March 2010
We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise we harden.
–Johann Von Goethe
Announcements
Do you now, or have you ever considered, providing support and education to young fathers?
Plan to attend MOAPPP’s Pre-Conference Institute in Brooklyn Center, MN
Register for this institute and you will receive information you can use to get started or to expand and sustain a quality program. Hector Sanchez-Flores, Senior Research Associate with the Institute for Health Policy Studies of the University of California San Francisco, and a panel of local experts will offer guidance and practical tips in your work to meet the needs of Minnesota young fathers and their children. Networking Happy Hour with appetizers and cash bar will follow. Partial scholarships are available. Presented by MOAPPP and Minnesota Young Fathers Action Collaborative (MYFAC). Registration information will be available soon at MOAPPP.org.
Teen Parent Connections Forming in Washington and Ramsey Counties
On March 9, 2010, a group of individuals working with teen parents in Washington County met to discuss plans to form a Teen Parent Connection, which would give providers opportunities for networking and sharing resources. MOAPPP will next work to facilitate the beginning of a Ramsey County Teen Parent Connection. If you work with teen parents in Ramsey or Washington Counties, please contact [email protected] to express your interest in joining.
Youth Lobby Day
On March 24 2010, join the Coalition for Responsible Sex Ed at the Minnesota State Capitol. This FREE event for youth will focus on being an effective advocate in the legislative process and issues surrounding responsible sex ed and minors’ access to confidential care in Minnesota. Minnesota youth will gather at the Capitol to send a message to legislators about the urgent need for a sex ed statute in Minnesota. Register here today! Learn more about the Coalition at www.coalitionforsexed.org. Find organizational members here and join as an individual or as an organization here.
The 2010 Conference Brochure Will Be Here Soon!
The MOAPPP Annual Conference is Minnesota’s most comprehensive training event covering current research, educational resources, policy initiatives and emerging issues related to adolescent sexual health, pregnancy prevention and support for adolescent parents. It promises to be two days (plus a pre-conference day devoted to work with teen fathers) filled with renowned speakers, challenging, informative, skill-building workshops and many opportunities for networking and conversation. Early Registration deadline is April 16, 2010. For more information, visit the MOAPPP conference page.
Calling all ‘YouTubers’: What does it mean to be a healthy young person?
If you are between the ages of 13 and 24, or know someone who is, we invite you to create a 30-to-60-second video public service announcement that answers the question “what does it mean to be a healthy young person today?” Selected videos will premiere on May 7, during MOAPPP’s Annual Conference. They will also be featured on MOAPPP’s YouTube channel, and prizes of a $100 gift card will be awarded to three of the youth-created PSAs. For additional information including submission rules and eligibility requirements, visit the MOAPPP conference page.
Call for Exhibitors
Join us as an exhibitor for the 19th Annual MOAPPP Conference! Visit the MOAPPP conference page for more information and an application.
Minnesota Families “Sound Off!”
University of Minnesota Extension Center wants to hear from families about issues that concern them. How often do you get the opportunity to tell others what matters most to you and your family’s future, no strings attached? Please pass this information on to families you work with. Check the website throughout the months of March and April, where families’ responses will be featured on the site. For more information, contact Karen Shirer at 612.626.3971, [email protected].
Family Life Project Research Study
The University of Notre Dame Center for Children and Families is conducting a pilot study called the Family Life Project. In the online pilot, mothers with 3-year-old children are asked to complete a parenting survey about their child and the child’s first three years of life. As part of their participation, respondents can enter a lottery for a $100 Amazon gift certificate. The survey takes about 45 minutes in one sitting. To take the survey, click here.
In the News
Teen Dating Violence
Family physicians are in an ideal position to break the cycle of violence through awareness and identification of abuse in dating relationships, and by educating adolescents and their parents about the possibility of abuse. For more information, read this editorial.
Research
New Publication:
Early Childhood Mental Health
View the latest issue of the University of Minnesota’s Healthy Generations magazine (PDF) for articles that address children’s mental health including early childhood interventions, early childhood family education, mental health disparities and more.
New Report:
What Works For Older Youth During The Transition To Adulthood: Lessons from experimental evaluations of programs and interventions
This report (PDF) examines the role that programs designed to serve older youth can play in promoting positive development and subsequent self-sufficiency in adulthood, and presents findings from 31 studies that implemented scientifically rigorous experimental evaluations to examine the impacts of various intervention strategies on youth well-being outcomes during the transition to adulthood. Results indicate that education and career programs can be effective, especially for low-income youth and for youth targeted from younger ages. Furthermore, specific intervention strategies, such as mentoring, case management and providing child care for young parents, are associated with program success across outcomes. However, existing substance use and reproductive health programs have not consistently been found to be effective across outcomes for this age group.
Resources
- Text4Baby – Free Mobile Pregnancy Information Service
- Calendar of Seasonal Activities To Do with Babies and Toddlers
- More Fun Activities From Zero to Three
- Father Times Newsletter
- Free Tax Preparation Services
Text4Baby – Free Mobile Pregnancy Information Service
Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB), partnering with the Federal Office on Women’s Health, is launching text4baby, a free mobile information service that provides pregnant women and new moms with information to help them care for their health and give their babies the best possible start in life. Sign up for the service by texting BABY to 511411 (or BEBE in Spanish) to receive free text messages each week, timed to your due date or baby’s date of birth. These messages focus on a variety of topics critical to maternal and child health, including birth defect prevention, immunization, nutrition, seasonal flu, mental health, oral health and safe sleep. Text4baby messages also connect women to prenatal and infant care services and other resources. Learn more about the text4baby campaign at www.womenshealth.gov.
Calendar of Seasonal Activities To Do with Babies and Toddlers
Zero to Three has published a list of fun seasonal activities that you might want to pass on to the teen parents in your program.
More Fun Activities From Zero to Three
Birth to 12 Months:
Making Memory Blocks – Cover the top and bottom of a small box with photos or pictures cut from magazines. You can also use different types and colors of fabrics or papers. Show your baby each side of the box that you have decorated: “Look, there is a picture of you and Nana. And on this side there is shiny foil.” Let your baby explore the box in whatever ways she likes. Change the pictures every once in a while to keep this toy “fresh” and interesting for her.
12 to 24 Months:
Open and Shut Case – Find a small box (shoebox sized) and let your child decorate it with pictures cut from magazines and color it with crayons. Give your child items such as cotton balls, unmatched socks, or clothespins, and have him fill the box. Then let him dump them out and start over. Young toddlers love to collect items and then fill-and-dump. As your child puts items in the box, count out loud—over time, this helps your toddler learn about numbers and counting.
24 to 36 Months:
Building Boxes – Collect 5-10 empty cereal boxes, oatmeal canisters, shoeboxes and other cardboard containers. Tape them shut and let your toddler stack them up to make big towers and other creations. Sit down on the floor with your child as she builds and talk with her about what she is doing. What is she making? Does she want your help? Does she need some assistance figuring out how to get her tower to stand up? Use this time as a chance to get to know how your child is growing, thinking and learning in new ways.
Father Times is an educational newsletter series designed to provide fathers and father figures of young children with quality information and ideas about healthy parenting and child development. Father Times is a practical parent education tool that is anchored on a sound research base and provides a proven, father-friendly approach to sharing information and ideas with men as parents. It is intended to increase parents’ knowledge, provide parents with confidence and promote healthy parenting practices. The Father Times parenting newsletter is available in two versions, an in-depth eight-page version (recommended) and a shorter four-page version. It is available in both English and Spanish. To order, click here.
The IRS sponsors the VITA program, which offers free tax help for families earning around $49,000 or less in communities around the country. To locate a VITA site in your area, call 1-800-829-1040. Visit this helpful website for more information. For more information on free tax preparation services, please visit the IRS webpage.
Policy Action Alert
Act Now to Preserve Federal Home Visiting Funding!
As Congress begins to take final action to resolve the differences between the Senate and House versions of the heath reform bill, it is urgent that you act to remind Senator Klobuchar, Senator Franken, and your member of the House of Representatives that there is strong support in Minnesota for the proposed new federal funding for home visiting.
Please take a few minutes to send an email today. There are two key provisions in the health reform bills for home visiting programs that we want retained in the reconciliation process:
- A formula grant program to States for a variety of quality home visitation services (Section 2951 of Senate-passed Bill)
- Optional Medicaid coverage which simplifies existing reimbursement of nurse home visitation services (Section 1713 of the House-passed Bill)
We need you to send a message TODAY to your member of Congress and your two Minnesota Senators. Remind them that the proposed new home visiting funding is important to Minnesota!
Upcoming MOAPPP Trainings
April 12, 2010
What About the Baby? Nurturing Healthy Attachment in Young Families
9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Proctor Area Community Center
100 Pionk Drive, Proctor
Early learning happens in the context of relationships. This workshop focuses on the importance of relationship — between adolescent parents and their children and between young families and the professionals who work with them. It offers insight into the strengths and challenges faced by young parents, the competing developmental agendas of adolescent parents and their children, and strategies for promoting relationships that lead to the healthy development of both parent and child.
For more information, see the flyer and registration form (PDF). Click here to register online. Questions? Contact Sue Fust at 651-644-1447 x15, [email protected]. Scholarships are available.
Other Upcoming Trainings
March 23 & 25 and April 15 & 21, 2010
Free Webinars on Somali Culture Reproductive Health Issues
Somali Perspectives on Child Spacing (Family Planning)
March 23, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. (CST)
April 15, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. (CST)
Learn about the health background and beliefs that influence reproductive health decision making in the Somali community. Participants will better understand community myths about child spacing (family planning) methods, cultural beliefs, the intersection with Islam, the impact of moving to the U.S. and counseling strategies to promote child spacing methods in a culturally-sensitive way.
Caring for Circumcised Women
March 25, 12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. (CST)
Learn how health care professionals should care for women who have been circumcised.
Sexuality and Reproductive Health among Somali Adolescents
April 21, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (CST)
Find out about WellShare International’s research on traditional Somali belief systems about reproductive health and how Somali immigrant youth learn about sexuality and reproductive health. Strategies and recommendations for educating Somali youth on issues of sexuality and reproductive health are highlighted.
For more information on the webinars and to register, visit www.wellshareinternational.org. Space is limited!
April 7, 2010
The 2010 Minnesota Annual Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Conference:
Prevention Works! Taking the Message Home
St. Cloud Civic Center, St. Cloud
Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota’s conference features in-depth workshops on nationally recognized strategies that participants can use in their home communities to promote the well-being of children, families and communities. Featured presenters include Prevent Child Abuse America President Jim Hmurovich, the “Good Enough Moms” Marti Erickson and Erin Erickson Garner, Cordelia Anderson, Casa de Esperanza’s Ambar Cristina Hanson and Olga Trujillo, and more! Visit www.pcamn.org for full information and to register as a participant or an exhibitor. Early Bird rates apply until March 16. Don’t miss this chance to be part of raising spirits, inciting hope and encouraging action for thriving Minnesota communities!
April 14-16, 2010
3rd Annual Family and Early Education Leadership Conference
The Minnesota Association for Family and Early Education
St. Cloud Civic Center, St. Cloud
Whether you are new to the field of parent or early education or a seasoned veteran, the MNAFEE Leadership Conference has something to offer! There will be over 60 workshops addressing a variety of topics of interest to early childhood educators, parent educators and program coordinators. For more information and to register, visit www.mnafee.org.
May 4, 2010
Dollar Works 2 Program Training
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
University of Minnesota Urban Research and Outreach/Engagement Center
2001 Plymouth Ave North, Minneapolis
Are you looking for methods to help teach financial literacy? It’s more important than ever to help people stretch their money and resources as far as possible. University of Minnesota Extension is offering a Dollar Works 2 training for outreach workers and service providers. Dollar Works 2 is a personal finance education program designed to teach financial literacy concepts. For more information and to register visit www.extension.umn.edu. Questions? Contact Rosemary K. Heins at [email protected], 763-767-3879 or Cindy M. Petersen, [email protected], 888-241-3207.
May 12, 2010
2010 Harris Forum Lecture
Child-Parent Psychotherapy in a Cultural Context: Repairing the effects of trauma on early attachment
1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Theater, Coffman Memorial Union
U of M East Bank, Minneapolis
ITV sites throughout Minnesota
The Harris Visiting Scholar Program invites a key figure in the field of child development to address the public on a topic of relevance to parents of young children and professionals working with young children and their families. This year’s forum will feature Alicia Lieberman, PhD, the Director of the Child Trauma Research Project at San Francisco General Hospital as well as the Irving B. Harris, Chair in Infant Mental Health and Vice Chair for Academic Affairs at the UCSF Department of Psychiatry. For more information and to register visit www.cehd.umn.edu. Questions? Contact Sara Zettervall at 612.625.2252 or [email protected].
May 15, 2010
Second Annual Pregnant Pause
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Family Means, 1875 Northwestern Avenue South, Stillwater
This free event for pregnant women, their spouses and/or partners and other family members celebrates the nine months of alcohol-free pregnancy. Learn about resources during and after pregnancy. Door prizes, refreshments, and free massages will be available. Currently seeking exhibitors who provide services to pregnant and post partum women and their families and from people who provide alternative therapies to pregnant and post partum women and their families (e.g. massage therapists, aroma therapists, doulas, etc.).
Sponsored by the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Regional Network and the Minnesota Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. For more information call 651-351-3152 or 651-351-3135.
For more resources and information about adolescent parents, visit the Adolescent Parent Program page on the MOAPPP website.