Neighborhood News

Zero-to-Three offers a colorful infographic, entitled “The School-Ready Child” (o “Listos para la escuela” en español). In it the authors describe the reasons why getting ready for school begins in early childhood and the need for public policies that “focus on the healthy development of babies and toddlers as an essential part of preparing children for success.” They outline five important features of the school-ready child:

1. It’s all about relationships.
2. Everyday experiences shape early learning.
3. The importance of emotions.
4. The importance of play.
5. What a school-ready child looks like.

It’s a great reminder of the value of early intervention. EI providers support families as they support their young children to be successful in school and beyond.

This resource is related to one or more competencies in the ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM). To find out more, visit this resource in the Neighborhood here.

This week on the blog, we’re highlighting a resource for parents of infants with unilateral hearing loss, meaning that hearing loss has been identified in one ear. This resource briefly describes some of the unique hearing and language needs of babies with unilateral hearing loss, as well as strategies for supporting an infant to attend to sounds and voices. The article concludes with tips for supporting overall development and keeping an eye out for possible warning signs of developmental delays. Check out the resource on the Hands & Voices website, and feel free to share with any parent who may find it useful: https://handsandvoices.org/articles/early_intervention/uni_loss_tips.html

Hands & Voices is an international organization that supports children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their parents. To learn more about Hands & Voices, including the California chapter, visit https://handsandvoices.org/index.htm

This resource is related to one or more competencies in the ICC-Recomme

Zero to Three offers an excellent video resource entitled, “From Feelings to Friendships: Nurturing Healthy Social-Emotional Development in the Early Years.” It is part of their “Magic of Everyday Moments” series. The video describes the importance of the parent-child bond in building a child’s “ability to form relationships with others, express emotions, and face difficult challenges.” Supportive relationships encourage young children to “explore the world, develop empathy, and understand the difference between right and wrong.” The video offers ways parents can develop strong bonds and nurturing relationships with their young children. There’s also a tip sheet, which we’ve included here for easy access. It might be a great handout for the families you serve. Let us know in the comments below what you think. 

This resource is related to one or more competencies in the ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM). To find out more, visit this resource in the Neighborhood here.

The National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM) at Utah State University published an e-book in 2019, entitled “A Resource Guide for Early Hearing Detection & Intervention.” Today’s post focuses on Chapter 6 of that publication: “Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing PLUS.”

The chapter defines Deaf or Hard of Hearing (or D/HH) Plus as children who are D/HH and also have developmental or medical difficulties. Research from Gallaudet University indicates that approximately 40% of the pediatric D/HH population falls into this category, likely related to “some of the risk factors for hearing loss . . . such as genetic syndromes, prematurity, congenital infections, and meningitis.”

The chapter also outlines other data that compares the rate of certain disabilities in children who are D/HH Plus to the rates seen in the general public. For example, intellectual disability is over 10 times more likely in the pediatric D/HH Plus population than in the general population, an

The Harvard University Center on the Developing Child has created a handy infographic for parents and professionals alike to explain the basics of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). ACES and Toxic Stress: Frequently Asked Questions describes how ACES work to impact very young children and their families and how the effects of ACES can be mitigated. The accompanying text answers questions such as:

• What are ACEs?
• How do ACEs relate to toxic stress?
• What is trauma, and how does it connect to ACEs and toxic stress?

Check out the Center on the Developing Child website to view and download this useful graphic to share with families or refresh your knowledge of ACES in early childhood: https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/aces-and-toxic-stress-frequently-asked-questions/

This resource is related to one or more competencies in the ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM). To find out more, visit this resource in the Neighborhood here.

Photo by Polina Tankilevitch from 

Today’s article answers the age-old question, “Am I Really My Child’s First Teacher,” with a resounding, “Yes!” The folks at NAEYC provide a rationale for the claim and offer examples of routines-based interventions that support literacy development, like telling stories, looking around, and making books available. It’s a quick read. Check it out and let us know what you think in the comments below.

This resource is related to one or more competencies in the ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM). To find out more, visit this resource in the Neighborhood here.

Today on the Neighborhood Blog, we’re highlighting a resource that’s all about supporting infants and toddlers who are dual language learners (DLLs). Rocking and Rolling: Nurturing Infants and Toddlers with Diverse Language Experiences reviews the research on language development for young children who are DLLs and offers tips for early childhood professionals to help multilingual babies and toddlers in their care learn, grow, and feel safe. Whether or not you speak a child’s home language, this publication has strategies for partnering with families and providing supports for children who are DLLs. View this resource in its entirety at the National Association for the Education of Young Children website: https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/may2020/rocking-and-rolling.

This resource is related to one or more competencies in the ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM). To find out more, visit this resource in the Neighborhood here.

Photo by William Fortunato from Pexels

In a “From Principles to Practice” Learning Brief, entitled “Building a Family Engagement Culture,” the authors addressed two questions:

• What does authentic family engagement look like? and
• How can we “engage diverse families in responsive and culturally relevant ways”?

In order to answer these questions, local advocates in L.A. County “developed a shared definition of family engagement” and outlined five guiding principles to “build upon the work of national advocates and stress the need to embed practices across the systems and settings that serve families with young children.”

The five guiding principles are as follows: 

1. Foster mutual respect, trusting relationships, and shared responsibility and leadership;
2. Engaging families where they are;
3. Respect, value, and be responsive to cultural and linguistic assets;
4. Support strong social networks and connections; and
5. Foster an integrated and family-centered systems approach.

Learn more about family engagement and the guiding principles

Today on the Blog, we're highlighting The Manifesto for Race Equity and Parent Leadership in Early Childhood Systems. Published in 2019 by the Center for the Study of Social Policy, The Manifesto invites early childhood systems and programs to commit to "address[ing] inequities and racism by giving parents a voice and opportunity to be engaged and lead at all levels of change."The Manifesto includes five "Core Commitments" for early childhood systems, with strategies to implement each of the commitments. This resource is also available in Spanish.

To learn more about the Manifesto, visit https://cssp.org/resource/parent-leader-manifesto/.

This resource is related to one or more competencies in the ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM). To find out more, visit this resource in the Neighborhood here.

Hands & Voices and the Family Leadership in Language & Learning Center (FL3) offer “Eight Reasons to Say Yes to Early Intervention” in this week’s resource. Hands & Voices and FL3 focus on families of children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, but many of the reasons they suggest apply to families much more broadly. Ranging from support for intervention embedded into everyday routines, the importance of accessing the wisdom of other parents, and becoming a strong advocate for your child, the information presented will likely ring true for a wide range of families. Check out the infographic below to learn about the ways early intervention can support young children and their families.

This resource is related to one or more competencies in the ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM). To find out more, visit this resource in the Neighborhood here.

The Family Focus Resource & Empowerment Center in L.A. produced this terrific video to share “Five Things You Can Do to Make Your Family Strong.” The content is based on the Five Protective Factors you may have heard about. Watch the video to learn more. It’s also available with Spanish subtitles if you click here.

For more information about Early Start, visit the Early Start web page on the DDS web site, here: https://www.dds.ca.gov/services/early-start/

This resource is related to one or more competencies in the ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM). To find out more, visit this resource in the Neighborhood here.

This week on the Neighborhood, we are recognizing Black Maternal Health Week (BMHW; April 11-17) and sharing resources on improving outcomes for Black mothers and addressing racial disparities in maternal health and mental health care. This year marks the fourth annual national BMHW campaign, sponsored by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance. Below are some of the many available resources on Black maternal health; visit the Black Mamas Matter Alliance website for more resources.

• Black Maternal Health Week on the Department of Developmental Services website: https://www.dds.ca.gov/services/early-start/resources-for-families-parents-caregivers/ 
• About Black Maternal Health (US House of Representatives): https://blackmaternalhealthcaucus-underwood.house.gov/about-black-maternal-health
• Racial Disparities Persist in Maternal Morbidity, Mortality, and Infant Health (American Journal of Managed Care): https://www.ajmc.com/view/racial-disparities-persist-in-maternal-morbidity-mortality-and-infant-

The California Department of Education (CDE) recently distributed a handout entitled “Early Intervention Special Education Resources.” It gives a brief overview of three important programs:

• Desired Results (DR) Access Project
• Seeds of Partnership Project
• Supporting Inclusive Practices (SIP)

Read the overview here:

If you’d like to read more about the DR Access Project, check out “Resources to Support the Use of the DRDP with Infants and Toddlers with IFSPs”:

Finally, if you’d like to read more about Supporting Inclusive Practices, take a look at this handout:

Very interesting reading. Let us know what you think in the comments below.

This resource is related to one or more competencies in the ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM). To find out more, visit this resource in the Neighborhood here.

This week marks the one-year anniversary of the World Health Organization declaring COVID-19 to be a global pandemic. Nearly every aspect of life has changed since then, including early learning and care experiences for young children and their families. What has been the impact of this pandemic on young children’s learning and well-being? The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) set out to answer this question through national surveys to parents of children ages 3-5. NIEER researchers described the results of these surveys in a recent publication entitled “Seven Impacts of the Pandemic on Young Children and their Parents: Initial Findings from NIEER’s December 2020 Preschool Learning Activities Survey.” This report compares factors like preschool participation, supports and services to children with disabilities, social-emotional wellbeing of young children, and parental hardships both between Spring and Fall of 2020, as well as between pre-pandemic times and Fall 2

Here’s another great parenting resource from our friends at Zero to Three: Getting Ready for School Begins at Birth. The booklet is available in both English and Spanish (see below) and describes four important skill areas to support children in becoming “eager learners”:

* Language and Literacy Skills

* Thinking Skills

* Self-Control or “the ability to express and manage emotions in appropriate ways”

* Self-Confidence

This resource stresses the concept that “children learn best through their everyday experiences with the people they love and trust, and when the learning is fun.” It also provides families with specific strategies targeted to the first, second, and third years of life. The message of Getting Ready for School Begins at Birth wraps up with some things for parents to think about, like reducing screen time and how our beliefs and values shape what we teach our children. Give it a read and let us know in the comments below what you thought.

This resource is related to one or

This week on the Neighborhood News, we’re spotlighting a valuable Early Start professional resource: the Early Start Personnel Manual: A Guide for Planning and Implementing Professional Development in Support of Early Intervention Services (ESPM). As implied by its title, the ESPM details the “foundational principles, competencies, and evidence-based practices” essential for high-quality Early Start service delivery. Topics covered include the early intervention team composition and roles, personnel entry and advancement pathways for Early Intervention Specialists and Early Intervention Assistants, foundational principles for providing Early Start services, and core knowledge and skill competencies for Early Start personnel. 

The ESPM is recommended by the California State Interagency Coordinating Council on Early Intervention and supports the California Early Start Comprehensive System of Personnel Development to strengthen California’s system of qualified personnel providing services

The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University offers the field a timely infographic entitled “What We Can Do About Toxic Stress.” It explains the concept using a clever analogy of an overburdened truck hauling too much cargo and offers some practical advice about ways to lighten the load. “Just as a truck can only bear so much weight before it . . . stops moving forward, challenging life circumstances can weigh caregivers down (making) it hard to do the things they need and want to do.” The infographic suggests seeking out supports and services that “allow caregivers to focus on caring for themselves and their children,” such as food pantries, free activities for children and families, connecting with other parents, and seeking help from professionals. Once the stress has lifted, it can also be beneficial to help others by “joining in advocacy to expand family supports.” Being connected to others really helps to lessen the burden of toxic stress.

This resource is related to

A study from the Princeton Baby Lab reveals new insights into brain development related to social and communication development. In the study, researchers recorded brain activity (safely!) for both babies and an adult during face-to-face interactions. They found that “during the face-to-face sessions, the babies’ brains were synchronized with the adult’s brain in several areas known to be involved in high-level understanding of the world — perhaps helping the children decode the overall meaning of a story or analyze the motives of the adult reading to them.” Findings also suggested that the brain’s prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for a wide range of functions like planning and decision-making, may be more active in infancy than previously thought. Researchers also noted a “feedback loop” occurring between the baby and the adult, where each seemed to predict and influence the other’s actions during the interaction.

Read more about the study and its results here: https://www.pri

Sponsored by the California State Screening Collaborative and First 5 Association, an exciting Webinar was just announced. On Wednesday, January 27, from 9:30-11:00 AM, join a host of notable speakers to learn and share your knowledge related to services for infants & toddlers with developmental and behavioral concerns from tribal communities. Click here to register for this informative Webinar. Feel free to download and share the flyer below to help spread the work about this important event.

This is exciting! The folks at the University of Washington’s Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS) have published a 25-minute online module on the topic of attachment. Development of Attachment: Learn How Children Form Lasting Bonds with Their Caregivers contains a series of narrated slides as well as a handout and a discussion guide in case an early intervention team would like to view it as a group. The presentation is currently available in English only, but I-LABS has plans to repost it in Spanish, Vietnamese, and Somali. Transcripts of each narrated slide are also available as is an extensive list of the references cited. If attachment is an area of interest, be sure to check this module out. Then leave us a comment below to tell us what you thought.

This resource is related to one or more competencies in the ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM). To find out more, visit this resource in the Neighborhood here.