SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Reading a bedtime story or singing a lullaby can do more than help put a child to sleep.

Research shows talking, reading and singing to babies in their first years of life can have an extremely powerful impact on their development.

First 5 California is launching a statewide campaign to encourage parents and caregivers to help exercise their child's brain.

George Halvorson, chairman of the First 5 California Children and Families Commission, says the first three years of life make a huge difference in the brain development of a child.

"The brains are stronger, more effective,” he explains. “The children who get that kind of exercise end up with larger vocabularies when they get to kindergarten.

“They're better able to read. They're better able to function in the school system.”

These types of interactions also have social and emotional advantages for children.

Halvorson explains that without those linguistic skills and attachments to caring adults, research shows children are less ready to participate in and benefit from school.

Studies also show the vast majority of children who are behind in kindergarten will never catch up, which Halvorson says may lead to other problems.

"The children who can't read are 40 percent more likely to drop out of school,” he says. “They're 60 percent more likely to get pregnant, and they're even 70 percent more likely to end up in prison.”

Halvorson also says brain scans of children who have had caregivers talk, read and sing to them regularly appear dramatically healthier compared to children who have not had that exposure.







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Child abuse cases in the state dropped between 2019 and 2020, but Kentucky still ranks fifth among states for incidents of child maltreatment, according to the latest federal data.

Dr. Kelsey Gregory, a pediatrician specializing in child-abuse cases in the Division of Forensic Medicine at the University of Kentucky, said the medical community uses what's known as the "TEN-4" rule, which is identifying bruising on the 'torso, ears and neck' on children under age four, and bruising anywhere on an infant, as a red flag. She added in Kentucky, state law requires all adults to report suspected cases of abuse.

"Anyone has the ability to intervene on behalf of a child by making a report to either DCBS or law enforcement," Gregory stressed. "Identifying those children early and intervening with those agencies really has the potential of preventing serious harm and death."

In addition to the TEN-4 rule, experts have developed "FACESp," which stands for 'frenulum,' the tissue connecting the mouth to gums, the 'angle' of the jaw, 'cheek,' 'eyelid,' and 'sclera' or whites of the eyes, and 'p' for patterned injuries on a child's skin, as other warning signs.

This week, Kosair Charities and the Face It Movement are hosting free virtual and in-person training on the TEN-4 FACESp bruising rule. For more information, visit faceitmovement.org.

Liz Renner, a Madison County resident and parent of a now seven-year-old son who survived pediatric abusive head trauma as an infant at the hands of a caregiver, said while her son is now happy and thriving, he faces a lifetime of disability. She emphasized she hopes to raise awareness of the rules signaling warning signs.

"Always trust your gut," Renner urged. "I had a gut feeling, not directed towards abuse, but I had a gut feeling something wasn't correct. So parents, caregivers, always trust your gut instinct. My second advice would be to always reach out to your pediatrician."

Lynn Hulsey, associate director of the Family Enrichment Center in Bowling Green, said her organization works to support families in the region through programming and home visitation. She explained while data show child abuse numbers across the state have not increased significantly, the cases are more severe.

"Babies don't come with instructions," Hulsey remarked. "Those first five years are critical. And if we can intervene in those first five years, child abuse is 100% preventable."

If you suspect child abuse, she advised making a report to Child Protective Services at 1-877-KYSAFE1.

A touring conference from the National Alliance for Children's Grief comes to Montana this week. The event will be in Whitefish on Tuesday.

The alliance works with organizations like the Tamarack Grief Resource Center in Missoula, which is organizing the Whitefish conference. Tina Barrett, executive director of the center, said it started as a camp 25 years ago to help kids and families heal after the death of a loved one.

"We can't take the pain away, but we can walk alongside and we can add strength to one another's journey," said Barrett. "And may we wrap children in not only care, but effective care - with understanding others, with opportunities to creatively, symbolically, physically, narratively move through their experience."

Since Montana is such a large state, Barrett said part of Tamarack's goal is to support education so folks can expand the circle of care for people who are grieving.

In Montana, one in 12 children will experience the death of a parent or sibling by age 18, according to the Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model.

Tami Sparks works at Tamarack Grief Resource Center as an outreach specialist and has personal experience with the work it does. Her husband died by suicide in 2006, leaving her with three children. Her oldest, who was five at the time, attended the camp that predated Tamarack. She said eventually, all three went to the camp every year.

Sparks said kids get the space to be children there, but also to talk about their feelings.

"They really attribute how they show up in the world to being involved with Tamarack," said Sparks. "They feel like going to camps gave them the experience and ability to understand where other people were coming from in their walk with grief."

The conference in Whitefish features three speakers who will discuss the losses many families have felt in the past two years of the pandemic. Barrett said they'll touch on a variety of topics.

"How do we look at cultural humility and center culture and equity in our programming that we do?" said Barrett. "How do we understand the prevalence, and more importantly, the story behind the numbers as we're seeking to more effectively support children's grief? And what are some practical takeaways?"

The conference begins at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The theme is "No Child Grieves Alone."

Advocates for children's well-being are in Washington, D.C. today, calling on lawmakers to invest in
kids.

The Save the Children advocacy summit is gathering people from around the country to speak with members of Congress. They are focusing on the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program, which is a voluntary home visiting program.

Anita Davis, volunteer and outreach leader for the Save the Children Action Network in Tennessee, said she did home visiting for seven years in Metro Nashville in a low-income housing area and is well aware of the needs of families and the importance of the renewal of the program.

"This legislation will end on September 30th if Congress does not renew it," Davis pointed out. "So we're talking with -- I'll be speaking with -- my two state senators and two of the congressional representatives from Tennessee, to urge them to please not only renew this legislation but to improve it."

Davis noted they also are advocating for Congress to reauthorize the Farm Bill, which would include improvements to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

According to Feeding America, in Tennessee, 41.8% of households receiving SNAP benefits have children. Save the Children is urging Congress to preserve and protect SNAP benefits because so many families rely on them.

Roy Chrobocinski, managing director of federal domestic policy for Save the Children, said the rising price of goods and supply-chain issues have affected families and their ability to access food.

"We know the benefits don't go far enough," Chrobocinski stressed. "We know that families who receive the benefits, they still have to pay money out of pocket. It's not covering the cost of all of their food, but it makes sure that they can supplement what they are paying to make sure that they have enough food to eat each day, each month."

Chrobocinski added children do not donate to political campaigns, and they cannot vote, so he argued it is critical for Save the Children advocates in Washington to share their stories and make it clear to members of Congress the importance of investing in children.