July 2021

NOW Playbook Transformative Community Capacity to Advance Equity We are excited to share the Vital Village Networks of Opportunity for Child Wellbeing (NOW) Playbook . The NOW Playbook is a resource guide designed to provide tools for local leaders, community coalitions and networks, educators, practitioners, and policymakers working to promote the wellbeing of children and families, advance equity, and align systems of care and education in early childhood. The models, pillars, and...

English: The California Department of Public Health, Injury and Prevention Branch (CDPH/IVPB) and the California Department of Social Service, Office of Child Abuse Prevention’s (CDSS/OCAP) , Essentials for Childhood (EfC) Initiative , ACEs Connection , and the Yolo County Children’s Alliance co-created “Coping with Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic” in both English and Spanish. This material is intended for Californian families experiencing the severe economic consequences resulting from...

If doing homework with a child usually ends with quarrels and a bad mood, and if you subsequently have difficulties and inconveniences because of this, you should read this article and be ready to take action to make sure that you will avoid the same situation in the future. It is quite easy to start with the steps below first and observe how it evolves: 1. Find out the Reason If the child does not like doing homework in any way, he comes up with various excuses not to start studying, be...

“I’ve tried to give them permission to be upset because this is not a fun time,” shared Cynthia Soliz. These days, Cynthia Soliz, like many other parents, is not just mom to 11-year old Anthony and 6-year old Petra, she is also a full-time cook, teacher, camp counselor and psychologist to her kids. And her time is stretched thin. “We know that this is a time where families are extremely stressed, as are their children,” said Jessica Bartlett, Ph.D. Developmental Scientist, Jessica Bartlett,...

Think about any of dozens of tough moments during your day. The dog is barking, the baby needs a diaper change (again), it’s an hour past dinner time, and you’re really hungry. On most days, you’ve got this. You have the coping skills you need to take a breath, change a diaper, or make a sandwich without breaking down into tears or yelling at everyone in frustration. Babies don’t have these coping skills yet. Even though babies’ brains are growing very fast and they are learning a lot about...

By James McConchie, Greater Good Magazine, July 21, 2021 When most people think of college, they might imagine a bunch of single young adults living wild and free—and possibly going to class from time to time. But this is far from the reality. The average age of a college student is around 26 , and many students already have families of their own. While colleges typically focus on helping students prepare for a career, one university wants to make sure that students with children are...

John and Adam longed to follow the advice of their favorite parenting podcast and teach their 18-month-old daughter Avery to play independently. But when John left her in her playpen to go make dinner, or Adam sat on the couch doing work while Avery played at his feet, they relented to her protests within seconds. They felt torn between a wish to follow what they called “attachment parenting” where they responded to her every need, and to give her space. I began working with them when Avery...

Expert advice on how to gently offer help and compassion. Katie Bradeen of Colorado Springs, Colo., began to worry about her 20-year-old son, Ryan, when he came home for Christmas break of 2020. She said he had a “gray demeanor” and “he seemed to be in slow motion.” Though Mr. Bradeen was on campus for his sophomore year of college, the social distancing and virtual classes during the pandemic were challenging, especially for him as a theater major. The winter of 2021 “was even more...

If race is largely a social construct, then teaching children about it will only perpetuate racism — right? Wrong: Studies show precisely the opposite. Open conversations about race and racism can make white children less prejudiced and can increase the self-esteem of children of color. If states ban the teaching of critical race theory , as conservative lawmakers in many are attempting to do , or if schools don’t provide consistent education about racism and discrimination, it’s imperative...

I know the Echo parenting course is life-changing — not least because as a parent I've experienced the benefits myself— but we at Echo don’t always get to hear the individual stories of the families we serve. However, at the onset of the pandemic, we were making a lot of calls to help parents transition from in-person to online classes. As a result, I got to talk to two parents—Kenia and Lilian—who were so generous in their appreciation of the parenting course and so clear about how this...

By Nicole Lynn Lewis and Vinice Davis, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, July 13, 2021 When Ariel Ventura-Lazo’s son was born, he had a lot on his mind. Would he be a good father? Would he be able to support his young family as the bills piled up? He had tried community college while working full time shortly after graduating from high school, but he didn’t do well and figured college wasn’t for him. Now that he was a father, he realized his job as a cash vault teller wouldn’t pay the bills and...

By Olafimihan Oshin, The Hill, July 12, 2021 First lady Jill Biden is partnering with "Sesame Street" and t he United Services Automobile Association (USAA) to help military families discuss race with their children. In a joint statement, "Sesame Street" and the USAA shared their joint partnership by releasing a new collection of resources for military families on the discussion of race and diversity. These new resources will be a part of "Sesame Street’s" Coming Together initiative for...