First 5 LA - Articles

New Report Highlights Pre-K Funding Cuts Across 40 States

JSchnaufer — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:50:37 -0700

Funding for preschool across 40 states decreased by more than half a billion dollars in 2011-2012, the largest one-year drop ever, according to a new report.

Getting To Know You

JSchnaufer — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:00:56 -0700

Among the common questions often asked about First 5 LA are: Where does our funding go, what programs are funded and who is served by these programs?

In a new effort entitled "Getting Better Data," First 5 LA's Research and Evaluation Department has launched a new reporting system for First 5 LA grantees and contractors to answer these and more questions for First 5 LA beginning with the period of July 1 - December 31, 2012.

Five Facts About the Governor’s May Revise

JSchnaufer — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:13:37 -0700

Health care reform, county realignment and several other issues important to children ages 0 to 5 were major features in Governor Jerry Brown's May Revise. The budget document, released last week, contains several changes and additions to the Governor's initial 2013-14 budget plan that was released back in January.

Among the issues in the May Revise that will affect young children:

Listening, Learning and Leading Effort Moves into Stage Two

bgibbs — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:53:00 -0700

Dear Colleagues:

Safe Sleep for Baby Campaign Launched

JSchnaufer — Thu, 09 May 2013 10:55:48 -0700

Each year, approximately 70 babies in Los Angeles County under the age of 1 die of suffocation caused by unsafe sleeping practices.

Child Development 101: Sticks and Stones

JSchnaufer — Thu, 09 May 2013 10:59:36 -0700

Pushing, hitting, teasing, name-calling. Some may view these as typical kid behaviors, but when they happen on a sustained basis, they become bullying. According to a recent study by Duke Medicine, school bullies may cause lifelong damage to their victims, and they themselves can suffer psychological consequences as adults.

The notion that children eventually outgrow the effects of bullying was challenged by the researchers, who followed more than 1,200 subjects from childhood into adulthood.

Doing the Numbers

JSchnaufer — Thu, 09 May 2013 11:06:54 -0700

First-graders who haven't mastered basic math skills may be far behind their peers by the time they reach junior high school. As adults, they may even fail to grasp simple math concepts necessary for functioning at work and in life, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

The good news is that early education can make a notable difference when it comes to helping young children understand numeracy, or the ability to associate a quantity to the numerical symbol that represents it.

Differences Between Premature and Full-Term Babies Evident in Early Life

JSchnaufer — Thu, 09 May 2013 11:11:15 -0700

Studies have long shown developmental differences between premature and full-term infants, but new research shows that these differences are evident in the first few weeks of life, even before premature babies are discharged from the neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU.

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis evaluated 75 infants born at least 10 weeks prematurely. They assessed infants at 34 weeks gestation and again at 40 weeks, when they would have reached full-term.

FIRST 5 LA LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN FOR FATHERS AND MALE CAREGIVERS TO PROMOTE THEIR IMPORTANCE IN THE LIVES OF CHILDREN FIVE AND YOUNG

bgibbs — Tue, 07 May 2013 08:19:23 -0700

LOS ANGELES-------Some forms of households that were rare just a generation ago are becoming common as more fathers than ever before are taking an active role in the day-to-day care of their children.

Among fathers with a wife in the workforce, 32 percent were a regular source of care for their children under age 15, up from 26 percent in 2002, according to a recent U.S. Census Bureau report. And among these fathers with preschool-age children, one in five fathers was the primary caregiver, meaning their child spent more time in their care than any other type of arrangement.

Seeking Out Pregnancy-Safe Medications on the Internet

JSchnaufer — Thu, 02 May 2013 09:36:12 -0700

More than 90 percent of women use at least one medicine during pregnancy, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To learn about taking medicine during pregnancy, about half of women ages 18 to 44 years old look for health information on the Internet.