Things that Matter: October 2013

On Saturday, October 19^th at Tim’s Toyota Center in Prescott Valley, the Yavapai Child Care Coalition held “Sowing the Seeds of Tomorrow,” a conference that drew over 160 child care professionals from across the county and surrounding areas. The Yavapai Child Care Coalition, a grassroots organization that brings child care providers together for support, camaraderie, and direct access to resources, has organized annual conferences -sponsored by First Things First- since 2009.

“With the tools and education provided at these conferences, child care providers are given opportunities to learn and share their ideas,” said Kate Delafield, Yavapai Child Care Coalition member.

“These conferences give me the opportunity to stay fresh and on top of new things,” said Jill Wagner, child care provider at Sacred Heart Preschool in Prescott. “Here, child care providers are able to ‘steal’ ideas from each other. It’s great to be around others in our field, and learn new skills and activities we can use to help prepare children for kindergarten.” This is the third Yavapai Child Care Coalition that Wagner has attended with her colleagues.

Dana Naimark of Children’s Action Alliance

Dana Naimark, President and CEO of Children’s Action Alliance, gave the conference’s keynote address, in which she spoke about the current state of the early childhood field in Arizona and thanked child care providers for their hard work. “About half of young children in Yavapai County have all parents working. Quality child care and early education is in tremendous demand,” Naimark said to the conference participants. “You are shaping the future and changing children’s lives.”

Naimark said that in Arizona, less than a third of 4-year-olds are enrolled in preschool- the second lowest rate of preschool enrollment in the country. Naimark spoke about the different initiatives in Arizona that are working to improve early learning and health for young children ages birth to five years, including BUILD Arizona and First Things First.

Research shows that children who attend quality child care or preschool have better math, language, social skills, and are more successful when they enter school. Naimark urged conference participants to spread the word about the importance of early childhood education and health to the future of Arizona. “Investment in early childhood will help us achieve the goals Arizona has set, including prosperity for the whole state, lowering the number of children in foster care, increasing 3^rd grade reading scores and building a strong economy,” said Naimark.

Participants share a delicious meal prepared by Chef Jim Cabral at the

Yavapai Child Care Coalition Conference.

The Yavapai Child Care Coalition looks forward to organizing future conferences, bringing together local child care professionals to learn new skills and share ideas so that they may help the young children in their care build a strong foundation for success.

The Yavapai Child Care Coalition Conferences are supported in part by First Things First. For more information about First Things First, please visit ReadyAZKids.com.

Raring to Read at Prescott YMCA Preschool

Prescott YMCA Participates in Raising a Reader

In Arizona, over a quarter of fourth graders are not reading proficiently. The best way to reverse this trend is to make sure children are read to- every day- before they enter kindergarten. Reading aloud to young children has many noted benefits, including strengthening vocabulary, building pre-literacy skills, and improving focus. It is also an excellent parent-child bonding activity.

“No single activity has proven to be as important to a child’s school success as reading aloud to a child,” said Carolyn Shelley, Coordinator of Raising a Reader in Yavapai County, a program partners with child care centers, homes and other early childhood organizations to encourage more reading at home.

In Yavapai County, Raising a Reader is a program of Yavapai College that is funded by First Things First. Through the program, children bring home a red bag filled with books each week to read with their family, and exchange the bag for a new one the following week. After doing this for sixteen weeks, teachers, parents and children end the program with a celebration.

Since starting in Yavapai County in July 2011, Raising a Reader has worked with 34 early learning programs and put over 50,000 books in the hands of young children.

The Prescott YMCA Preschool participated in Raising a Reader last year. “Before we participated in the program, I was surprised and shocked to find out how little parents were reading to their children at home,” said Sara Komadina, YMCA Preschool Director. Some parents didn’t think they were good readers. Others didn’t think they had the time. One parent who suffered from dyslexia didn’t think that she could be able to always read each word accurately. Komadina assured her that it wasn’t about just about the exact words in a book. Reading with a child was also about using imagination, doing something together, asking questions about the story, and helping the child to think critically. To support and encourage more parents to read to their children every day, Komadina enrolled the preschool in Raising a Reader.

Komadina said that it was easy to get the parents on board with the program. “They were excited to participate,” Komadina said. When she organized a family literacy night, Komadina was happily surprised when many more families came than she had planned for. Soon, she began hearing that parents were reading to their children every night and beginning to take their children to the public library more often. “It was transformative for both parents and children,” Komadina said.

The children at the YMCA preschool were disappointed when the program ended and they had to give back the red book bags they coveted, but their participation in Raising a Reader continue to have lasting benefits. By promoting daily reading at home during the preschool years, Raising a Reader is helping make sure the young kids of the Prescott YMCA preschool are building the skills they need to read and succeed in the future.

In Yavapai County, Raising a Reader is implemented by Yavapai College and funded by First Things First. To get tips and tools to help parents and caregivers read aloud to children, please visit ReadyAZKids.com.

Fire Safety Taught Early

The earlier fire safety skills are taught to a child, the better. To help make sure every member of the family is prepared for a fire emergency – including toddlers and preschoolers- parents and caregivers should talk to their young children about fire safety and practice basic skills at home.

“The most important thing that parents can teach their children is to know two ways out of the house, and to practice these two ways,” said Len DeJoria, Fire Inspector and Coordinator of Public Education at the Prescott Fire Department. “Families should also have a designated outdoor place to meet if an emergency were to happen, and practice going to it.”

The Prescott Fire Department staff and firefighters regularly visit school and preschool classrooms to teach children about fire safety. “During our presentations, we strive to make an impact on kids so that if they’re in an emergency situation, they’ll remember what to do,” said DeJoria. “Hopefully, they will remember the skills we teach them all their lives.”

In a fire emergency, it is important for children to run towards, not away from, firefighters. “With the bulky suit and the Darth Vader-like voice, young children can be scared of firefighters and hide from them,” said DeJoria. During their presentation, the Fire Department allows the children to see and meet a firefighter in full gear.

The Del E. Webb Family Enrichment Center, a child care center and preschool in Prescott for children ages five and under, has invited firefighters to visit their classrooms. Tammy Lee, Master Teacher at the center, said that showing a firefighter in full gear is especially helpful for her preschoolers. “[The firefighter] introduced all the different pieces of clothing he has to wear and the reasons they protect him. He proceeded to put on the articles of clothing and explained to the children to not be afraid if they ever seen someone in this uniform- that they are there to help us when there is a fire,” said Lee.

Some of the other skills the Fire Department teaches, which parents and caregivers are encouraged to practice with their kids, include:

· Stop, drop and roll

· Crawl low under smoke

· Testing smoke detectors (letting children hear the smoke detector sound and making sure they know that it is a signal to leave the house)

For more tips and skills, Fire Inspector DeJoria also recommends that parents of young children visit the U.S. Fire Department Administration website, which includes a pre-K fire safety curriculum designed by Sesame Street. For educators that are interested in bringing in the Fire Department to offer a training to children, the Prescott Fire Department public education division can be reached at (928)-777-1765.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Knowing Where to Start

Teen Outreach Pregnancy Services Partners with Pregnant and Parenting Teens

Pregnant at age 17, Kaiti Robertson didn’t know what to do. What she did know was that she had no idea how to be a parent, and she didn’t have the finances to support a child. The baby’s dad was out of the picture, and Kaiti had yet to finish high school. “When it came to raising a child, I didn’t know where to start,” said Kaiti.

Kaiti and her son, Raedyn

When a friend told her about Teen Outreach Pregnancy Services (TOPS), a free program for pregnant and parenting teens, Kaiti eagerly enrolled. Through TOPS, she would be able to attend support groups with her peers, attend teen-specific parenting education classes, receive home visits from a nurse, and get her many questions answered. She would have access to the support she needed every step of the way.

During her pregnancy, Kaiti was especially grateful for the help she received from her TOPS nurse, Jasmine. “I didn’t know anything about pregnancy,” said Kaiti. “Everything I experienced, I thought there was something wrong.” One day, during her third trimester, Kaiti began feeling strange spasms in her abdominal area. She panicked. “I was prepared to go to the hospital,” said Kaiti. But first, she called Jasmine.

Jasmine assured her that nothing was wrong. Her baby merely had the hiccups. “Jasmine helped me realize what I was experiencing was normal,” said Kaiti.

Now, Kaiti is the proud mother of a healthy 6-week old boy, Raedyn. Together, they live at home with her parents. “I didn’t think I could raise a baby on my own, but at TOPS, I know I have the support I need.” said Kaiti. “I met people in my same situation. TOPS helped me feel more confident.”

Kaiti said that the parenting classes she has attended have been particularly helpful. “I don’t think there was anything that I knew about parenting before these classes,” said Kaiti. “We learn about everything, from the importance of bonding to eating healthy.” Like many of the other girls at TOPS, Kaiti had been terrified of giving birth. The support groups and classes helped with that, too. Together, the girls watched labor videos and laughed as they learned birthing breathing techniques.

By attending the parenting education classes offered at TOPS, teens earn “TOPS dollars,” which they can redeem for baby items and necessities at Jensen’s Corner, a small “shop” located at the TOPS office. With her TOPS dollars, Kaiti was able to purchase a crib for Raedyn.

TOPS also helps teens plan for the future, and teens can stay in the program until their baby turns 2. This fall, Kaiti is working on completing her GED, and will then begin a job hunt. “Everyone here at TOPS is supportive, helping you make the best decisions for you and your baby,” said Kaiti. With the help of TOPS, Kaiti is looking forward to her future of motherhood and watching Raedyn grow and learn.

In Yavapai County, Teen Outreach Pregnancy Services (TOPS) is funded by First Things First. For more information about TOPS or to enroll a teen, please visit teenoutreachaz.org.