May 2007
From opinion-editorials, letters to the editor, press conferences and written and in-person testimony, it seems that the medical perspective has been a critical component in the early learning and school readiness movement in Washington State. We are thrilled with the way that doctors in Washington state have been involved in this legislative session!
Network doctors weigh-in in newspapers across the state:
"Day Care"(Dr. Amy Elizabeth Carter, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 4/1/07) "State must invest in early learning" (Dr. Ken Gass, Bellingham Herald, 3/31/07) "Positive detail belies what headline implies" (Dr. Jill Sells, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 3/28/07) "Community partnerships can give our kids their best chance to succeed" (Dr. Michael Tomkins, Yakima Herald Republic, 3/26/07) ·
On March 15th, Dr. Chris Olson, President of the WCAAP, and Dr. Jill Sells joined law enforcement and business leaders in a Spokane press
conference encouraging state lawmakers to increase investments in early learning and child abuse prevention.
Fight Crime Press Release (3/15/07)
Coalition urges greater investment in kids (Spokesman Review, 3/16/07) Contact Bethany Colavincenzo if you are interested in future opportunities to write an opinion-editorial or letter to the editor of your local paper. Please check www.DocsForTots.org/DFTWA.asp for continually updated information and opportunities.
Advocacy Opportunity in Washington state: Take part in an innovative new program, called Talking Circles, offered through The Children’s Museum of Seattle to the more than 230,000 families that visit the museum each year, from a variety of backgrounds. The goal of this program is to partner with the early learning community in order to deliver messages about the importance of parents in the critical ages of birth to six years. Museum staff will provide child care so that interested parents can attend informational sessions on child-centered topics. The group will meet on the 4th Tuesday of each month, beginning around 9 or 10 a.m., and they are looking for a physician that would be willing to speak once per quarter about an issue related to child health and development, including, but not limited to:
- Sleep and how to support children in establishing healthy sleep patterns
- Attachment and infant mental health Nutrition, food allergies, and picky eaters
- Flu Shots and immunizations
- Teething and biting behavior
- When to take a child to the doctor/hospital/When is a problem serious enough for medical attention?
- Supporting a gifted child
Ideally, they would like the doctor to be available for about 45 minutes, with 20 minutes devoted to a presentation on the given topic, and 20-25 minutes allowed for questions from parents.
If you are interested in presenting to this group, either on an on-going basis or for a single presentation, please contact Bethany Colavincenzo with your availability and area of interest or expertise that you would like to present to the Talking Circles group.
