ECTA
Center
eNotes
A News Service from the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center
Current and past issues of eNotes can be viewed and searched online at http://www.ectacenter.org/enotes/enotes.asp
ECTA
Center
eNotes
The mission of the Improvement Partnerships Initiative, supported by the Commonwealth Fund and the Vermont Department of Health, is to build state and regional capacity for the improvement of health care for all children, with a focus on developmental screening and surveillance for young children. To date, five states/regions (RI, NY, WA, AZ, DC) selected during Phase I have successfully launched Improvement Partnership programs. Complete information and applications for Phase II are now available online at http://www.nichq.org/NICHQ/Programs/CollaborativeLearning/ImprovementPartnership.htm [Note: Link checked on 11/26/2007 - this document is no longer available online]
Intent to Apply due: March 8, 2007
Application due: March 27, 2007
A study recently published in the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology examines for the first time how the quality of childcare affects the development of specific language components. The study is unique in that participants were demographically homogenous — all were white children of dual earner parents who had some level of higher education and were of middle income. To read a brief summary of the findings go to http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~snapshots/snap40.pdf
Full citation:
Vernon-Feagans, L., Hurley, M. M., Yont, K. M., Wamboldt, P. M., & Kolak. A. (2007). Quality of childcare and otitis media: Relationship to children's language during naturalistic interactions at 18, 24, and 36 months. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 28(2).
The National Children's Study, which began in 2005 with the awarding of contracts to seven initial centers, has issued a request for proposals to award contracts to up to 20 new study centers. These centers will manage operations in up to a total of 30 communities across the United States. The National Children's Study seeks to examine the effects of environmental influences on human health and development by enrolling a representative sample of more than 100,000 infants from across the United States and following them from before birth until age 21. To read the full press release and for links to the request for proposals go to http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/mar2007/nichd-02.htm
Child traumatic stress, particularly as experienced by children involved in the child welfare system, is the focus of the Winter 2007 issue of the online journal Focal Point. The articles discuss causes and definitions of child traumatic stress, the psychological and physiological effects of multiple traumatic stress experiences, evidence-based treatment strategies, and early intervention as prevention. Focal Point is a publication of the Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children's Mental Health at Portland State University. The entire issue or individual articles are available at http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgFPW07TOC.php
The National Abandoned Infants Assistance Resource Center is sponsoring a series of spring teleconferences. Some of the topics of interest include: