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January 2007 |  |
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| Tots Talk: News and Info from Docs For Tots |
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Transitions for Docs For Tots! The Docs For Tots organization is pleased to offer a warm congratulations to Dr. George Askew, Founder and Executive Director of DFT, on his new position as CEO of Jumpstart for Young Children, beginning March 1, 2007. DFT has been fortunate to have his leadership, insight, and dedication through the past four years as we have seen the organization grow into a thriving network of nearly 900 doctor advocates. DFT looks forward to the challenges and opportunities that a new leadership will bring to the organization, and appreciates each network doctor, advocacy organization, friend and funder who has supported and will continue to support the mission and vision of Docs For Tots. To read more from George Askew, MD, FAAP please see his announcement. DFT Grants and Resources Docs For Tots was awarded a grant from the Kellogg Foundation to educate children’s doctors, parents, early childhood education and care providers, and the public about the problems related to maternal depression and infant and toddler mental health issues. The Maternal, Infant and Toddler Mental Health Advocacy Project seeks to raise awareness of mental health issues of new mothers and infants and toddlers as it relates to early learning and development and later school readiness; offer concrete opportunities for prevention, screening and referral; and strongly advocate for the expansion of mental health outreach activities and services. There will be many opportunities for doctors to get involved with this project, so please continue to check our Web site for updates as the project moves forward. If you are interested in learning more about Infant Mental Health, click here for our talking points. DFT State Affiliates DFT New YorkA note from the Director: We are looking forward to an exciting year! I feel great optimism in the opportunities we have for making meaningful progress for NY’s children. We just need to make sure that our voices are heard. Best regards, Dina Lieser, MD, FAAP SAVE THE DATES: Thursday, January 11, 2007 Town Hall Meetings on Children’s Health Insurance will be held in New York and in states across the nation. The national program will include a discussion about the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), Medicaid, and the plight of uninsured children by national health care leaders and policy experts. The event will be moderated by Susan Dentzer, lead health correspondent for PBS’s The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and followed by local town hall meetings to discuss statewide initiatives and concerns. In New York, events will be held at the following locations:Albany, NY New York, NY Valhalla, NY February 14 Winning Beginning is planning an Advocacy Day in Albany to ensure that NY’s children have access to high quality early care and education. DFT can coordinate transportation for groups of doctors and residents who are interested in attending. It should be a rewarding, exciting and productive day. Opportunity to get involved with early childhood centers: If you are interested in serving on a Health Advisory and/or other planning boards of early childhood centers (including Early Head Start or early education/child care centers), contact dft@docsfortots.org. Collecting children’s artwork for advocacy: Physician Liaisons are needed for a project in New York which will engage the medical and early childhood communities to collect children’s artwork for advocacy. Please let DFT know if you are interested in this opportunity or would like further information. New York City Docs: The New York Zero-to-Three Network promotes the optimal development of young children, their families and their communities in the New York region. Log on to http://www.nyzerotothree.org to explore the New York Zero-To-Three Network resources. Ten New York doctors visited Head Start and quality preschool programs in honor of American Education Week, providing the centers with short presentations on issues affecting the health and wellness of children. These efforts by doctors were part of a wider celebration of Great Public Schools: A Basic Right and Our Responsibility through the National Education Association, highlighting the importance of bringing together educators, school staff, parents, students, and communities in a unified effort to build great public schools. “Patient education is essential to the core of health care. Our job as physicians is to equip our patients with the knowledge and tools necessary to improve and maintain their health. Obesity is a condition that has reached epidemic proportions and we must address lifestyle changes in infancy and early childhood if we are to be successful battling obesity,” said Dr. Collymore, a participating physician. Winning Beginnings New York held a press conference in Albany, NY calling on Governor-elect Spitzer to form an Early Learning Commission overseeing New York State’s early childhood programs and services. Winning Beginning NY, the state’s leading early care and learning advocacy coalition, cites the need for coordination and oversight of the state’s programs as a key rationale for the Commission. Under the proposed plan, the new Early Learning Commission will work across state agencies to galvanize support and resources and better manage existing publicly-funded early learning activities. The Commission would make key policy recommendations to the Governor and Legislature about ways to better coordinate the state’s efforts. DFT Washington StateFor more information or to get involved with any of the following, please contact Washington State Director Dr. Jill Sells at jsells@docsfortots.org. Docs For Tots Washington State is now 100 docs strong! We are thrilled to see such commitment to advocacy and know that this growth will benefit young children. Wear your white coat at Have a Heart For Kids Day on February 19, 2007. The Children’s Alliance’s annual day for kids is just around the corner. This year’s event is on President’s Day, so bring your kids along, too. See www.childrensalliance.org, and e-mail if you want to join us. Docs For Tots recently conducted a statewide survey of pediatricians around early learning and advocacy. We look forward to sharing what we learned in early 2007, and using this information to help support physician advocacy efforts on behalf of young children. Governor Gregoire’s Early Learning Summit brought together teams from across Washington state in November, to encourage ongoing efforts to enhance early learning systems which would benefit from local physician involvement. More... Docs For Tots Washington State posts inaugural newsletter in December. To give a concise overview of DFT information and opportunities, we created this one-pager to communicate with docs and others about Washington state specific issues. Click here to see the first edition, and let us know what you think. Advocacy Opportunities and State Advocacy Profiles National OpportunityNationwide- January 11, 2007 the Campaign for Children’s Health Care, of which Docs For Tots is a partner, will host town hall meetings highlighting the importance of providing all children with adequate health care coverage. The 35-minute national program will be broadcast via satellite from Washington, D.C., beginning at 12:00 pm EST, to be followed by a local event at 36 participating locations across the nation. The national program will include a discussion about the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), Medicaid, and the plight of uninsured children by national health care leaders and policy experts. The event will be moderated by Susan Dentzer, lead health correspondent for PBS’s The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. Please contact dft@docsfortots.org for more information about this event.ColoradoDocs For Tots is looking for a Colorado doctor to present at the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless (CCH) 20th Annual Statewide Conference on May 23rd, 2007. The presentation, titled “Understanding the Cascading Effect that Homelessness and Poverty Can Have on Young Children,” will address the impact of poverty as it is viewed by a children’s doctor, with topics to include the effects on children’s health, development, and access to health insurance. The workshop will also include information on how advocacy organizations can most effectively engage physicians as a powerful voice in the movement to combat homelessness and poverty across Colorado and the nation. If you are interested in presenting, please contact Bethany Colavincenzo by February 10th, 2007. DFT is happy to help prepare you for this event!FloridaFort Meyers, Florida- On January 10, 2007, Dr. George Askew, Founder and Executive Director of Docs For Tots will be presenting on the role of the medical community in helping children reach their highest early learning potential so they can continue to succeed in school and in life. Doctors in the Fort Meyers, Florida region are invited to attend the dinner and presentation presented by The Early Learning Coalition of Southwest Florida which will be held from 6:00-8:15 pm in the Florida Gulf Coast University Ballroom. The event will be held in partnership with Southwest Florida Professional Development Partnership at FGCU. For more information or to make reservations call 239.267.0324, ext. 23.New JerseyThe Association for Children of New Jersey would like to invite DFT network doctors to attend a Build retreat on Tuesday, January 30th from 9:30 to 2:00 at the Courtyard by Marriott in Jamesburg. The retreat will focus on setting a policy agenda for New Jersey’s infants and toddlers, and will provide a unique opportunity for physicians to discuss their views on priorities for young children in the state. Leading the consensus building conversations will be Barbara Gephard, Senior State Systems Specialist from ZERO TO THREE. Please contact Tracey Rush if you are interested in attending the retreat or if you would like additional information about this opportunity.TexasJoin the Texas Early Childhood Education Coalition (TECEC) for Pre-K Day at the Texas Capitol, January 18th, 2007: Pre-k Day at the Texas Capitol is comprised of four separate activities taking place throughout the day, including a model pre-k classroom set up in the Ground Floor Capitol Rotunda, a press conference at 10:30am, legislative visits, and a “Picture the Future” art exhibit comprised of artwork from children across the state set up in the South Central Gallery. The purpose of this event is to educate policymakers about the critical role that pre-k plays in the lives of children and families as well as the Texas economy. TECEC is interested in having Texas doctors present at this event, particularly for the 10:30am press conference and for questions and answers immediately following. The press conference is designed to bring together diverse stakeholders with a vested interest in the early education of young children in order to raise awareness about the importance of early childhood education to media outlets across the state. TECEC and Docs For Tots will create talking points and other necessary materials to help prepare you for the event. If you are interested in participating in the press conference or other events throughout the day, please contact bcola@docsfortots.org as soon as possible. On February 9th, 2007, Dr. Stephen Barnett will present at the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children Winter Advocacy & Leadership Conference in Austin. Dr. Barnett will discuss brain development, school readiness, and the role and influence of children’s doctors in the early learning movement. State News and Profiles California Preschool Support ProjectDoctors Participate in American Education Week in Ventura County, California: During American Education Week, November 13th-17th, Dr. Lilia Coppa, Dr. Desiree Domingo-Foraste and Docs For Tots Liaison, Dr. Rola Magid, found creative ways to collaborate with local preschool programs in Ventura County. The doctors each spent time in a preschool talking to the children about the importance of a healthy diet and exercise, going to the doctor and getting vaccines. The doctors helped prepare the children for future doctors’ visits by demonstrating some of the things that the doctor might do, allowing them to use a stethoscope to see what the heart sounds like, and showing some pictures and diagrams of the heart, lungs, and ears. Click here to read more.State Advocacy Organization ProfilesThrough partnerships and excellent opportunities for doctors, Docs For Tots is happy to provide information on the following child advocacy organizations:Early Learning Coalition of Southwest Florida Association for Children of New Jersey We hope you will read what organizations are doing throughout the country on our Web site by visiting our past profiles at: http://www.docsfortots.org/program/relationships/default.asp. Docs For Tots |
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