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Tots Talk is an e-Newsletter of Docs For Tots, a nationwide network of doctors advocating for young children. This update, distributed to more than 1,500 advocates nationwide, provides the latest in news and information including requests for doctor advocacy and examples of efforts to change the social policies affecting children’s health and development.
In This Issue:
- Dr. Dina Lieser has been officially named the Executive Director of Docs For Tots. Under her leadership, we look forward to continued growth and positive impacts on the lives of young children.
- Docs For Tots welcomed its new Deputy Executive Director, Toni A. Smith earlier this fall. Toni assumes an integral leadership role in the oversight of the day-to-day operations, building strategic partnerships, and advancing the mission of Docs For Tots. Click here to read her bio. You can contact Toni at tsmith@docsfortots.org.
- The Docs For Tots network topped 1000 doctors! More doctors, more actions, better outcomes for kids!
- Docs For Tots North Carolina is launched! In partnership with the Durham Partnership for Children and the Duke University Pediatric Residency Program, DFT NC will work working to engage doctors around early care and education, family support and child development topics.
- Docs For Tots attended the bi-annual Pre-K Now networking meeting in New Orleans, LA in October which focused on recovery efforts in early care and education.
- In New York, Docs For Tots and Winning Beginning New York coordinated an advocacy training and legislative visits for early care and education for pediatric residents and law students from New York City.
- Reach Out and Read Washington is launched and Dr. Jill Sells, Director of Docs For Tots Washington State is its Medical Director. Docs For Tots will play an integral role in supporting ROR expansion efforts, promoting early literacy, and improving and expanding early learning services and systems for young children in Washington State.
- Head Start Reauthorization Ready for President's Approval: The bill includes improvements in quality, accountability, workforce training, and collaboration with other early childhood programs. The bill also includes significant new funding for Early Head Start.
Take Action
- Will you contact your Representative to ask them to cosponsor H.R. 3966, the Early Education Workforce Act? The legislation would provide grants to states to develop and implement comprehensive professional development and career systems, key supports to quality early care and education.
- Will you contact your representatives and request that they maintain the modest appropriations increases for child care and Head Start in the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill? Contact dft@docsfortots.org for more information or for support in framing your message.
Help Us Grow the Docs For Tots Network
Help us continue to grow the Docs For Tots network. Tell a friend about our activities, resources, and support! More doctors, more actions, better outcomes for kids! Forward this email to a colleague, or send the following link: https://www.docsfortots.org/network/signup.asp.
Annual Holiday Campaign
This has been an exciting year of progress for Docs For Tots because of your efforts and voice. Yet our nation's children continue to be challenged by poverty, lack of access to quality child care, and insufficient health care. Now more than ever, the doctor voice is needed.
* Visit www.docsfortots.org/support/default.asp to make your contribution.*
Help us make 2008 a year of promise for our nation’s youngest children! Wishing you a joyous holiday season filled with warmth, peace, health and promise!
Resources: Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems
In continuing with our educational focus on Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems, this month we are excited to share with you resources that inform the importance of high quality early care and education, a critical component of these systems.
High quality early care and education settings are key venues for young children to “learn how to learn” and provide important linkages to health, nutrition, and social support services. As the majority of young children are in non-parental care on a regular basis at some point in their childhood, it is vital to ensure that early care and education settings are of a high quality, which includes qualified teachers, low teacher-child ratios, small class sizes, developmentally appropriate curricula, and parental involvement.
The following resources highlight the need for high quality early care and education and tools to achieve it.
Children’s doctors offer a unique perspective on children’s learning and development. Your personal, real-life clinical stories around outcomes add valuable insight into policy creation around services needed/ barriers to access in early care and education. Contact Docs For Tots, dft@docsfortots.org, to learn how to get more involved. Doctors are powerful messengers to state the case for quality , and by sending letters to legislators, attending events, and speaking up for access to quality care, you can have a significant impact in your community.
Resources: Your DFT Clinical Toolbox
 This month, Docs For Tots highlights two new tools and resources to promote early learning and school readiness in your practice. Thoughts from the field: "These are wonderful tools for families with young children. They are a great way to open up a dialogue on early learning. I keep them readily available to share with my patients."
State Advocacy Organization Profile
The Children’s Campaign, Inc. is working with Docs For Tots to improve the health and wellbeing of children in Florida and to make children’s issues a legislative priority. The Children's Campaign works closely with local and statewide collaborative partners to encourage policy-makers to address the needs of children as identified in their platform and related policy briefs. With the recent launch of Docs For Tots Florida, we look forward to building on this relationship to achieve great outcomes for children in Florida. The learn more about advocacy opportunities in Florida, contact Kelly Bowes, kbowes@docsfortots.org, or Dr. Wil Blechman, wblechman@docsfortots.org.
Docs For Tots
A Nationwide Network of Doctors
Advocating For Young Children! |
| Advocate Profile |
| Dr. Iman Sharif, a network doctor and advocate in New York, has been actively serving the children of her state and developing her advocacy skills. In honor of her dedication, Docs For Tots asked Dr. Sharif to tell us why she feels advocacy is important.  She provided the following answers:
Why did you join DFT?
Docs for Tots is a wonderful organization to network with for guiding advocacy efforts. Docs for Tots has been a regular contributor to our educational curriculum to teach advocacy to our pediatric residents. The information and tools provided on the website make it easier to engage in effective advocacy for children and families.
Why is advocacy important to you?
Advocacy is integral to the role of the pediatrician. Children need a voice to speak on their behalf, and while parents are the primary advocates for children, in poor underserved areas, parents often do not have the resources to effectively speak out for the care of children. Only through advocacy can I, as a pediatrician, hope to have any real widespread impact on children's health and well-being.
What advocacy activities are you currently working on or have worked on?
Over the past few years, I have participated on various levels of advocacy related to child literacy (the Reach Out and Read program) and early childhood education, childhood obesity (advocating for better screening, gym space in schools, promoting carriage of healthy foods in local groceries), and health literacy (advocacy for health information to be provided in appropriate language and at an appropriate literacy level for patients).
What has been you favorite advocacy moment or event to date?
The visits to Albany are always impressive. I remember once just being in the right place at the right time when a question came up about the feasibility of an important measure to improve bmi screening in schools. The information that I had at that moment led the legislator to change her mind about the proposal, and approve the recommendations we were making. It confirmed for me that legislators really are looking for our guidance as professionals in our field to help them make the best decisions for children.
What do you feel are the biggest social issues affecting young children in your state?
Public school education has been a serious issue for children nationally and statewide, but especially within New York City. Literacy, apart from educational level, has an independent association with health outcomes. Areas of poverty, low literacy, and a broken educational system make for a devastating combination for the next generation. Just think of what we have now in New York City – only 39% of children graduate high school on time. Concerns over poor literacy have led to expansion of classroom space into gyms, so that 40% of elementary schools do not offer gym classes on a regular basis. Is it surprising that we are now facing the epidemic of obesity?
How can a doctor incorporate advocacy into everyday interactions with patients and caregivers?
Advocacy should be an integral part of every pediatric visit. By asking pointed questions, and listening, you can identify areas where you can advocate for an individual patient or family – ask about school performance, look at report cards, and write letters to help get children the educational services to which they are entitled. Inform parents about their rights and the rights of children. Ask about housing conditions, and make referrals for legal aid to families for representation in housing court. Make sure that all patients are receiving the benefits for which they qualify, including Medicaid, WIC, and SSI. Talk to the media on important issues in order to increase public awareness and bring children’s issues to the forefront of legislative agendas.
Do you have anything you'd like to say to other doctors thinking about getting involved in advocacy work?
Docs for Tots makes it easy to get involved in advocacy efforts. They are expert at outlining the issues and composing the fact sheets and letters that need to be written. Just sign up for the email list, and you will automatically get the opportunity to advocate by signing on to ongoing issues that Docs for Tots has identified and is strategizing toward. Advocacy can be as simple as signing on to an already composed email, a signature on a letter, a phone call to a legislator -or it can be as thrilling as tagging along on a trip to Albany or DC!
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