September 25, 2023 U.S. Maternal Deaths Rise as Health Disparities Increase; Local Resources Offer Support A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has revealed significant increases in pregnancy-related deaths across the United States, with disproportionate losses among Black, Native American, and Alaska Native people. About the Study Entitled, “Trends in State-Level Maternal Mortality by Racial and Ethnic Group in the United States,” the study analyzed state-by-state census data from 1999 to 2019 on pregnant or recently pregnant individuals aged 10 to 54 years, to provide comprehensive evidence on maternal morbidity and to guide policies aimed at preventing maternal deaths. Key Findings Results revealed a stark spike in maternal mortality rates, with pregnancy-related deaths more than doubling among all racial and ethnic groups across the U.S. over the last 20 years, and more than tripling for Native American and Alaska Native people. However, maternal mortality remains the highest among the nation’s Black population, continuing historic trends. Unfortunately, worsening healthcare for Black and BIPOC mothers—a trend typically relegated to southern states—is expanding. According to the study, New York and New Jersey saw an increase in Black and Latina deaths, while more Asian mothers died in Wyoming and Montana. Supporting Information In interviews with study authors and other medical professionals, WESA, an NPR affiliate, revealed the uniqueness of this upward trend, noting that other high-income countries have seen their maternal morbidity rates decline as a result of increasingly accessible healthcare. Consequently, state review committees consider most maternal deaths preventable, as most deaths appear linked to untreated health conditions and complications. Thus, WESA sites researchers are advocating for improved access to care, which Medicaid may allow, as the program pays for about half of U.S. births. Local Maternal Health Resources Local programs and services may help new and expecting mothers in the Greater Pittsburgh Area and Pennsylvania. Some of these resources include: 211 Pennsylvania Prenatal Care Services AHN Pregnancy and Newborn Services Allegheny County Office of Family and Child Health Catholic Charities Roselia Pregnancy and Parenting Support Services HealthCare.gov: Health Coverage If You’re Pregnant, Plan to Get Pregnant, or Recently Gave Birth Healthy Beginnings Plus Healthy Start Pittsburgh Hello Baby: Home Visiting Medical Assistance for Children and Pregnant Women The Midwife Center for Birth & Women’s Health UPMC Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine Learn More Find the status of local maternal health and learn about the state maternal morbidity review committee on the Pennsylvania Department of Health website. To learn more, read the NPR and WESA article, “U.S. maternal deaths keep rising. Here’s who is most at risk.” Sources Information for this post was taken directly from “Trends in State-Level Maternal Mortality by Racial and Ethnic Group in the United States”—a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)—and the NPR and WESA article, “U.S. maternal deaths keep rising. Here’s who is most at risk.” Text has been added, paraphrased, and adapted for reproduction, readability, and comprehension, and resources curated from a number of online sources. Related Content & Resources National Maternal Mental Health Hotline Available Prenatal-to-Three Playbook Details State of Child Care in Allegheny County, Shares Resources Resources for May Observances: Mother’s Day PA Receives $1.2 Million to Promote Maternal and Child Health Through 2026
September 19, 2023 Poll Reveals Increases in Child Communication Disorders and Need for Early Intervention Services A national poll of audiologists and speech-language pathologists recently revealed an increase in child medical referrals for parental concerns about hearing, speech, and language delays or disorders. Conducted by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), the survey investigated early detection, early warning signs, and caregiver knowledge and awareness of communication disorders, and demonstrated a need for early intervention education and services. About the Survey ASHA conducted this survey in February and March of 2023, sending an email invitation to 5,460 ASHA-certified audiologists and 5,534 ASHA-certified speech-language pathologists in the U.S. who are employed as clinical service providers and regularly serve at least one of the following age groups: six months or younger, seven months to two years of age, and three to five years of age The invitation included a link to the survey, which 858 recipients completed. Demographically: 43% of respondents work in schools. 29% work in nonresidential health care facilities. 21% work in hospitals. 79% regularly serve age groups three to five years. 54% regularly serve age groups seven months to two years. 32% regularly serve age groups six months or less. Key Findings Pandemic-Related Trends Backlogs of children who weren’t referred to audiologists and speech-language pathologists during stay-at-home periods, or whose families waited to seek help due to concerns about coronavirus exposure, were a major factor in the increase of referrals. Three-quarters (75%) of audiologists and 62% of speech-language pathologists reported such backlogs. Post-pandemic: 34% of audiologists reported seeing more children with a delayed diagnosis of hearing loss; 36% of audiologists reported seeing more children with untreated ear infections that could interfere with communication development; 84% of speech-language pathologists reported seeing more children with emotional or behavioral difficulties; 79% of speech-language pathologists reported seeing more children with delayed language or diagnosed language disorders, and 78% reported seeing more children with social communication difficulties than before the pandemic. When it comes to factors contributing to increases in referrals beyond backlogs, audiologists and speech-language pathologists point to: limited opportunities for social interaction and play with peers (59%); limited formal pre-K and daycare or interaction with outside adults (57%) such as child care providers, preschool teachers, and extended family; and young children (51%) spending more time using screens and technology such as tablets and smartphones compared with pre-pandemic years. Caregiver Awareness and Need for Early Intervention Services Positive Trends 67% of audiologists and speech-language pathologists said parental awareness of the early warning signs of communication disorders has improved during the past decade. A majority (71%) said that most families with young children are at least “somewhat” aware of the importance of early detection of speech, language, and hearing difficulties when families first see them. Negative Trends Lack of awareness of the early signs of disorders remains the leading factor hindering parents and caregivers from taking action on communication disorders in young children. Less than one quarter (21%) of audiologists said that most parents know the early warning signs of hearing disorders. Only 28% of speech-language pathologists said that most parents know the early warning signs of speech-language disorders. About 40% of audiologists indicated that, on average, symptoms of hearing loss in young children go unrecognized by parents/caregivers for 6 months to 1 year. Similarly, about 41% of speech-language pathologists indicated that, on average, symptoms of a speech-language delay or disorder in young children go unrecognized by parents/caregivers for 1–2 years. Nearly half (48%) of audiologists indicated that, on average, parents/caregivers wait 6 months to 1 year after observing symptoms of hearing loss in their children before acting. Accordingly, 48% of speech-language pathologists indicated that, on average, parents/caregivers wait 6 months to 1 year after observing symptoms of a speech-language delay or disorder to get help. ASHA Recommendations for Families Learn the signs of communication disorders. Connect with early intervention or a private clinician if you have concerns. Find contacts by state at this link: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/parents/states.html. Access a searchable database of private providers at www.asha.org/profind. Additionally, focus on daily interactions with your child. Learn More Visit www.IdentifytheSigns.org to learn more about communication disorders. To find additional information, visit the ASHA website. Source Information for this post was taken directly from the ASHA “Identify the Signs Campaign Survey Results” and ASHA Press Release. Some text may have been added, paraphrased, or adapted for readability and comprehension. Related Content & Resources Developmentally Appropriate Parenting Series: Early Intervention (EI) Family Guide for Early Intervention and Inclusion in Allegheny County Family Guide for Navigating Early Intervention Services Tracking Your Child’s Developmental Milestones When Should a Parent Consider Early Intervention for Their Child? Early Intervention FAQ About the Alliance for Infants and Toddlers
April 24, 2023 Westmoreland County Chamber Hosts Summit to Address Child Care Crisis Area lawmakers, child care providers, and members of the business community met at Westmoreland County Community College on Thursday, April 20 to discuss concerns about a historic staffing shortage within the child care sector and its impact on the economy and working families. About the Summit Entitled, “Supporting Our Workforce: Child Care in Westmoreland County,” the event was organized by Start Strong PA and the Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with: Workforce Investment Board: Westmoreland & Fayette Counties, Westmoreland Community Action, Trying Together, Pennsylvania Early Learning Investment Commission, and ReadyNation Council for a Strong America. It featured several speakers, including Pennsylvania State Representatives George Dunbar and Eric Davanzo, General Manager of Live! Casino Pittsburgh Sean Sullivan, Queens College Economist Dr. Clive Belfield, Executive Director of Trying Together Cara Ciminillo, and CEO of the Greensburg YMCA Suzanne Printz, all of whom detailed new research regarding the impacts of the child care crisis. Summit Highlights Sullivan noted impact that limited child care options has on the workforce, saying, “When parents don’t have reliable, affordable, and quality child care, their work suffers which has an impact for both the employee and employer.” Belfield, who conducted the research for the recent ReadyNation report which revealed that gaps in the Pennsylvania child care system cost employers and taxpayers about $6.65 billion annually, cited the report. He explained that 60% of parents surveyed reported being late for work, leaving work early, or missing full days of work due to child care problems. Twenty-seven percent of respondents said they quit due to child care struggles. Ciminillo referenced a new Start Strong PA study showing the average child care teacher in Pennsylvania earns $12.43 per hour or less than $25,844 per year. “Our research shows that 50 percent of early learning educators say they do not plan to or are unsure of whether they will remain in their jobs in the next five years due to low wages,” Ciminillo said. Printz noted that child care providers can’t just raise teacher wages because families are already struggling to afford the costs of care. Participants referenced the dire impact that low wages are having on the availability of care and a recent Start Strong PA survey that revealed more than 3,600 open staff positions across the state, resulting in more than 1,500 closed classrooms with a combined waitlist of more than 35,000 children. Participants discussed a series of action steps for both policy makers and the private sector to better ensure affordable high-quality child care for Pennsylvania’s working families. Private sector actions included flexible working schedules, child care referrals, tuition assistance programs, dependent care flexible spending accounts, and even on-site care. For policy makers, participants stressed the urgent need for the Commonwealth to help implement and pay for a wage scale for child care teachers that will help providers better compete in the current labor market. Learn More To learn more, visit the the Start Strong PA website.
December 28, 2020 New Study on Racial Socialization and Young Children Point Park University Doctoral Candidate Sherlyn Harrison recently launched a new research study to learn how parents’ racial socialization practices can be integrated into early childhood classrooms. About Like adults, young African American children experience racism. To protect and prepare their children for the harsh reality of living in a racist society, African American parents have historically conveyed racial socialization practices. Racial socialization practices build resilience and promote positive racial identity development among young African American children. To explore how parents’ racial socialization practices can be integrated into early childhood classroom settings, Point Park University Doctoral Candidate Sherlyn Harrison launched a new research study entitled, “Racial Socialization and Young Children.” If you are interested in participating in the study, complete this online survey. Survey Expectations Survey participants will be asked six questions, including a list of demographic items that best describe you. By completing the survey and clicking submit, survey respondents consent to participate in the study. The study should take no longer than 15 minutes to complete. Following the survey, participants will be invited to talk with the researcher further about the topic. To be invited, survey participants must provide their contact information in the space provided in the survey. Within a week, the researcher will contact you to schedule an interview on Zoom. The interview will consist of open-ended questions to gain more information about how the survey respondent communicates and engages with young African American children regarding race. More Information Participation in this study and all personal information provided will be kept confidential at all times. Participants’ names will never appear on any survey or research instruments. If you have any questions, please contact 412.583.3658 or semichi@pointpark.edu.
November 25, 2020 Research Study for Pre-k Classroom Teachers Are you a teacher currently working in a pre-k classroom in Pennsylvania? If so, participate in the “Social and Emotional Learning in Pre-K Programs” research study conducted by Cynthia Speer, a Ph.D. Candidate at Waynesburg University. About The purpose of this proposed study is to sample educators from both public and private pre-k programs in Pennsylvania to ascertain information regarding their perception of and experiences with social and emotional learning (SEL). Study participants will provide personal and school-based demographic information and complete a survey of social and emotional learning (SEL) perception and experiences. Completing these surveys will take approximately 15 to 20 minutes. All responses will remain anonymous and no identifying personal information (such as name, email address, or IP address) will be collected. Sign Up To Participate If you are interested in signing up as a participant, complete this online form. More Information For questions regarding the research, contact Cynthia Speer at spe1961@student.waynesburg.edu or 412.952.4469. For information regarding rights as a research subject, contact Dissertation Committee Chair, Dr. Michelle Steimer at msteimer@waynesburg.edu or 412.722.7602.
November 13, 2020 Fifth Annual Healthy Schools Summit Are you interested in translating research into action to create green and healthy schools? Join Women for a Healthy Environment (WHE) on Thursday, December 3 for the Fifth Annual Healthy Schools Summit. About During this virtual conference, national, state, and local experts will tackle the following questions: How are school stakeholders coming together to realize their shared goal for green, safe, and healthy schools for students and staff to return to? How are school leaders translating public health research into action to prevent the spread of COVID-19? What resources are available for educators, nurses, parents, and students to respond to existing and emerging school health needs? For information on the Summit sessions, please see the list below or view the full Summit Agenda. Morning Sessions “From Research to Action and Knowledge to Practice”: Keynote Address by Tracy Enger, Program Manager, U.S Environmental Protection Agency “Public Health Decision Making for School Leaders: A Panel Discussion” with panelists Dr. Farhad Ahmed (PA Dept of Health), Aimee Eckmann (Perkins + Will), Dr. Megan Freeman (Children’s Hospital), and Dr. Robert Scherrer (Allegheny Intermediate Unit “Clearing the Air: Indoor Air Quality in the Time of COVID-19”: Expert Panel with panelists Nina Hwang (Green Seal), Al Pater (Riverview School District), Lynn Rose (Environmental Health Consultant), and Raj Setty (Setty & Associates) Afternoon Sessions “The Future of Green and Healthy Schools” Afternoon Address by Anisa Heming, Director, Center for Green Schools, US Green Building Council Celebrating Five Years of Success through Our Healthy Schools Recognition Program: Virtual Awards Ceremony Option A – Learning Through Pandemics Past: Bringing Public Health and Civics into the Classroom Option B – “It’s Just a Cold” Navigating Student Health During COVID-19: Panel Discussion Option C – Civic Engagement Through Climate Literacy Registration To register for the Summit, visit the Eventbrite page. For questions, please email Kara Rubio, Healthy Schools Manager at kara@womenforahealthyenvironment.org.
September 22, 2020 Advocacy 201: Crafting and Sharing Your Message Are you interested in speaking with elected officials about the importance of early childhood? Join Trying Together on October 27 for our free virtual workshop, “Advocacy 201: Crafting and Sharing Your Message.” About Effective messaging helps advocates communicate key points to their audience that can potentially influence their level of support. This workshop is for Early Childhood Education professionals who have taken Trying Together’s Advocacy 101 course (or any other foundational advocacy training) and would like to take the next step in preparing to speak with elected officials. Course instructors will review early childhood research and effective messaging such as brain science, return on investment, impact on workforce and business community, and high-quality teaching. Attendees will leave the workshop with talking points for meeting with elected officials to advocate for early childhood. Session Details Session Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2020 | 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. Instructors: Cristina Codario, Emily Neff, and Lindsey Ramsey Core Knowledge Area: Professional and Leadership CDA Content Area: Maintaining Professionalism Registration Deadline: Sunday, October 25, 2020 Registration To register, visit the course PD Registry page. Space is limited. Participants will receive the course Zoom link via email within 24 hours before the start date for the course. PQAS and Act 48 credit available. If you do not have a PD Registry account, please complete this online form to create one. If you are unable to create an account, please contact pdregistry@pakeys.org for more information. More Information For questions or more information, contact Jasmine Davis at jasmine@tryingtogether.org.
September 11, 2020 NAEYC Annual Conference: Virtual To maintain the health and safety of its audience, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) will be hosting its 2020 Annual Conference virtually, with events taking place from November 8–10, 2020. About The NAEYC Annual Conference is the largest early childhood education conference in the world. Each year, thousands of teachers, program administrators, students, and researchers choose from hundreds of presentations and exhibits to explore the latest trends and research in the early childhood field. More information on professional development sessions and participating exhibitors will be available soon. Please continue to monitor the NAEYC website for future updates. Registration Registration for this event opens on Monday, September 14. To register and learn more, visit the NAEYC website.
Unpacking Research on the COVID Slide Are you interested in learning about how much learning loss students are experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic? Attend the webinar “Unpacking Research on the COVID Slide and Recommendations to Close the Gap” on September 16 to hear from researchers Dr. John Bielinski, Dr. Rachel Brown, and Dr. Kyle Wagner. About During this webinar, the researchers who authored the just-released report, “COVID Slide: Research on Learning Loss and Recommendations to Close the Gap”, will review the data and answer the following questions: Did certain grade levels experience more pronounced learning loss than others? Will core subjects experience the same levels of learning loss, or will one suffer more than the other? Exactly how far behind can I expect students to be when we resume instruction? What can I do to help catch students up quickly? This webinar will be of interest to K-12 teachers, school and district leaders, guidance counselors, and school psychologists. Time for questions will be provided. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.
July 17, 2020 Antiracist Dialogues for Action: Antiracist Out-of-School Time Programs Are you interested in learning, sharing knowledge, and working together with fellow changemakers to dismantle racism and injustice? Join ELIE Circle on August 12 for “Antiracist Dialogues for Action: Antiracist Out-of-School Time Programs.” About On August 12, ELIE Circle will hold the second virtual meeting of the Antiracist Dialogues for Action – convenings for out-of-school time educators (e.g., afterschool staff, librarians, teaching artists, researchers) to learn, share knowledge, and work together to dismantle racism and injustice. The dialogues consist of the following: a 30-minute presentation providing context, research, and historical perspectives on main dialogue topics; a 45-minute small group dialogue on a related subtopic for participants to a) share collective knowledge and b) work with other educators to determine goals and next steps; and a 15-minute closing and larger group share out. All dialogues are designed for educators which includes those that are working directly with young people in any capacity and those at out-of-school-time organizations without direct contact. These dialogues are categorized in two categories: Educators and Youth Work. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.
