DO YOU HAVE ANY GENTLY USED DUFFLE BAGS OR BACKPACKS?
Foster care is a temporary living situation for children whose parents cannot take care of them and whose need for care has come to the attention of child welfare agency staff. While in foster care, children may live with relatives, with foster families or in group facilities.
Number of children in foster care in New England in 2020 by state
Connecticut
4,034
Maine
2,291
Massachusetts
9,320
New Hampshire
1,184
Rhode Island
2,140
Vermont
1,078
What can Kiwanis do to help?
Collect gently used duffle bags or backpacks to be given to children in foster care. Most children have to keep all their belongings in trash bags because they don’t have any storage facilities. Contact DHHS in your community to identify an agency or case worker to whom you can deliver these storage items. You may consider filling these duffel bags with toiletries (toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, shampoo conditioner, etc.) along with comfort items (toys, stuffed animals, blankets, etc).
Here is a low cost project which will be greatly appreciated by all the children involved.
Every September the Scarborough Kiwanis Club gives a book to every Kindergarten, First and Second Grade student in our town. That’s about 700 students costing $700. The books are new, colorful and age level appropriate. We purchase the books from Scholastic through the Literary Partnership Program with Kiwanis International. Do you know this program exists and is available to all Kiwanians?
By being a Kiwanian, you are already part of the Scholastic Literacy Partner family and can take advantage of exclusive offers like:
Savings of up to 72% off list prices
Free 10-book bonus collection for every $150 spent
Free shipping and handling
An all-new selection of $1 books
Access to over 9,000 titles via the store: scholastic.com/lp
With Scholastic as your partner, your club can build reading-friendly environments for the community, schools and the children you serve. Kiwanians have special access to high-quality, high-interest, age-appropriate books at the lowest prices available, helping to stretch your service dollars even further which benefits more children.
Learn more about Scholastic Literacy Partnership @ scholastic.com/lp.
Or call 1-800-387-1437 x6333 to get direct assistance
Our Club has ordered books for about 5 years now and has always been impressed with the books. $1 per book is a bargain and a blessing to each child.
I am the New England District Chair for YOUNG CHILDREN. This program focuses on the needs of young children with an emphasis on infants and youngsters ages 0 to 8.
I have been your District Chair for 11 years, and I am passionate about educating new parents to promote optimal health and brain development in their babies along with preventing trauma in their lives.
This month I am focusing on materials available from:
KIWANIS PEDIATRIC TRAUMA INSTITUTE (KPTI) at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. You may have heard that Tufts Children’s Hospital has ended its trauma services. This is true BUT the Kiwanis Foundation of New England’s trauma prevention and community education programs will continue next year. Tufts’ administrators indicated that the programs offered through KPTI are valuable and necessary so a contract has been signed to continue services through
KPTI from October 1, 2022-September 30, 2023. The Early Childhood Injury Prevention Kits, Bike Rodeo materials, Cubby Bears, Bike Helmet program, and other printed educational materials will be available to Kiwanis Clubs in our District. Research will also continue at Tufts with grant money from KFNE. Your Club may continue to order materials without interruption. And I encourage your Club to continue its Annual Gift to KFNE as well as purchasing Red Jackets as these actions pay for KPTI’s programs. To learn more about KPTI and order materials and Red Jackets go to kpti.com.
A valuable project available from Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Institute (KPTI) in Boston is:
First Aid/ CPR Chart
This chart is provided by the American Association of Pediatric available to KPTI. One side provides Choking/CPR for INFANTS UNDER ONE YEAR and another section covers CPR/CHOKING for children ONE TO EIGHT YEARS. The First AID/CPR Chart is a large 11″ x 17″ wall chart includes first aid guidance on one side – choking/CPR guidance on the other. Topics include burns, scalds, fractures, sprains, head injuries, poisons, skin wounds, stings and bites, and infants/child CPR. For Kiwanis clubs to be distributed to pediatrician’s offices, parenting groups and also can be handed out at club events for the public.
Many more materials are available online at kpti.org under Community Programs and an Order Form is also available on this website.
I am YOUR District Chair. Please feel free to contact me with questions. And please share with me any Young Children projects you are doing this year.
Finally, I hope to see you at Conferences and other District happenings in the near future.
Preschoolbullying is more than garden-variety childhood insensitivity, occasionally teasing or fighting. The American Academy of Pediatrics describes bullying as consistently picking on another child who’s usually smaller, weaker or shy, and who usually gets upset or gives in to the bully.
Most people think of the physical aggression and social sniping that characterizes bullying as starting around late elementary school and stretching through high school. But, believe it or not, bullying among preschoolers is more common than you think. Because the behavior is typically associated with older kids, it is often overlooked during the younger years, when it’s hard to tell the difference between normal social experimentation and emergent bullying behavior.
A young child may be being bullied if he:
is suddenly scared to go to preschool
complains of headaches or stomachaches for no reason
is clingy and whiny
comes home with unexplained injuries
is withdrawn or depressed
talks about one particular child doing mean things to him
has trouble concentrating
avoids eye contact when you ask him about school
What’s a parent to do if bullying may be at play in your child’s preschool? Here’s how concerned parents should handle the situation:
Communication is Key. If you suspect your child is being bullied at preschool, let him know that you can help with the situation if he tells you what’s happening. If your youngster seems scared or embarrassed, use books as a nonthreatening way to open the lines of communication. Some children’s books that address the topic of bullying include “Shrinking Violet” by Cari Best (Melanie Kroupa Books, 2001), and “Myrtle” by Tracey Campbell Pearson (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2004). Once your child discloses all the details about being bullied, stay calm, avoid judging, and reassure him that you’ll help put a halt to the bullying.
Talk to the Teacher. “Even though adults are always present in preschool and daycare settings, with so many kids running around, it’s not realistically possible for teachers to see everything.” says retired pre-kindergarten teacher Tricia Young. And since bullies prefer to strike when adults aren’t watching, it’s important to talk to your child’s teacher and make him/her aware of the situation so he/she can be more vigilant with supervision.
Take Advantage of Open Doors. Most reputable daycare centers and preschools have an open door policy which allows parents to drop by anytime (as long as they’re not disruptive) during normal hours. So make periodic unannounced visits to your child’s classroom. These surprise visits will keep the preschool staff on their toes and reduce the likelihood of your child being tormented by a bully.
Schedule a Parenting Conference. When young children bully, the behavior is often learned from experiences in the home such as domestic abuse, inappropriate television shows, hearing siblings ridicule others, or being victims of bullying themselves. So work with your child’s preschool administrators to set up a meeting with the bully’s parents to bring the behavior to their attention – but don’t be surprised if the parents are uncooperative, nonchalant, or in denial.
Bully-Proof Your Child. Give your child the tools he/she needs to handle a bully. Teach him/her how to stand tall, look the bully in the eye, tell an adult, and avoid being alone. You can also empower your child by role-playing with him/her so he/she can practice what one is going to do next time one is approached by a bully. Confident children are less likely to be targeted by bullies, so find ways to build your child’s self-esteem. You can help your child develop friendships outside of preschool and get involved in confidence-boosting activities.
Consider Changing Classrooms Sometimes bullying can be so aggressive that your efforts to stop it are unsuccessful. So if you’re getting nowhere, talk to the preschool director about having your child moved to another classroom. If this is not feasible, consider removing your youngster from the school.
WHAT CAN KIWANIS CLUBS DO TO HELP?
Educate the public that preschool bullying is real.
Have speakers present expertise and suggestions to assist your club in helping in your community.
Work with the early childhood programs in your community to promote anti-bulling curriculum in their facilities.
Fact: Medical equipment, treatment and facilities designed for adults just don’t fit when treating an ill or injured child.
Fact: It costs around four times as much money to treat a child as it does to treat an adult with the same ailment.
CHILDREN’S MIRACLE NETWORK HOSPITALS AND KIWANIS….A STRONG PARTNERSHIP
Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals was founded with the sole purpose to help as many children as possible by raising funds for children’s hospitals and keep funds in the community in which they were raised to help local children. The organization was founded by Marie Osmond and her family, and John Schneider, Mick Shannon and Joe Lake.
Kiwanis International was the first association based sponsor of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, joining the charity as a partner in 1982. Key Club and the many other arms of Kiwanis joined later on as they became recognized programs of Kiwanis.
In 1997, Key Club made Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals an official charity of choice for their members to support. Kiwanis-raised funds have enabled the networks’ 170 member hospitals to provide medical care, research, and education to benefit children. Since 1983 Kiwanis has donated more than $25 million to CMN hospitals. CMN hospitals train 60% of pediatricians and 80% of all pediatric specialists.
HOW CMN HOSPITALS WORK?
To provide the best care for kids, children’s hospitals rely on donations and community support, as Medicaid and insurance programs do not fully cover the cost of care. Since 1983, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals has helped fill those funding gaps by raising more than $5 billion, most of it $1 at a time through Miracle Balloon icon campaigns. Its variousfundraising partners and programs support the nonprofit’s mission to save and improve the lives of as many children as possible.
EVERY DAY CMN HOSPITALS TREAT:
Kids with Trauma 16,200
Kids with Diabetes 935
Kids with Cancer 2,128
Kids for Surgeries 2329
Babies with NICU 925
DID YOU KNOW?
• 62 Children enter a CMN Hospital every minute
• 1 IN 10 Children in North America are treated by a CMN Hospital each year
• 32 MILLION Patients visits are provided for 10 million kids every year by CMN Hospitals
There are 6 CMN Hospitals in New England.
• Children’s Hospital Boston, Boston, MA. serves eastern MA and eastern and southern New Hampshire
• Baystate Children’s Hospital, Springfield, MA.
• Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital at Maine Medical Center in Portland, ME. serving children and families from all over northern New England. • Vermont Children Hospital at Fletcher Allen Health Care, Burlington, VT. • Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Hartford, CT.
• Hasbro Children’s Hospital, Providence RI.
How Can Kiwanis Clubs Help?
If your Club is located near a CMN Hospital, contact an administrator and ASK how your Kiwanis Club can help. Many volunteers are needed to help at the information desk etc.
Here is a brief description of the two main roles which are open to volunteer applicants.
Inpatient/Clinic Volunteers – Interact with patients, siblings and families at the bedside, in the playroom or waiting room area to provide opportunities for developmentally appropriate play and socialization which may include holding infants/toddler, engaging in art, reading and taking part in structured activities with patients. Additionally, the volunteer would assist their supervisor with any other needs, such as unit programming, preparing materials for special events and helping organize and maintain a safe, clean environment while assisting with toy washing.
Customer Service Volunteers – Create welcoming atmosphere at main entrance of hospital and provide way finding assistance to all patients, families and guests. Assist patients and families at time of discharge from the hospital.
Additionally, customer service volunteers engage with patients and siblings through play-based activities in the Hale Family Center for Families. Volunteers are allowed to play with children or to complete non-medical tasks.
Fundraising ideas:
1) Organize a “Miracle Mile of Quarters” fundraiser
2) Organize “Duck Races” with your Key Club
3) Sell “Miracle Balloons”
4) Organize a Blood Drive/give blood.
For more information go to:
childrensmiraclenetworkhospitals.org
Ava Adams, District Chair, Young Children Committee
Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury death among children between 1 and 4 years of age, with almost 400 cases reported in 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the US, an average of 3,500 to 4,000 people drown per year. That is an average of 10 fatal drownings per day.
Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children. Young children aren’t the only ones affected. Overall, it ranks fifth for unintentional injury death in the United States. More than 50 percent of drowning victims who are treated at emergency departments require extended hospitalization or long-term care.
WHAT CAN KIWANIANS DO TO HELP?
Sponsor a Life Jacket Loaner Station.
This program began in 1997 in Alaska to reduce the number of drownings on boats. It has expanded to beaches, lakes and anywhere where families and children gather near the water. Families borrow a life jacket, use it, and put it back when done. The station costs approximately $1,500 unless donations are received to reduce the cost. Many of these stations have lumber donated by Lowe’s or Home Depot with private builders donating their labor. Some of the stations have been built by the parks and recreation departments of the county. West Marine gives a deep discount on the life jackets, costing approximately $25 per jacket with 20 jackets per station. Life jackets need to be checked on a regular basis for wear and tear, and need to be replaced often if in the hot sun.
The sign above the station indicates that “Kids Don’t Float, Give Them Something That Does.” An additional sign lists the donors of the station.
Kids life jacket are available in three sizes…infant(0-30 lb.), child (30-50lb.), and youth (50-90 lb.) at West Marine.
https://www.westmarine.com/stores/portland-me-84
Or at Amazon Prime.
The Scarborough, Maine Kiwanis Club was fortunate to have the life jackets donated by a local business.
The Club has placed a Life Jacket Loaner Station near a boat ramp at a local beach. The Town of Scarborough bears liability insurance while the Club checks on the station weekly to keep it in neat order.
This project is popular in Florida, especially in Collier County. Tolearn more about Collier County’s life jacket loaner stations, go to:
This new project provides an excellent opportunity for your
Kiwanis Club to apply for a Kiwanis Foundation of New England (KFNE) grant for up to $1000. This is a new and innovative project. You can find the application at www.kfne.org. You must complete the specific questions as indicated in the application.
I hope you agree that this is a valuable and relatively easy project to complete. For a small investment many lives may be saved.
Each child born with a disability is given the support necessary to participate fully in life and to have dreams and hopes, successes and achievements.
Parents of a newly-diagnosed child with a disability are aware of the services and resources available to them and get unimpeded access to all necessary services.
Children with disabilities are recognized by all as having vital contributions to make to our society.
Communities value and support children with disabilities and their families.
Access to appropriate child care is available for children with special needs.
Families benefit from innovations and new technologies that help children with disabilities be as independent as possible.
Child Development Centers
The Child Development Center Network is the largest provider of inclusive child care in the United States. EasterSeals serves thousands of young children and their families in a setting where children with disabilities and special needs comprise 25 percent of enrollment.
Early Intervention
Early intervention services help young children with disabilities achieve their goals in cognitive, social/emotional, communicative, adaptive and physical development.
Services may include occupational therapy to help an infant learn to hold her bottle, physical therapy to help her learn to roll over, or speech therapy to help her learn to eat. Most early intervention services take place in the home or, in the case of working parents, at child care facilities in the local community.
Locations of EasterSeals Rehabilitation Centers in New England
New Hampshire —EasterSeals New Hampshire(Rehabilitation Center)
555 Auburn Street Manchester, NH 03103
Maine – EasterSeals Maine, Portland
125 Presumpscot Street Portland, ME 04103
Easter Seals Massachusetts
484 Main Street, Denholm Building Worcester, MA 01608-1817
EasterSeals Rhode Island, Wakefield
213 Robinson Street Wakefield, RI 02879
Easter Seals
5 Woodruff Ave Narragansett, Rhode Island
EasterSeals Vermont
641 Comstock Road, Suite 1 Berlin, VT 05602
Connecticut — EasterSeals Rehabilitation Center of Greater Waterbury
22 Tompkins Street Waterbury, Connecticut
Children ages: 3 to 5 years
EasterSeals Capital Region & Eastern Connecticut
100 Deerfield Road Windsor, CT 06095
EasterSeals Coastal Fairfield County
733 Summer Street Stamford, CT 06901
EasterSeals serves 1.4 million children and adults with disabilities and their families, offering a wide range of services at 73 affiliates nationwide. Easter Seals changes the way the world defines and views disability by making profound, positive differences in people’s lives every day, helping their clients build the skills and access the resources they need to live, learn, work and play.
Services include:
Accessibility Resources
Autism Services
Camping & Recreation
Day Care
Employment & Training
In-Home Care
Mental Health Services
Therapy
Veteran Reintegration
Senior Career Employment
Respite Services
How Can Kiwanis Clubs Help?
Contact EasterSeals in your locale and request a Speaker come to your Club to explain how Kiwanis members can help.
Have a fundraiser for EasterSeals.
Register for an EasterSeals Walk With Me Event Near You — Raise funds as an individual or as part of a team.
Sponsor a Walk With Me Participant — Support friends participating in an EasterSeals Walk With Me event.
Join the Presidents’ Council — Make a vital difference in the lives of people living with disabilities with a donation of $1,000 or more.
Recycle for EasterSeals — Help the environment and raise money for EasterSeals. Recycle your cell phone, laser and inkjet cartridges, and more, to generate funds to help support children and adults with disabilities and their families. Learn more about this eco-friendly, fundraising initiative.
Feel Good About Giving to EasterSeals
EasterSeals primary services benefit over 1.3 million individuals each year through more than 550 centers nationwide, in Puerto Rico and Australia. For children and adults with disabilities and their families, every donation counts. Find out how your contribution makes a difference.
For 25 years, EasterSeals has been first among National Health Council members for the percentage (94 percent) of program dollars allocated to providing direct services.
For more information go to: www.easterseals.com
Ava Adams District Chair, Young Children Committee
The National Domestic Violence Hotline reported a 9% increase in calls between March 16 – when many states issued lockdown orders – and May 16, 2020 compared with the same period in 2019. Similarly, the San Antonio Police Department received 18% more calls related to family violence this March compared with March of last year, and there was a 10% increase in domestic violence reports in the same month to the New York City Police Department compared with March 2019. The Portland Police Bureau also recorded a 22% increase in arrests related to domestic violence in the weeks after stay-at-home orders.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in incidences of family violence and child abuse across the globe. Fear, frustration, uncertainty, economic hardship, increased stress levels, and barriers to resources are all contributing factors to this increase. In addition, support systems such as extended family, religious institutions, schools, and shelters have been less accessible during the pandemic, leaving victims even more isolated. The pandemic has also led to increased use of substances and an increase in anxiety and depression, which may also contribute to the risk of violence in the homes.
Family violence refers to threatening or other violent behaviors within the family that can include:
Physical abuse- Assaulting another person by hitting, choking, pushing, or kicking.
Verbal abuse- The use of abusive words to erode a persons’ self-worth and confidence.
Emotional abuse- Criticizing, embarrassing, shaming, and bullying another person.
Sexual abuse- Forcing a person into unwanted sexual activity.
Economic abuse- Controlling or withholding funds or documents such as identification or passports.
Child abuse- Physically, verbally, emotionally and sexually abusing a minor child.
Animal mistreatment.
According to data from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), 49 States reported a total of 1,585 fatalities.
Nationally it is estimated 1,670 children died from abuse or neglect in 2015, which is 5.7 percent more than in 2011. This translates to a rate of 2.25 children per 100,000 children in the general population and an average of nearly five children dying every day from abuse or neglect
Three-quarters (74.8 percent) of child fatalities in 2015 involved children younger than 3 years, and children younger than 1 year accounted for 49.4 percent of all fatalities.
In 80% of child abuse and neglect cases, the alleged abusers are overwhelmed, stressed parents who took their frustrations out on their own children; in other cases child abuse results because some parents were abused as children and never learned how to be a good parent.
DO YOU KNOW APRIL IS CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH?
In the United States, April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. A Kiwanis club could assist local events for Child Abuse Prevention Month in a variety of ways:
• Recognition event. Hold a luncheon, dinner, award ceremony or other event to publicly thank child protection workers, foster parents, a media personality or others who have made a significant contribution to preventing child abuse.
• Publicity. Send press releases to local radio and television stations.
• Proclamation. Work with the sponsoring organization to have government leaders issue proclamations supporting Child Abuse Prevention Month.
WHAT ELSE CAN KIWANIS CLUBS DO?
• WORK WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
One of the best ways for a Kiwanis club to effect change in child abuse situations is to work with organizations already addressing the problem. In many countries there is a group dedicated to preventing child abuse through public education, such as UNICEF and the International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect. The United States is fortunate to have chapters of Prevent Child Abuse America in most areas. Using their website, www.preventchildabuse.org, you can find your local chapter.
• RAISING PUBLIC AWARENESS
Most child abuse prevention organizations have public awareness materials that they will share with Kiwanis clubs. Rather than starting from scratch, clubs should seek-out these organizations and ask permission to use printed and video public service announcements, radio spots or art for fliers and brochures. Some also offer “op-ed” pieces that can be submitted to newspapers
Below are two additional websites providing current information on child abuse information
in March of 2020 this information was sent to me by former Kiwanis International President Wil Blechman:
“approximately 1500 of these abused children die annually. Worse, yet, is the torture some of these children undergo prior to death.
Another point to be made is that in the U.S., more than three million reports are actually called in to the various state investigating agencies. While less than a million of these are confirmed, there is little question in the minds of experts in the field that there are likely a significant number which couldn’t be proven but still actually occurred. Furthermore, what reinforces this as a Kiwanis Young Children issue is the percentage of child abuse deaths that occur before the age of five.
The information suggests how much society pays in the future because of what we don’t do to prevent problems early in life. Money is wasted because we have adults who can’t function normally as a result of childhood abuse and end up in poor health, unable to learn, in jail or simply in situations where they take from society in the form of whatever safety nets are available rather than being able to provide positively to society.”
I hope your Club will consider doing a project to help prevent Child Abuse. Every child deserves to be born into a world knowing and expecting warmth, love, nourishment and security. And isn’t this what Kiwanis is all about?
Posted: December 5, 2022 by Will Bradford
December 2022 Young Children Newsletter
DO YOU HAVE ANY GENTLY USED DUFFLE BAGS OR BACKPACKS?
Foster care is a temporary living situation for children whose parents cannot take care of them and whose need for care has come to the attention of child welfare agency staff. While in foster care, children may live with relatives, with foster families or in group facilities.
Number of children in foster care in New England in 2020 by state
What can Kiwanis do to help?
Collect gently used duffle bags or backpacks to be given to children in foster care. Most children have to keep all their belongings in trash bags because they don’t have any storage facilities. Contact DHHS in your community to identify an agency or case worker to whom you can deliver these storage items. You may consider filling these duffel bags with toiletries (toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, shampoo conditioner, etc.) along with comfort items (toys, stuffed animals, blankets, etc).
Here is a low cost project which will be greatly appreciated by all the children involved.
Ava Adams, District Chair
Committee on Young Children
email: [email protected]
Posted: November 9, 2022 by Will Bradford
Young Children Newsletter – November 2022
Every September the Scarborough Kiwanis Club gives a book to every Kindergarten, First and Second Grade student in our town. That’s about 700 students costing $700. The books are new, colorful and age level appropriate. We purchase the books from Scholastic through the Literary Partnership Program with Kiwanis International. Do you know this program exists and is available to all Kiwanians?
By being a Kiwanian, you are already part of the Scholastic Literacy Partner family and can take advantage of exclusive offers like:
With Scholastic as your partner, your club can build reading-friendly environments for the community, schools and the children you serve. Kiwanians have special access to high-quality, high-interest, age-appropriate books at the lowest prices available, helping to stretch your service dollars even further which benefits more children.
Our Club has ordered books for about 5 years now and has always been impressed with the books. $1 per book is a bargain and a blessing to each child.
Ava Adams, District Chair
Committee on Young Children
Posted: October 7, 2022 by Will Bradford
October 2022 Young Children Newsletter
Good morning fellow Kiwanians!
I am the New England District Chair for YOUNG CHILDREN. This program focuses on the needs of young children with an emphasis on infants and youngsters ages 0 to 8.
I have been your District Chair for 11 years, and I am passionate about educating new parents to promote optimal health and brain development in their babies along with preventing trauma in their lives.
This month I am focusing on materials available from:
KIWANIS PEDIATRIC TRAUMA INSTITUTE (KPTI) at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. You may have heard that Tufts Children’s Hospital has ended its trauma services. This is true BUT the Kiwanis Foundation of New England’s trauma prevention and community education programs will continue next year. Tufts’ administrators indicated that the programs offered through KPTI are valuable and necessary so a contract has been signed to continue services through
KPTI from October 1, 2022-September 30, 2023. The Early Childhood Injury Prevention Kits, Bike Rodeo materials, Cubby Bears, Bike Helmet program, and other printed educational materials will be available to Kiwanis Clubs in our District. Research will also continue at Tufts with grant money from KFNE. Your Club may continue to order materials without interruption. And I encourage your Club to continue its Annual Gift to KFNE as well as purchasing Red Jackets as these actions pay for KPTI’s programs. To learn more about KPTI and order materials and Red Jackets go to kpti.com.
A valuable project available from Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Institute (KPTI) in Boston is:
First Aid/ CPR Chart
This chart is provided by the American Association of Pediatric available to KPTI. One side provides Choking/CPR for INFANTS UNDER ONE YEAR and another section covers CPR/CHOKING for children ONE TO EIGHT YEARS. The First AID/CPR Chart is a large 11″ x 17″ wall chart includes first aid guidance on one side – choking/CPR guidance on the other. Topics include burns, scalds, fractures, sprains, head injuries, poisons, skin wounds, stings and bites, and infants/child CPR. For Kiwanis clubs to be distributed to pediatrician’s offices, parenting groups and also can be handed out at club events for the public.
Many more materials are available online at kpti.org under Community Programs and an Order Form is also available on this website.
I am YOUR District Chair. Please feel free to contact me with questions. And please share with me any Young Children projects you are doing this year.
Finally, I hope to see you at Conferences and other District happenings in the near future.
Ava Adams, District Chair
Young Children Committee
Scarborough Maine Kiwanis Club
New England and Bermuda District of Kiwanis
email: [email protected]
Posted: September 1, 2022 by Will Bradford
September 2022 Young Children Newsletter
What is bullying in preschool?
Preschool bullying is more than garden-variety childhood insensitivity, occasionally teasing or fighting. The American Academy of Pediatrics describes bullying as consistently picking on another child who’s usually smaller, weaker or shy, and who usually gets upset or gives in to the bully.
Most people think of the physical aggression and social sniping that characterizes bullying as starting around late elementary school and stretching through high school. But, believe it or not, bullying among preschoolers is more common than you think. Because the behavior is typically associated with older kids, it is often overlooked during the younger years, when it’s hard to tell the difference between normal social experimentation and emergent bullying behavior.
A young child may be being bullied if he:
What’s a parent to do if bullying may be at play in your child’s preschool? Here’s how concerned parents should handle the situation:
WHAT CAN KIWANIS CLUBS DO TO HELP?
For more information and resources:
www.education.com
https://www.naeyc.org/resources/blog/bullying-early-childhood
Ava Adams, District Chair
Young Children Committee
New England and Bermuda District
email: faithava2008@yahoo,com
Posted: July 16, 2022 by Will Bradford
July 2022 Young Children Newsletter
Good Morning fellow Kiwanians!
Fact: Medical equipment, treatment and facilities designed for adults just don’t fit when treating an ill or injured child.
Fact: It costs around four times as much money to treat a child as it does to treat an adult with the same ailment.
CHILDREN’S MIRACLE NETWORK HOSPITALS AND KIWANIS….A STRONG PARTNERSHIP
Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals was founded with the sole purpose to help as many children as possible by raising funds for children’s hospitals and keep funds in the community in which they were raised to help local children. The organization was founded by Marie Osmond and her family, and John Schneider, Mick Shannon and Joe Lake.
Kiwanis International was the first association based sponsor of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, joining the charity as a partner in 1982. Key Club and the many other arms of Kiwanis joined later on as they became recognized programs of Kiwanis.
In 1997, Key Club made Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals an official charity of choice for their members to support. Kiwanis-raised funds have enabled the networks’ 170 member hospitals to provide medical care, research, and education to benefit children. Since 1983 Kiwanis has donated more than $25 million to CMN hospitals. CMN hospitals train 60% of pediatricians and 80% of all pediatric specialists.
HOW CMN HOSPITALS WORK?
To provide the best care for kids, children’s hospitals rely on donations and community support, as Medicaid and insurance programs do not fully cover the cost of care. Since 1983, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals has helped fill those funding gaps by raising more than $5 billion, most of it $1 at a time through Miracle Balloon icon campaigns. Its various fundraising partners and programs support the nonprofit’s mission to save and improve the lives of as many children as possible.
EVERY DAY CMN HOSPITALS TREAT:
Kids with Trauma 16,200
Kids with Diabetes 935
Kids with Cancer 2,128
Kids for Surgeries 2329
Babies with NICU 925
DID YOU KNOW?
• 62 Children enter a CMN Hospital every minute
• 1 IN 10 Children in North America are treated by a CMN Hospital each year
• 32 MILLION Patients visits are provided for 10 million kids every year by CMN Hospitals
There are 6 CMN Hospitals in New England.
• Children’s Hospital Boston, Boston, MA. serves eastern MA and eastern and southern New Hampshire
• Baystate Children’s Hospital, Springfield, MA.
• Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital at Maine Medical Center in Portland, ME. serving children and families from all over northern New England. • Vermont Children Hospital at Fletcher Allen Health Care, Burlington, VT. • Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Hartford, CT.
• Hasbro Children’s Hospital, Providence RI.
How Can Kiwanis Clubs Help?
If your Club is located near a CMN Hospital, contact an administrator and ASK how your Kiwanis Club can help. Many volunteers are needed to help at the information desk etc.
Here is a brief description of the two main roles which are open to volunteer applicants.
Inpatient/Clinic Volunteers – Interact with patients, siblings and families at the bedside, in the playroom or waiting room area to provide opportunities for developmentally appropriate play and socialization which may include holding infants/toddler, engaging in art, reading and taking part in structured activities with patients. Additionally, the volunteer would assist their supervisor with any other needs, such as unit programming, preparing materials for special events and helping organize and maintain a safe, clean environment while assisting with toy washing.
Customer Service Volunteers – Create welcoming atmosphere at main entrance of hospital and provide way finding assistance to all patients, families and guests. Assist patients and families at time of discharge from the hospital.
Additionally, customer service volunteers engage with patients and siblings through play-based activities in the Hale Family Center for Families. Volunteers are allowed to play with children or to complete non-medical tasks.
Fundraising ideas:
1) Organize a “Miracle Mile of Quarters” fundraiser
2) Organize “Duck Races” with your Key Club
3) Sell “Miracle Balloons”
4) Organize a Blood Drive/give blood.
For more information go to:
childrensmiraclenetworkhospitals.org
Ava Adams, District Chair, Young Children Committee
Scarborough Maine Kiwanis Club
New England and Bermuda District of Kiwanis
email: [email protected]
Posted: June 15, 2022 by Will Bradford
June 2022 Young Children Update
Posted: June 3, 2022 by Will Bradford
Young Children Newsletter: June 2022
Good morning fellow Kiwanians!
DROWNING PREVENTION
Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury death among children between 1 and 4 years of age, with almost 400 cases reported in 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the US, an average of 3,500 to 4,000 people drown per year. That is an average of 10 fatal drownings per day.
Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children. Young children aren’t the only ones affected. Overall, it ranks fifth for unintentional injury death in the United States. More than 50 percent of drowning victims who are treated at emergency departments require extended hospitalization or long-term care.
WHAT CAN KIWANIANS DO TO HELP?
Sponsor a Life Jacket Loaner Station.
This program began in 1997 in Alaska to reduce the number of drownings on boats. It has expanded to beaches, lakes and anywhere where families and children gather near the water. Families borrow a life jacket, use it, and put it back when done. The station costs approximately $1,500 unless donations are received to reduce the cost. Many of these stations have lumber donated by Lowe’s or Home Depot with private builders donating their labor. Some of the stations have been built by the parks and recreation departments of the county. West Marine gives a deep discount on the life jackets, costing approximately $25 per jacket with 20 jackets per station. Life jackets need to be checked on a regular basis for wear and tear, and need to be replaced often if in the hot sun.
The sign above the station indicates that “Kids Don’t Float, Give Them Something That Does.” An additional sign lists the donors of the station.
Kids life jacket are available in three sizes…infant(0-30 lb.), child (30-50lb.), and youth (50-90 lb.) at West Marine.
Or at Amazon Prime.
The Scarborough, Maine Kiwanis Club was fortunate to have the life jackets donated by a local business.
The Club has placed a Life Jacket Loaner Station near a boat ramp at a local beach. The Town of Scarborough bears liability insurance while the Club checks on the station weekly to keep it in neat order.
This project is popular in Florida, especially in Collier County. To learn more about Collier County’s life jacket loaner stations, go to:
This new project provides an excellent opportunity for your
Kiwanis Club to apply for a Kiwanis Foundation of New England (KFNE) grant for up to $1000. This is a new and innovative project. You can find the application at www.kfne.org. You must complete the specific questions as indicated in the application.
I hope you agree that this is a valuable and relatively easy project to complete. For a small investment many lives may be saved.
Ava Adams, District Chair
Committee on Young Children
New England and Bermuda District
Scarborough Mine Kiwanis
Email: [email protected]
Posted: May 4, 2022 by Will Bradford
May 2022 Young Children Newsletter
THE MISSION OF EasterSeals
EasterSeals is working to create a world where:
Child Development Centers
The Child Development Center Network is the largest provider of inclusive child care in the United States. EasterSeals serves thousands of young children and their families in a setting where children with disabilities and special needs comprise 25 percent of enrollment.
Early Intervention
Early intervention services help young children with disabilities achieve their goals in cognitive, social/emotional, communicative, adaptive and physical development.
Services may include occupational therapy to help an infant learn to hold her bottle, physical therapy to help her learn to roll over, or speech therapy to help her learn to eat. Most early intervention services take place in the home or, in the case of working parents, at child care facilities in the local community.
Locations of EasterSeals Rehabilitation Centers in New England
New Hampshire —EasterSeals New Hampshire(Rehabilitation Center)
555 Auburn Street
Manchester, NH 03103
Maine – EasterSeals Maine, Portland
125 Presumpscot Street
Portland, ME 04103
Easter Seals Massachusetts
484 Main Street, Denholm Building
Worcester, MA 01608-1817
EasterSeals Rhode Island, Wakefield
213 Robinson Street
Wakefield, RI 02879
Easter Seals
5 Woodruff Ave
Narragansett, Rhode Island
EasterSeals Vermont
641 Comstock Road, Suite 1
Berlin, VT 05602
Connecticut — EasterSeals Rehabilitation Center of Greater Waterbury
22 Tompkins Street
Waterbury, Connecticut
Children ages: 3 to 5 years
EasterSeals Capital Region & Eastern Connecticut
100 Deerfield Road
Windsor, CT 06095
EasterSeals Coastal Fairfield County
733 Summer Street
Stamford, CT 06901
EasterSeals serves 1.4 million children and adults with disabilities and their families, offering a wide range of services at 73 affiliates nationwide. Easter Seals changes the way the world defines and views disability by making profound, positive differences in people’s lives every day, helping their clients build the skills and access the resources they need to live, learn, work and play.
Services include:
How Can Kiwanis Clubs Help?
Feel Good About Giving to EasterSeals
EasterSeals primary services benefit over 1.3 million individuals each year through more than 550 centers nationwide, in Puerto Rico and Australia. For children and adults with disabilities and their families, every donation counts. Find out how your contribution makes a difference.
For 25 years, EasterSeals has been first among National Health Council members for the percentage (94 percent) of program dollars allocated to providing direct services.
For more information go to: www.easterseals.com
Ava Adams
District Chair, Young Children Committee
Posted: April 20, 2022 by Will Bradford
April 2022 Young Children Update
Posted: April 5, 2022 by Will Bradford
April 2022 Young Children Newsletter
Good Morning fellow Kiwanians!
Family violence and child abuse during COV19:
The National Domestic Violence Hotline reported a 9% increase in calls between March 16 – when many states issued lockdown orders – and May 16, 2020 compared with the same period in 2019. Similarly, the San Antonio Police Department received 18% more calls related to family violence this March compared with March of last year, and there was a 10% increase in domestic violence reports in the same month to the New York City Police Department compared with March 2019. The Portland Police Bureau also recorded a 22% increase in arrests related to domestic violence in the weeks after stay-at-home orders.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in incidences of family violence and child abuse across the globe. Fear, frustration, uncertainty, economic hardship, increased stress levels, and barriers to resources are all contributing factors to this increase. In addition, support systems such as extended family, religious institutions, schools, and shelters have been less accessible during the pandemic, leaving victims even more isolated. The pandemic has also led to increased use of substances and an increase in anxiety and depression, which may also contribute to the risk of violence in the homes.
Family violence refers to threatening or other violent behaviors within the family that can include:
According to data from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), 49 States reported a total of 1,585 fatalities.
Nationally it is estimated 1,670 children died from abuse or neglect in 2015, which is 5.7 percent more than in 2011. This translates to a rate of 2.25 children per 100,000 children in the general population and an average of nearly five children dying every day from abuse or neglect
Three-quarters (74.8 percent) of child fatalities in 2015 involved children younger than 3 years, and children younger than 1 year accounted for 49.4 percent of all fatalities.
In 80% of child abuse and neglect cases, the alleged abusers are overwhelmed, stressed parents who took their frustrations out on their own children; in other cases child abuse results because some parents were abused as children and never learned how to be a good parent.
DO YOU KNOW APRIL IS CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH?
In the United States, April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. A Kiwanis club could assist local events for Child Abuse Prevention Month in a variety of ways:
• Recognition event. Hold a luncheon, dinner, award ceremony or other event to publicly thank child protection workers, foster parents, a media personality or others who have made a significant contribution to preventing child abuse.
• Publicity. Send press releases to local radio and television stations.
• Proclamation. Work with the sponsoring organization to have government leaders issue proclamations supporting Child Abuse Prevention Month.
WHAT ELSE CAN KIWANIS CLUBS DO?
• WORK WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
One of the best ways for a Kiwanis club to effect change in child abuse situations is to work with organizations already addressing the problem. In many countries there is a group dedicated to preventing child abuse through public education, such as UNICEF and the International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect. The United States is fortunate to have chapters of Prevent Child Abuse America in most areas. Using their website, www.preventchildabuse.org, you can find your local chapter.
• RAISING PUBLIC AWARENESS
Most child abuse prevention organizations have public awareness materials that they will share with Kiwanis clubs. Rather than starting from scratch, clubs should seek-out these organizations and ask permission to use printed and video public service announcements, radio spots or art for fliers and brochures. Some also offer “op-ed” pieces that can be submitted to newspapers
Below are two additional websites providing current information on child abuse information
https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs /fatality.pdf
and
in March of 2020 this information was sent to me by former Kiwanis International President Wil Blechman:
“approximately 1500 of these abused children die annually. Worse, yet, is the torture some of these children undergo prior to death.
Another point to be made is that in the U.S., more than three million reports are actually called in to the various state investigating agencies. While less than a million of these are confirmed, there is little question in the minds of experts in the field that there are likely a significant number which couldn’t be proven but still actually occurred. Furthermore, what reinforces this as a Kiwanis Young Children issue is the percentage of child abuse deaths that occur before the age of five.
The information suggests how much society pays in the future because of what we don’t do to prevent problems early in life. Money is wasted because we have adults who can’t function normally as a result of childhood abuse and end up in poor health, unable to learn, in jail or simply in situations where they take from society in the form of whatever safety nets are available rather than being able to provide positively to society.”
I hope your Club will consider doing a project to help prevent Child Abuse. Every child deserves to be born into a world knowing and expecting warmth, love, nourishment and security. And isn’t this what Kiwanis is all about?
Ava Adams, District Chair
Committee for Young Children
New England and Bermuda District of Kiwanis
email: [email protected]
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