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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...

By Heather C. Forkey and James H. Duffee, American Academy of Pediatrics, July 26, 2021 The COVID-19 pandemic and our nation’s racial reckoning have given new visibility to trauma and its impact on children. Even before the pandemic, it was understood that the most fundamental threats to health have their roots in adversities experienced by children without sufficient buffering of a caregiver. Behavior, development, relationships and physical health can be affected for a lifetime due to the...

I realize this is a significant change in the way we “serve” children and families currently. However, there is a concern that by “finding something wrong” with a child we are doing more harm than good. We are “evaluating children ” instead of “understanding them” and we are “diagnosing” instead of accepting them for who they are at the moment and meeting them in the “zone of proximal development”.

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...

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...

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...

I am excited to announce a special edition, free pop-up workshop for July! Register for Affirmation Hour by clicking here . Everyone will find something for them during Affirmation Hour - show up as you are, and bring your children if you'd like! Please invite other folks to join us for this meaningful time together. July 22nd at 11am PT/2pm ET. Visit Rise to Resilience for more information and events. Image description: a gray background with bright blue text that reads POP UP WORKSHOP...

A Child's Early Experiences & Brain Development As a primary care provider, promoting strong parent-child relationships and positive parenting behaviors is critical to your role. Research tells us that a child's early experiences, and the environment in which they are raised, dramatically affect how the brain, and thus the child, develops. See the following clip to learn more about early brain development from expert Dan Siegel, MD: From the Keystones of Development Secure Attachment...

I am a member of Done for DiDi: White Labor Collective - an international direct giving collective instructed by Black women and non-men organizers and executed by a network of white labor. We are redistributing white wealth - money, land, time, skills, and resources - to Black women and non-men. I’m sharing with your group the opportunity to participate and amplify an incredible campaign called 40 Acres and a School. The project is led by DiDi Delgado and Black Marginalized Genders (MaGes).

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN, June 28, 2021 Physical punishment does not appear to improve a child's positive behavior or social competence over time, according to a review of 69 studies from the US, Canada, China, Colombia, Greece, Japan, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom. The review, published Monday in the journal Lancet , found physical punishment such as spanking is "harmful to children's development and well-being," said senior author Elizabeth Gershoff, a professor in human...

Do your child’s public tantrums leave you hesitant to go to the grocery store? You’ve probably noticed by now that the words “calm down” do little to relax an overwrought toddler. If you want a less stressful parenting experience, teaching your children to identify and manage their feelings is vital. Here are eight smart ways to teach your children emotional regulation and help them succeed in life. 1. Work It Out People often talk about the fight-or-flight response to stress, but in...

Child Tax Credit Expansion is a Win for Babies' Early Development • ZERO TO THREE The first three years of a child’s life are a time of extraordinary, brain development, yet too many infants and toddlers spend these early years without the family income needed to make ends meet, many in outright poverty. This conference is a wonderful resource. www.zerotothree.org