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Navigating Excellence - Parent Center Assistance & Collaboration Team
Region A E-News
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Inspirational Quote
"Remember your dreams and fight for them. You must know what you want from life. There is just one thing that makes your dream become impossible: the fear of failure." - Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist
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Message from Carolyn & Diana
Happy New Year! We are so looking forward to spending time with you at our upcoming REACH Youth meeting and NE-PACT Follow-Up Forum in Rhode Island. We wanted to share some information that reflects a glimmer of hope for the refunding of the Rehabilitation Services Administration Parent Center grants: a call has gone out from the US ED Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) for peer reviewers for "possible" upcoming grant competitions including for the RSA Parent Centers, to take place between March 2019 and September 2020. We will keep you informed as we hear of any new developments. Remember that we are here to support you in any way we can, so don't hesitate to contact us! (Emails are best).
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Reminder about the NE-PACT/Region A Parent Center Workspace!
You've been invited to join NE-PACT: A group for Region A Parent Centers.
Check your email for this invitation to our
universal location to house all of our resource collections, materials, documents, and files, including the Transition Resource Repository, Trauma Toolkit, Drop-in call notes, webinar announcements and recordings, peer to peer and CQI applications, TA resources, and much more! Reach out to Rosslin Mensah-Boateng at
rmensah-boateng@spanadvocacy.org
if you can't find your invitation or need other assistance accessing the new Region A parent center workspace.
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Featuring...
 CIDA: The CIDA Sibling Net Program is a family support program for Korean-American youths and adults who have siblings with special health problems, developmental disabilities, or mental health concerns. Siblings will be involved in the lives of family members who have disabilities longer than anyone, and they will likely be the primary caretakers and advocates for their brothers and sisters with disabilities when their parents are no longer able to provide support. The Sibling Net Program provides culturally responsive assistance to Korean-American youths and adults with information and resources concerning their brothers or sisters with disabilities, social support for themselves, and early involvement in future planning. CIDA believes that empowering siblings through a community-based support program will help build independent living, employment, and healthy lives for their brothers and sisters with disabilities. Sibling Net is funded by the Nanum Foundation Community Grant.
Find out more.
Vermont Family Network
: In September, the Vermont Family Network celebrate its tenth anniversary! VFN was formed with the merger of the Vermont Parent Information Center (housing Vermont's Parent Training and Information Center and Parent Information Resource Center) and Parent to Parent of Vermont (housing the state's Parent to Parent program and Family to Family Health Information Center) in 2008. Joined now by Puppets in Education, and working closely with the Vermont Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health, VFN is a "one-stop" for Vermont's families of children and youth with the full range of disabilities and special healthcare needs. Congratulations, VFN!
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Upcoming Events/Dates to Remember
Military Outreach Plan Development webinar:
Thursday, 1/31, at 3 pm ET. Participate in this webinar to learn military family outreach practices used by parent centers peers to enhance your current practices, and to learn how to draft an outreach plan based on your parent center's capabilities, wishes for enhanced outreach, and shared ideas from peers.
Register here
to j
oin this first of two webinars.
(Save the date for the other webinar: Developing a Military Family Service Delivery Plan, Thursday, 2/28 at 3 pm).
State Advisory Panels & State Interagency Coordinating Councils Quarterly Webinar
: Thursday, 1/31, at 3 pm ET.
In November 2018, the SAP/SICC workgroup sent a survey to state advisory groups to inquire about their perceived needs. The response was tremendous. The responses totaled 268 in just a few days! Several themes were clear across states and groups. Advisory members wanted to talk with each other and learn what and how other groups advise and assist state agencies in their work. They wanted active webinars with interaction among presenters and participants. They asked for access to resources on their time frame. In this webinar, we address those requests and more. Three state advisory/interagency coordinating committee panels will bring a state agency lead, a new member and an experienced member into a conversation with advisory members across the states. This webinar will inform the future work and create connections designed to enhance capacity of all advisory groups. Register here.
NE-PACT/Region A PTAC Drop-In Call, Tuesday, 2/5 at 10 am (on the 1
st Tuesday)
: Please remember to join us each month on the first Tuesday of the month. Dial 877-713-0446 and use participant code 389-654-6677. Each month, we will share national and regional information of interest, facilitate conversation on issues raised by the centers in our region, and provide an opportunity for you to share updates on your work and developments in your community/territory/ state. In February, our project officer Carmen Sanchez will join us for part of our time together. Please let us know if you have any agenda items you would like to include, especially if you have any questions for Carmen or topics you would like to discuss with her. Reach us at
diana.autin@spanadvocacy.org,
chayer@spanadvocacy.org, and
rmensah-boateng@spanadvocacy.org.
Program performance measures webinar:
Wednesday, 2/6, 2-3:30 pm ET; selected centers will be notified in advance of the webinar. NEPACT is available to provide TA in identifying three services to submit, and to review your draft submission. If you submitted last year you probably won't have to submit this year. During the webinar OSEP will discuss the results from the 2018 data collection as well as go over the procedures for the 2019 data collection, including new procedures for uploading service descriptions. The webinar will be archived, but it's important you participate if your center is chosen.
Here are some dates you need to know, should your project be selected this year: Week of January 28 - Chosen projects notified and provided information about submitting list of three services. February 18 - Deadline for submitting list of three services. February 25 - Centers informed of which service description to provide. March 11 - Deadline for submitting service descriptions. Information about the webinar and how you can participate will be forthcoming. If your center is chosen, please make plans to participate on the webinar.
Evaluating Implementation of Evidence-Based Practices: Tips for Improving Quality and Feasibility: Wednesday, 2/13, 3-4 pm ET
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Need better data on the implementation of evidence-based practices? This webinar will review best practices for evaluating practice change and fidelity, including characteristics of a high-quality data collection tool. Presenters will offer considerations for selecting an evaluation approach, steps for carrying out a high-quality and feasible evaluation, and strategies for summarizing data to improve usefulness for decision-makers. Hear from one state on how they have made improvements to create a feasible evaluation plan. Register here.
Starting and Sustaining a Youth Advisory Board: Wednesday, 2/27, from 12-1 pm ET:
In Part I of this three-part series, Matthew Shapiro of Kids As Self Advocates (KASA) will provide an overview of the value of having the perspective of youth/young adults with disabilities at decision-making meetings, and discuss elements of youth voices, such as the importance of building youth as self-advocates, where does self-advocacy begin, and what is youth voice/what does it look and feel like? Register here
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Parent Leadership and Advocacy Conference, Saturday, 3/23, NJIT, Newark, NJ: Join us for this biannual conference for and about meaningful parent leadership across education, health, mental health, family support, human services and child welfare systems. This year's theme is Speak Up! Take Action! Create Change! The Time is NOW! For more information,
click here.
Addressing Challenging Behavior National Training Institute on Effective Practices, 3/22-3/25, Clearwater Beach, Florida
: The format of this institute is designed to provide cutting-edge information on challenging behavior in an in-depth, intensive learning experience. Each workshop is 3 hours long and topics are chosen carefully to give you a variety of options. Participants have many opportunities to practice new strategies, interact with experts, and engage in lively discussions. For more information about sessions, travel, and registration,
click here.
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Non-Profit Management Resources
Driving Social Change: How do societies create the breakthroughs needed for a more just, tolerant, healthy, educated, and equitable world? How do they challenge the prevailing wisdom without losing hope? How do they enact lasting change and protect it from the inevitable backlash? And what is the role of social change nonprofits in this work?
Read a thought-provoking article on this subject.
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Family-Centered Services Resources
Cultural Responsiveness Resource Guide:
The National Research Center on Hispanic Children and Families has released a new resource guide to help community-based organizations find relevant resources for developing and implementing culturally competent programs in increasingly diverse communities.
Developing Culturally Responsive Approaches to Serving Diverse Populations: A Resource Guide for Community-Based Organizations
includes information on choosing, adapting or developing interventions, conducting needs assessments, selecting appropriate measures, collaborating with other organizations, ensuring workforce diversity, budgeting for culturally competent programs, and more. Find the link on the parentcenterhub.
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Youth-Centered Services Resources
Best Practices in Positive Youth Development:
The purpose of this guide is to assist organizations and individuals who want to improve their programs, places, and policies related to youth development. It was developed from existing research-based quality standards. Positive Youth Development is a framework for how a community can support all youth so they can grow up fully prepared, fully engaged, and healthy, and develop to their full potential. Check out the guide
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Better Together: A practical guide to effective engagement with young people:
This guide was developed in Australia but contains lots of great information, tools and strategies for use right here in the US! Take a look.
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Absenteeism
Chronic Absenteeism Highlighted: Read this piece in Governing about the problem of
chronic absenteeism among students in schools across the nation.
Health-Related Reasons for Chronic Absenteeism: Chronic absenteeism is a proven early warning sign of academic risk + school dropout. Unpacking the health-related reasons that students miss school is critical for improving attendance.
Find out more.
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Assistive Technology
Assistive Technology and the IEP:
The Center on Technology and Disability has a parent tool that explains the Individualized Education Program (IEP) and how assistive technology may be included to best meet the child's needs. A list of questions are provided to help the parent determine whether assistive technology is needed and other considerations. The CTD website
has a resource library with over 1,000 assistive technology related materials, a webinar center, and a learning center with interactive modules. The site features a useful
Assistive Technology Glossary
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Bilingual/LEP
Calling for Policies that Support Dual Language Education:
Read this examination of a recent book that highlights the language and education polices that may inhibit dual language education.
Promoting the Learning Success of Children and Youth Learning English: Children who are dual language learners (DLLs) and English learners (ELs) face a number of challenges in settings where English is the primary language used for instruction and assessment. This report, Promoting the Educational Success of Children and Youth Learning English: Promising Futures, looks at how research finding related to the development of DLLs/ELs can inform education policies, health policies, and practices that enhance educational outcomes for these children. The report includes a chapter on promising and effective early care and education practices and home visiting programs for DLLs.
Download it free.
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Child Welfare
Child Welfare Financing 101:
Check out this visual graphic from Child Trends
that provides a snapshot of the types of funding states receive from federal and local sources that support child welfare activities. The infographic also includes a breakdown of funding sources for six states - MO, ME, CT, WV, WA and DE - three of which are in our region!
Risk and Prevention of Maltreatment of Children with Disabilities: Children living with disabilities are three times more likely to suffer abuse or neglect when compared to those without disabilities. This bulletin from the Child Welfare Information Gateway (January 2018) describes the extent of the problem, risk factors, and prevention strategies. It also provides current statistics and research, and covers critical issues to consider when assessing a child with a disability for maltreatment.
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Choice/Charter Schools/Virtual Schools/Voucher Programs
The Cautionary Tale of Correspondence Schools:
Read this report on the history of correspondence schools and their influence on current higher education. It links the regulations that US ED Secretary DeVos plans to rewrite or eliminate in the upcoming Negotiated Rulemaking sessions to their origins in abuses of federal aid dollars by an earlier form of distance education - correspondence programs.
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Cultural Competence
Resource Website:
The National Center for Cultural Competence has a searchable library of resources on cultural and linguistic competence. Browse!
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Data
Why and How of State Early Childhood Data Systems: A resource by The Ounce explores why integrated early childhood data systems are important, and how states can connect data between agencies to most effectively use the data for designing strategies to improve child outcomes. Also included is a section on data privacy and security considerations and requirements.
Get the link.
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Disability
Autism Spectrum Disorder Resources:
The Division for Exceptional Children Resources within Reason offers a compilation of resources for families, educators, and administrators who support children diagnosed with
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
. From strategies for handling a new diagnosis to teaching strategies for managing an inclusive classroom, these resources offer current information and guidance for best evidence-based practices.
For additional free information on topics relating to individuals who support young children and their families, with an emphasis on children with or at risk for disabilities, visit the Resources within Reason archives.
Developmental Disabilities on the Rise: Check out the Center for Disease Control and Prevention National Health Interview Survey data brief that found that children diagnosed with any developmental disability in the U.S. significantly increased, from 5.76% in 2014 to 6.99% in 2016. Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder or intellectual disability did not significantly increase during this time period. For each condition evaluated, the prevalence was significantly higher among boys than girls, and lowest among Hispanic children when compared to other race and ethnicity groups.
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Discipline & Positive Behavior Supports
Negative Impact of Corporal Punishment: The American Academy of Pediatrics has an
updated policy statement highlighting recent evidence of the negative implications of using corporal punishment to discipline children. Studies reveal "a strong association between spanking children and subsequent adverse outcomes" for a child's development. For example, "corporal punishment is associated with increased aggression in preschool and school-aged children". It was also found that parents are more likely to follow a pediatrician's advice about disciplining than other professionals, therefore, pediatric providers are advised to reinforce positive disciplining strategies via behavioral counseling and parent education materials.
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Dispute Resolution
Dispute Resolution Family Guides
: CADRE has Dispute Resolution Family Guides for special education translated in Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Hmong, Korean, Russian, Vietnamese, Burmese, Portuguese, Japanese, and Somali.
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Early Childhood/Early Intervention
Hear to Learn: A free resource, Hear to Learn, is available to help parents of young children with deafness and hearing loss support spoken language development. The content was developed to be easily accessible (short video tutorial segments that are narrated and captioned). Easy to follow language activities can be downloaded. Parents can share their story, ask questions, attend webinars, and read about relevant research. Check it out in
English and in
Spanish.
How Cities Embrace their Infants and Toddlers: This brief looks at how cities around the country are addressing the early needs of babies and toddlers. It provides examples from several cities in our region, including Baltimore, Boston, Cambridge, DC, and New York.
Read the Executive Summary.
Learning Outcomes Mobile App: Head Start's mobile app: ELOF2GO is a mobile resource for teachers who want to access and learn more about the
Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework (ELOF). The application (app) provides on-the-go access to the ELOF goals for children and effective teaching practices in support of those goals. It is designed for teachers, family child care providers, and home visitors. You can find the app on Google Play, the Apple App Store, or from the
Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center.
Preschool Development Grants:
The Administration on Children and Families (ACF) has released a list of the 45 Preschool Development Grant (PDG) B-5 grant awardees (January 2019) and amounts awarded, including many
states
in Region A (CT: $8.6 million; Delaware: $4.2 million; DC: $10.6 million; Maine: $1 million; MD: $10.6 million; MA: $1.8 million; NH: $3.8 million; NJ: $10.6 million; NY: $8.7 million; PA: $10.55 million; RI: $4.2 million; US VI: $725,000; VT: $3.4 million) (
www.ffyf.org/45-states-and-territories-to-receive-preschool-development-grants/
). his funding gives states the opportunity to design and implement high-quality, equitable early child care and education programs for all children and families. Contact Richard Gonzales at
richard.gonzales@acf.hhs.gov
if you have any questions.
Translated Materials from the Center on the Developing Child: The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University has recently expanded its online library to include Spanish translations of the Center's InBriefs and Portuguese translations of From Best Practices to Breakthrough Impacts, as well as their activities guide for helping children build self-regulation and executive function skills. View Spanish resources, French resources, Mandarin resources, and Portuguese resources. View all their translated materials.
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Education Reform/Every Student Succeeds Act/School Improvement
ESSA Birth to Grade Three Indicator Framework:
CEELO & the Council of Chief State School Officers produced this toolkit, Birth to Grade 3 Indicator Framework to assist states who have added early learning objectives into their Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) state plans. The framework provides strategies for states to better coordinate between early child education and K-12 education policy. Access it here.
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Equity
Education Inequalities at the School Starting Gate:
Read this Economic Policy Institute report, issued after reviewing data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and 12 case studies to measure performance gaps in children by social class. The findings suggest that performance gaps have continued at the same level over 2 generations, and economic crisis during this period could partially explain the lack of improvement. Policy recommendations are included at the end of the report encouraging "greater investments in pre-K programs and continued comprehensive support for children through their academic years, including meaningful engagement of parents and communities, if we are to substantially improve the odds for disadvantages children."
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Health
Pathways to Better Health:
The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) has published
Early Childhood Education: Three Pathways to Better Health,
a policy paper exploring how access to high-quality preschool and parenting education beginning in early pregnancy can provide children lasting health benefits in the U.S. and internationally. NIEER recommends that programs provide health screenings and referrals for follow-up care to encourage and facilitate access to vision, hearing, dental, mental health and other health care; educate about health, nutrition and exercise so children and parents can develop healthy habits; offer nutrition supplementation to prevent, and reverse, malnutrition where needed; make healthy eating and exercise including vigorous outdoor play a regular part of daily life to create healthier habits for a lifetime in order to combat obesity and other long-term health problems; and support children's social-emotional development and mental health.
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Homelessness
Self-Assessment for Early Childhood Programs Serving Families Experiencing Homelessness: This
self-assessment tool from the Ounce and ACF (Summer 2017) is designed specifically for welcoming and supporting families and children experiencing homelessness in early childhood programs. Child care and early education practitioners take on an important role in identifying families with young children experiencing homelessness, and connecting them to other community resources. Included are recommendations for responding appropriately to the unique needs of preschoolers and their families experiencing homelessness in five areas: Identification and Support; Removal of Barriers; Responding to Family Needs; Engagement in Strategic Collaboration; and Improving Collection, Reporting and Utilization of Data. Additional resources to support programs are also provided.
Find the link here.
Well-Being of Children After Experiencing Homelessness:
Using data from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development's Family Options Study, this report examines the well-being of children 20 months after staying in emergency homeless shelters with their families. It explores young children's pre-reading skills, pre-math skills, developmental delays, and behavior challenges. It discusses comparisons between children who experienced homelessness and national norms for children of the same age.
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IDEA
OSEP Dear Colleague Letter on EI and Screening: OSEP has published a
new policy letter (December 20, 2018), regarding screening and whether it should be included as part of an evaluation for an infant or toddler suspected of being deaf or hard of hearing, as well as, information on the applicable evaluation timelines and required protocols under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Go here and click on December 20, 2018 Letter to Eiserman.
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Immigrant
 One Quarter of Hispanic Children in US Have a Parent Without Documentation: Of America's Latino children, 1 in 4 (4 million) are at risk for experiencing parental separation, due to the parent's unauthorized immigrant status. "This kind of uncertainty, stress, and trauma can threaten children's well-being, affecting their brain development, physical health, and more. Additionally, should large numbers of parents be deported, states may be faced with placing their children in foster care, a public system that in most states is already overextended."
Read the full report for additional details.
Starting Behind: Interrupted Formal Schooling Among Immigrant Students: Check out this
new study that looks at the prevalence of immigrant students who haven't received any formal education or have missed years of formal education in their native countries.
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Inclusion
Leveraging Funds to Support Inclusion: This
resource from ELC TA explains how the six Phase 3 Early Learning Challenge states (Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Vermont) are optimizing ELC funds and other state funds to promote inclusion.
Click here and scroll down to Inclusion News.
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Juvenile Delinquency/Juvenile Justice
 America is Locking Up More Juveniles than Any Other Country:
There are more children being put behind bars in the United States than in any other country. Research shows that the Land of the Free is locking up their kids in a 5-1 ratio compared to other nations. Statistics show that
more than two million juveniles
are being detailed each year in the United States. About 95 percent of them are for nonviolent offenses. Yes, this is far greater than any other country in the western world. What makes this even more frustrating is that many minors are left defenseless as they lack support behind bars. In criminal justice systems a youth detention center, also known as a juvenile detention center, juvenile detention, juvenile hall or more colloquially as juvie, is a prison for children who commit crimes but are still under the age. Several different reports suggest that many young children in America are imperiled by abuse, neglect, domestic and community violence, and poverty. Read more.
American's New Juvenile Justice Law:
At long last, federal law on a key juvenile justice policy has been dusted off. On December 21, the day the government shut down, President Trump signed into law the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2018, an update to the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA), which was passed in 1974. It had not been reauthorized since 2002. The most important part of that process is simply reauthorizing the existing parts of the law, in particular the grant program by which states are rewarded for adhering to four core requirements. Learn all about it.
Enhanced Juvenile Justice Guidelines:
The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) announced the release of the Enhanced Juvenile Justice Guidelines, the most recent update documenting the improvement of court practices in juvenile justice cases. Since 2005, with the original publication of Juvenile Delinquency Guidelines: Improving Court Practice in Juvenile Delinquency Cases (JDG), the NCJFCJ has worked with juvenile justice courts to promulgate best practices in juvenile delinquency proceedings. The purpose of the Juvenile Delinquency Guidelines was to set forth the essential elements of effective practice for the court processes that are involved in the handling of juvenile delinquency cases. Find out more.
How Race Distorts Risk Assessment for Minority Youth:
Tools used by courts to judge whether an individual will re-offend rarely address the specific interaction of race and criminogenic risk, writes a University of Cincinnati researcher. She found that young African Americans have been especially shortchanged. Find out why.
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LGBTQ
What are the Challenges in Implementing LGBTQ-Inclusive Curricula? Check out this
blog post about leveraging open educational resources for LGBTQ students and the challenges of implementing LGBTQ-inclusive curricula.
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Mental Health
Demystifying Psychosis: A Primer for Families:
Access this web-based course for family members to help them identify when a loved one is experiencing symptoms of psychosis, understand their own reactions, offer concrete strategies to support their loved one, and know the services that should be included in an effective program to address the family's needs
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Engaging with Schools to Support your Child with Psychosis:
Read this tip sheet providing parents of young people who are experiencing psychosis the information they need to work effectively with their child's high school or middle school, including a discussion of issues that may emerge in working with schools such as the implication of sharing the student's diagnosis, being alert to the possibility of bullying, and other challenges. Click here
and scroll down to Resources.
Helping Families Understand Services for Persons with Early Serious Mental Illness:
Check out this primer on what families should expect from the Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) team - such as meaningful involvement, shared decision making, understandable information on their loved one's condition, and clear and accurate guidance about sharing information. It highlights ways that families can best be involved with the CSC team and in supporting their family member.
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Military Families & Youth
 Outreach and Services Tips:
Your parent center uses culturally-appropriate outreach on a regular basis to engage parents and youth in underserved communities. Military life creates a unique culture for service members and their families-a culture just as distinct as that of an ethnic or linguistic community. This resource has tips from military family members to help your outreach and services to military families. Check it out.
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Native American Families & Youth
Working with Indigenous Native American Patients: There are 3 million indigenous people in the United States, belonging to more than five hundred federally recognized nations. It's important to remember that today Indigenous peoples mostly live in urban centers, rather than reservations, and are a heterogeneous group, representing hundreds of nations each with their own cultural practices and history. On this site you can watch a webinar on best practice highlights for working with Native American patients and on providing culturally competent care for indigenous peoples, and access a tip sheet. On the right side of the web page, you can also click on best practice highlights for working with African-American, Appalachian, Asian, Latino/a, LGBTQ, and Women Patients.
Check it out.
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| Parent/Family Engagement (and Youth!)
Partnering with Families in Continuous Quality Improvement in Home Visiting: This report includes a tip sheet with several strategies to assist grantees of Maternal and Child Health home visiting funds to partner with families in order to sustain CQI within their programs. Some suggestions for developing partnerships with families are administering surveys, conducting focus groups, recruiting family members to co-lead CQI initiatives in a family advisory council, and compensating family participants, such as offering child care discounts or mileage reimbursement.
Check it out.
Supporting Parents: How Six Decades of Parenting Research Can Inform Policy and Best Practice: According to a report from Social Policy the U.S. lacks programs aimed to support at risk families and promote effective parenting, when compared to other developed nations. Learn what 60 years of research can teach us about the elements of competent parenting and policy recommendations for supporting at risk parents in the
report.
Supporting Parents of Young Children in Leadership Roles: The Early Childhood TA Center (ECTA) has published a video series to support states implementing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C and Part B Section 619 (preschool) regulations. The video focus on methods to engage families in the planning, decision-making, and evaluation of local child care programs, and strategies to support new family leaders. The videos also include testimonials from family leaders involved in the educational system and explore the challenges families may face as they begin their leadership path.
Access the videos.
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| Poverty
Poverty Rate Rising Among our Youngest Children...Especially Those of Color: According to Child Trends, there was a significant increase in infants living in poverty between 2016 and 2017, especially for Black and Hispanic infants. After analyzing Census data, the authors further explain that the way to reduce the negative implications of poverty is to identify policy and practices that support equity in children's development.
Read it and weep.
Supporting Child Development and Improving Family Economic Security:
Check out this report from the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) that investigates the design and evaluation of approaches that alleviate poverty by addressing the needs of low-income parents and children. Programs that combine services intended to support both child development and parental economic security were examined. Recent advances in implementation science and other fields of research provide key insights for new programs that may prove more effective than similar programs designed in the 1980s and 1990s.
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| Privacy/Records
FERPA Enforcement Changing! The Education Department's (ED) Federal Policy Compliance Office (FPCO) enforces the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which protects access to student records in any program receiving funding from the ED. On December 20, 2018, the FPCO issued a policy guidance stating it will no longer investigate every compliant alleging a FERPA violation, stating that "The Department is committed to protecting student privacy. To provide more timely and effective assistance to parents and students and to address a recommendation made by the Department's Office of the Inspector General to "implement a risk-based approach to processing and resolving FERPA complaints," the Department is modifying its investigatory practices to more efficiently address and resolve complaints and violations under FERPA."
Read the new policy.
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Racism
Anti-Bias Curriculum Engages Preschoolers in Discussions: Teaching tolerance at a very early age has a positive impact on a child's understanding of race and skin color. In this
short video clip from the weekly PBSA series Making the Grade, teachers explain how their anti-bias curriculum engages thoughtful discussion with preschoolers about race. Also, a brief interview with Louise Derman-Sparks, a renowned author of teaching anti-racism to children books, discusses how the skin color seen in books or other visual teaching materials, or of preschool staff working in different positions all send important messages to young children about who matters in the world, who's visible, who's not, and who has power.
Building Strong Foundations: Racial Inequity in Policies that Impact Infants, Toddlers, and Families: ZERO TO THREE and CLASP recently published a
brief to address policies that prevent racial equity and their negative impact to young children, families, and surrounding communities. Recommendations to design new or reformed policies that reduce racial disparities are provided. Go to
White Teacher Reduced Expectations for Black Students than Whites:
Education Next contains an explanation of a study that finds that white teachers have far lower expectations for black students than they do for similarly situated white students and the impact that has on their achievement. Read more.
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Social-Emotional Learning
 The Positive Impact of Social and Emotional Learning for Kindergarten to Eighth-Grade Students: Social and emotional learning is the process through which children acquire the knowledge, attitudes, and skills to recognize and manage their emotions, set and achieve positive goals, demonstrate caring and concern for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, make responsible decisions, and handle interpersonal situations effectively. (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, 2005; Elias, Zins, Weissberg, Frey, Greenberg, Haynes, Kessler, Schwab-Stone, & Shriver, 1997; Zins & Elias, 2006). With these concepts in mind, the UW-Extension, in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has launched Raising Caring Kids. This website provides eighteen articles and five videos for parents of students in grades 1-5, to teach and support SEL skills at home. The articles are available in both English and Spanish. The information in the articles briefly describes the research behind these skills, provides ideas for practicing social and emotional skills at home, and gives links to additional family-friendly resources. Each 1-2-minute video explores one social and emotional skill and shows how a parent might teach a child that skill.
Check it out.
Psycho-social Factors in Children and Youth with Special Healthcare Needs and their Families: According to the National Survey of Children's Health, children with special health care needs increased 4.3% between 2010 and 2016. The latest
issue of Pediatrics from AAP (January 2019, VOLUME 143, Issue 1), discusses the psychosocial factors of this population and provides recommendations for caregivers, pediatricians and schools to better support the well-being of children challenged with special health care needs.
Promoting Emotional Intelligence in Preschool Learning: An article in the International Journal of Emotional Education (November 2018) analyzed four social-emotional learning programs (Preschools PATHS, Incredible Years, Al's Pals, and Preschool RULER) that revealed positive evidence-based outcomes for preschoolers. To better understand the programs, researchers first examined emotional intelligence for preschoolers and its link to outcomes in school engagement, social adjustment, emotional regulation, and academic success. Then, comparisons were made between the programs' objectives, delivery, intervention strategies, and adaptability across cultures.
Read the article.
Reports on Social-Emotional Learning in Children: The Institute of Education Sciences' Mid-Atlantic Regional Educational Laboratory Program (REL) released a
four-part series of reports on social and emotional learning (SEL) for young children. Based on a systematic review and synthesis of recent research reviews and meta-analyses on the topic of SEL, the report summarizes the benefits of social and emotional learning (SEL) in early childhood, and identifies the characteristics of effective SEL interventions. It contains information about federal, state, and district policies that support the implementation of SEL programs, teacher and classroom strategies that contribute to SEL, and how SEL outcomes can vary with diverse groups of children.
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Social Security
Benefits for Children with Disabilities and their Families: The Social Security Administration has updated its Benefits for Children with Disabilities
pamphlet (2019) describing benefits available to eligible children with disabilities and how to apply. Some benefits included are Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), health insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, and employment support programs. A 2018 version is also available in
Spanish.
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Technology
Impact of Internet Devices on Parent-Child Relationships:
The Child Trends News Service has a video, in English and Spanish, about the results of a study involving 170 families with kids from birth to age five that examines how internet devices are creating a disconnect in parent-child relationships, otherwise known as "technoference". The study found that parents who had the most difficult time managing their personal phone use had children exhibiting the most problem behaviors, such as hyperactivity and crying. Dr. Brandon McDaniel, who led the study, offers guidelines for parents to follow in the presence of their child(ren) so that technology doesn't interfere with their relationship, and proposes the implementation of "tech-free zones" or times, such as bedtime and mealtime. By putting the devices away, families can personally engage and spend quality time with those who matter most. Watch the video.
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Transition to Adult Life/Youth
Meet the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Youth Technical Assistance Center (Y-TAC): Y-TAC is a U.S. Department of Education's Rehabilitation Services Administration-funded Technical Assistance Center that is charged with providing State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies and related rehabilitation and youth service professionals with technical assistance to help more effectively serve students and youth with disabilities.
The Y-TAC provides TA and training to state VR agencies to help them find and engage youth with disabilities (YwD) who are not in special education as well as YwD who are no longer in school, and not employed. Learn about frameworks and training modules available as resources for youth service professionals as they support youth in personalized career planning, employer engagement, internships, and STEM career exploration. Presenters will discuss approaches designed to foster cross-boundary collaboration to promote the comprehensive transition of youth to adulthood leading to engagement in postsecondary education, training, and competitive integrated employment.
Learn more or sign up for the Y-TAC newsletter.
 Youth in Action: Serving on Decision-Making Boards:
Check out this tip sheet from the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth) for youth. You can also watch a video about the National Youth Action Council on Transition (YouthACT). In the video, youth and adults representing the three cohorts who have partnered through the YouthACT initiative share their hopes for youth, their accomplishments, and their perspectives on working together. YouthACT is a national initiative to get more youth with disabilities and their allies involved as leaders who partner with adults and organizations to improve opportunities for youth to succeed in life.
Learn more about YouthACT.
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Trauma, Toxic Stress, and Resilience
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Toxic Stress: The Center on the Developing Child continues its initiatives to research and prevent Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and toxic stress in children. The Center has published an infographic with links to additional resources to educate caregivers and professionals working with young children. Check it out.
Helping Young Children Who Have Experienced Trauma:
Check out the
report,
Helping Young Children Who Have Experienced Trauma: Policies and Strategies for Early Care and Education
which examines the effects of trauma on young children and presents strategies for professionals who work with these children. The report also provides recommendations for policymakers who want to promote trauma-informed care for this vulnerable group, including increasing childhood professionals' capacity to recognize and respond to trauma; expanding initiatives that help early care and education programs connect families with community services; and providing children with access to high-quality, stable early care and education and strong early learning supports.
National Skills Coalition and Apprenticeships:
The National Skills Coalition connects employers and jobseekers through apprenticeship and uses a variety of policy tools to build apprenticeship opportunities across the country. Read more.
Resilience: The Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope: Check out this documentary that explores the science of Adverse Child Experiences (ACEs) and a new movement to treat and prevent toxic stress to improve the lives of children, especially those living in poor communities. The documentary emerged from the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study, initiated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Kaiser Permanente in the late 1990s.
Three Principles to Improve Outcomes for Children and Families: The Center on the Developing Child has developed a resource describing the following three principles that policy makers and practitioners can use for optimizing outcomes for children and their families, and identifying obstacles that prevent these from being addressed: support responsive relationships for children and adults; strengthen core life skills; and reduce sources of stress in the lives of children and families. Read more.
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ABOUT THE REGION A PARENT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER
The Navigating Excellence-Parent Assistance and Collaboration Team (NE-PACT), the Region A Technical Assistance Center, provides technical assistance to federally-funded parent centers -- Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) and Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs) -  located in the states of
CT-AFCAMP
,
CT-CPAC
, DC-AJE, DE-PIC, MD-PPMD,
ME-MPF
,
MA-FCSN
,
NH-PIC
,
NJ-SPAN
,
NJ-ASCF
,
NY-AFC
, NY-CIDA, NY-LIAC,
NY-UWS
,
NY-Starbridge
,
NY-INCLUDEnyc
,
NY-Sinergia
,
NY-PNWNY
, PA-HUNE, PA- ME, PA-PEAL, PR-APNI,
RI-RIPIN
, VI-DRVI and
VT-VFN
. These Parent Centers are independent non-profit organizations. We also provide support to emerging parent centers and parent organizations serving families of children with or at risk of being identified as having disabilities. In addition, we work with early intervention and education agencies (local, state and federal level) seeking information regarding best practices in involving parents of children with disabilities in systems improvement.
The center activities are specifically designed to:
- Enhance the capacity of parent centers to provide effective services to families of children with special needs and to work effectively with their states to improve special education and early intervention systems; and,
- Facilitate their connections to the larger technical assistance network that supports research-based training, including educating parents about effective practices that improve results for children with disabilities. For more information click here.
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