October 2018, Young Children Newsletter.
I am the Young Children
District Chair for 2018-19.
This year International
President Poly Lat asked that the International Committee of Young Children
Priority One (0 to age 5) be expanded to focus on children from 0 to age 8. The
Young Children International Committee will focus on the needs of this group
with a heavy emphasis still on Young Children Priority One(YCPO) prenatal to
age 5.
I have been your District
Chair for 7 years, and I am passionate about educating new parents to promote
optimal health and brain development in their babies along with preventing
trauma in their lives.
I’d like to share my story
with you. I was born in 1949 when not much was know about prematurity and how
it might affect a person throughout his/her life. I was born at 24 weeks
weighing 1 1/2 lbs and was placed in a incubator for two months. Back then
babies were given oxygen and many were given an overdoses(not knowing any
better) of oxygen which was harmful. Many babies’ eyes were damaged and
blindness resulted. I was fortunate as I only lost sight in one eye, and the
other was damaged but I could see. I have been plagued by vision issues
throughout my life, but now serious problems are catching up with me.
Once grown to an adult my Mom
apologized to me because she did not take good care of herself while pregnant,
and she said there was much stress in her life at that time which resulted in
my premature birth. I am living proof of what can happen if women don’t take
care of themselves while pregnant. Kiwanians have an opportunity to educate the
public about healthy life styles, good nutrition and other ways to prevent
premature births.
Once the child is born we can
further educate new parents about ways to promote optimal brain development in
their babies and to prevent pediatric trauma which hinders or destroys healthy
brain development.
To quote Dr. Wil Blechman,
former Kiwanis International President and Chairperson of our International
Committee:
The mission of Our Committee
is “.... educating our members about the importance of enhancing the likelihood
of success for children 0-8 and especially the prenatal period to age 5.
Happily, Kiwanis has always had a soft spot for kids, but it is rather
interesting that many Kiwanians, and indeed many citizens, only think of the
years from kindergarten on up when looking into possible service projects. Note
I said many, not all. However, with what we now know from research on child
development and especially brain development, it is more important than ever to
get everyone to recognize that adults truly begin their lives before being
born, and that their adult lives are powerfully affected by their experiences
while in utero and the years that follow, especially through age two --- the time
when the basic structure of the brain is being created.”
So how can Kiwanians work
towards accomplishing these goals? Every month I write a Young Children
Newsletter which I share with all Lt. Governors. I ask them to forward the
Newsletter to Club Secretaries who are asked to share the information with
members via email or by printed copy at their next Kiwanis meeting. So I hope
you receive these newsletters which contain educational information on
pertinent topics and project ideas aimed at age prenatal to age 8. These
newsletters are also posted on the New England District of Kiwanis website
homepage (www.newenglandkiwanis.org)
in case you don’t receive them.
I hope you will read the
newsletters, and be encouraged to do one new project this year aimed to improve
the lives of young children in addition to what you are already doing. And, of
course, if you start a new project, I hope you will repeat it each year as
there are new moms and new babies that can benefit each new year.
I am YOUR District Chair.
Please feel free to contact me with question. Or if you would like me to visit
your Club/Division with Project ideas, please contact me. And please share with
me anyYoung Children projects you are doing this year.
Finally, I hope to see you at
Fall Conference and other District happenings. I have a Young Children table in
the exhibit hall with lots of educational materials and project ideas which I
hope you will share with your Kiwanis Club. I look forward to meeting each of
you in the near future!
Sincerely,
Ava Adams
Young Children District Chair
New England and Bermuda
District
No comments:
Post a Comment