Tagged With "Child Trends"
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2020 Child Health, Education, and Care Summit [apps.ccfc.ca.gov]
By First 5 of California, October 31, 2019 We invite you to join us for another outstanding Summit at the beautiful Hotel Irvine in Irvine, California, on February 3–5, 2020. The Summit theme, “Equity in Action: Elevating Children, Families, and California’s Workforce,” represents the natural evolution of this statewide event – from building partnerships, to promoting collective impact, to providing leadership around critical programs and investments designed to benefit young children and...
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A look at the prevalence of mental illness in California and the U.S. (ocregister.com)
Mental illness cases have risen in California, while treatment and funding have not kept up. Every Southern California county has experienced an upward trend in the rate at which children under 18 years are hospitalized for a mental health issue. “The mental health system has been plagued by gaps in services, access and funding,” says Dr.Clayton with St. Joseph Hoag Health. “People with severe mental health and substance abuse conditions struggle to receive needed care in their communities...
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Black People Disproportionately Homeless in California [calmatters.org]
By Kate Cimini, Cal Matters, October 5, 2019 Just a few years ago, Yolanda Harraway was living in a tent on the streets of Chinatown in Salinas, an agricultural hub struggling with a growing homeless community. Harraway’s slide into homelessness began when her son was taken from her custody by Child Protective Services. She struggled with addiction and had several felonies on her record, which cut her off from various state and government-funded housing options. She also had a hard time...
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Breakdown: California’s mental health system, explained (calmatters.org)
"Mental health advocates have long described California’s fragmented mental health system with words like “struggling” and “broken.” Evidence of its consequences can be found in our jails and prisons, our hospitals and clinics, our schools and colleges. The problem touches those living in comfortable middle class suburbs, remote rural towns, and on the streets of the state’s biggest cities." "Not only do a sixth of Californians experience some mental illness, but 1 out of every 24 have a...
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Access the California Department of Social Services, Office of Child Abuse Prevention’s Data Dashboard!
The California Department of Social Services, Office of Child Abuse Prevention (CDSS/OCAP), has developed a new County Prevention Data Dashboard to identify areas of strength and need pertaining to the prevention of child maltreatment across California. This tool presents relevant data in one location for primary and secondary prevention planning purposes and shares indicators of major risk and protective factors for child abuse and neglect, social determinants of health, and early stages of...
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As Homelessness Rises in Many Parts of California, Counties Search for Solutions [calhealthreport.org]
By Alyse DiNapoli, California Health Report, July 17, 2019. Many California’s counties reported having more homeless residents this year, according to the 2019 Point in Time surveys, which aim to count the number of people experiencing homelessness on a given night. The surveys are completed once every year or two years depending on the county. San Francisco and San Jose counties reported increases of 17 percent and 42 percent in the last two years, respectively. Los Angeles County...
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California Child Welfare Policy and Progress, Winter Issue [Insight]
The California Child Welfare Co-Investment Partnership Report This issue of in sights provides an overview of the latest legislative developments in California, including data and perspectives on the policy and practice transformation taking place with the Continuum of Care Reform (CCR). Beyond a comprehensive summary of child welfare state legislation, this issue also includes a discussion on the key provisions of the Family First Prevention Services Act. The issue concludes with...
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California issues update on state residents' ACE scores from 2011 & 2013 surveys
The latest adverse childhood experiences survey from the California Department of Public Health shows that 42% of the population has an ACE score of 3 or higher; 16% have an ACE score of 4 or higher. Those with an ACE score of 4 or higher are: 3x more likely to be current smokers 4x more likely to have a depressive disorder 2x more likely to have asthma 2x more likely to be obese 4x more likely to have COPD 3x more likely to have a stroke Here are a few other highlights from the six-page...
Calendar Event
Toward a Trauma-Informed Northern California, April 18th
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Updated Community Health Assessment now available [Humboldtgov.org]
The Community Health Assessment (CHA), a comprehensive overview of the health of the Humboldt County community, was presented at the Board of Supervisors meeting this afternoon. The Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) Public Health report looks at traditional public health measures of illness, mortality, nutrition and physical activity in the community. The CHA also includes data about income, housing status, community safety and access to care, as underlying...
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Updated scoring guide for the Whole Child Assessment
Calculating a Child-ACE score is not necessary for using the Whole Child Assessment to screen and counsel families. However, because we know some providers for different reasons may want to calculate a score, we have simplified and updated the scoring guide at the bottom of the WCA forms and provided scoring instructions. No changes to any questions were made. https://lluch.org/health-professionals/whole-child-assessment-wca
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WEBINAR: New data on state early care and education quality initiatives on 2/26
Wednesday, February 26 @ 12:00 - 1:00PM Join the BUILD Initiative and Child Trends to learn about updates to the Quality Compendium ( https://qualitycompendium.org/ ), including new data, features of the website, and how researchers are using the data. The Quality Compendium ( qualitycompendium.org ) is a catalog and comparison of quality initiatives including Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) to promote thoughtful design, analysis and ongoing improvement in early care and...
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WEBINAR: Preventing Child Neglect by Building Protective Factors on 2/14
Join Strengthening Families for a webinar on Thursday, February 14, 12-1pm. Explore ways that it is "Everyone's Responsibility" to help prevent child neglect and how building protective factors at all levels of the social ecology can be an effective strategy to prevent child neglect. The session will include segments from one of the training sequences from the National Alliance of Children's Trust and Prevention Funds' new four-part training, "Let's Talk About . . . Preventing Child...
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Sexually Transmitted Disease Rates Continue To Rise In California [Cap Radio]
Chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis are up in California over the past five years, including in places like San Francisco county, where people are contracting chlamydia at nearly twice the rate of the rest of California. Gonorrhea among women is up 47 percent, and there’s a concerning spike in the number of babies being born with congenital syphilis. Dr. Karen Smith, director of the California Department of Public Health, says the rise in homelessness statewide has led to more unprotected sex.
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State Dropping Ball in Dealing With Childhood Trauma, New Report Says [CaliforniaHealthline.org]
The lowest of 31 grades issued in the 2016 California Children's Report Card released on Wednesday was for dealing with the effects of childhood trauma. In Children Now's biennial assessment of the status of California kids, researchers gave the state a "D-" for how it deals with childhood trauma. The report contends that children who experience traumatic problems such as abuse, neglect and witnessing violence at home can suffer serious long-term consequences, including health...
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States Produce a Bumper Crop of ACEs bills in 2017—nearly 40 bills in 18 states
A scan done in March by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) through StateNet of bills introduced in 2017 that specifically include adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in the text produced a surprising volume of bills (close of 40) in a large number of states (18). A scan done a year ago produced less than a handful. NCSL is a bipartisan organization that serves both state legislators and their staffs. The shear volume of bills in so many states represents a promising...
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Revisiting California’s Continuum of Care Reform Initiative [chronicleofsocialchange.org]
By Jim Roberts, The Chronicle of Social Change, November 4, 2019 The goal of the Continuum of Care Reform (CCR) was to reduce group home placements by shifting foster youth to family-based services. There have been some modest accomplishments, but from my perspective, there is a long way to go to really achieve success. The reforms have had some positive outcomes. First, California has seen a reduction in group home placements by about one-third since 2011. Second, all private providers are...
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Telling a more complete story about child welfare
A new study from Berkeley Media Studies Group found that coverage of the child welfare system omits important context and connections to other issues. Here are four steps practitioners can take to improve the news.
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The 14th Annual Cynthia Lockhart-Mummery Conference: Building Violence-Free Schools and Communities
The 14th Annual Cynthia Lockhart-Mummery Conference hosted by Tulare County Child Abuse Prevention Council (CAPC) began with a 2 hour presentation by Alissa Parker, co-founder of Safe and Sound Schools and the mother of a young child lost during the Sandy Hook school mass shooting. The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting occurred on December 14, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut, United States, when 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot and killed 26 people, including 20 children between six and seven...
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The Brain Architects Podcast: COVID-19 Special Edition: Self-Care Isn't Selfish [developingchild.harvard.edu]
By Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University, April 29, 2020 In the midst of a global pandemic, pediatricians are serving a unique role. While the coronavirus is generally showing milder effects on babies and children than on adults, there are still health concerns and considerations for infants in need of scheduled vaccinations, and kids who are home all day with parents who may be facing stressful situations. In the second episode of our special COVID-19 series of The Brain...
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The California Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review [ CMQCC, CDPH, MCAH, PHI]
New reports, recently released: The California Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review (CA-PAMR) is a statewide, in-depth examination of deaths while pregnant or within one year after end of pregnancy, which aims to identify the cause and timing of death, factors that contributed to the death, and improvement opportunities in maternity care and support, with the ultimate goal to reduce preventable deaths and associated health disparities. CA-PAMR is a collaborative effort between the Maternal,...
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The Economics of Child Abuse: A Study of California
While the impact of maltreatment on a child and their family is devastating, child maltreatment also has serious effects far beyond those for the victim. Maltreatment results in ongoing costs to taxpayers, institutions, businesses, and society at large. Local communities bear the brunt of these costs in the form of medical, educational, and judicial costs, though more tragic signs are seen in homelessness, addiction, and teen pregnancy. To create a concrete understanding of the widespread...
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The New Child Maltreatment Report Is Now Available
The Child Maltreatment Report 2018 is the most recent collection of child maltreatment data from across the country. Since 1991, this important resource breaks down the data at the national and state levels and shows trends in data. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ cb/resource/child- maltreatment-2018 Here are the key findings from the 2018 report: The national rounded number of children who received a child protective services investigation response or alternative response increased 8.4 percent,...
Calendar Event
Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect (PCAN) [Webinar]
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Thinking About Racial Disparities in COVID-19 Impacts Through a Science-Informed, Early Childhood Lens [developingchild.harvard.edu]
By Jack P. Shonkoff and David R. Williams, Center on the Developing Child, April 27, 2020 The COVID-19 virus is ruthlessly contagious and, at the same time, highly selective. Its capacity to infect is universal, but the consequences of becoming infected are not. While there are exceptions, children are less likely to show symptoms, older adults and those with pre-existing medical conditions are the most susceptible, and communities of color in the United States are experiencing dramatically...
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Two Community Colleges Show How Students Can Succeed Without Remedial Math Courses [edsource.org]
By Ashley A. Smith, EdSource, November 15, 2019 A San Diego area community college that moved early to eliminate remedial math courses is drawing lots of attention across the state for success in teaching math. Not only are students at Cuyamaca Community College taking math classes that can transfer to four-year colleges, but Latino students are bucking a national trend by outperforming their white counterparts. Cuyamaca, along with College of the Siskiyous in Northern California, were two...
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Two New Grant Opportunities for Youth Development and Diversion Services
In 2019, more than $40 million will become available to fund community-based, culturally rooted, trauma-informed services for youth in California as alternatives to arrest and incarceration. Thousands of California youth are arrested every year for low-level offenses. Youth who are arrested or incarcerated for low-level offenses are less likely to graduate high school, more likely to suffer negative health-outcomes, and more likely to have later contact with the justice system.
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Disaster Days: How Megafires, Guns and Other 21st Century Crises are Disrupting CA Schools [capradio.org]
By Ricardo Cano, CalMatters, September 17, 2019 Each year, millions of Californians send their children to public K-12 classrooms, assuming that, from around Labor Day to early summer, there will be one given: A school day on a district’s calendar will mean a day of instruction in school. But that fixed point is changing, according to a CalMatters analysis of public school closures. From massive wildfires to mass shooting threats to dilapidated classrooms, the 21st century is disrupting...
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Drug Abuse, Trafficking and Addiction in California’s Central Valley
California’s Central Valley stretches from Bakersfield in the south to Redding in the north. The Valley encompasses a great deal of the state’s interior, and includes major cities including Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto, Visalia and Bakersfield. Though it is not as densely populated as the major cities of California, the valley’s substance abuse and addiction rates are well above those in the metropolitan areas. Drugs are Abundant in California’s Central Valley Though much of Central Valley...
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Emergency Child Care for Foster Families [saccounty.net]
By Sacramento County, SacCounty News, January 9, 2020 To recruit more loving families for children in foster care, Sacramento County is making it easier to find and afford childcare services for resource families. The Emergency Child Care Bridge Program’s goal is to increase the number of resource families for children in foster care by helping families find the right child care provider, connecting families to long-term child care subsidies, and by providing vouchers to pay for childcare...
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FUTURES on the Frontlines for Survivors, Families - and You [futureswithoutviolence.org]
From FUTURES Without Violence, April 2020 The FUTURES policy team in Washington D.C. helped secure direct support for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and for children who experience trauma and abuse, and for the nonprofit advocates who support them, including: $45 million in Family Violence Prevention and Services grants that prevent and respond to family and domestic violence, and $2 million for the National Domestic Violence Hotline $45 million in Child Welfare Services, for...
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Kids in crisis: One-third of California 11th-graders surveyed say they are chronically sad [MercuryNews.com]
In a potential crisis crossing demographic lines, one-third of California's 11th-graders and one-quarter of seventh-graders reported feeling chronically sad or hopeless over the past 12 months, a survey released Monday showed. The California Healthy Kids Survey also found that about 19 percent of both ninth-graders and 11th-graders seriously considered attempting suicide. When it comes to depression and anxiety among high school students, the trend "is not moving in the right direction,"...
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Launching a Revolution [hsph.harvard.edu]
By Madeline Drexler, Harvard Public Health, Winter 2020 In 2007, pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris, MPH ’02, set out on an idealistic mission: to deliver quality medical care to one of San Francisco’s poorest and most underserved neighborhoods—Bayview-Hunters Point, in the isolated southeastern corner of the city. Before Burke Harris arrived on the scene, only one pediatrician was serving the neighborhood’s 10,000 children. The community’s plight was starkly apparent in its ZIP code. In 17 of...
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Luchando Contra el Virus: Trinka, Juan, y Pueblito Trabajan Juntos
The English version launched on April 19, 2020, under the title Fighting the Big Virus: Trinka, Sam, and Littletown Work Together. It is a free resource developed in collaboration with the National Child Traumatic Stress Network and Piplo Productions . The Spanish version is now available. Please help us to help the story reach families who may benefit from it. Este cuento fue creado para ayudar a los niños pequeños y a sus familias a hablar acerca de sus experiencias y sentimientos...
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Months After Promising an Audit, L.A. Police Fail to Explain Why 4,000 Child Abuse Reports Weren't Investigated [chronicleofsocialchange.org]
By Sara Tiano, The Chronicle of Social Change, January 10, 2020 Nearly three months after the Los Angeles Police Department vowed to find out why the department had not investigated 4,000 reported cases of child abuse, an in-depth audit of the cases is still not ready to deliver to county child welfare officials. The department has canceled a scheduled presentation of the audit’s findings Monday, Jan. 13, before the Los Angeles County Commission for Children and Families citing the need to...
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National Child Abuse Prevention Month website
The National Child Abuse Prevention Month (NCAPM) website is now live! Check it out and get started planning your April activities. https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/preventing/preventionmonth/
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New Coalition Created to End Child Poverty in San Diego County [kpbs.org]
By Maya Trabulsi, KPBS, February 5, 2020 KPBS Evening Edition anchor Maya Trabulsi talked with Erin Hogeboom, the director of San Diego For Every Child, about a new initiative launched to end child poverty in San Diego County. Q: Research is showing that San Diego families are struggling and, more specifically, the basic needs of some children are not being met. Can you talk to us about what the current state of child poverty is here in San Diego County? A: Yes. So, in San Diego County, 40%...
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New Study Shows Communities Can Reduce the Effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences [Mathematic Policy Research]
[ Ed. note: Following is a media release published yesterday by Mathematica Policy Research. This follows on the heals of the report, "Self-Healing Communities" that Laura Porter, Dr. Robert Anda and WHO wrote for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Both reports and executive summaries are attached to this blog post. Both reports are significant, because they show that community ACEs initiatives -- with "modest investments and limited staff" -- are solving some of our most intractable...
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New Youth Council to Advise LA County Officials on Child Welfare, Juvenile Justice, and Other Matters Affecting LA's Kids [witnessla.com]
By Taylor Walker, WitnessLA, February 5,2020 On Tuesday, Feb. 4, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a plan to launch a Youth Commission to advise the board and county departments on matters of policy, budget, programs, and other issues that affect the county’s youth and their families. With this commission, the county has the opportunity to create a “trailblazing model” for jurisdictions across the nation, Supervisors Janice Hahn and Sheila Kuehl wrote in their motion. “In...
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OCAP Buzz: Child Abuse Prevention Month Materials
The California Department of Social Services, Office of Child Abuse Prevention (OCAP) just released their newsletter with information about the upcoming Child Abuse Prevention month in April 2017. Please check out the attached PDF for more information on materials to help #unite4kids to prevent child abuse and neglect for all California children and families.
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OCAP has a new strategic plan! [cdss.ca.gov]
From Office of Child Abuse Prevention, California Department of Social Services, May 12, 2020 The OCAP Strategic Plan The OCAP would like to announce the release of our 2020 – 2025 Strategic Plan. This plan details the OCAP’s goals and objectives for the next five years. The vision for this plan is for public systems, private citizens, business and communities to work together in unity to improve programs and services throughout the state to strengthen children and families. The OCAP will...
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Oppose the Citizenship Question!
Plans for the 2020 United States Census are already underway to count every person in the country, as defined by the Constitution. Ensuring an accurate count of all persons in the United States is not only essential to the basic principles of a representative government but also to make certain that federal funding is allocated fairly and efficiently for programs such as special education, Child Care and Development Block Grant, Head Start, and Early Start. California has a lot at stake in...
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Overdoses in California prisons up 113% in three years — nearly 1,000 incidents in 2018 (sfchronicle.com)
Nearly 1,000 men and women in California prisons overdosed last year and required emergency medical attention in what officials acknowledge is part of an alarming spike in opioid use by those behind bars, according to records obtained by The Chronicle. The number of inmates treated for drug or alcohol overdoses jumped from 469 to 997 from 2015 to 2018 — a 113% increase. While many of the prisoners survived, the most recent data available show drug-related inmate deaths are on the rise, too —...
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PODCAST: Child Trends expert discusses ACEs screenings on Southern California’s NPR affiliate
Child Trends expert Jessica Dym Bartlett appeared as a guest on KPCC’s Air Talk with Larry Mantle to discuss the challenges for California’s plan to screen children for adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) during routine pediatric visits. Screening for ACEs without an understanding of a child’s full range of traumatic experiences—and without providing families with adequate access to providers trained to care for children who have experienced trauma—risks doing more harm than good. To...
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REGISTER NOW AND SAVE! 2020 Child Health, Education, and Care Summit, February 3, 4, 5, 2020 [apps.ccfc.ca.gov]
2020 Child Health, Education, and Care Summit Hotel Irvine Irvine February 03, 2020 - February 05, 2020 Room Block Sold Out We invite you to join us for another outstanding Summit at the beautiful Hotel Irvine in Irvine, California, on February 3–5, 2020. The Summit theme, “Equity in Action: Elevating Children, Families, and California’s Workforce,” represents the natural evolution of this statewide event – from building partnerships, to promoting collective impact, to providing leadership...
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Registration is OPEN for the Strategies2.0 November 8, 2018 Sierra Region Learning Community! Learn How the Trauma Informed Systems Approach Can Promote Resilient Families, Agencies and Communities
Second in the Building Resiliency Series: Build Resilient Communities by Fostering Trust and Finding Champions. Explore how innovative Child Abuse Prevention Month activities can promote resilience. Learn self-care strategies to stay motivated! Thursday, November 8, 2018, 9:30 am to 12:30 pm Locations: Amador Child Abuse Prevention Council in Jackson, on-line and remote sites in Loyalton, Markleeville, and South Lake Tahoe Network in the Sierra Nevada Region to learn about innovative Child...
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Child Care Providers in California Learn How to Help Children who have Experienced Trauma [edsource.org]
By Zaidee Stavely, EdSource, October 3, 2019 It only takes one healthy relationship with a caring adult to help a child heal from trauma. That’s one of the main messages in a series of classes given to child care providers across California that help them work with children who have experienced abuse, violence, family separation or other trauma. The classes are part of a state program called the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program for Foster Children, which California began in 2018 to help...
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Children to be Screened for Toxic Stress, Trauma Under new State Initiative [bakersfield.com]
By Stacey Shepard, Bakersfield.com, January 11, 2020 Children in Kern County and throughout California may be screened for childhood trauma and toxic stress during routine pediatrician visits starting this year. The screenings are part of a new state initiative to identify adverse childhood experiences, known as ACEs, which a growing body of research shows can significantly increase the risk of poor health outcomes later in life, ranging from suicide, alcohol addiction, depression and drug...
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Counting on Community Symposium 2019 Highlights
We are excited that this year the Children’s Mental Health Summit partnered with First 5 Humboldt’s ACEs/Resilience Project, the 0 to 8 Mental Health Collaborative and the Child Abuse Prevention Coordinating Council to bring such an amazing opportunity to our community. The collaboration involved in planning this event demonstrates the richness of partnerships present in Humboldt County. Our collective goal was to provide knowledge, strategies and networking opportunities to practitioners,...