty Board Approved for Certification of Pediatricians with Expertise in the Management of Victims of Child Maltreatment

It has been well demonstrated that maltreatment in the earliest years of life can lead to life- long behavioral and health problems (Sameroff, 1998). In November of 2009, approximately 200 doctors will sit for a board examination offered for the first time by the American Board of Pediatrics. The Board Exam will be for candidates in the field of child abuse pediatrics- a specialty involving not only caring for child maltreatment victims but also working with law enforcement and caseworkers and testifying in court cases. The acceptance of child abuse pediatrics as a medical concentration is expected to lead to an established system of accreditation for the estimated 25 child maltreatment fellowship programs in the U.S. for which there are presently no nationally agreed upon standards.

Administrators expect the changes to result in more specialists who can teach in medical universities, conduct research and serve as a resource for the general medical community. Additionally, practitioners also hope the increased acceptance of the concentration will generate higher reimbursements from insurance organizations and government health care programs- a benefit for hospitals that usually lose money on their child maltreatment teams because of the time devoted to these complicated cases (Hollingsworth, 2009).

The need for the maltreatment focus area is clear: research has regularly indicated that many medical professionals lack the knowledge to effectively handle these demanding cases. A recent study published in Pediatrics suggests that current standards of child maltreatment instruction are insufficient (Hollingsworth, 2009).

Even medical professionals who are not certified in child abuse pediatrics should focus on preventing child abuse and neglect: it is an integral component of accomplishing their responsibility of ensuring children’s health and welfare. Young children who are abused or chronically neglected have increased risks for social-emotional, behavioral and cognitive delays. Too often, by the time a child is determined to be a maltreatment victim, these problems have already begun to develop (Hawley, 2000). In 2008, children under six were the victims in nearly half of all investigations of abuse or neglect in Shelby County (TN DCS, 2008).

General principles that all who are involved in child care should become aware of include the following (Dubowitz, 2002):

1. Risk factors for abuse and neglect (such as parental substance abuse and maternal depression) need to be recognized and confronted. Caregivers at risk for abuse and/or neglect usually need mental health and social supports, and providers should expedite referrals.

2. Recognition and identification of a parent’s strengths and resources is vital to understanding the circumstances and preparing an appropriate response.

3. Child and family intentions/goals should be defined, clarified and integrated into the overall health care plan. For instance, a mother’s desire for her toddler to respect rather than fear her assists in the introduction of effective discipline approaches.

4. Acceptance of unconventional and informal assistance (i.e., friends, family, faith community) can be supported. For example, doctors can promote a grandmother’s engagement in child rearing by asking her to attend office visits.

For more information on the well-being of children in Memphis and Shelby County, visit The Urban Child Institute at http://www.theurbanchildinstitute.org.

References
Dubowitz, H. (2002, June). Preventing child neglect and physical abuse: A role for pediatricians.
Pediatrics In Review, 23(6), 191-196.

Hawley, T. (2000). Starting smart: How early experiences affect brain development. Zero To Three/The Ounce of Prevention Fund. Washington, DC.

Hollingsworth, H. (2009, August 18). New specialty spurs hope for helping abused kids. Associated Press: Yahoo News. Retrieved on August 24, 2009 from
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090818/ap_on_he_me/us_child_abuse_pediatrics.

Sameroff, A.J. (1998). Environmental risk factors in infancy. Pediatrics, 102, 1287-1292.

Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. CPS/Custody Data. Nashville, TN.

Exposure to Multiple Risk Factors in Early Childhood Impairs Children’s Brain Development

30 years ago, a group of researchers created a longitudinal study of children called the Rochester Longitudinal Study (RLS) to examine the influence of exposure to multiple known risk factors on children’s cognitive and social/emotional development. The study examined the social/emotional and cognitive development of children at birth, 4 months, 12 months, 30 months and again at 48 months of age. Interestingly, the researchers reexamined the children in the study when they were 13 and 18 years old.

In addition to tests of the children’s social/emotional and cognitive development, the researchers also gathered evidence on the children’s exposure to known risk factors that influence development, including socio-economic status, mother’s physical and mental health status, parent’s education, marital status, family size, stressful life events and occupations. They hypothesized that exposure to multiple risk factors would impair children’s social/emotional and cognitive development in their earliest years and as they grew up. Their formal list of risk factors included:

- Having a mother who sought treatment for mental illness on more than one occasion;

- Having a mother with a high level of anxiety;

- Having a small amount of spontaneous interaction between parent and child;

- Having parents in a semi or unskilled occupation;

- Having parents who lacked a high school education;

- Being a minority;

- Having a parent with rigid beliefs about child development;

- Having a single mother;

- Being exposed to a large number of stressful life events; and

- Being in a family with 4 or more children

Each child in the study was assigned a risk score based on the number of identified risk factors at birth. They also updated the child’s risk score at each visit. As they hypothesized, children with only one or no risk factors did not suffer social/emotional or cognitive delays over the course of their earliest years. Unfortunately, children exposed to two or more risk factors in early childhood did have diminished cognitive and social/emotional development. In fact, the more risk factors a child was exposed to in early life, the larger their developmental deficits. On average, exposure to each additional risk factor in early childhood lowered a child’s IQ at age 4 by 4 points. So a child in the study who was exposed to 5 risk factors during early childhood, on average, had an IQ that was 20 points lower than a child who was exposed to one or no risk factors (Sameroff, 1998).

Disturbingly, the researchers also found that a child’s exposure to risk factors was consistent over the course of their childhoods. Very few children in the study who were at risk, by exposure to multiple risk factors, lost their exposure as they grew up. Additionally, the prolonged exposure to risk factors continued to have a negative effect on cognitive and social/emotional development. At 4 years of age, 22% of the children exposed to 4 or more risk factors had an IQ below 85. By the time the children were re-tested at 13, 46% of them had an IQ below 85 (Sameroff, 1998).

We have no way of knowing if the results of the Rochester Longitudinal Study would hold true for children growing up in Memphis. However, we do know that many children growing up in Memphis are exposed to many of their identified risk factors on a daily basis. While poverty is often identified as a serious risk factor for cognitive and social/emotional delays, we often do not examine what it means to live in poverty.

Fundamentally, poverty is an umbrella term, describing the multiplicity of psychosocial
and bio-ecological risks children growing up in poverty are likely to encounter, such as
family turmoil or instability, less responsive parenting, less access to educational
stimulation at home or in school, increased exposure to dangerous neighborhoods, and
environmental pollution (Evans, 2004).

In other words, children growing up in poverty are regularly exposed to multiple risk factors which work together to undermine their foundational cognitive, social/emotional and physical development. Beyond being troubling, the RLS’s findings have important implications for the way that we seek to improve children’s developmental and long term outcomes. Most importantly, they imply that it is not enough to meet one identified need here and there. Our approach must be holistic and seek to provide protective factors which insulate children from the range of risk factors that interact to undermine their development.

Sources

Evans, G. (2004). The environment of childhood poverty. American Psychologist, 59, 77–92.

National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, Young Children Develop in an Environment of Relationships. (2004). Working Paper No. 1. Retrieved [August 21, 2009] from www.developingchild.net/pubs/wp/environment_of_relationships.pdf

Sameroff, Arnold J. (1998). Environmental Risk Factors in Infancy. Pediatrics, 102, 1287-1292. Accessed August 20, 2009 <http://www.pediatrics.org/cgi/content/full/102/5/SE1/1287>