Things that Matter: January 2014

On Thursday, January 23^rd, a truck carrying hundreds of boxes the new 2014 ‘Big and Little Kids Books’ rolled in to Prescott. The Big and Little Kids Book, a free countywide resource guide for families in Yavapai County, is created and funded through a partnership between the Yavapai County Community Foundation (YCCF) and First Things First.

Paul ‘Bulldog’ Hines and Jake of the Prescott Valley Canine Unit

pose with a copy of the 2014 Big and Little Kids Book

Luckily for Tracey McConnell of YCCF and Cindy Pemberton of First Things First, who coordinate the distribution of the books, the Prescott Valley Canine Unit, Prescott Police Department, and Cottonwood Police Department lent a hand (or, in some cases, a paw) to help unload the 15,000 books into the storage unit they would be kept it before being distributed. “We jump at the opportunity to lend a hand to YCCF. It’s our way to give back a little to those who give so much. The relationship we have is truly unique,” said Sergeant Jeff Hemphill of the Prescott Police Department.

This is the fifth year that YCCF and First Things First have partnered in the creation of the Big and Little Kids Book, which has become an important resource to communities across the county. “It’s been a tremendously well-received resource guide,” said Cindy Pemberton of First Things First. “Families need to know about the variety of programs and services available for children across Yavapai County. It’s also a great guide for local businesses and service agencies.”

The books are now being delivered to 240 locations across the county, including schools, public libraries, social service organizations and medical facilities. Families are welcomed to pick up a copy at any of these locations. The book is also available online at yavapaikidsbook.org

Top-Notch Child Care in Prescott

The Del E. Webb Family Enrichment Center Gives Children a Solid Foundation for Success

Like any dedicated parent, Monique Norwood is determined to provide the best for her 20-month-old daughter, Charlotte. Norwood, who currently works full-time as a hairdresser, is also putting herself through the nursing program at Yavapai College. As a single mother, balancing all this can be tough. “My life revolves around my daughter,” said Norwood. “I want to better myself so that I can give her the best.”

Five months ago, Norwood looked into child care options for Charlotte during the times she worked and attended class. She had heard great things about the Del E. Webb Family Enrichment Center (FEC), a child care center conveniently located on the Yavapai College campus, but she also knew there was a long waiting list. So she dropped by to put in an application.

Charlotte , pictured at the Del E. Webb Family Enrichment Center

Lucky for her, that day, there just happened to be an opening for Charlotte. Furthermore, Vickey LaMotte, the director of FEC, also told Norwood that she qualified for an available child care scholarship from First Things First, which would pay for a large portion of Charlotte’s tuition. Norwood was ecstatic.

“I understand the critical importance of the early years, and I’m grateful that Charlotte has the opportunity to attend the FEC” said Norwood. “I’ve seen the difference between children who attend quality preschool and those that don’t. Kids that go to preschool have better social skills and problem solving skills.”

Norwood is especially grateful for the scholarship Charlotte was awarded. “It’s made my life less stressful,” she said. “This way, I don’t have to borrow money to pay for Charlotte’s care while I work and study.”

Norwood is constantly impressed by the quality education Charlotte is receiving at the FEC. She also appreciates the low child-to-teacher ratios, which ensure that her daughter gets the attention she needs to thrive. “This isn’t a day care- it’s a school,” said Norwood. “The teachers are highly knowledgeable and communicative with parents. All children learn differently, and the teachers know how to teach children based on their individual strengths.” Each day, the teachers send Charlotte home with an overview of what she did and learned that day. “When Charlotte learns something new, the teachers are as excited as I am!” said Norwood.

Charlotte has learned a great deal at the FEC, and Norwood knows that the foundation she is building now will help her succeed for the rest of her life. “This is giving her a head start,” said Norwood. “By the time she reaches kindergarten, she’ll know what to expect, how to listen, and how to be a student. I believe she’ll be ready for anything that comes her way.”

The Del E. Webb Family Enrichment Center (FEC) is a high-quality early learning program located on the Yavapai College campus in Prescott. It is also enrolled in Quality First, a First Things First quality improvement program for child care centers and preschools. To learn more about the FEC, please visit www.yc.edu/FEC

Verde Valley Families Learn about Early Oral Health

Did you know more school hours are missed from cavities than from any other health condition in kids? Left untreated, the pain and infection caused by tooth decay can lead to problems in eating, speaking, and learning. Poor oral health has been related to decreased school performance, poor social relationships, and less success later in life. The earlier children learn good oral health habits, the better.

That’s why Verde Valley Healthy Families (VVHF), a free Verde Valley-based home visiting program for families with young children ages birth to five, has a mission to educate parents and kids about the importance of early oral health. The program, which is housed in the Verde Valley Medical Center and funded through First Things First, offers families home visits from a family support specialist every two weeks. This family support specialist partners with parents by providing individualized parenting education, assessing the development of their child, and suggesting fun child-centered learning activities. The program also holds playgroups for families to come together, learn and socialize.

On Tuesday, January 21^st at the Verde Valley Medical Center, VVHF partnered with Parents as Teachers, a countywide free home visiting program for families with young kids, to hold an oral-health focused playgroup specifically for their Spanish-speaking families.

“We know the importance of good early oral health care,” said Susan Lacher, Director of Verde Valley Healthy Families. “Oral health concerns need to be caught as early as possible so that they don’t get worse. Parents don’t want their children to be in pain, and they don’t want the dental bills associated with problems that are caught too late.”

With the help of a generous grant from Delta Dental, each child at the playgroup received a free oral health kit. “With this generous grant, we’ve been able to integrate oral health information and materials into our family playgroups,” said Lacher.

Children practice their tooth-brushing skills on a huge

set of teeth held by family support specialist Laura Dimmick.

Dr. Mitzi Wasden of Cottonwood Children’s Dentistry also provided handouts on early oral care to the playgroup, which offered tips and tools to help parents care for their children’s teeth, including:

· Brush your child’s teeth with a soft toothbrush twice a day. It takes the same manual dexterity to effectively brush one’s teeth as it does to tie your shoe, so your child will need help brushing until around age 7.

· Children should not fall asleep with a bottle, and at-will nighttime breast-feeding should be avoided after the first baby tooth begins to erupt. Drinking juice from a bottle should be avoided. By the age of 12 months, children should be encouraged to drink from a cup.

· Your child needs a dental visit at the pediatric dentist by age one. Starting dental visits early can prevent costly dental care later.

At the playgroup, children were read books about dental care, ate healthful snacks, and practiced brushing on a huge set of plastic teeth. The skills the children of Verde Valley Healthy Families and Parents as Teachers are learning now are laying the foundation for a lifetime of healthy habits and pearly white smiles.

For more information about Verde Valley Healthy Families, please contact Susan Lacher at (928)-639-6566. For more information about Parents as Teachers, please contact Rainee Crabtree at (928)-443-1991 X2021. Both programs are made free to families with young children ages birth to five through a grant from First Things First.

Beaver Creek School Celebrates New Preschool Complex

On Thursday, January 9^th, 2014 dozens of people from across Yavapai County gathered to celebrate the opening of the new W.O. Palmer Preschool Complex at Beaver Creek School. The new building, which contains two classrooms, will expand the Beaver Creek preschool so that every young child in the Rimrock community has the opportunity to participate in early childhood education. For Superintendent Karin Ward, this is a dream come true.

When Karin Ward began as Superintendent of Beaver Creek School in 2004, there was no preschool or child care center in the area. Ward believed passionately about early childhood education and its ability to give children a solid foundation for future success, so she dedicated herself to starting an early learning program in her school district.

Ward and her community began by opening a preschool for children with special needs. After that, Ward collaborated with Head Start to bring a Head Start program on the Beaver Creek School campus. Then, alongside the Head Start site, Ward opened an addition preschool program.

Preschool has had a powerful impact on entering kindergartens at Beaver Creek. “Our kindergarten teachers talk about the difference preschool has made,” said Ward. “When the children who have attended preschool enter kindergarten, they’re soaring.”

Ward didn’t stop there. She wanted to make sure that all young children in her school district had the opportunity to participate in early childhood education, so she began applying for grants to help the preschool expand.

In 2012, the school district was awarded a $100,000 grant from First Things First to help build a new preschool facility. Ward broke ground on the new building in January 2013, and the preschool opened its doors in late 2013. Now, between the Head Start and preschool, 64 children of the Rimrock community are enrolled in early childhood education.

“It’s nice to see a community that understands the value of early childhood education,” said Yavapai Superintendent of Schools Tim Carter, speaking at the preschool complex opening event. “I’m looking forward to other communities in the county following Beaver Creek’s lead.”

Fallon, 4, attends Beaver Creek School

County Supervisor Tom Thurman also spoke at the event. Thurman, who recently adopted a 4-year old girl and enrolled her in child care, understands the invaluable benefits of early childhood education. “This works,” said Thurman, pointing at the new Beaver Creek preschool complex.

“Preschool will affect all aspects of my daughter’s future,” said Jennifer Ray, whose 4-year-old daughter Fallon attends the preschool. “Fallon is excited to go to school every day. She’s developing an eagerness to learn and to read. This program goes above and beyond.”

Superintendent Ward thanked the numerous collaborators that made the preschool possible, including First Things First, Head Start, and the Rimrock Community. “Getting to this point took layers and layers of time, conversations and collaboration,” said Ward. “We have done what we had set out to do, and the kids of Beaver Creek will benefit from this for years to come.”

Workshop Focuses on Early Roots of Bullying

On Wednesday, January 8^th at the Prescott YMCA, Parent Educator Wendy Watson, M.Ed. presented a workshop on the early roots of bullying behavior to a group of early childhood educators. The free workshop, which was organized by the Yavapai County Educational Service Agency, Community Counts, and funded by First Things First, focused on addressing aggressive behavior in children age 5 and under.

“Long-term aggressive behavior can very accurately be identified in children as early as age 3 and 4,” Watson said. “It takes a lot of energy to ‘turn the ship around’, but fortunately, behavior is especially changeable during the early years.”

Watson spoke about limiting children’s TV and media exposure as much as possible. “We know that 90% of a child’s brain develops before the age of five. The first five years are a critical period, and we need to protect children from witnessing repeated acts of aggression,” said Watson. “We have to be vigilant about the environment we’re creating for children and if we’re setting them up for aggressive behavior.”

Other than influence of media and TV images, Watson explained that aggressive behavior, such as biting, often stems from a young child’s inability to communicate what they want and need. She said that it is important for parents and caregivers to teach children the words to label and identify their feelings.

Watson presented a list of children’s books that can be used to teach kids about understanding and coping with their emotions. She also encouraged the group to have conversations with children as early as age 2 to help them label their emotions when they are feeling them, such as, “I see that you are sad because you lost your toy”, or “I can see that you are angry that he took your blanket.”

The stakes are high for today’s kindergarteners, so early educators and parents of young children have a big responsibility. “We can be so worried about teaching kids their colors, shapes and numbers that we may skip important lessons like developing empathy and sharing,” said Watson. Since critical social and behavioral skills, including self-esteem, focus and motivation, take root in the first five years, it is important that children are supported to develop these lifelong skills.

Madison Martinez, an early childhood educator at the Prescott YMCA, said that she was grateful for the practical information provided at the workshop. “It’s interesting to learn how to stop bullying at an early age so that we can prevent it before it happens,” Martinez said.

Wendy Watson, M.Ed, talks to a group of child care providers at the Prescott YMCA

At the end of the workshop, participants were given the opportunity to discuss specific examples of aggressive behavior that they have encountered with the children in their care and identify ways to address these challenges.

Workshops on parenting and caring for young children like this one are regularly available across Yavapai County. For more information and to find an upcoming class near you, please visit ParentsAZ.org.