Social Entrepreneurs, Promote What Works for Children!

The annual State of America’s Children research report from the Children’s Defense Fund tells us that our children are not doing well in health, education, and emotional development.   Child advocates are frustrated, because decades of research tell us how to prevent unacceptably high rates of poor outcomes for children. We are making more progress right now in Malawi than in Miami!

Let’s focus on solutions – and do what works.

·       Feed all pregnant women with nutritious diets.  The WIC program helps ensure a healthy pregnancy by getting high-quality protein and other foods to women in the first 4 months of pregnancy, when crucial brain development is occurring. And don’t include income criteria on WIC.  By the time you figure out if mom’s eligible, the damage of malnutrition to the fetus is done.

·      After the baby comes, send a lay health worker or nurse to visit the family for a while.  Voluntary evidence-based home visiting and parent education programs in the first year of life save lives, decrease rates of child maltreatment, and increase rates of successful breastfeeding.  Postpartum depression can be caught and treated with sleep and support.  In most home visiting programs, 90% of participating children are fully immunized by age 2.

·      Feed school aged children.   The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and free school lunch programs feed the hungry and helped lift 5 million children out of poverty in 2013.  It is ridiculous that 25% of children in the USA do not always get meals, especially when 75% of these hungry families have at least one working parent.

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Transform “daycare” into high quality early childhood education, birth through 4.  Get early education teachers on a career ladder to add to their skills, and pay them what they are worth.  Fund existing high quality models like Head Start.  Now, over 90% of eligible children are not enrolled due to lack of funding!

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Mentor Young Parents – there’s no app for that.  Support parent-to-parent mentorship programs like Strengthening Families.  Reach out to parents through synagogue, mosque, church and school.  We can give parents facts about ages and stages of child development via social media, but to change lives, you need friends. It’s hard to be a dad when you did not have one, and easier when you’ve got mentors.

Do what works!  Support children & families.

http://www.childrensdefense.org

Sharon Carnahan, Ph.D.

Rollins College

Winter Park, FL 32789