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February 2014 
Save the Date - Pinwheels in the Park 2014

Pinwheels in the Park logo  

Prevent Child Abuse Florida is announcing the first ever "Pinwheels in the Park" event on Saturday, April 5, 2014 from 9 till noon in Tallahassee, Florida at the E. Peck Greene Park.  The event will highlight opportunities on how to promote healthy child development for all children, share information about available resources and services and offer a fun morning for the entire family with entertainment and face-painting. The event is free and open to the public so be sure to mark your calendars!  

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month

Webinar dates  Pinwheels for Prevention logo

PCA Florida is providing two webinars on how to successfully implement your Pinwheels for Prevention Campaign locally, titled "Pinwheels for Prevention Messaging Standards".  The dates are Thursday, February 27, 2014 or Tuesday, March 11, 2014 from 2 p.m. - 3: 30 p.m.  If you are interested signing up for one of these webinars, please e-mail Kimberly Fahmie at kfahmie@ounce.org and provide her with the date you prefer.  Additional information about the webinar will be send to each individual via e-mail.

 

Event Submission

Those of you planning your Pinwheels for Prevention 2014 events, please remember to submit your event details to us online by visiting the following link: http://www.ounce.org/capevents.html This will allow us to promote your event on our searchable website as well as on our Facebook page amongst all other events organized to bring awareness to the prevention of child abuse and neglect in the state of Florida during 2014.  We accept events throughout the year so be sure to let us know what you do regardless of the month of the year.

 

Pinwheel Orders

Most of you already ordered your pinwheels for your 2014 events; however, if you need additional pinwheels or you have forgotten to let us know your need, please e-mail Kimberly Fahmie at kfahmie@ounce.org as soon as possible. 

 

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Circle of Parents
Circle of Parents logo   
To schedule an initial or refresher facilitator training contact Jean Gibson at jgibson@ounce.org or 
850-921-4494, ext. 202 
Children's Week 2014
Children's Week Logo 
Join us for Children's Week at the Florida Capitol April 6-11, 2014.  For detailed information on events/activities, keynote speakers and partners please visit their website:
http://www.childrensweek.org/
Save the Date - The National Conference for America's Children 

May 18 -May 21, 2014 in Jacksonville, Florida

National Conference for America's Children logo You are not going to want to miss this! The 2014 National Conference for America's Children, presented by Prevent Child Abuse America and Healthy Families America, is sure to be educational, energizing and exciting! This conference guarantees a great experience for anyone who works with children, families and non-profits! The conference is featuring Dr. Bruce D. Perry, M.D. Ph. D, Robin Karr-Morse, Emily Balance and many more! Be sure to check out PCA America's website at www.preventchildabuse.org to keep up to date on the latest conference information and keep an eye out for the early bird specials. 
February is Parent Leadership Month

  mother-daughter-kiss 

PCA Florida provided the Train the Trainer Parent Leadership Ambassador Training to partners of the Big Bend PACT on February 4-5, 2014 in Tallahassee, Florida.  Big Bend PACT stands for "Parents, Providers and Community Partners Advocating for Children Together".   The group has Memorandum of Understandings with more than 20 partners and their goal is to strengthen families and communities in the Big Bend area by implementing meaningful parent engagement activities.

 

Prevent Child Abuse Florida provided a "Protective Factors 101"  webinar on February 18, 2014  to staff members of the Office of Early Learning and members of the Local Planning Teams.
The presentation focused on the protective factors, program strategies for the factors and family centered practice that can't be achieved without meaningful family engagement.

 

Click here to view the Recipe for Growth table, adapted by the FRIENDS Parent Advisory Council from the 2010 Circle of Parents® National Parent Leadership Month celebration, an Initiative of Parents Anonymous®.
Florida Directory of Early Childhood Services

The Florida Directory of Early Childhood Services (Florida's Central Directory) provides statewide information and referral services for families of children who have disabilities and special health care needs or who are at risk for developmental delays. The Central Directory operates a national toll-free number 1-800-654-4440, maintains a statewide database, advocacy, public awareness and education. To learn more about their services, please visit their website: http://www.centraldirectory.org/index.cfm

Babies on the Omnibus
On January 17, President Obama signed the fiscal year 2014 Omnibus Appropriations bill into law. The bill provides an important signal by prioritizing the early development and learning of young children during a time of tight budgets. Check out the ZERO TO THREE Policy Center's analysis of the spending bill from the perspective of supporting all aspects needed for positive, healthy development of infants and toddlers:good health,strong families, and positive early learning experiences. Read:
Spotlight on Paid Family Leave
dad_baby February 5th marks the 21st anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). While the FMLA has allowed U.S. workers to take time off from their jobs to tend to the needs of their families, it doesn't guarantee that time off be paid. New legislation could change that. The Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act (the FAMILY Act), which was introduced before Congress in December 2013, would create a national paid family and medical leave policy.   
Want to learn more about the FAMILY Act and how you can support the effort? 
  • Read the Child Development Case for a National Paid Family & Medical Leave Insurance Program fact sheet here.
  • Check the ZERO TO THREE Baby Policy Blog on February 5th for our post on paid family leave.
Publications and Resources

Early Education in America Since the Great Recession young-girl-studying New America Foundation released a new paper entitled Subprime Learning: Early Education in America Since the Great Recession. Using the start of the Great Recession in 2009 as a baseline, the report examines indicators across the birth-through-eight age span as they relate to student achievement, family well-being, and funding. It also provides assessments of policies for improving teaching and learning and the creation of more cohesive systems. 

 

Early Childhood Highlighted in Report on Building a Healthier America  Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commission to Build a Healthier America recently released a new report. One of the top recommendations highlighted in the report is to improve and invest in high quality early childhood programs. Additionally, a number of other recommendations are included to advance a healthier America focusing on non-medical approaches and family support. Read the full report here.

  

New Series to Ensure Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) Support the Developmental Needs of Infants and Toddlers

ZERO TO THREE's Policy Center released the first two documents of a new series, Supporting Babies Through QRIS.  These documents aim to ensure that Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) are supporting the unique developmental needs of infants and toddlers. They present a national review of existing QRIS and illustrate examples of QRIS standards and supports that promote young children's development and learning.    

The Supporting Babies Through QRIS series includes: 

A Self-Assessment tool will be released in spring 2014 for states and jurisdictions to identify the strengths, opportunities, and gaps in QRIS for programs serving infants and toddlers. 

This series also serves as a "living document" because QRIS differ in terms of level of completion, and many are undergoing continuous revisions as a result of pre- or post-implementation evaluation efforts.

Access the Series Here>>