April 2016
First 5 Co-hosts Documentary Screening with Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Supervisor Keith Carson and the Interagency Children’s Policy Council
Are We Crazy About Our Kids?
Saturday, June 4th, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Beebe Memorial Cathedral
RSVP: Register Now
We all want the best for our children. So why has the United States fallen behind every developed country in child well-being? The documentary Are We Crazy About Our Kids? brings to life several long term studies that demonstrate how high-quality early care and preschool yield huge benefits for individuals and society. With a return of $6 to $17 for every dollar spent on quality early education, the question becomes why are we not investing more in our most vulnerable communities? Why hasn’t early education been considered a viable response to the cycle of poverty?
In an effort to engage Alameda County in a conversation about these questions, First 5 Alameda County, the Interagency Children’s Policy Council, the office of Congresswoman Barbara Lee and the office of Supervisor Keith Carson are inviting community members and elected officials to screen the documentary Are We Crazy About Our Kids?, part of the PBS series The Raising of America produced by California Newsreel.
Are We Crazy About Our Kids will be screened on Saturday, June 4th at 1:00 PM at Beebe Memorial Cathedral, 3900 Telegraph Ave, Oakland. The screening will immediately be followed by a panel discussion and audience Q & A.
The Raising of America grew directly out of California Newsreel’s award-winning four-hour PBS series,UNNATURAL CAUSES: Is Inequality Making Us Sick. The series explores how we might provide opportunities for our children to have healthier, safer, better educated, more prosperous and equitable futures.
Join us for this FREE event at Beebe Memorial Cathedral. RSVP: Register Now
Legislative Update: First 5 Advocacy Day, a success!
On April 5th, First 5 Alameda County joined over 30 counties in California and the First 5 Association to advocate on behalf of our youngest Californians. With one out of every three children in California served by First 5 programs, it’s clear that First 5 is indispensable. CEO Janis Burger and a small team of First 5 Alameda County Staff visited the offices of Assemblymember Catherine Baker, Assemblymember Rob Bonta, Assemblymember Tony Thurmond, Assemblymember Kansen Chu, Senator Bob Wieckowski, Senator Steven Glazer, Director of the California Department of Health Care Services, Jennifer Kent and Senior Advisor for Policy at the Office of Governor Jerry Brown, Lark Park.
Advocacy Day gave members of the First 5 Association the opportunity to express their concern directly to state representatives about the current budget draft from Governor Brown which proposes consolidating preschool programs into one $1.6 billion dollar block grant. The Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance has since voted to reject the Governor’s budget focusing on the negative impact to the Quality Rating and Improvement System in early education and Transitional Kindergarten. We’re hopeful that the May Revision of the budget will restore didicated funding to early education and will keep you posted.
In addition to concerns about the state budget, there are over ten bills directly relating to the First 5 Association’s Policy Priorities. We had plenty to talk to our leaders about and were pleased that our state representatives are so well versed in the issues, familiar with First 5’s values and supportive of California’s young children.
Spotlight on a Grantee: CALICO
April is Child Abuse Prevention month, so we’re turning our attention to CALICO, a child advocacy center in Alameda County that exemplifies the best of a coordinated system of care. CALICO puts the needs of children at the forefront of their collaborative work, providing a safe place for children to answer questions about abuse from trauma-informed child specialists. Families also receive timely support and referrals to services. In the past, professionals investigating child abuse didn’t always take into account that children need special care. Children were sometimes asked to answer questions multiple times, by multiple people in unnerving settings. Not only could the context and repetition serve to re-traumatize the children, but could also result in confusing testimony. CALICO’s multi-disciplinary team approach makes child safety and healing a priority.
CALICO has helped countless children and families during extremely traumatic periods in their lives. One four-year-old victim named Gabriella is an example. Gabriella’s parents noticed that their little girl had suddenly become fearful and was starting to exhibit sexual behaviors in her play. When they asked her about it, Gabriella revealed that her uncle had hurt her. Her parents called the police immediately and the police brought the family to CALICO. At first, Gabriella was understandably nervous and withdrawn with CALICO’s Child Interview Specialist. The specialist was patient, encouraging Gabriella to play with toys and talk about whatever she wanted. When she was ready, Gabriella told the interviewer details of her uncle’s sexual abuse.
While Gabriella was interviewed, her parents met with CALICO’s Family Resource Specialist. Shocked and confused, Gabriella’s parents couldn’t understand how their own family could hurt Gabriella. The specialist helped them process their feelings of anger and confusion and referred them to a counselor to start the healing process with Gabriella immediately. When CALICO followed up a few weeks later, her parents reported that Gabriella was acting more and more like herself again.
In addition to working directly with child victims and their families, CALICO runs community workshops to help adults recognize situations that put children at risk of sexual abuse. For more moving success stories, or to read more about their important work, visit: www.calicocenter.org.
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