Early Childhood Expulsions and Suspensions Undermine Our Nation's Most Promising Agent of Opportunity and Social Justice

This brief presents the latest information regarding early childhood expulsions and suspensions with a special emphasis on how continuing gender and race disparities violate the civil rights of many of our youngest learners and contribute to our nation's costly achievement gap by locking our boys and African-American children out of educational opportunities and diminishing the ability of early education to provide the social justice remedy it was designed to produce

The Healthy Incentive for Pre-schools (HIP) Project: The Development, Validation, Evaluation and Implementation of an Healthy Incentive Scheme in the Irish Full Day Care Pre-school Setting.

While many children are now cared for outside the home, inadequate nutrition and physical activity practices in pre-schools have been reported. This study aimed to develop a validated nutrition and health related evaluation tool and an education information resource for pre-schools, and determine whether their use can promote improved food service and nutrition and physical activity practices in this setting. Following a pilot phase undertaken in Co. Wicklow (n 12), pre-schools providing a full day care service in the Midland Area of Ireland were invited to participate in the study (n, 100). Direct observation was used to collect data (food and fluid provision; physical activity; outdoor time; staff practices and availability of nutrition and health resources) in each pre-school during one full day both prior to, and 6-9 months following the training period, using the specifically developed data collection tool, the Pre-school Health Promotion Activity Scored Evaluation Form. Post-intervention, self-assessment data were also collected using the same evaluation tool. All foods offered were recorded using household measures, and a photographic food atlas developed specifically for this project. A Delphi investigation was undertaken to identify pre-schools’ most favoured incentives for project inclusion. Of 76 services that registered interest in participating, pre-intervention data were collected in 58 facilities. Pre-schools were randomised into 2 training intervention groups: a ‘manager only trained’ group (n, 27); and a ‘staff and manager trained’ group (n, 18). Pre-intervention, poor nutrition and health practices were observed. Significant improvement (P\u3c 0.05) in nutrition and health related practice was observed within both intervention delivery groups in all areas evaluated; training of staff had no significant impact on overall practice. Scores assigned by direct independent observation were lower than pre-school self-assessment scores. Grant aid for food and physical activity, and project participation recognition, were the incentives most favoured by pre-schools. This intervention was the first in Irish pre-schools to demonstrate that Pre-school Health Promotion Activity Scored Evaluation Form use supported by education improved practice with no significant additional effect of staff education

Assessment of institutional health and safety practices of early years schools in Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana: a mixed methods approach

Objective: Early years schools by their nature present peculiar challenges for infection control and injuries. This study aimed at assessing the health and safety practices of these institutions and find explanations to challenges faced in meeting the recommended standards.Design: Sequential explanatory mixed methods design was used in the study.Methods: The quantitative data was collected using a questionnaire. The study involved all early years schools in Cape Coast Metropolis totalling 160. Follow-up interview was conducted using eight Heads and Coordinators of these schools.Results: Early years schools met majority of the health and safety practices. Chi-square analysis revealed that, school auspices was associated with keeping records of doctor’s report [χ2 (1, N = 160) = 7.27, p = .007, ɸ = .227, odds ratio = 2.79, 95% CI (1.4, 5.7)] and having immunization records up to date [χ2 (1, N = 160) = 4.35, p = .037, ɸ = .184, odds ratio = 2.88, 95% CI (1.2, 7.7)]. Private early years’ schools were almost 3 times likely to meet recommended health and safety practices. Two themes identified as explanations to why most early years schools were not requiring copies of doctor’s reports were: “We don’t bother to ask” and “Rare cases, they do bring”.Conclusion: Though early years schools were meeting the recommended standards; they were not previewed to doctor’s report of children’s previous illnesses. This implies that these institutions may not be readily prepared to assist in meeting certain health care needs of the children in their care.Keywords: health, safety, early years schools, Cape Coast Metropolis, GhanaFunding: None declare

Pediatric Dental Health Care: Recommended Practices for Helping Children and Parents

This brief contains recommendations focused on early childhood education practices that can strengthen pediatric dental care. It included recommendations for educating both parents and children in dental practices.HHS Child Care Bureau and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundatio

A Project Evaluation of the California Education Code\u27s Aquatic Mandate and Related Safety Protocols in High School Aquatics Courses

The California Education Code (CEC) requires high schools to provide swim lessons for their students. How can the CEC and California Health and Safety Code (HSC) be amended to ensure the safety of students in swim classes? What best practices should they follow

Physical activity recommendations for early childhood: an international analysis of ten different countries’ current national physical activity policies and practices for those under the age of 5

During the last two decades there have been growing interests on recommendations for children’s physical activity. The World Health Organization (WHO) launched the first global international recommendations for children in 2010, focusing on children and youth aged 5-17 year olds. The recommendations were based on the dose-response relationship between the frequency, duration, intensity, type and amount of physical activity needed for prevention of non-communicable diseases. There remains however, at time of writing, (2019) a gap in the recommendations, as the WHO did not offer global recommendations for those children under the age of 5 (early years). An international policy and practice analysis, (not previously undertaken), of ten sample countries, was completed of current national physical activity practices. Also an international comparison of early years’ education settings were examined, specifically for those under the age of 5, to investigate current curricula, as well as the qualifications, knowledge and understanding of those supporting children’s learning in different cultural contexts. The sample of ten countries (Belgium, China, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, United Kingdom and United States of America) questioned whether the global daily physical activity recommendations (WHO, 2010) are costumed and used for to the early years’ age group on a national level or if they need to be adjusted. The analysis revealed that eight countries have developed their own national recommendations for children below the age of 5, while only two countries do not have any early years’ specific physical activity recommendations. National authorities seem to be the most common executive sources behind the recommendations. The content of physical activity for children under the age of 5, mostly included the total amount and intensity of physical activity. The total daily amount of physical activity in these ten countries varies between 60 minutes moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity up to 180 min total light to moderate intensity physical activity and for some countries the daily recommendations are only from age 1 year, not between birth and 1 year, this age range remains unsupported. The conclusions from the analysis of national recommendations, underlined the need to see the global recommendations be developed for the younger age group, to support all countries. It is proposed a need for universally new recommendations to go beyond just physical activity intensity levels and to consider how young children’s development can be supported in a versatile way by physically active play. Also age specific recommendations are offered for appropriate and purposeful physical activity to support early years and school aged children’s overall development. The findings also suggest educational recommendations for staff members of early childhood education and care settings to know appropriate and age specific recommendations to ensure they are able to support young children to reach the national and global recommendations. Research recommendations are also proposed

Pediatrics

Background:In 2017, we conducted a multistate investigation to determine the source of an outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 infections, which occurred primarily in children.Methods:We defined a case as infection with an outbreak strain of STEC O157:H7 with illness onset between January 1 and April 30, 2017. Case-patients were interviewed to identify common exposures. Traceback and facility investigations were conducted; food samples were tested for STEC.Results:We identified 32 cases from 12 states. Twenty-six (81%) cases occurred in children <18 years-old; eight children developed hemolytic uremic syndrome. Twenty-five (78%) case-patients ate the same brand of soy nut butter or attended facilities that served it. We identified three illness sub-clusters, including a childcare center where person-to-person transmission may have occurred. Testing isolated an outbreak strain from 11 soy nut butter samples. Investigations identified violations of good manufacturing practices at the soy nut butter manufacturing facility with opportunities for product contamination, although the specific route of product contamination was undetermined.Conclusions:This investigation identified soy nut butter as the source of a multistate outbreak of STEC infections affecting mainly children. The ensuing recall of all soy nut butter products the facility manufactured, totaling over 1.2 million pounds, likely prevented additional illnesses. Prompt diagnosis of STEC infections and appropriate specimen collection aids in outbreak detection. Childcare providers should follow appropriate hygiene practices to prevent secondary spread of enteric illness in childcare settings. Firms should manufacture ready-to-eat foods in a manner that minimizes the risk of bacterial contamination.CC999999/ImCDC/Intramural CDC HHS/United States2020-10-01T00:00:00Z31519792PMC67748488401vault:3601

Day Care Monitor Dies after Crash of 15-Passenger Van

In the late afternoon of a spring day, a day care van operator and a monitor loaded 16 children into a 15-passenger van. Carrying a total of 18 passengers in the 15-passenger van, the operator and the monitor proceeded to transport the children to their homes. After dropping off two children at their residences, the van was traveling 46-50 mph in the left hand lane headed east in a 35 mph zone on a non-divided four-lane state road. As the van approached a side street on the right, the right rear tire blew out and the van veered sharply to the left, crossing over two westbound lanes and striking a tree head-on. Witnesses called emergency services and began extracting the children, operator, and monitor from the van. All occupants were transported to local hospitals for treatment of injuries. The monitor died at the hospital; the operator and all other passengers survived. To prevent future occurrences of similar incidents, the following recommendations have been made: Recommendation No. 1: Daycare facilities that utilize 15-passenger vans should ensure operators are properly trained in safe vehicle operations. Recommendation No. 2: Daycare facility owners should ensure company vehicles have routine maintenance and inspections performed. Recommendation No. 3: Daycare employees involved in the transportation of children must follow all the transportation rules and laws that apply. Recommendation No. 4: Kentucky daycare facilities should use alternatives to 15-passenger vans to transport children for the safety of the children and the daycare employees. Recommendation No. 5: Kentucky should authorize one agency to oversee daycare transportation operations. Recommendation No. 6: Manufacturers should improve the safety of 15-passenger vans, especially since they are often used to transport children

Early care and education state indicator report, 2016

The Early Care and Education State Indicator Report, 2016 presents information about state policy and system supports for obesity prevention in early care and education (ECE) settings. It also provides examples of how some states have incorporated obesity prevention into their ECE system.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Early Care and Education State Indicator Report, 2016. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2016.CS270389-Aearly-care-education-report.pd