“Best for Babies” Advocates for Young Children in Foster Care

In Yavapai County, there are between 130-140 children ages five and under in the foster care system at any given time. 38% of child welfare cases in Arizona involve children under the age of 3. Given their young age, these children are at a most vulnerable age and have unique needs.

“We’ve seen spikes in maltreatment of young children,” said Becky Ruffner, Executive Director of Prevent Child Abuse Arizona (PCA Arizona). “Infants and toddlers are entering the foster care system at an unprecedented rate, and once there, they are more likely to stay longer, less likely to be reunited with their parents, and are more likely to reenter the foster care system within a year.”

90% of a child’s brain develops before the age of five. “Children develop most rapidly during the first five years, than any other time in their life,” said Ruffner. The early years contain critical periods of development for young children that lay the foundation for the rest of their lives, including in the areas of cognitive, emotional, social and behavioral growth. Up until recent decades, these were little known facts.

In the past several decades, there has been an explosion of new scientific research on early childhood and its importance. But like all new knowledge, professional systems and human services needed to take time to learn and implement this new research into their practices.

In 2003, various community professionals in Yavapai County, began meeting at PCA Arizona, to talk about “what they could do for babies in foster care.”  Soon, they had built a significant team from each of the stakeholder organizations and had developed a checklist of essential services and best practices for young children ages birth to five in the child welfare system. “This was a systems change initiative,” said Ruffner. “We knew we needed a team approach to address the unique needs of maltreated infants and toddlers.” The group became known as “Best for Babies,” and was officially housed in Prevent Child Abuse Arizona.

“We need to do our very best for these babies- they’re our community’s kids.”

Soon, then Yavapai Superior Court Judge Robert Brutinel got on board, who then presided over the Juvenile Court in Yavapai as well. In 2004, Judge Brutinel adopted the standards and guideline set by Best for Babies, making it a countywide program.

Best for Babies began training professionals and community members on the new standards for the child welfare system, and to offer monthly trainings on specific issues related to young children in foster care. Before Best for Babies began in Yavapai County, “the child welfare system didn’t know the brain science and what we know now about early childhood,” Ruffner said. Now, with the program, professionals, parents and caregivers involved in the child welfare system are learning and implementing knowledge about the unique needs of young children, including their critical need for forming attachments.

In early childhood, the most important determinant of healthy development is the positive, nurturing relationships between child and caregiver. “It’s a confusing life when you’re a young child in out-of-home care,” Ruffner said. “Children need stable attachment relationships. The number one protective factor for a young child is the attachment relationship they form with their caregiver.”

Now, Best for Babies receives funding from First Things First, the voter-created statewide organization that partners with communities to improve the health and early education of all young children in Arizona. Because of Judge Brutinel’s advocacy, First Things First funding  and the program’s success, what started in Yavapai County as Best for Babies has been able to expand to 14 counties across Arizona, which now implement Court Teams specifically for children birth to 5 in the child welfare system.

Today in Yavapai County, Best for Babies continues to work towards its mission of improving outcomes for maltreated infants and toddlers. “We want to see young children in foster care safely reunited with their parents and with the issues that brought them into foster care permanently resolved,” said Ruffner.

For more information about Best for Babies, a program of Prevent Child Abuse Arizona, and how to volunteer, support, or donate to the program, please visit pcaaz.org.

Free Parenting Classes Aim to Reduce Family Stress

The first time Jipsie Myers got a flyer about the free parenting education classes being offered in her community, she threw it away. “I was skeptical,” said Jipsie, a resident of Bagdad and a mother of three. “My first thought was: no one was going to tell me how to raise my kids.”

 

But other moms in Bagdad kept on asking Jipsie about the classes, so out of curiosity, she decided to go. The class was called “Becoming a Love and Logic Parent,” and would meet weekly for six weeks. The first time the class met, Jipsie crossed her arms and listened.

 

Jipsie has now attended the “Becoming a Love and Logic Parent” series three times. “It’s not about telling you how to raise your kids,” said Jipsie. “After going, I realized that I still need help. No one has parenting down pat.”

 

The class, which is made free for all parents and caregivers of young children because of funding from First Things First, works to give parents the tools they need to reduce stress for their whole family. ‘Becoming a Love and Logic Parent’ focuses on teaching young kids how to make choices, a skill that will benefit them for the rest of their lives. By giving children simple choices, such as deciding between oatmeal and cereal for breakfast, parents can empower their kids and still have control over the options they have. Everyone wins.

 

The ‘Becoming a Love and Logic Parent’ series will be offered from 6 PM to 8 PM at the Prescott YMCA beginning September 5^th and will meet every Tuesday and Thursday until September 24^th. It will also be offered in at Bagdad Elementary School from September 9^th to September 30^th, meeting every Monday and Wednesday from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM.

 

The class is completely free and free child care is available during each class. To sign up, call or email Pam Mayhall at (928) 442-5756 or Pamela.Mayhall@yavapai.us. A calendar of parenting education classes offered in Yavapai County can be found by visiting ParentsAZ.org. 

Helpline Offers Support to Parents of Young Kids

 

There’s no doubt that raising a child has its challenges. Even for the most knowledgeable caregivers, there are some moments when parenthood is baffling. Every parent and caregiver deserves to have the tools they need to provide their children with safe, nurturing environments.

One of these tools is the Birth to Five Helpline, a free helpline for any parent or caregiver of a child age birth to five in Arizona. The line, which is staffed by child development specialists speaking both English and Spanish, offers assistance with any topic, including sleep, colic, discipline, health, and parenting.

 “The helpline is the first point of contact if you have a concern,” says Anelizabeth “Grannie” Marlowe, owner and director of Grannie’s House, a child care home in Prescott Valley. Marlowe regularly refers parents of the children she works with to the helpline, and has called it herself. “When a parent or caregiver doesn’t know what to do next, they can call the helpline,” she said.

The helpline also refers its callers to resources in their area they may need. Once, when Anelizabeth Marlowe was concerned that an infant boy in her care might have a motor development delay, she encouraged his parents to call. After they did, they were referred to a local organization to have him assessed and helped. “I would recommend the helpline to all parents of young kids, no matter their concern,” said Marlowe.

The Birth to Five Helpline is managed by Southwest Human Development with the support of First Things First. Parents can reach the helpline by calling 1-888-705-5437 or by visiting birthtofivehelpline.org.

Article in the News

Tips for Parents of Soon-to-be-Kindergarteners:
http://www.prescottvalleytribune.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=58786&SectionID=74&SubSectionID=503&S=1

Social Savvy: It Starts Early

The Del E. Webb Family Enrichment Center Helps Kids Develop Social, Behavioral Skills

Chloe, age 2, carefully leads a wooden toy train across the track she and her friends just laid out in their classroom at the Del E. Webb Family Enrichment Center. At the same time, Cole, also 2, leads his train in the opposite direction - towards hers. Their trains gently collide. Cole begins to cry angrily. Ms. Lisa, Master Teacher, quickly intervenes. “Cole, did you want a turn driving your train on the track?” she says. “Can we ask our friend Chloe for a turn and say please?” The little calamity is quickly resolved.



With the guidance of their knowledgeable teachers,
children learn to work and play together at the
Del E Webb Family Enrichment Center.

Over and over, research has shown the many benefits of quality early education on child’s success, including that kids who attend quality preschool or child care have better social skills and better relationships with their peers. Critical social and behavioral skills, such as patience, motivation, focus, self-discipline and self-esteem take root from birth to five years old. Successful people share these traits, and it is important that kids have the tools they need to develop these essential skills in their early years.

At the Del E. Webb Family Enrichment Center (FEC), an early learning program located on the Yavapai College campus in Prescott, children are guided by highly trained teachers like Ms. Lisa to develop their important social and behavioral skills every day. The center serves children ages 3 month to five years old.

“It is natural for young children to be very focused on their own needs and wants, but that doesn’t mean they can’t learn to be sensitive to  the needs and feelings of others,” said Vickey LaMotte, Director of the FEC. “Here at the Family Enrichment Center, we see it as our role to help children develop the skills they need to work cooperatively with others.   Children learn to use their words to ask for what they want, to pay attention to what others are saying, and to negotiate and compromise with one another. Developing self-regulation skills early in life prepares children to be successful in their interactions with others throughout their lives.”

It takes a great deal of knowledge to be able to guide young children to develop these skills. “One of the most important parts of quality early education is a trained, knowledgeable teacher,” said LaMotte. “We need educated teachers who understand child development and know how to support children to reach their potential.” The FEC also functions as a lab school, training college students pursuing a degree in education to sensitive and effective early childhood educators. Students work in the classrooms beside a Master teacher, who provides them with ongoing guidance and feedback.

The FEC recognizes that parents are a child’s first and most important teachers, and strong families are the building blocks of a strong society. By holding regular parenting education classes and meeting with parents bi-yearly to touch base about their child’s development, the FEC is committed to partnering with parents in their child’s early education.

Children are our future, and when more kids develop the critical social skills they need to succeed, everyone benefits. By providing high-quality early education, promoting strong families, and training future early educators, the FEC is making a positive impact- now and for generations to come.

To learn more about the Del E. Webb Family Enrichment Center, please contact Vickey LaMotte at (928)-776-2174.

Help Available for First-Time Moms in Yavapai County

Strong families are the building blocks of a strong society. It is critical that parents have the tools they need to provide their children with a stable, nurturing environment. This begins with a healthy pregnancy. 

 

When Karina Montero learned she was pregnant, she was both happy and apprehensive. She was thrilled when she saw the results of her first ultrasound and began to feel her baby move, but despite her excitement, Karina was still nervous about being a first-time mom. Though she had support from her boyfriend Gustavo, she had no family members nearby. 

 

Karina found out about the Nurse Family Partnership (NFP), a free program of Yavapai County Community Health Services funded by First Things First. The program partners with women and their families who are expecting their first child. Through the NFP, pregnant women receive weekly home visits from a nurse, who provides them with individualized support, pregnancy and parenting education, and refers them to any community resources they may need. The program recognizes that the parents are a child’s first teachers, and families can stay enrolled in the program until their child turns 2. Karina enthusiastically decided to enroll.

 

Now, Karina receives visits each week from Kathy, her NFP nurse. During their visits, the two talk a lot about having a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby, and Kathy also provides Karina with information on things like mental health, stress, relationships, and even how to cook on a budget- everything to help her and Gustavo prepare to be the best parents they can be. “There’s no subject we don’t talk about,” said Kathy.



Karina meets with Kathy, her Nurse Family Partnership nurse.

Karina is eager to learn everything she can, and asks Kathy a lot of questions. “This program is like school, like my own personal prenatal and parenting class,” said Karina. Even between visits, Karina can call Kathy with any questions she may have. “I never feel alone,” said Karina. “I may not have my mom here, but I have Kathy.”

 

Kathy also helps Karina plan both short and long-term goals for her family. In the future, Karina plans to attend college to become either a teacher or a nurse.

 



“Because of Kathy’s help, I’m not scared, and I’m ready to be a parent,” Karina said. “Because of the Nurse Family Partnership, I’m more ready for what’s coming. I’m ready to apply the skills I’ve learned to be a great mom to my baby.”

 



The Nurse Family Partnership is a program available to first-time pregnant women in Yavapai County, and is funded by First Things First. For more information on the Nurse Family Partnership or to enroll, please call (928)-634-6851 in the Verde Valley area and (928)-442-5478 in the Quad-city area. To learn more about First Things First and what it does to promote strong families, please visit ReadyAZKids.com.

See the Full Article on the Daily Courier website: http://www.dcourier.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=121527&SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1086&S=1

In the News

"Tips for Parents of Soon-To-Be Kindergarteners was published in the Chino Valley Review today:

http://cvrnews.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=57378&SectionID=74&SubSectionID=777&S=1