We are (and have been) dealing with extremely challenging times: from navigating a global pandemic to enduring persistent systemic and institutional racism to withstanding debilitating economic challenges. We recognize the toll that these things can collectively take on our mental and physical health and especially on young people; as some would say “the struggle is real.” This is the subject of this Youth Thrive Alive! Forum: The Struggle is Real: Finding Healing During Difficult Times, where panelists discussed the mental health needs of young people during COVID-19 and ways to center healing and well-being in our practice.
Publications & Resources
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The Racist Roots of Work Requirements: Where Do We Go From Here?
As the Center for the Study of Social Policy explained in a report released last year, work requirements are rooted in a long history of anti-Black racism, going back to slavery. To this day, racist myths underlie assumptions that people do not want to work, and need to be forced to work by public policy. This virtual, livestreamed conversation explored the history of work requirements, the reality of labor force participation, and where we should go from here.
A Prenatal to Three Blueprint for Child Well-Being and Child Welfare Prevention
February 2021
This webinar focuses on the report, "A Prenatal to Three Blueprint for Child Well-being and Child Welfare Prevention: Building a Primary Prevention Continuum to Support the Health and Well-Being of Children Prenatal to Three," including guiding principles and strategies for building and enhancing a comprehensive continuum that meets the needs of young children and their families.
Supporting the First 1,000 Days of A Child’s Life: An Anti-Racist Blueprint for Early Childhood Well-Being and Child Welfare Prevention
February 2021
To support the health and well-being of children and families of color, we must implement comprehensive strategies that address systemic and institutional racism. This report offers a blueprint for creating equity-centered, anti-racist policies that support the health and well-being of children and families of color.
Watch a webinar on the Blueprint here.
(31 pp)
Coalition-Building, Fast and Slow: The Early Childhood Alliance of Onondaga County
February 2021
In this brief, we see how the Early Childhood Alliance (ECA) of Onondaga County both capitalized on early momentum to quickly unroll a diverse menu of programs, and also started to undertake the slow, difficult work of making sure their efforts include and reflect the people these programs seek to help.
(7 pp)
Expanding Prevention Partnerships to Become an Early Learning Community: Two Counties’ Experiences in West Virginia
February 2021
This brief tells how two Partner in Prevention teams used tools from Early Learning Nation, CSSP, and the National League of Cities to develop and begin implementing an Early Learning Community Action Plan.
(8 pp)
Strengthening the Social and Emotional Health of California’s Young Children—Executive Summary
February 2021
This executive summary gives an overview of three major sets of strategies that could be adopted relatively quickly to 1) establish greater accountability for child health among California’s Medi-Cal managed care plans; 2) realize the full potential of Medicaid’s Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit for California’s children; and 3) elevate a focus on children among the managed care plans and the State Medicaid agency.
(57 pp)
Strengthening the Social and Emotional Health of California’s Young Children: Medi-Cal Strategies and Options for Creating an Advanced Child Health Delivery System
February 2021
This report identifies three major sets of strategies that could be adopted relatively quickly to 1) establish greater accountability for child health among California’s Medi-Cal managed care plans; 2) realize the full potential of Medicaid’s Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit for California’s children; and 3) elevate a focus on children among the managed care plans and the State Medicaid agency.
Read the Executive Summary here.
(57 pp)
Charlie and Nadine H. v. Murphy Progress Report (January 1 – June 30, 2020)
January 2021
This report measures the progress under the Sustainability and Exit Plan and includes performance data for the period of January 1 through June 30, 2020.
(100 pp)
Community Development and Early Childhood: Partnering for Better Outcomes
January 2021
Attendees learned about a project bringing early childhood partners together with housing and community development providers to better serve families with young children. This webinar also provided information about what these partners have to offer each other and how they can work together to improve outcomes for young children