Although the conversation of child sexual abuse is too important to be ignored, it is often a conversation considered too delicate to undertake. When you consider just how many young children fall victim to sexual abuse, the important responsibility adults have of focusing on prevention and detection becomes priority.  Research from the Centers for Disease Control indicates that by the time children turn 18 years of age, one in four girls and one in six boys will have been sexually abused.  While many children who have experienced sexual abuse show behavioral and emotional changes, many others do not. Parents and caregivers need to be equipped with methods of protecting their children by helping them develop basic safety skills in a way that is supportive rather than frightening. 

The Partnership recently came across a great resource from the Philadelphia Children’s Alliance, “10 Tips for protecting the children you love from Sexual Abuse.”

An overview of these valuable tips:

1. Make your home a “No Secrets Zone.”  Perpetrators use secrets to keep kids silent and continue the abuse. Make sure your child knows the difference between a secret and a surprise.  Secrets are something you are never supposed to tell and can make you feel bad.  Surprises are good and are meant to be revealed. 

2. Respect your child’s personal boundaries.  At a certain age, kids may no longer want to give hugs and kisses to show affection. Never force unwanted physical contact; instead, send kids the message that adults should respect their physical boundaries.

3. Teach kids the proper names for body parts.  Discrete code words and cute nicknames for body parts may be more comfortable to use, but if a child is being sexually abused they need to know the appropriate terms in order to effectively communicate with others about contact they do not like.

4. Monitor “one-one-one” situations.  Children will find themselves in situations where they are alone with adults. Whenever possible, make sure that they can be readily observed by others.

5. Recognize that offenders come in all shapes and sizes.  CDC statistics show that 90% of children are sexually abused by someone they know.  Telling a child to “keep away from strangers” is not enough.

6. Make the most of opportunities to discuss the topic with your kids.  Some children may not volunteer the information that they’ve experienced sexual abuse, but many will respond honestly when asked directly.

7. Not all background checks are created equal.  Don’t assume that anyone else is doing the work of a proper background check for you. Ask what is included in background checks for caretakers, nannies, or others.

8. Avoid “good touch/bad touch” language.  For most children, a “bad touch” is something that causes pain.  Sex offenders rarely commit acts that cause physical pain to the child.  Children who have been sexually abused may not understand that it is still a “bad touch” since it didn’t hurt.  Instead, use terms like “safe and unsafe touches.” 

9. Be clear and cover all bases. It is just as important to tell a child it is not okay to touch others either.  A perpetrator may ask a child to touch him or her.

10. If you don’t know, ask! If you need guidance in facilitating this discussion with a child, seek help. Don’t ignore this important issue.

February is National Children's Dental Health Month! And there is no time better than the present to highlight the importance of oral health and developing good habits at an early age. The Partnership was able to track down Martha Keels, DDS of Duke Pediatric Dentistry for a Q&A on this very important topic.  Thank you Dr. Keels for lending us your expertise!

Q: What is preventive dental care and why is it so important?

• It saves money! Dental treatment is expensive. 
• Children can take great pride in saying “I am cavity-free!”
• Prevention helps you stay on the path to being cavity free and hopefully avoid having a needle shot and a drill in your mouth!

Q: What dental routine is suggested for infants whose teeth have yet to arrive?

• Get the baby accustomed to having their mouth wiped even before the teeth arrive. Before or after the bath, use a clean washcloth and wipe the gums.
• This also gets parents and caregivers in the habit of checking the mouth every day.
• Make oral hygiene part of the child’s everyday routine! 

Q: At what age should children get their first dental cleaning?
Children should have a “dental home” by age one.  Typically, children have 8 teeth by then and the dentist or the dental staff can review with you and demonstrate how to properly clean these teeth.  This is usually done sitting knee to knee with the dentist and not in the dental chair. 

Q: What can parents/children expect during their first visit to the dentist?

• Review of the families’ (both parents) dental history and the child’s medical history
• Thorough mouth exam – pathology, cavities, saliva
• Demonstration on proper teeth cleaning – brushing and flossing
• Discuss appropriate type of toothpaste and fluoride needs
• Review of the diet – avoid juice, keep WATER in the bottle or sippy cup, avoid sticky candy and foods. Avoid any food labeled SOUR --- sour candy is very acidic and burns holes in the teeth
• Discussion about how to handle any habits like pacifier or digit sucking
• Discussion about how to handle any dental injuries – what to do and who to call
• Leave knowing what your child’s caries risk is – high, medium or low 

Q: What is the most common excuse parents and caregivers make for not seeking preventive dental care early enough?
Parents are often afraid their child will cry or be disruptive in the dental office, so they want to wait until the child is better behaving. Dentists are very comfortable with a crying child. It is normal for children to be scared or anxious, but typically, after we spend some time with the child and gain their trust, the child relaxes. Don’t avoid getting good information about how to care for your child.
Another reason would simply be the cost. But prevention in much cheaper than treatment! One small filling can be over $200 – OUCH!

Q: What are the long-term problems that arise from improper dental care early on?

• Studies show that if dental caries is left untreated, children do more poorly in school as they can be distracted by discomfort or pain.
• If you lose a baby tooth too early, then the teeth shift around and permanent teeth do not erupt nicely, which can lead to more crooked teeth.
• If the teeth have to be restored with silver crowns, then the child has to live with silver versus natural white for several years. The last baby molars do not fall out until age 12.

Q: What are the main culprits for tooth decay in young children?

• Eating my worry foods --- dried fruit (raisins, craisins), fruit roll-ups, fruit chews, skittles, starbursts, gummies, gummy vitamins, cereal bars and granola bars.  And, NOT FLOSSING --- these foods get stuck between the 8 molars and then you get the 8 chewing cavities.
• Holding juice, sports drinks, lemonade or soda in the mouth – slow swallowing or drinking an acidic beverage before bed.

Q: What is the critical connection between preventive dental care and success in school for children?
Dr. Stephanie Jackson’s study showed there were more missed school days due to cavities as well as poorer school performance for children with cavities. Healthy smiles and successful lives go hand in hand. 

Data from the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion indicates that early tooth loss caused by dental decay can result in failure to thrive, impaired speech development, absence from and inability to concentrate in school, and reduced self-esteem.

 
Resources for parents and children
» Handout for parents on preventive dental care for toddlers
» Coloring sheet for children, developed by the American Dental Association.

Martha Ann Keels DDS PhD, Associate Professor in Surgery and Pediatrics
Duke Pediatric Dentistry, 2711 North Duke Street, Durham, NC 27704

Did you know that play is one of the most important strategies for preparing children to enter kindergarten? Play fosters the development of physical and mental skills for young children, as well as invites creativity, imagination, and problem solving skills to flourish.

Think about how a child practices using language and new words when playing with a dollhouse, for example. As your child recreates what happens in her everyday life, she is using words and phrases she hears daily.  Or what about using blocks to build castle? This activity allows children to learn basic math concepts and problem solve using various shapes and sizes.

Read more in the latest issue of Steps to School, a joint publication of Durham’s Partnership for Children and Durham Public Schools, part of the collaborative Transition to Kindergarten Initiative.

Join the Partnership at our upcoming Faith Initiative Lunch and Learn, which focuses on “The Serious Business of Play—Getting Children Ready for Success in School." 
Date: Tuesday, March 6th from 11:30 am to 1 pm. 
Location: Covenant Presbyterian Church, Fellowship Hall (2620 Weaver Street, Durham). 
Please RSVP to Winnie Morgan at (919) 732-1524 or winniewmorgan@juno.com.

Did you know that within the first year of a child’s life, he or she should see a doctor for a well-child visit seven times?  These frequent but critical visits – known as preventive care – are the optimal way to track children’s growth and development, to administer required shots that keep children healthy, and to provide an opportunity to ask the doctor questions about children’s health.

A guest column (“Preventive care very important for healthy kids”) by Partnership Board Member and social worker at Duke Children’s Primary Care David Covington appearing in today’s Herald-Sun makes the case for preventive care. The piece promotes the importance of ensuring families have health insurance and a regular health care provider; ensuring primary care providers use standardized developmental screenings during well-child visits; and, educating parents on developmental milestones during routine well-child visits. 

Click here to read the column in full.

Link to our brochure online: Healthy & Ready: A Guide to Preventive Care.  Spanish version.

Click here to read more about the Partnership’s Kindergarten Health Assessment (KHA) Project.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 24 million children in America -- one out of three -- live in biological father-absent homes. Children who live absent their biological fathers are, on average, at least two to three times more likely to be poor, to use drugs, to experience educational, health, emotional and behavioral problems, to be victims of child abuse, and to engage in criminal behavior than their peers who live with their married, biological (or adoptive) parents.  Source: The National Fatherhood Initiative

The Early Childhood Faith Initiative seeks to address this critical issue through its upcoming Lunch & Learn session, "Getting Fathers Involved with Young Children," from 11:30 am to 1 pm on Tuesday, February 7th.  Jeff Quinn, MPH, Center for Child and Family Policy, Duke University will present an overview of the importance of father involvement in early development as well as suggestions on how fathers can get involved in their child's life.  He will be joined by a panel of ministers who will share their suggestions of how congregations can help fathers get involved in their children's lives as well as their own personal experiences as fathers.  The session will be held at Covenant Presbyterian Church (2620 Weaver Street) in the fellowship hall.  Bring your lunch.  Beverages provided. 

Registration is encouraged by contacting Winnie Morgan (winniewmorgan@juno.com or 919-732-1524), Early Childhood Faith Initiative Coordinator for the Partnership.  This session is free and open to the public.

The Faith Initiative is a collaborative initiative between Durham’s Partnership for Children and End Poverty Durham that recognizes the role that the faith community plays in providing support to families and children.  Click here to read more about this initiative.

The child care industry in Durham County is big – with good reason.  Locally, more than 7,000 children are enrolled in licensed child care settings.  Families in need of these services utilize a great deal of resources to find the perfect early care and education provider for their child.  With so many children in need of care, it is no wonder that families begin their search early. 

Join Child Care Services Association during one of the following free Choosing & Using Child Care Information Sessions. During the sessions you will learn about:

• What steps to take during your child care search
• North Carolina licensing regulations for child care programs
• What quality child care looks like
• Different financial assistance resources for help paying for child care
• How to access other community resources that are available to support your family
• How Child Care Services Association can help you during your child care search

January 23, 1:00pm-2:00pm (Webinar with an infant/toddler care focus)
Durham County Health Department
Register by phone (919) 560-7771or by email to request a registration link: wrobinson@durhamcountync.gov

January 24, 12:30pm-1:30pm
UNC Women's Hospital, 101 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Register by email: Stork@unch.unc.edu

February 8, 6:30 - 7:30 pm
Teer House, 4019 North Roxboro Road, Durham, NC 27704
Register on-line at http://teerhouse.dukehealth.org or call (919) 416-3853

Did you know that Durham has been recognized as a Playful City USA by KaBoom? Playful City USA is a national recognition program that honors cities that make play a priority by using innovative programs that foster active environments for children.  Last year, 151 cities and towns were recognized. 
For the benefit of our children’s healthy physical development, parents and caregivers should be encouraging children to spend at least an hour a day playing outside where some of the most exploratory learning often takes place.  Encouraging children to go outside, get moving, and connect with nature are all ways to avoid childhood obesity, but there are other benefits too. Kids who play outside are happier, healthier, and stronger.
Yet families often experience many obstacles when it comes to spending time outdoors: busy schedules, technology, community violence, and fear of getting hurt.  Another common barrier to outdoor play is lack of access to public parks and playgrounds.

Fortunately for Durhamites, a number of nearby parks and play areas are located on the bus route.  Here’s a small listing:

OF INTEREST:  Did you know that the Museum of Life and Science offers free admission on Wednesdays from 1 -5 pm to all Durham County Residents? ID required. The museum is located at 433 West Murray Avenue, Durham, NC 27704.

So get out, explore, and learn in our playful city of Durham!

Check out the article printed in Tuesday's Herald-Sun from Partnership Program & Evaluation Director Kate Irish and Durham Public Schools Title I Coordinator Kate MacDonell. The article outlines why the transition into kindergarten is so critical and what informational opportunities are available to parents over the next few months to prepare families for that important transition.

Click here to read the article in full.

The New Republic recently published an article by Jonathan Cohn titled “The Two Year Window” that emphasizes the consequences of neglect and abuse on very young children.  This article compels us to invest in children during their earliest years – from birth through age two. Though the article is a must-read in its entirety, the Partnership wanted to share a few key points here on our blog.

• Approximately seven million American infants, toddlers and preschoolers receive care from somebody other than a relative, whether through organized child care or more informal arrangements. Much of that care is not good.
• Hundreds of thousands of children are born to teenage mothers, of which 60% live in poverty.
• An estimated few hundred thousand children suffer from serious abuse and neglect.  New research shows again that neglect of very young children does not merely stunt emotional development; it changes the architecture of their brains.
• Just as, for example, a baby who endures prolonged abuse or neglect is likely to end up with an enlarged amygdala (the part of the brain that helps generate the fear response), babies who perceive threats (i.e. - a wet diaper left unchanged, hunger) that are constantly ignored will experience wear and tear on their developing brains; their coping and thinking mechanisms forever altered.
• Children who fail to develop coping mechanisms struggle in school because they can't focus, sit still, read, they have trouble standing in line, they lash out at teachers and classmates. These struggles, naturally, lead to other problems that perpetuate the cycle of poverty.
• Young children who experience early adversity (such as abusive parenting and economic hardship) are more likely to have a diminished IQ and mental health problems. A 2010 study from Psychological Medicine concluded that childhood adversities were associated with about one in five cases of severely impairing mental disorders and about one in four anxiety disorders in adulthood.
• When we invest in children early – as soon as the mother is pregnant with that child – we see long-term positive outcomes. One example is the Nurse-Family Partnership (tested in the '70s and '80s), modeled after a home visiting program for pregnant mothers and children birth to age 2. Two long-term studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that adolescents whose mothers had been in the program were less likely to run away, get arrested, or consume alcohol or tobacco. Reports of child abuse were lower by about 50 percent.
• According to research by the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution, children get about half as many taxpayer resources, per person, as do the elderly. And among children, the youngest get the least.

To read the article in full, click here.

One of the best gifts you can give to a young child during the holiday season is the sharing of family traditions. Think about your own family traditions or meaningful activities that you want your child to remember most.  What values do you wish to instill during this season?

This was the focus of the most recent newsletter produced by Durham County’s Early Childhood Faith Initiative.  The Faith Initiative is a collaborative initiative between Durham’s Partnership for Children and End Poverty Durham that recognizes the role that the faith community plays in providing support to families and children. 

Some ideas for passing down holiday traditions to young children include:

• Create your own Advent Calendar that has meaningful tasks to do (service ideas) or scriptures and activities to share. 
• Wrap one book related to the season for each day of the month leading up to your holiday.  Open one each night and read together.
• Do one act of kindness each day and write this on a paper chain or stars.  Teach to give of self and time to others.
• Read books of other countries’ traditions.
• Create a Family Journal including drawings, recipes of food specialties, photos, traditions, weather notes, who were involved with your holidays.
• Give children the gift of time, such as:
  - 30 minutes each day with dad (or mom) doing what the child wants (a tea party, a visit to the park, a hike outside)
  - Give a “monthly mystery outing” and provide clues of what this might be

Click here to view the December edition of Congregations & Early Childhood, a monthly newsletter from the Early Childhood Faith Initiative. For more information on the Faith initiative, contact Faith Coordinator Winnie Morgan at winniewmorgan@juno.com or at 919-732-1524.