Search Results: MCH Organizations

Annotation: The Shasta Children and Families First Commission was formed in March 1999 in response to the California passage of the Children and Families Act, Proposition 10. This initiative aims to promote, support and improve the development of all children from the prenatal period to five years of age in California so children are healthy and ready for school. This organization covers Shasta County.

Keywords: California, Chid development, Health promotion, Infants, Parent support, Young children

Annotation: First Things First supports the healthy development and learning of young children from birth to age 5 in Arizona. The website explains why the early years are critical for a child's healthy development and why investing in quality early childhood programs benefits children, families, communities, and the state. The website includes information for parents and families on topics such as brain development, ages and stages, child care and preschool, and literacy. Resources include a parent kit; a birth to five helpline; annual and biennial reports on statewide and regional needs and assets, and regional impact; research on brain science, quality early learning, and parenting education and family support; and data and statistics relevant to early childhood on national, state, and local levels.

Keywords: Arizona, Child care, Child health, Child safety, Early childhood development, Early childhood education, Family support, Learning, Parent education, Research, School readiness, State initiatives, Statistical data, Young children

Annotation: The Food and Nutrition Information Center (FNIC) provides on-line global nutrition information. FNIC is one of several information centers located at the National Agricultural Library (NAL), part of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS). FNIC staff provide information on food, human nutrition, and food safety. FNIC's 1800+ links to nutrition information and databases can be accessed from the FNIC Web site. Services to consumers include inquiry responses, publications, reference information, and searchable databases. Some materials are available in Spanish and other languages.

Keywords: Adolescent pregnancy, Child nutrition, Food service, Food technology, Information services, Nutrition, Spanish language materials, Young children

Annotation: FosterClub is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that supports youth in care by providing information about how foster care works, connecting them to peers and other resources in their community, and providing guidance on self-advocacy within the system and in the foster home. FosterClub also supports foster parents, child welfare professionals, and concerned citizens through connections to mentoring or coaching opportunities. The website provides access to research, stories, and discussion groups on topics such as adoption, sex trafficking, grief, healthy relationships, and transitioning. Information about training and state resources are also included.

Keywords: Adolescents, Advocacy, Children, Foster care, Mentors, Peer support programs, Residential care, Self care, Service delivery systems, Transitions, Young adults

Annotation: The FPG Child Deveopment Institute's mission is to cultivate and share the knowledge necessary to enhance child development and family well being. Through a variety of grants and contracts, the institute conducts research and provides outreach services. Most of the institute’s work addresses young children ages birth to 8 years, with a special focus on children who experience biological or environmental factors that challenge early development and learning. The institute was founded in 1966 and is named for Dr. Frank Porter Graham and was formerly known as the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center.

Keywords: Child development, Cognitive development, Early childhood education, Emotional development, Psychosocial development, Young children

Annotation: Great Kids Inc. is a nonprofit international training and consulting organization dedicated to developing early childhood and home based programs for families with children 0-5 years. It provides training materials, support services, and curricula for child care providers and program staff (including home visitors). Materials are available in both English and Spanish.

Keywords: Curricula, Early childhood, Home visiting, International programs, Parenting education, Pregnancy, Professional training, Spanish language materials, Young children

Annotation: Healthy Steps for Young Children (Healthy Steps) is a national initiative that focuses on the importance of the first three years of life. Healthy Steps emphasizes a close relationship between health care professionals and parents in addressing the physical, emotional, and intellectual growth and development of children from birth to age three. The Healthy Steps approach is being implemented in pediatric and family practices across the country and is meeting an array of community needs while preserving its unique linkage to a team of health care professionals. Healthy Steps was launched by the Commonwealth Fund in 1994 and is currently being supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Keywords: Child health, Collaboration, Health services, Infant health, Young children

Annotation: The Lawton and Rhea Chiles Center for Healthy Mothers and Babies is a non-profit organization working to promote and protect the health of pregnant women, infants and young children up to age five through research, education and service. The center researches maternal and child health issues to determine effective programs and strategies for health promotion and performs data collection and analysis on the status and quality of maternal and child health care services. Services to professionals include consultation and technical assistance in developing, implementing, and evaluating maternal and child health programs, policies, and delivery systems. Leadership development, education, and training are also available. Program and projects (some with public and/or private partners) are aimed at improving health care for mothers and children and support efforts such as home visiting, birthing centers, home birth assistant programs, community medical homes, Head Start and foster care. The National Friendly Access Project, focused on improving the quality of service in delivering perinatal health care to vulnerable populations, specifically addresses the Healthy People 2010 objectives in the areas of access to quality preventive, primary and prenatal care.

Keywords: Access to health care, Access to prenatal care, Child health, Evaluation, Health care utilization, Health education, Infant health, Maternal health, Policy analysis, Pregnant women, Technical assistance, Training, Young children

Keywords: Head Start, Massachusetts, Professional societies, State organizations, Young children

Annotation: The National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) is a non-profit, non-partisan policy research organization whose mission is to identify and promote strategies to reduce child poverty and improve the well-being of low-income children and their families. NCCP alerts the public to demographic statistics about child poverty and to the scientific research on the impact of poverty; designs and conducts studies to identify programs, policies, and practices that work best; disseminates information about economic security, early care and learning, and family stability; brings together public and private groups; and challenges policymakers and opinion leaders to change the adverse consequences of poverty on young children. NCCP maintains a web site of information and resources and publishes newsletters, reports, issue briefs, and fact sheets, and maintains an e-newsletter. In partnership with the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research at the Institute for Social Research, the University of Michigan; and the U.S. Child Care Bureau, it provides the Web resource Child Care and Early Education Research Connections.

Keywords: Child care, Child health, Conferences, Early childhood education, Economic factors, Education, Family child care, Family support, Information dissemination, Information sources, Libraries, Maternal health, Poverty, Publications, Public policies, Statistics, Young children

Annotation: The National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health (NCEMCH) leads a national effort to collect, develop, and disseminate information and educational materials on maternal and child health. It collaborates with public agencies, voluntary and professional organizations, research and training programs, policy centers, and others to advance education and program and policy development in maternal and child health. The center maintains a reference collection of educational materials documenting the last 100 years of maternal and child health and publishes a variety of guides, directories, bibliographies, and newsletters. Additionally, subject specialists implement special projects in support of federal initiatives. NCEMCH houses on-line information on programs and products from the Special Projects of Regional and National Significance (SPRANS) and other projects supported by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau. The Center's Web site contains databases, bibliographies on maternal and child health topics, lists of selected organizations and MCHB-funded projects, information about Center projects, and selected full-text publications. Selected records from the Center's bibliographic database are available for online retrieval through the Center database MCHLine(r) and also through the Combined Health Information Database (CHID), available on the World Wide Web. The NCEMCH organization database is included on the DIRLINE database at the National Library of Medicine. Services to consumers and health professionals include referrals, reference information, and publications. NCEMCH publishes a weekly electronic newsletter, MCH Alert, which provides timely MCH research and findings, policy developments, information about recently released publications, new programs and initiatives, and conferences affecting the MCH community.

Keywords: Adolescent health, Child health, Continuing Education, Data Analysis, Databases, Data Collection, Dissemination, Electronic newsletters, Health education, Health promotion, History, Information services, Information Services, Maternal health, National Information Resource Centers, Nutrition, Online Systems, Public awareness materials, Public Policy, School readiness, Young children

Annotation: The National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning (ECDTL) supports meaningful learning for children and the early educators who support them. The center is funded and guided by the U.S. Office of Head Start and the U.S. Office of Child Care to promote excellence across all ECE programs by offering resources, building program capacity, and encouraging consistent practices. It is one of four national centers funded by the U.S. Office of Head Start.

Keywords: Early childhood education, Head Start, Learning, Resource centers, Resources for professionals, Teaching, Technical assistance, Young children

Annotation: The National Center on Health (NCECHW) provides resources, training, and technical assistance to the child care and Head Start communities on health-related topics (e.g., health literacy, physical health, mental health, nutrition, oral health, and injury and tobacco prevention). NCECHW is funded by the Administration for Children and Families’ Office of Head Start and Office of Child Care in partnership with the Health Resource and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau.

Keywords: Collaboration, Community health services, Early childhood education, Early Head Start, Families, Head Start, Mental health, Model programs, Pregnant women, Resource centers, Young children

Annotation: The National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement identifies, develops, and disseminates evidence-based best practices associated with the development of young children and the strengthening of families and communities. The Center creates culturally and linguistically relevant training and tools for implementing comprehensive, systemic, and integrated approaches to parent, family, and community engagement in Head Start and Early Head Start. It is one of four national centers funded by the U.S. Office of Head Start.

Keywords: Collaboration, Early childhood education, Early Head Start, Families, Head Start, Resource centers, Young children

Annotation: The National Center on Program Management and Fiscal Operations contributes to positive outcomes for young children and their families by strengthening the management and practices of Head Start and Early Head Start programs. The Center focuses on the elements of managing successful agencies and will offer information, training, and resources. Center staff members are committed to identifying best practices, sharing current and emerging research, and serving as a vehicle for communication on management and finance topics for the Head Start community. It is one of four national centers funded by the U.S. Office of Head Start.

Keywords: Collaboration, Early childhood education, Early Head Start, Families, Head Start, Program management, Resource centers, Young children

Annotation: The National Dairy Council (NDC) is the nutrition marketing arm of Dairy Management Inc. devoted to nutrition education. It works to encourage food selection patterns that include dairy foods and other major food categories, in accordance with scientific recommendations. Services include nutrition education programs and materials. The council publishes a variety of print and audiovisual materials, including a scientific review newsletter available on-line, Dairy Council Digest , a pregnancy calendar, Great Beginnings, and a feeding guide, Airplane, Choo-Choo and Other Games Parents Play. A free catalog is available upon request. Some publications are available in Spanish.

Keywords: Adolescents, Educational materials, Food preferences, Nutrition, Nutrition education, Young children

Annotation: The National Early Childhood Transition Center's mission is to examine factors that promote successful transitions between infant/toddler programs, preschool programs, and public school programs for young children with disabilities and their families. The primary objective of NECTC is to investigate and validate practices and strategies that enhance the early childhood transition process and support positive school outcomes for children with disabilities.

Keywords: Children with special health care needs, Infants, Transitions, Young children

Annotation: The National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Association addresses issues and concerns unique to Migrant and Seasonal Head Start children and their families and advocates for and supports quality services for migrant and seasonal farm worker children and their families.

Keywords: Access to health care, Head Start, MIgrant health programs, Migrants, Young children

Annotation: The New Mexico Association for Infant Mental Health (NMAIMH) promotes and supports healthy development and nurturing relationships for all infants and young children in New Mexico. NMAIMH provides a forum for interdisciplinary collaboration by advocating for the application of infant mental health principles in services for infants, young children and caregivers. The NMAIMH works to facilitate, support and encourage cooperation, coordination and collaboration among those concerned with promoting the optimal development of infants, toddlers and families.

Keywords: Advocacy, Child development, Cognitive development, Infant development, Infants, Mental health, New Mexico, State organizations, Young children

Annotation: The New York Zero-to-Three Network promotes the optimal development of young children, their families, and their communities in the New York region. Participants in the Network include practitioners and researchers in diverse fields such as education, child care, health care, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychology, child psychiatry, rehabilitation therapies, mental health, social services, research, as well as representatives from the legal, business and philanthropic communities. Activities include the fostering and disseminating of a developing, clinically sensitive, state-of-the-art body of knowledge to zero to three practitioners, public and voluntary institutions, policymakers, universities and professional organizations; encouraging training that integrates the perspectives of various disciplines to achieve a comprehensive and reflective approach to intervention; providing a forum for the exchange of information emanating from infant and early childhood practitioners, researchers and programs; fostering networks across service delivery systems in order to improve effectiveness and quality and comprehensiveness; diminishing social and professional isolation by facilitating collegial support among members of different disciplines; stimulating research partnerships; and promoting public awareness about and advocates for the needs of children, parents, caregivers and families.

Keywords: Child advocacy, Child development, Collaboration, Infants, New York, Young children