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SFTS February 2003 News

Solano County Training for Criminal Justice Professionals
On March 12, 2003 Solano County Office of Family Violence Prevention, Solano County Probation Department and the California Attorney General's Office will be hosting the Solano Safe from the Start Law Enforcement Policy Forum. Dr. Linda Chamberlain, a national authority on the effects of early childhood exposure to violence, will be presenting new research and critical information on the issue of children exposed to violence.

More Training and Technical Assistance News
Mono and Inyo Counties are also holding local Safe from the Start events on April 28 and 29, 2003. Dr. Linda Chamberlain will be presenting information on the impact of violence on a child's developing brain in both counties.
Amador, Fresno, Lassen, Mariposa and Yuba Counties have recently expressed interest in developing Safe from the Start activities in their communities.
SFTS training and technical assistance (T&TA) is available through your County Contact. For a list of SFTS County Contacts call Craig Pierini at (916) 322-2956.

RESEARCH

California Report Card 2002
The Report Card on the State of Children in California: A study of children and families, released in October 2002, found that California is trailing the nation across wide-ranging measures of education, health and economic security, despite comparatively high levels of income and wealth.
For more information about these and other online resources funded, in part, by the Children, Families, and Communities Program of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, visit their Recent Research section www.futureofchildren.org/newsletter2856/newsletter.htm.

Child Physical and Sexual Abuse: Guidelines for Treatment
Child Physical and Sexual Abuse: Guidelines for Treatment, is the final report resulting from a three-year project to develop guidelines for the treatment of families experiencing physical or sexual abuse. It describes the development of a rating system for classifying clinical protocols; summarizes 24 treatment protocols commonly used with cases of physical and sexual abuse; classifies the protocols according to their theoretical basis, clinical/anecdotal literatures, acceptance within the treatment community, potential for harm, and different levels of empirical support.
To read or download this report, go to www.musc.edu/cvc/guide1.htm

RESOURCES

Failure to Protect: A National Dialogue
On February 6, Fred Friendly Seminars, in collaboration with the PBS news show Frontline and the Institute of Child and Family Policy at Columbia University, will host a televised national dialogue on the child welfare system entitled "Failure to Protect: A National Dialogue". This one-hour seminar, featuring Senator Hillary Clinton, will air following the final installment of "Failure to Protect," Frontline's two-part series examining the child welfare system.
For more information, check out www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/fostercare/

New National Youth-Violence Prevention Center Opens
A national resource center has been established to promote youth-violence prevention, support safe schools/healthy student initiatives, and encourage mental health awareness. The new National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention is located at the Education Development Center in Newton, Mass. It is being funding by SAMHSA to serve the needs of youth-violence prevention programs, targeted mental health grantees, and Safe Schools/Healthy Students programs.
For more information, check out www.jointogether.org/gv/news/summaries/reader/0,2061,556140,00.html

Innovative Parent Involvement Toolkit for Middle and High School Teachers
Recruiting New Teachers, Inc.'s (RNT) new toolkit, Connect for Success: Building a Teacher, Parent, Teen Alliance, funded by MetLife Foundation, is designed to help new teachers, especially those in high poverty middle and high schools, build partnerships with parents. This publication offers strategies and tools to help teachers break down barriers to parent participation, establish open, two-way communication with parents, and mobilize the resources parents bring to the education of their children. The toolkit also shows how this alliance can help parents improve their children's academic future while improving teachers' day-to-day practice and job satisfaction.
For more information, check out www.recruitingteachers.org/news/2002toolkit.html

First Responders: The Role of Police Officers
Are you a law enforcement officer who wonders if the interaction you have with a child exposed to violence has an impact or makes a difference in the life of that child? Without a doubt, it is extremely important to the immediate and future well being of the child.
Check out our featured excerpt from the book, "Children Who See Too Much", by Betsy McAlister Groves, founder of the nationally recognized Child Witness to Violence Project at Boston Medical Center.

FUNDING NEWS

OCJP Pilot Grant - Children Exposed to DV
The Children Exposed to Domestic Violence Pilot RFP has been released by OCJP and is posted to the OCJP Web site. The RFP due date is March 3, 2003. Funding is for one year beginning July 1, 2003 at $200,000 with the possibility of funding in years two and three.
For more information, contact Gina M. Roberson at (916) 324-9197 or gina.roberson@ocjp.ca.gov

Many County Children and Families Commissions (Prop 10) Funding Programs for Children Exposed to Violence
A recent survey conducted by the Safe from the Start team found that over 20% of county children and families commissions (Prop 10) are funding programs directly related to children exposed to violence. These programs range from services for children at domestic violence shelters, to funding for a probation officer to work exclusively with domestic violence perpetrators who have children, to funding for domestic violence advocates to teach parenting skills in shelters and in follow-up home visits. Check with your local commission for more information on funding in your county.
If you want more information on our survey, send us an email at sfts@doj.ca.gov

Company Recognizes Collaboration
Communities that work together to prevent major social problems such as addiction, gun violence, homelessness, or other issues will be honored by the Mutual of America Foundation's Community Partnership Award. Ten groups of collaborators will be recognized, with a documentary film made about the top winner. Nonprofits that have been involved in broad-base coalitions for at least a year are eligible to apply for the awards. The deadline to apply is April 1, 2003.
For more information, check out www.jointogether.org/sa/news/funding/reader/0%2C1854%2C556238%2C00.html

$9.4 Million in Grants to Study School-Readiness Programs for Pre-K Kids
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Administration for Children and Families will fund scientific research into the effectiveness of early childhood interventions in promoting school readiness among children ages 0-5. They are interested in the following areas: promoting development of children's cognitive and socio-emotional capacities; implications of developmental disabilities for learning and development; and what kinds of child-adult relationships affect children's development. The application deadline is April 25, 2003.