INCLUDEnyc: Massive shoutout to Daniesha Brown, a Youth Leadership Council member for INCLUDEnyc and published author! Read her story on The Imprint and the importance of using lived experiences to create and advocate for change. Find it here.

Learning to Advocate for Children and Families: Whether you are influencing people in your town, your state capitol, or Washington, DC, advocacy makes a difference! In this free webinar series, participants learn skills to be an effective advocate for issues they care about and be engaged and informed members of their communities. From strategies for organizing stakeholders to methods for communicating your priorities, this series explores everything you need to make an impact on the issues most important to you. All webinars are one hour long and have live Spanish translation and closed captioning available.  Join the Brazelton Touchpoint Center of MA for their 3-part webinar series. Click here for more information.

Region A Drop-In Call: The next Drop-in call will take place on Tuesday, March 5th, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm, ET. Our featured technical assistance presenter will be Arc Telos Saint Amour (But folks tend to call them Tay) from Youth MOVE National. They will share resources for outreach to youth and families. Join the Drop-in call.

Parent Center Showcase: The Disability Rights Center of the Virgin Islands (DRCVI) will host the Parent Center Showcase on March 19th, 10:00 am ET. They will share the importance of tapping into resources through community collaborations to tackle issues such as mental health, literacy, and hygiene, and using Art Therapy to address some of the issues in schools and foster much-needed conversations. Registration is not needed. Click here to join.

Assistive Technology for Sensory Difficulties: Students with sensory difficulties, like those with autism, ADHD, and other diagnoses, may have trouble filtering out background noise, sitting under bright lights, showing tactile defensiveness and much more. This workshop will include information about resources such as fidgets, alternative seating, reading tools, auditory devices, items for sensory stimulation, and sensory apps. Join Team of Advocates for Special Kids (TASK) on Tuesday, March 26th at 1:00 pm ET for a fun, informative session and leave with resources galore! Share widely!! Click here to register.

Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR): Check out the Hub Central events calendar for more webinar and events.

Running a Non-Profit: The National Council of Non-Profits has a great toolkit on running a non-profit. Major topic areas include Administration and Financial Management; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Employment and Human Resources; Ethics and Accountability; Fundraising and Resource Development; Governance and Leadership; and Marketing and Communications.

How to Build Partnerships with Immigrant Families: Learn how to build effective partnerships with immigrant families through communication, parent leadership, and culturally responsive outreach. These strategies are part of the Colorín Colorado resource guide, How to Support Immigrant Students and Families: Strategies for Schools and Early Childhood Programs.

YP2LE Learning Network Webinar: Designing Better Youth Center and Safe Space Programs (Recording and Slides): Explore the YP2LE Youth Center Toolkit resources to gain valuable insights into creating nurturing environments for young people. This includes understanding the significance of safe spaces and designing effective programs. Find it here.

Fifteen Tips for Working Effectively with Interpreters: The goal of any training, workshop, presentation or meeting is to build understanding. This is much harder when the facilitator doesn’t speak the language of the group, or a subset of the group does not speak the main language of the event. But it can be done, and language barriers may even improve dialogue when people are more intentional about really listening and trying to understand each other. Here are some road-tested tips for facilitators when working with interpreters. Read more.

Schools won’t recover from COVID absenteeism crisis until at least 2030: The rate of students chronically missing school got so bad during the pandemic that it will likely be 2030 before classrooms return to pre-COVID norms, a new report from Youth Today says. Read more.

Multilingual Learners: Multilingual learners now make up more than 10% of the US student population and they include students who were born in the US as well those who have immigrated or moved here. More than 75% of multilingual learners speak Spanish, and many schools and districts have more than 100 languages represented among their students. As noted by Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, multilingualism is a superpower! Learn more.

The Relationship Between Bullying and Suicide: What We Know and What it Means for Schools: Check out this publication, from the  CDC Division of Violence prevention, which provides concrete, action-oriented information to help improve schools’ understanding of and ability to prevent and respond to the problem of bullying and suicide-related behavior. Click here to download it and share with others. Also check out a new study about How childhood bullying is linked to mental health problems later, Feb 13, 2024.

Separating Poverty From Neglect in Child Welfare: This publication, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families Children’s Bureau, explores what the research shows about the overlap among families experiencing poverty and those reported to the child welfare system for neglect, and strategies that have proven effective for preventing and addressing both poverty and neglect, together. The strategies presented in this brief should be viewed as part of a larger movement within the child welfare system away from a focus on surveilling and separating families experiencing poverty and toward collaborating with a broader social services system to ensure that all families have access to the resources and support they need to care for their children and thrive. Find it here.

School Choice Increases Racial Segregation Even When Parents Do Not Care About Race: US school children largely attend racially segregated schools. This research examines conditions under which school choice increases or decreases school segregation, even when parents do not care about race. A choice-based conjoint study reveals that Black and White parents place different values on school attributes related to reducing social status inequality—particularly, school performance. Simulations of parents’ school selections uncover that, because of these different values, unmitigated school-choice policies increase segregation—even if parents do not take school racial demographics into consideration. Read more.

Engaging Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families: Educators play a critical role in the successful participation of their students in instruction and assessment. The purpose of this Fact Sheet is to provide educators with strategies that will help them engage culturally and linguistically diverse families and their children. Learn more.

Data on Father Involvement in Education: When fathers are involved in the lives of their children, especially their education, children learn more, perform better in school, and exhibit healthier behavior. Even if fathers do not share a home with their kids, their active involvement in their child’s education can have a lasting and positive impact. Research shows that when fathers are engaged in children’s education, student grades and test scores improve, attendance increases, and students are more involved in school activities. Check it out.

I combed through 81 studies on school discipline. Here’s what educators need to know: Read more about these 4 evidence-based considerations for closing discipline disparities. Click here to learn more.

Trends in Dispute Resolution (DR) under the IDEA for SY 2021-22: The 2021-22 school year (SY 2021) represented data collected as the nation emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, where, in the previous year, school closures and alternative education environments replaced in-class instruction. Disputes related to the disruption caused by the pandemic may have contributed to fluctuations evident in the SY 2021 data. Check out the data shared by CADRE.

How to fight against school dropout: Dropping out of school is a phenomenon that affects many students around the world. It is characterized by early school leaving, often before the end of the compulsory education cycle. The reasons for dropping out of school are numerous and complex, ranging from social and family problems to learning difficulties, absenteeism and lack of motivation. In this article, we will discuss some effective strategies for combating school dropout. Read it here.

Early Childhood Development Chart—Third Edition: Crosswalk to The Three Child Outcomes: The crosswalk shows how the milestones cover The Breadth of the Three Child Outcomes, including the six bundles of skills that comprise each outcome. Additionally, it includes age references for the milestones that are useful for age anchoring when Child Outcomes Summary (COS) teams determine ratings on the COS 7-point scale. Click here to view the table and learn more.

Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning: This 62 page policy report, from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Technology, addresses the clear need for sharing knowledge, engaging educators, and refining technology plans and policies for artificial intelligence (AI) use in education. The report describes AI as a rapidly-advancing set of technologies for recognizing patterns in data and automating actions, and guides educators in understanding what these emerging technologies can do to advance educational goals—while evaluating and limiting key risks. Click here to read the report.

New OCR Resources Aid Student Health and Guide Legal Requirements: The U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights (OCR) has released information important to the civil rights of students with disabilities as well as a data snapshot derived from OCR’s 2020-21 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC). In addition, the CRDC snapshot highlights noticeable differences in the treatment of students with disabilities as opposed to their non-disabled peers, namely disparities in disciplinary action in the areas of physical restraint and seclusion. Read the OCR press release and access links to the resources here.

Discussion Guide: Supporting a Positive Racial Identity for Black, indigenous, and other Children of Color in Transracial Placements with White Parents: This guide is designed to help parent group leaders facilitate discussions with white parents about supporting a positive racial identity for Black, Indigenous, and other children of color in transracial placements. It is the most-viewed content by child welfare professionals in 2023. Find it here.

Grandparents may have a significant impact on a mom's mental health, study shows: "Grandparents are an important source of support to families with children, and support from others is well-known to protect individuals from depression," Metsä-Simola said via email. "As the association between maternal depression and adverse child outcomes is well established, support not only matters for the mothers' wellbeing but also to the growing numbers of children living with separated mothers.” Read about the study here.

More Children are Losing Medicaid Coverage as Child Poverty Grows: Children’s Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollment declined by 5.5%, or 2.3 million children, from March 2023, before the unwinding began, to September 2023, according to KFF’s latest analysis. Across all 50 states and DC, at least 14,377,000 people were disenrolled from Medicaid between April 1 and January 9, 2024. Medicaid eligibility levels are higher for children, raising concerns that they may be losing coverage and becoming uninsured despite remaining eligible. Medicaid covers 8 in 10 children living in poverty and over half of Black, Hispanic, American Indian, and Alaska Native (AIAN) children. The loss of Medicaid could worsen economic stress for many families. See more.

Strategies to Better Identify Student Homelessness Using Data in an Urban School District: Homelessness might be more than four times greater than levels officially recognized in a district, researchers report in a study published in January 2024 in the Educational Researcher.

Assistive Technology Devices and Services for Children with Disabilities Under the IDEA: The Office of Educational Technology (OET) and the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) are pleased to share guidance in support of children with disabilities who need assistive technology (AT) devices and services for meaningful access and engagement in education. Read the January 2024 Dear Colleague Letter and Guidance here.  

Policy Statement: How to Manage the Border Without Sacrificing Human Rights: The nation’s legal immigration system is antiquated and needs revision. Immigration reform would revamp both the family and labor-based system to allow immigrants to migrate legally and in a timely fashion, thus reducing pressure on the southern border. Read more.

Inclusive Postsecondary Education for Students with Intellectual Disabilities: In this resource guide you’ll find everything you need to know about inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) in an easy-to-read format, with helpful tips and information. This guide references numerous web pages and resources from the Think College website, so you will find links or codes to scan throughout. Click here to read and print this guide to easy sharing.

There are beacons of hope amidst Maine’s juvenile justice challenges: Is Maine started to shift the paradigm on Juvenile Justice Reforms: At the heart of Maine’s juvenile justice system lies a narrative of struggle, chronicled in the recent article published by both the Bangor Daily News and New York Times. Yet, amidst the challenges highlighted, there shines a beacon of hope: a concerted effort to invest in positive youth development initiatives across the state. Read the article here.

Queering Reproductive Justice: A Mini Toolkit: This condensed version of the "Queering Reproductive Justice Toolkit” empowers advocates to center the unique experiences and needs of LGBTQ+ individuals in the fight for reproductive justice. Read more here.

An Exclusive Look Into Mental Health First Aid at Work: In recent years, a staggering 40% of employees reported that their jobs have had a negative impact on their mental health, and 75% of employees indicated that stigma was present in their workplaces. Now more than ever, it’s essential to create a thriving workforce with healthier and more engaged employees. Learn more.

Preparing Your Military-Connected Child for (Another) New School: When service members receive permanent change of station orders – is right around the corner, which means that military-connected children across the country are preparing to move and enroll in a new school. If you’re a parent or caregiver of a military-connected child, you’ve likely witnessed how challenging it can be for your child to start over and make new friends … again. However, there are steps you can take to ensure your child’s transition to a new school goes as smoothly as possible. Read the blog here.

Penobscot Nation Graduate Student Receives National Honor: The organization CNAY, Center for Native American Youth, is housed in The Aspen Institute in Washington, DC. It is a very active organization nationally, engaging American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian youth, under the age of 24. They recently announced their five Champions for Change for 2024. One of the winning youth is from our own great state of Maine: Ms. Sage Phillips. She is a member of the Penobscot Nation and a graduate student at the University of Connecticut, pursuing a master’s degree in human rights. Read all about her award-winning advocacy initiatives here. We are pleased to honor Ms. Phillips and all the Native youth in our region who are accomplishing great things on behalf of their communities.

Parent Leadership:  Parents are central to family support models and should be encouraged to develop to their potential. Parent support, education, and leadership work together to help them develop the skills to do just that. By fostering parents in the role of experts and leaders, families benefit from improved self-worth and act as better advocates for their needs. In contrast, programs benefit from being more responsive and accountable to the families they serve. Read more.

Kids Count: # of Children Living in Poverty Grows: The number of children living in poverty in the United States more than doubled in 2022, according to new figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Sept. 12, the biggest increase since it began using its current method to count them. See more.

What is Restraint and Seclusion? An Explainer: The use of restraint and seclusion in K-12 schools has been scrutinized and criticized for decades, including by the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Government Accountability Office, and several research articles published by the National Institutes of Health. Despite that, more than 100,000 students were restrained or secluded in the latest federal data available. Read more here.

How a culture of caring is helping these schools improve student mental health: Some approaches include “advocacy centers” where students are coached through strong emotions with activities like yoga, breathing exercises or calming music. Others are applied more broadly, like mentorship programs or culturally responsive curriculum. Learn more here.

10 Genuine Ways Companies Can Prioritize Accessibility And Inclusion: According to the World Economic Forum, of the 90% of companies that claim to make diversity a priority, only 4% are inclusive of disabilities. With some 17% of the world’s population living with some sort of disability, this disparity leaves a large number of people out of the equation when it comes to ensuring equity and inclusion for all. Learn more.

Career Prep Tip: Specialized programming for neurodiverse students: As the number of college students with disabilities grows, more institutions are investing in individualized programs and initiatives to support their career development and workforce readiness. Read about it here.

The Implications of COVID-19 for Mental Health and Substance Use: Concerns about mental health and substance use remain elevated three years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, with 90% of U.S. adults believing that the country is facing a mental health crisis, according to a recent KFF/CNN survey. The pandemic has affected the public’s mental health and well-being in a variety of ways, including through isolation and loneliness, job loss and financial instability, and illness and grief. Over the course of the pandemic, many adults reported symptoms consistent with anxiety and depression, with approximately four in ten adults reporting these symptoms by early 2021, before declining to approximately three in ten adults as the pandemic continued (Figure 1). Additionally, drug overdose deaths have sharply increased – largely due to fentanyl – and after a brief period of decline, suicide deaths are once again on the rise. These negative mental health and substance use outcomes have disproportionately affected some populations, particularly communities of color and youth. As the end of the declaration of the public health emergency nears – on May 11, 2023 – many people continue to grapple with worsened mental health and well-being and face barriers to care.  Read more.