What Can We Do to "Raise America" Right?

Why do we, as a nation, make it so hard for our children to thrive?

How can we do better?

These questions are what the documentary "The Raising of America" pose to thousands each time it airs on KBTC public television.

Recent studies underscore repeatedly how a child’s earliest surroundings and interactions shape the developing brain, building the foundations for life-long emotional, intellectual and even physical health and development. Exposure to a nurturing or adverse environment in the early years affects how we think, feel and relate to others as we age, our capacities for empathy, impulse control and even love.

When parents are pressed for time, money and resources, their babies pay the price. Child well-being in the U.S. has fallen to 26th out of 29 rich nations. An increasing number of children grow up with learning, behavioral and physical health challenges. But our kids’ health is not all that’s at risk, researchers argue. By squeezing young families and under-investing in early childhood we are also under-developing America. If we want children to do better in school and in life—and the nation to prosper—we can’t wait until they enter kindergarten.

The studies are many, they are strong and they are persuasive. Yet little or no popular media until now have translated these scientific findings into a compelling new story capable of changing the way parents, practitioners, policy makers and the public think about society’s responsibilities and interest in these first crucial years. The conventional default explanations of child development—good vs. bad parents, genetics and cultural dysfunction—still predominate. Perhaps not coincidentally, little progress has been made in improving outcomes for America’s children.

Tune in

"The Raising of America" is set to air in our part of the country on KBTC (a PBS affiliate) on February 2, but the series has been available online in the past here: http://www.raisingofamerica.org/. 

If you are in the Thurston County area on January 27, from 5:30-7:30 p.m., DEL, KBTC Public Television, and Visions of Early Learning are hosting a screening event and special panel.

The event will take place at ESD 113 - 6005 Tyee Dr. SW. (Thurston Room). Tumwater, WA 98512. 

Panelists include:

• Ross Hunter, Director of Washington State Department of Early Learning
• John Wiesman, Secretary of Health- Washington State Department of Health
• Jon Tunheim, Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney
• Gretchen Thaller, MSN, RN., Coordinator Maternal Child Health/Supervisor Nurse Family Partnership- Thurston County Public Health and Social Services

Join us for this special screening followed by a panel discussion about how we can support early learning in our communities! Register for the free event here: Thurston Raising of America.

Content for this post is courtesy of raisingofamerica.org, DEL and KBTC public television.

Partners in Early Learning Celebrate Midway Point of 10-year Plan

It has been five years since the development of the Washington Early Learning Partnership’s 10-year early learning plan. 

As the sixth year of this plan’s implementation approaches, the Washington Early Learning Partnership took the opportunity to acknowledge what has been achieved so far and look to the future state of early learning in Washington with the publication of this midway report: Celebrating the First 5 Years.

The following are highlights from the report. They showcase accomplishments that have bettered the state of early learning in Washington: 

• We developed a Racial Equity Theory of Change that has given us strategies and a stronger determination to eliminate the opportunity gap. This gap can be seen before a child’s first birthday and disproportionately impedes the healthy growth and development of children of color and children from low-income families.

• We created the Home Visiting Services Account, which now combines state, federal and private dollars to serve more than 2,100 families living in some of our state’s most vulnerable communities. It includes a new partnership with the state Department of Social and Health Services to provide high-quality home visiting to families in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.

• We won a $60 million federal Race to the Top – Early LearningChallenge Grant to establish and grow Early Achievers, our state’s system for supporting the highest-quality licensed child care and helping families make better informed choices about child care. The state’s new Early Start Act and historic state investment in early learning now sustain Early Achievers.

• Our 10 Early Learning Regional Coalitions lift up local voices through their advocacy, closely partner with state leaders, and build their community’s capacity to reach more children and families.

• Our tribal community sought a stronger voice in early learning and created the First Peoples, First Steps Alliance.

• We support innovation and alignment between early learning professionals and K-3 educators.

• Our kindergarten readiness assessment process better ensures a child’s successful start in school by looking at the skills of the whole child and connecting the key adults in a child’s life.

• We launched the “Love. Talk. Play.” campaign to support parents of infants and toddlers as their child’s first and most important teachers.

• We redefined early learning to span from prenatal through third grade and then adopted Early Learning and Development Guidelines that support that continuum and value our state’s increasingly diverse population.

• We committed to our preschoolers and kindergartners. By fall 2016, the state will fund full-day kindergarten statewide for more than 80,000 children; by fall 2020, about 23,000 eligible 3- and 4-year-olds will be entitled to state-funded preschool.

The report provides an in-depth look at some of these accomplishments with data-driven support for highlighted strategies. 

The Department of Health, the Department of Social and Health Services, Thrive Washington, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Department of Early Learning make up the Washington Early Learning Partnership. To learn more about this, go here: Washington Early Learning Partnership.

National Breastfeeding Month: Benefits and Resources

Breastfeeding is one of the most effective preventive health measures for infants and mothers. For infants, breastfeeding decreases the incidence and severity of many infectious diseases, reduces infant mortality, and optimally supports neurodevelopment. 

Breastfeeding may also decrease infants’ risk of becoming obese later in childhood. Short- and long-term benefits to mothers who breastfeed include decreased risks of breast and ovarian cancers, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and more rapid maternal weight loss after birth. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics makes the benefits of breastfeeding easy for parents and children to understand:

Why is breastfeeding so good for my baby?

1. Breastfeeding provides warmth and closeness. The physical contact helps create a special bond between you and your baby.

2. Human milk has many benefits.

• It's easier for your baby to digest.
• It doesn't need to be prepared.
• It's always available.
• It has all the nutrients, calories, and fluids your baby needs to be healthy.
• It has growth factors that ensure the best development of your baby's organs.
• It has many substances that formulas don't have that protect your baby from many diseases and infections. In fact, breastfed babies are less likely to have:
• Ear infections
• Diarrhea
• Pneumonia, wheezing, and bronchiolitis
• Other bacterial and viral infections, such as meningitis

• Research also suggests that breastfeeding may help to protect against obesity, diabetes, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), asthma, eczema, colitis, and some cancers.

Why is breastfeeding good for me?

Breastfeeding is good for you because it helps:

• Release hormones in your body that promote mothering behavior.
• Return your uterus to the size it was before pregnancy more quickly.
• Burn more calories, which may help you lose the weight you gained during pregnancy.
• Delay the return of your menstrual period to help keep iron in your body.
• Provide contraception, but only if these 3 conditions are met:
• You are exclusively breastfeeding and not giving your baby any other supplements
• It is within the first 6 months after birth
• Your period has not returned
• Reduce the risk of ovarian cancer and breast cancer.
• Keep bones strong, which helps protect against bone fractures in older age.

According to the CDC 2014 Breastfeeding Report Card, 79% of US infants started breastfeeding in 2011. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for about six months, with continued breastfeeding through at least the first year. 

In the United States, 49% of infants are breastfeeding at six months, yet only 19% are exclusively breastfeeding. A closer look at the rates reveals substantial geographic and racial/ethnic disparities. These rates are far from meeting some of Healthy People 2020’s established targets: Increase the proportion of infants who are ever breastfed to 82%, increase the proportion of infants who are breastfed at 6 months to 61%, and increase the proportion of infants who are breastfed exclusively through 6 months to 26%. 

Resources for you:

Check out the recent DEL blog post about Breastfeeding Friendly Washington to get up-to-date information about positive changes happening in this state. 

A great resource for mothers or women considering being mothers in Washington State is the Department of Health's Healthiest Next Generation page dedicated to breastfeeding. Check it out here: Breastfeeding in WA.

Earlier this summer, news stories surrounding the controversy of breastfeeding in public surfaced. If you aren't confident breastfeeding in public, check out this helpful article with tips on how to go about it: A Guide to Breastfeeding in Public with Confidence.

National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) Tips for Expecting Moms and Young Kids

August is National Immunization Awareness Month, and the Washington State Department of Health (Health) has spent time educating the public on the benefits of vaccinating your children and members of your family before the start of the 2015/2016 school year. Especially when this past year boasted some of Washington's highest cases of Whooping Cough.

Now that most of Washington is at the "final countdown" stage of summer--and almost everyone in the education world is prepping for the school year, here are some quick tips on vaccinations. Hopefully, you have already crossed this off of your "back-to-school to-do list," but in case you haven't, check these out:

If you are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant--

Before becoming pregnant, a woman should be up-to-date on routine adult vaccines to help protect her and her child from vaccine-preventable diseases like rubella.

• Live vaccines should be given at least one month before pregnancy; vaccines received during pregnancy should be inactivated.
• It is very important for women to be up to date on their measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine before becoming pregnant. Rubella infection in pregnant women can cause unborn babies to have serious birth defects with devastating, life-long consequences, or death.
• You can have a pre-pregnancy blood test to see if you are immune to the disease. You probably received the MMR vaccine as a child, but you should confirm this with your doctor.
• If you need to get an MMR vaccine, you should avoid becoming pregnant until one month after receiving the MMR vaccine and, ideally, not until your immunity is confirmed by a blood test.

Tip: There are two vaccines routinely recommended during pregnancy: flu (to protect against influenza) and Tdap (to protect against whooping cough).

It is safe, and very important, for a pregnant woman to receive the inactivated flu vaccine, commonly known as the flu shot. Pregnant women can receive the flu shot at any time during their pregnancy.

Flu season typically occurs from October through May. Pregnant women should get the vaccine soon after it becomes available. A pregnant woman who gets the flu is at risk for serious complications and hospitalization.

Women should get the adult tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine (Tdap) during each pregnancy. Ideally, the vaccine should be given between 27 and 36 weeks of pregnancy for the most whooping cough protection to be passed on to the unborn child.

This vaccine is important to help protect young babies from whooping cough until they are able to receive their own vaccines at 2 months old.

If you care for a child ages birth to 6--

Vaccines give parents the safe, proven power to protect their children from 14 serious diseases before they turn 2 years old.

• Vaccinating your children according to the recommended schedule is one of the best ways you can protect them from 14 harmful and potentially deadly disease like measles and whooping cough (pertussis) before their second birthday. 
• Children who don’t receive recommended vaccines are at risk of 1) getting the disease or illness, and 2) having a severe case of the disease or illness. You can’t predict or know in advance if an unvaccinated child will get a vaccine-preventable disease, nor can you predict or know how severe the illness will be or become. 
• Vaccines don’t just protect your child. Immunization is a shared responsibility. Families, health care professionals and public health officials must work together to help protect the entire community – especially babies who are too young to be vaccinated themselves. 
• Most parents choose the safe, proven protection of vaccines and are vaccinating their children according to the recommended immunization schedule. Estimates from a CDC nationally representative childhood vaccine communications poll (July 2014 online poll) suggest that most people are vaccinating according to schedule or are intending to do so. 

Stat: In fact, 88.9% of parents reported that they are vaccinating according to schedule or are intending to do so.

• Most young parents in the U.S. have never seen the devastating effects that diseases like measles or whooping cough (pertussis) can have on a family or community. It's easy to think of these as diseases of the past. 
• Many vaccine preventable diseases are only a plane ride away. For example, measles is still common in many parts of the world. The disease is brought into the United States by unvaccinated travelers who are infected while in other countries. When measles gets into communities of unvaccinated people in the U.S. (such as people who refuse vaccines for religious, philosophical or personal reasons), outbreaks are more likely to occur. 
• Since measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, the annual number of people reported to have measles ranged from a low of 37 people in 2004 to a high of 668 people in 2014. In 2014 there were 23 outbreaks affecting 668 people from 27 states.
• This year, measles continues to affect the United States with over 178 cases reported as of June 26, 2015. Most of the reported measles cases occurred in people who were not vaccinated or who did not know whether they were vaccinated. 

• Outbreaks of whooping cough (pertussis) have also occurred in the United States over the past few years. There are many factors contributing to the recent increase in whooping cough, but getting vaccinated is the best way to prevent whooping cough and its complications.

While immunizations have significantly reduced the incidence of many serious infectious diseases, vaccination rates for some diseases are not meeting national public health goals. During National Immunization Awareness Month, it is important to remind the people you care for that immunizations aren’t just for children. They are needed throughout our lifetime.

For more information, check out the Department of Health's page dedicated to immunizations, complete with an easy-to-read ebook: http://www.doh.wa.gov/YouandYourFamily/Immunization/Children/ChildhoodImmunizationsFacts

Statistics and data in this article are courtesy of the Center for Disease Control.

Breastfeeding Friendly Washington Hospitals Supports the Healthiest Next Generation

In partnership with the Washington State Hospital Association, the Washington State Department of Health launched Breastfeeding Friendly Washington Hospitals on August 3. This voluntary program recognizes birthing hospitals that support breastfeeding and is part of Governor Jay Inslee’s Healthiest Next Generation Initiative.

Recognizing that Washington's future depends on the health of our children, Gov. Inslee launched the Healthiest Next Generation Initiative to help our next generation be the healthiest ever. Supporting breastfeeding is one of the initiative’s three areas of focus.

This program is based on the World Health Organization’s Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. The steps were adapted for birthing hospitals in Washington, using three tiers of recognition (bronze, silver and gold). Successful applicants will receive window decals, a letter and certificate of achievement from Secretary of Health John Wiesman, and a CD with logo files and a sample press release. Hospitals that qualify for the Gold Recognition Level will also receive a plaque. 

This program is not only about recognition for hospitals, but it is also a vehicle for families to learn about how hospitals are supporting breastfeeding. The promotional package hospitals receive will help with this awareness. Prospective parents can also search our website for a Breastfeeding Friendly Hospital nearby.

"The Governor declared the Healthiest Next Generation initiative, and breastfeeding was one of the key areas he wanted to focus on," said Michele Lord, Department of Health Breastfeeding Coordinator. "Through research, we have noted that Washington has a good breastfeeding initiation rate among moms. However this number declines, and by six months we have a low number of moms that are still breastfeeding. Putting the pieces together, we realized that there is something happening from the moment the mom leaves the hospital that can shape her success in continuing to breastfeed. So we decided to begin with hospitals to promote breastfeeding across the state, to get new moms off to a great start."

Ten Steps to the Breastfeeding Friendly Washington program:

1. Have a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all healthcare staff.
2. Train all healthcare staff in the skills necessary to implement this policy.
3. Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.
4. Place babies skin-to-skin with their mothers for 60 minutes immediately after birth and help mothers recognize and respond to feeding cues.
5. Show mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation even if they are separated from their infants.
6. Give infants no food or drink other than breastmilk unless medically indicated.
7. Practice rooming-in to allow mothers and infants to remain together 24 hours a day.
8. Encourage breastfeeding on demand. Teach mothers cue-based feeding regardless of feeding method.
9. Give no artificial nipples or pacifiers to breastfeeding infants.
10. Establish a system for referring mothers to out-patient and community support. 

The Benefits of Breastfeeding:

Breastfeeding helps protect and maintain the health of both mothers and babies. Breastfeeding protects babies from infections and illnesses such as diarrhea, ear infections and pneumonia and breastfed babies are less likely to develop asthma. Research also shows that breastfeeding a baby for nine months reduces a baby’s risk of becoming overweight by more than 30 percent. Mothers who breastfeed have a decreased risk of breast and ovarian cancers, Type 2 diabetes and post-partum depression.

Supporting breastfeeding is also good for business– big and small. Businesses that support breastfeeding employees are better at retaining valued employees. When employees breastfeed, businesses see less sick time taken by both moms and dads for doctor visits and hospitalizations. Because breastfeeding protects the health of both moms and babies, businesses experience lower health care and insurance costs.

To learn more about the program, contact Michele Lord, Department of Health Breastfeeding Coordinator at michele.lord@doh.wa.gov or (360) 236-3625. To share how you are creating the healthiest next generation, use the hashtag: #HealthiestNextGen on social media!

Washington Early Learning Partners Sign Resolution and Host Brainstorming Session

In front of more than 1,000 early learning professionals and K-3 teachers, the Department of Early Learning (DEL), the Department of Health (Health), the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), Thrive Washington (Thrive), and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) signed a joint resolution, re-establishing their commitment to collaboration.

Washington early learning partners sign a joint resolution committing
to  collaboration in early learning
 at the Starting Strong conference in Tacoma.

Following this signing at the Starting Strong conference, the partners hosted a break-out session inviting input from the conference attendees on the 2015/2016 school year's priority strategies. These strategies are garnered from the Washington Early Learning Plan. The partnership uses these as a framework, as the strategies within the plan emphasize the vision that children in Washington will start life with a solid foundation.

Conference attendees visiting seven tables representing each priority and gave feedback. Participants were asked for ideas on improvement or ways the partners could accomplish goals pertaining to each priority.

The focused strategies were:

• “Build Continuum of Infants and Toddlers Services and Programs”
•  “Make Home Visiting Available to At-Risk Families”
• “Ensure Social-Emotional Learning – Parents, Caregivers, Early Learning Professionals; Provide Health, Mental Health and Social-Emotional Consultation in Early Learning Settings; Ensure Continuum of Social/Emotional Learning— Children, Expand Compassionate Schools – Reducing Effects of Complex Trauma”
• “Strengthen Public Awareness and Action”
• “Implement Comprehensive Professional Development and Compensation System”
• “Expand Early Numeracy Programs; Align Prekindergarten and K-3 Instructional and Programmatic Practices; and Implement Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (WaKIDS)”
• “Ensure Developmental Screening and Connections to Responsive Supports”

The strategies discussed were chosen based on the urgency or momentum of each priority. Each of these strategies is something that three or more members of the partnership will pursue jointly. 

The Washington early learning partnership hosts a
Starting Strong break-out session dedicated to
brainstorming on early learning plan priorities.

In addition, each agency is working on its own priorities in early learning, either as described in the larger ten-year plan, or to meet an emergent need.

In order to successfully carry out any of the 2015/16 strategies, the partnership must meaningfully engage a broad range of constituents and stakeholders, beginning with parents and other caregivers, and including tribal governments, federal, state, and local jurisdictions, and an array of non-profit, research, philanthropic and community partners, particularly those focused on leading for equity, and closing opportunity gaps. 

The partnership must include families in the decisions that affect them. With each strategy -- and throughout their work -- the partnership will focus on key questions, such as: 

• is it good for kids, families, and providers?; 
• do some benefit more than others?; 
• who lacks access and why?; 
• what data and information is missing?; and 
•  might there be any unintended consequences? 

In the preamble to the priorities, it states,

"We will drive our work to ensure equitable access and help to close gaps. Only by closing gaps will we be able to ensure a bright future for all children, families, and communities in Washington."

Special thanks to all of the attendees of Starting Strong and for all of the thoughtful and constructive brainstorming that occurred at the partners' break-out session!

Preventing Years of Damage: Sun Safety at the Height of Summer

While the Pacific Northwest is often known for clouds and rain, this summer has been one of the hottest and sunniest to date. While you are out and about, taking advantage of these fair-weather days, think about safety--especially if you are responsible for children during outings. 

In a press release last summer, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) stated, 

"Puget Sound, if it were a state by itself, would rank fourth in the nation for skin cancer rates. That’s because of a misconception that cloudy weather means people don’t have to protect themselves from the sun."

It is important to note that there doesn't necessarily have to be direct sunlight to cause damage to skin. DOH advises that protecting you and your family from skin cancer is something that must be done all year, regardless of whether it’s sunny or cloudy. According to DOH, Ultra Violet (UV) light exposure (the most preventable cause of skin cancer) occurs even on cloudy days.

Even though it is not common for children to be diagnosed with skin cancers, sun damage that occurs while children are young can have lasting effects, commonly, melanoma later in life.

One terrifying event recently made national news headlines. Two young boys were on an outdoor field trip while attending child care ended up in serious condition after being exposed to sun without sunscreen or protective clothing. To read more about that story, go here.

You can help prevent skin cancer by:

• using sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher; 
• staying in the shade, especially during midday hours; 
• covering skin with clothing that covers your arms and legs or a hat with a wide brim to shade your face, head, ears and neck.

Most importantly, plan ahead for you and your family. If your children are in licensed child care, work with your provider to ensure your kids have proper clothing and sunscreen. 

You can learn more important facts about skin cancer and how to prevent it on the Washington Cares about Cancer partnership page and on the Department of Health website about comprehensive cancer control. 

DOH also published a fact sheet for quick and easy tips to stay safe in warm weather. For tips on how to stay safe in warm weather for all of your family members, even pets, visit DOH's page dedicated to hot weather safety.

If you have a sun burn or someone in your family does, refer to the Skin Cancer Foundation's "Five Tips to Treat Sunburn" article. The article mentions that most sunburns are treatable at home, but 

"...If a blistering burn covers 20% or more of the body (a child's whole back), seek medical attention..." 

Anyone who has had a bad sun burn knows the time and pain it takes to heal. Do yourself and your kids a great service and prevent those harmful UV rays from causing damage now and in the future!

Look Ahead, Be Prepared: Immunization Update

Summer isn't quite over yet, but consider thinking ahead to fall when it comes to immunizing your kids. 

According to the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), now is the time to get kids in to see their health care providers for required immunizations, yearly well-child checks, and sports physicals. 

Families can cut down on back-to-school stress by getting the right immunizations for their students well before school starts. Students who aren’t in compliance with required vaccines may be kept out of school if a disease epidemic occurs. 

Parents can find the immunization requirements to start school and attend child care online. There are new changes to the requirements this year for the chicken pox vaccine. It’s also important that kids are current on their whooping cough shots. The disease is spreading in Washington and everyone can play a part in stopping it.

"Now is the time to make sure you and your kids are fully vaccinated," said State Health Officer Dr. Kathy Lofy. "Immunizations are the best tool we have to protect students from serious diseases that can spread quickly through schools."

Due to the recent outbreak of whooping cough cases, State Communicable Disease Epidemiologist Dr. Scott Lindquist reiterated the importance of getting kids vaccinated against the preventable disease. 

"Whooping cough can be very dangerous for babies and young children. When school starts, whooping cough can spread easily from the classroom to the home. Making sure that all kids and pregnant moms are up to date with the right shots to prevent whooping cough can protect babies and families."

For more information about whooping cough in Washington, read DEL's previous blog post about it.

 

For a detailed update and sound advice on various kinds of vaccinations, check out the Department of Health's "Immunization and Child Profile Update". This is seasonal information about the flu, hepatitis, chicken pox requirement updates and more--including an informative Q & A with nurses.

Make educated choices about you and your family's health, consult your health care provider if you have questions. 

DOH notes on their vaccination page: 

"You research which car seat has the highest safety ratings, you read food labels, and you talk to your friends and family about how to find quality child care. Your choice to immunize is no different. Making an educated choice about immunization is critical to protecting you and your family’s health." 

No-cost vaccines are available for all kids up to age 19 through health care providers taking part in the state’s Childhood Vaccine Program. Participating providers may charge for the office visit and an administration fee to give the vaccine. People who can’t afford the administration fee can ask for it to be waived.

For help finding a health care provider or an immunization clinic, call your local health agency or the WithinReach Family Health Hotline at 1-800-322-2588.

For up-to-date information on vaccinations and more, visit the Department of Health's website: www.doh.wa.gov. For general information about children's health visit DEL's health and nutrition page.

Washington Looks to Help Kids Grow

Washington has incorporated a new resource for families called "Help Me Grow." This is a national network that helps states implement state-wide planning and implementation of behavioral and developmental screenings. Twenty-three states are currently affiliates.

Between 12 and 16 percent of all American children experience developmental, behavioral and/or emotional delays or problems. In Washington, 1 in 6 children face a delay by age 18--50 percent of children with a delay are not identified before school.* Experts and the Washington State Department of Early Learning agree that early detection and connection to services lead to the best outcomes for children with such challenges.

"Help Me Grow" provides:

• Child health care provider outreach
• Community outreach
• Centralized telephone access points to connect families to services
• Data collection

What does Help Me Grow Washington offer families?

• Free developmental screening for all kids under 5 (no waiting lists or income requirements)
• Activities and games that support healthy growth and learning
• Community resources like parenting classes, medical clinics, and food banks
• Referrals for further evaluation and early intervention services

How Can Developmental Screening Help My Child?

Often, the signs are hard to see, even for a professional. Screening all kids regularly is the best way to catch delays early, when intervention is most effective. Even for families with kids developing on track, screening is a fast, flexible and fun way to learn about what’s coming next and what you can do to encourage healthy growth!

The Ages and Stages Questionnaire

To screen kids Help Me Grow Washington uses a survey tool called the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ). This tool can be accessed easily online by clicking the link above. Developmental screening cannot give you a diagnosis; however it can show you if your child is developing more slowly than kids in the same age group.

The ASQ covers 5 areas of development:

• Communication – how kids use language
• Gross Motor – how kids move their bodies
• Fine Motor – how kids use their hands
• Problem Solving – how kids interact with their world
• Personal-Social – how kids calm themselves down

When using the ASQ:  Based on your child’s age, you will be asked about your child’s ability to complete certain activities, such as “Can your child stand on one foot?” When you’ve tried each of the items with your child, submit your answers online. The expert staff will score the ASQ and contact you with results within one week. They will also give you suggestions for games and activities to do with your child to practice emerging skills. They will send another screen every 3-6 months, so you can continue to learn about and support your child’s growth.

If you have questions or want to learn more about it first, please call the Family Health Hotline at 1-800-322-2588.

*Citations for this article are courtesy of the Washington State Department of Health. For more information regarding developmental delay statistics, please click here: Screening Brief. Other data is courtesy of WithinReach's ParentHelp123.

For more information about DEL's role in developmental screening, check out the Early Support for Infants and Toddlers page at del.wa.gov. 

Whooping Cough in Washington: Protect Yourself and Your Kids

According to a recent King 5 News story, whooping cough is on the rise in Washington. Unfortunately, there have been more than 700 cases in 2015. This is a massive increase as one year ago, there were around 130 cases.

According to the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), whooping cough (Pertussis) spreads easily by coughing and sneezing. In a recent letter from DOH, parents and caregivers are urged to consider vaccination--especially those who care for young children and babies.

The letter states, 

"as a parent, there is nothing more important than safeguarding your child’s health. That’s why you should know the facts about whooping cough (pertussis) and the vaccine that protects against it. Make sure you and your family get the right dose at the right time." 

The dangers of whooping cough.

Whooping cough is most dangerous for babies. They can get it from adults or other children who have whooping cough. Babies can have severe coughing spells that make it hard to breathe. Whooping cough can lead to pneumonia, seizures, brain damage, and death.

Call your doctor if prolonged coughing spells cause you or your child to:

• Vomit
• Turn red or blue
• Seem to be struggling to breathe or have noticeable pauses in breathing
• Inhale with a whooping sound

How can I protect my child from whooping cough? 

The best tool for protection is the whooping cough vaccine. In addition to the vaccine, make sure that you and your child: 

• wash your hands, 
• cover your cough, and 
• stay home and away from others when you are sick. 

It is especially important to protect babies and pregnant moms. If you suspect that you or your child have whooping cough, seek immediate medical care. 

Who should get the vaccine and when should they get it? 

• Babies* get a dose of DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough (pertussis)) at 
• 2 months
• 4 months
• 6 months
• 15-18 months
• At 4-6 years of age, they should receive a 5th DTaP dose. 
• When kids are 11 or 12 years old, they get a dose of Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis). 

*Newborn babies can’t get a whooping cough vaccine until they are 6 weeks old. 

The best way to protect babies is for pregnant women to get vaccinated in their third trimester, between 27 to 36 weeks. Adults that haven’t had a Tdap dose, especially those who are healthcare workers or take care of young babies, need to get a dose Tdap. Child care and school requirements Children entering child care or preschool must be up-to-date with their immunizations. 

When considering Kindergarten Readiness, think beyond your child's social, emotional and intellectual development. Consider their medical vaccination needs, too. In Washington State, it is required for children entering kindergarten to have 5 DTaP shots.

Where can I find the whooping cough vaccine? 

Ask your doctor, nurse, or local health department to find out more about the Tdap or DTaP vaccine and where you can get it. 

Washington provides all recommended vaccines at no cost for kids through age 18, available from providers across the state. Providers may charge an office visit fee and an administration fee to give the vaccine. People who can’t afford the administration fee can ask to have it waived. Call the Family Health Hotline at 1-800-322-2588 or go to ParentHelp123 to find a healthcare provider or immunization clinic. 

For more information about whooping cough, visit the Washington State Department of Health at www.doh.wa.gov/whoopingcough.