Monday Morning Report
 
  First5la.org
  To submit comments,
or to suggest items for this newsletter or First5LA.org, contact Katie Kurutz, public affairs officer, at kkurutz@first5la.org
or (213) 482-5902.


  Calendar

Click events below to view full listings.
  The Velveteen Rabbit December 15, 2007 from 2:00pm - 3:00pm
  First Annual Ho Ho Holiday Health Fair December 15, 2007
  48th Annual Los Angeles County Holiday Celebration
December 24, 2007 from 3:00pm - 9:00pm
  Parent-Infant Mental Health Certificate Program
January 14-15, 2008 from 9:30am - 3:30pm
  Cutting Edge Information on Tongue Tie, Breastfeeding and More February 20, 2008 from 9:00am - 4:00pm
  6th Annual African American Mental Health Conference
February 28, 2008
   
   
   
   
 
   

December 10, 2007
 
  News and Announcements  
   
 
Policy Pick Photo
Breastfeeding Support: Hospital Training
Training will soon be available for hospitals with poor records of support for breastfeeding. Find out more on how to apply. More »
     
 
ESL Classrooms
Working with English Language Learners
Working with English Language Learner children can be a challenge for teachers and practitioners. Find out how this issue was addressed at the NAEYC pre-conference.
More »
 
 
  Policy Pick
   
 
Policy Pick Photo
Policy Pick: Mental Health from Infancy Forward
Be a children's mental health advocate! Share your perspective with the Department of Mental Health as they decide how much money from the Mental Health Services Act should go to children. More »
 
  Grantee Profile
   
 
SCAEYC Photo
Grantee Profile: SCAEYC Improving the Quality of Child Care
Learn how The SCAEYC Accreditation Facilitation Project, a First 5 LA grantee, help child care centers and family day care providers become NAEYC or NAFC accredited. More »
   
  Champion Profile
   
 
Debra Colman
Champion Profile: Debra Colman is a Selfless Leader
Debra Colman has lived a life dedicated to helping others. Her background has given her a unique perspective which she has used to strengthen the capacity of literacy programs throughout L.A. County. More »
   
 

Evie's Desk

 


Evelyn MartinezMore on Safe Gift Giving

The holidays are a time of giving, and it is important that we are sure that what we give, especially to children, is safe and toxin free. In addition to the guidelines listed in last week's Monday Morning Report, I would like to encourage readers to visit www.HealthyToys.org. The site recently posted test results from the Ecology Center, a Michigan-based non-profit, that reveal the toxin levels for more than 1,200 toys.

Parents and other holiday shoppers can easily search the site by product name, brand, or toy type to learn how a product rates for harmful chemical content. If a toy is not listed, but the user would like it to be, the user can post a request that a toy to be tested and listed.

The Center tests toys for lead, vinyl, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, bromine, chromium, tin and antimony; each of these chemicals or substances have been known to cause health problems with varying degrees of severity. Click here to learn more about these chemicals and their effects.

Making informed choices adds to the power of parenting, and I hope this resource will empower all parents this holiday season.

  Links
   
    1.   Funding Opportunities at First 5 LA
    2.   Volunteering opportunities
    3.   First 5 LA Parent Helpline
    4.   Recommended Reading for 0-5