YCPO - November 2018

Good Morning Fellow Kiwanians!

I am your New England District Chair for YOUNG CHILDREN. This program’s focus is young children from conception to age eight. I will promote educational information about the needs of young children, and I will suggest project ideas to support this age group. Included in this program is Young Children Priority One (Y.C.P.O.) which emphasizes programs for young children from conception to age five. You may be wondering why the emphasis on this age group. A growing body of research from the field of early childhood development (ECD) has demonstrated conclusively that poverty, poor health, inadequate nutrition, lack of stimulation, stress, and maltreatment disrupt healthy brain development — putting children at a lifelong disadvantage. I ask that your Club consider completing one new project for this age group (conception to age 5) along with projects you are already doing.

This month I am focusing on materials available from:

 KIWANIS PEDIATRIC TRAUMA INSTITUTE (KPTI)  at Tufts Medical  Center in Boston.  Materials for Young Children projects will be provided from KPTI  at no charge to your club.  More information and an order form can be found at: www.kpti.org click on the COMMUNITY PROGRAMS tab.

Materials available for  service projects:

1. EARLY CHILDHOOD INJURY PREVENTION KITS include Bath  Safety Duck to test water temperature, Car seat information sticker,  Car seat and seat belt information card, Shaken baby information card, "Keeping the Promise" window safety brochure, Burn prevention brochure, Home safety checklist booklet, Electric outlet covers(24 pk)

These materials are delivered to ALL Kiwanis Clubs and need to be put together in a plastic bag which is also provided with the materials. Then the Kits need to be delivered. Possible distribution to: Day Care Centers, Day Care Homes, Mother's Groups,  Hospitals with Birthing Centers, Health Clinics,  Pediatricians' offices, Obstetricians’ offices or any facility that provides prenatal classes or care  for expectant mothers. This is a perfect project for ALL Clubs...large or small! I encourage your Club to complete this project which can save lives and prevent traumatic injuries of infants and Toddlers!

EACH CLUB IS ALLOWED 200 KITS ANNUALLY FOR DISTRIBUTION.

2. BIKE HELMET EMERGENCY CONTACT STICKER(put inside helmet)

Possible distribution: public schools, bike shops, stores (WalMart, Target), police and/or fire departments. 

3. CHILD SAFETY SEAT STICKERS which provide emergency contact information & dr. contact. Possible distribution: Fire and/or Police Dept. when they conduct proper installation of car seats, at a pre-school, hospitals, clinics, ambulance companies, doctors' offices.  

4. BIKE RODEO MANUAL & I'M SAFE ON MY BIKE IN NEW ENGLAND

Children and families learn about bike safety;  COMPLETE RODEO MANUAL  provides all information needed to organize and set up a rodeo.

HELMETS are available at reduced cost. Also provided: bike safety information handouts, helmet reflectors, identification stickers and much more. Kiwanis Clubs can partner with the Police/Fire Department and hold a Bike Rodeo Day.  more info at:  www.kpti.org

5. ELECTRICAL OUTLET COVERS are available in a 24 pack. Possible distribution: Parent Education Classes, Clinics, Pediatrician's Offices

6. MORE SAFETY BROCHURES FROM KPTI

Window Safety Brochure

Summer Safety Brochure

Pedestrian Safety Brochure

Water Safety Brochure

Holiday/Winter Safety Brochure

Fire Safety Brochure

After School Safety Brochure

FIRST AID/CPR CRART FOR PARENTS FROM THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS. For Kiwanis clubs, to be distributed to pediatrician’s offices, parenting groups and also can be handed out at club events for the public.

Possible Distribution: Schools, Clinics, Doctor's Offices, Police/Fire Department,  Health Fair, Holiday Fair.

7.  BIKE SAFETY

Bike Safety Packet which includes Inspection Checklist, State Bike Helmet Law & Five Common Accidents, Message to Parents,  Teachers and Motorists and Easy Steps to Properly fit a Bike Helmet, and more!

Possible Distribution: Day Care Centers, Doctor's Offices, Bike Shops, Police/Fire Departments, Schools

8. CONCUSSION INFORMATION FOR COACHES AND PARENTS

Heads Up Concussion in Youth Sports is a Center for Disease Control (CDC) program to bring awareness to the dangers of head trauma in young people, particularly those in youth sports.

Available are  sheets for athletes, parents (teachers) and coaches with information about:

What a concussion is

What are the symptoms

Prevention and preparedness

What to do if you suspect a concussion

Athlete and parent fact sheets are in English and Spanish.

This information can be distributed to High School and Middle School athletic coaches who then can distribute this valuable information to parents of student involved with contact sports.

9. BULLYING PREVENTION TIPS FOR KIDS AND TEENS(PAMPHLET)

Bully Free Zone(ACTIVITY BOOKLET)

Inspire bully-free attitudes and actions with the Bully-Free Zone Activity Book for kids ages 9-13.

Reviewed by experts, Bully-Free Zone was created by Child Safety Solutions and

integrates fun with key bullying prevention messages, including:

What bullying is.

How to know if you are a bully and what you can do about it.

Ways to stop a bully from bothering you.

How to deal with cyberbullying.

How to make your school a bully-free zone.

Featuring tweens talking to tweens, this colorful booklet gives kids the opportunity to collect "Big Bonus Points" and stay away from "Big Damage Points" as they work through bullying-prevention activities.

These booklets can be distributed to schools, after school programs, youth sports organizations, PTA, and parent groups.

Bulling can happen at any age. These materials can be distributed to school

administrators who then can decide how and with what age group to used.

Many communities have Arts and Crafts Fairs in November and December. Consider having a table at a Holiday Fair.

It can serve two purposes:

1. Distribution of safety brochures and 2. Provide

information about your Kiwanis Club and attract potential new members to learn about your Club. 

I'm sure many of you can come up with more creative ways in which to distribute these materials. I hope that your Club will take advantage of the materials available through KPTI and will start a new  project this year.  Prevention is the key to keeping our children healthy.  Education is the key to healthy families and we, as Kiwanians, need to educate families in our communities.; saving lives one community at a time!

Please feel free to contact me if you have questions or comments and also let me know what Young Children projects your Kiwanis Clubs are doing!

And if your Club is currently using materials from KPTI consider making a donation to the Kiwanis Foundation of New England (KFNE) which supports KPTI.

Kiwanis Foundation of New England

P.O. Box 2307

Westfield, MA 01086

Sincerely,

Ava Adams, District Chair

Young Children

Scarborough, Maine

New England and Bermuda District