take5 newsmagazine issue 13

FIRST 5 Santa Clara County • 4000 Moorpark Ave., Suite 200 • San Jose, CA 95117 • www.first5kids.org • 408.260.3700

Take5QUARTERLY NEWSMAGAZINESpring 2013 – Issue 13

“FIRST 5 is probably the VMC Foundation’s most powerful partner, and we are

proud to help share their stories and successes—especially when we’re part of

them!” Chris Wilder, Executive Director, VMC Foundation

. . . . . .continued on page 3

Ken Yeager Gives State of the County Address............................2

High 5 Awards................................2

Month of the Young Child................3

FIRST 5 & Valley Medical Center'sNICU............................................3

Baby Gateway Projec t..................4

FIRST 5 Recognizes Catholic Charities and The Health Trust.....5

Re-entry Ef forts.............................5

Potter the Otter Makes a Splashat the CDM......................................6

Improving Breastfeeding SupportPrograms.......................................7

Our Latest Podcast........................7

01

To achieve FIRST 5’s obesity/diabetes prevention and oral health goals, we’ve

implemented strategies that discourage children and families from drinking

sugar-sweetened beverages and encourage them to drink water instead.

These strategies include public education campaigns on Rethink Your Drink

and oral health; distribution of Potter the Otter storybooks; implementation of

health and beverage guidelines for FIRST 5 grantees; and hosting community

events such as a Soda Exchanges at local farmers’ markets.

In an ef for t to continue the push for water consumption among families

in Santa Clara County, staf f researched the access to fresh, f ree water in

schools and public spaces. According to the California Food Policy...

FIRST 5 and Valley Medical Center’s NICU: Partnering to Save Lives

. . . . . .continued on page 4

In this Issue

Look for Our Water Hydration Stations Coming Soon!


Board President and FIRST 5 Commissioner Ken Yeager Gives State of the County Address – Focuses on Public Health

Celebrating Month of the Young Child...

County Board of Supervisors President Ken Yeager gave his State of the County Address where he reflected on past county accomplishments and set forth the County’s goals for 2013.

Jolene Smith, CEO of FIRST 5, was the Master of Ceremonies for the event. In his address, Supervisor Yeager set out a number of goals related to FIRST 5’s work, and asked that FIRST 5 partner with the County to accomplish them. These goals include:

Ensure every eligible child has medical and dental coverageCreate a program to install hydration stations where kids and families gatherPerform developmental screenings of children during pediatric visits

FIRST 5 helps maintain and improve the health of our community’s kids ages 0-5 by funding programs like Healthy Kids, dental clinics, and The Health Trust’s campaign for community fluoridation. FIRST 5 also utilizes computer technology which allows parents to complete a developmental screening, Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ), to help identify the developmental needs of thousands of children. And in an effort to decrease childhood obesity, FIRST 5 will be installing water hydration stations in public spaces like the airport.

If you would like to watch the State of the County Address online, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/sotc2013.

Storytimes with Author, Rosemary WellsPresented by FIRST 5 & Silicon Valley Reads

Be Sure to Watch Our Family Testimonials on Telemundo...FIRST 5 is par tnering with Telemundo Spanish News Station to create a

segment of testimonials f rom the families we suppor t. We f ilmed several

families who shared their story of how our services have changed their

l ives. Watch our bus ads and videos!!

Rosemary Wells has written and illustrated more than 60 children's

books. The recipient of many awards, she spearheaded a national

campaign for early literacy called "Read to Your Bunny."

Rosemary talked to parents about the importance of reading to

their children 20 minutes a day, how to pick books that keep the

attention of preschoolers and provided pointers on how to read

illustrated books aloud. She then read Love Waves, a book about

how to feel close when loved ones are far away.

These events were free and held at Children’s Discovery Museum

of San Jose and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. Over a hundred

children attended. Each family received a copy of Love Waves.

From left to right: Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo, Board President Ken Yeager, FIRST 5 CEO Jolene Smith

FIRST 5 Santa Clara County • 4000 Moorpark Ave., Suite 200 • San Jose, CA 95117 • www.first5kids.org • 408.260.3700FIRST 5 Santa Clara County • 4000 Moorpark Ave., Suite 200 • San Jose, CA 95117 • www.first5kids.org • 408.260.3700 03

HIGH 5 Awards

FIRST 5 is honored to recognize Fred Ferrer, CEO of The Health Trust for his leadership in providing vital health services to children and families in Santa Clara County.

Over the past years, The Health Trust has successfully operated two Family Resource Centers and provided invaluable health and school readiness outreach to families. In addition, Fred Ferrer’s leadership in oral health issues has shown significant results including the establishment of two pediatric dental centers in San Jose and Sunnyvale and advocacy for water fluoridation in Santa Clara County.

Congratulations to our High 5 Partner Appreciation Award recipient, Marilee Jennings, Executive Director of the Children’s Discovery Museum (CDM).

For over 20 years, Marilee has been dedicated to the establishment and success of CDM. We recognize Marilee for her leadership in providing innovative and interactive learning to the children and families of our community. CDM is nationally recognized as a premier children’s museum.

Since 2008, FIRST 5 has partnered with Valley Medical Center (VMC) and the Valley Medical Center Foundation to help fund innovative, life-saving technologies for the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and breastfeeding support programs. Over the course of the partnership, FIRST 5 has provided $2,717,278 in grant funds, which have helped purchase new equipment, such as the Total Body Cooling system, and has fostered the creation of NICU family support programs and program evaluation services.

VMC’s Clinical Studies and National Recognition

FIRST 5’s suppor t and investment at VMC’s NICU has not only helped save lives and treat more infants, but it has allowed the hospital to design clinical studies related to improving care. According to Dr. Balaji Govindaswami, one of the physicians in the NICU, “with FIRST 5’s suppor t, we have eliminated Admission Hypothermia for our smallest infants and received the Gage award from the NAPH [National Association of Public Hospitals] for this work. This cost-ef fec tive intervention will improve survival and minimize cer tain complications associated with extreme prematurit y. We have also been pioneers for Universal Screening for Crit ical Congenital Hear t Disease in healthy babies prior to discharge home and inf luenced both national policy and state legislation in this regard.”

Future Programs

With FIRST 5’s continued support, the physicians and staff in the NICU are currently working on expanding the Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome program (infant addiction to opiates), which has been created due to an alarming increase in the number of cases in the NICU. Additionally, the NICU and Genetics Program are expanding their outreach to help minority communities receive increased counseling access for bir th defects.

FIRST 5 and Valley Medical Center’s NICU: Partnering to Save Lives

From left to right: Commission Chair Ken Yeager, The Health Trust CEO Fred Ferrer, FIRST 5 CEO Jolene Smith

From left: Commission Chair Ken Yeager, Children's Discovery Museum Executive Director Marilee Jennings


Modeled after Santa Cruz County’s successful Baby Gateway Program, Santa

Clara County launched its own Baby Gateway Project in December 2012. Funded

by FIRST 5, our Baby Gateway Project seeks to expand health coverage to infants,

secure a medical home, reduce emergency department use for infants, and

ensure parents are given the appropriate resources to create a safe and healthy

environment for their children. This project is a partnership between FIRST 5,

Santa Clara Family Health Foundation (SCFHF), Medi-Cal managed care health

plans, Social Services Agency, local hospitals, and pediatricians.

Similar to the Baby Gateway Program in Santa Cruz County, Santa Clara County has

established three primary goals for its Baby Gateway Project:

To increase access to health coverage and a medical home for Medi-Cal-

eligible newborns.

To decrease avoidable emergency department use for children under the age

of one.

To support Medi-Cal parents in creating a safe, healthy, and loving home in

which to raise their child.

The Baby Gateway Project has been successful in its first few months of operation.

Families participating in the project have expressed their gratitude for receiving

such valuable information so soon after the birth of their child. Due to this program

more newborns have been enrolled into Medi-Cal. FIRST 5 is thrilled to be able to

offer such a valued program to the community!

FIRST 5 & Santa Clara County Health Foundation LaunchesBaby Gateway Project

04

Advocates, a 2009 survey found that at least 40 percent of California schools

reported no access to free drinking water for students during meals. Anecdotal

evidence from students, parents, and community advocates demonstrates that

many schools have inoperable, poorly maintained, or unhygienic water fountains.[1]

Other California studies point to the poor taste and appearance of the water from

public drinking fountains, and old, dirty, and outdated water fountains as being

barriers to water consumption.[2] With broken, unappealing, or poorly functioning

water fountains, it is likely quicker and more convenient for children and families to

grab an unhealthy beverage or bottled water from a vending machine or store.

To encourage water consumption and reduce the environmental impact of plastic

water bottles, many communities have installed appealing water bottle refilling

or hydration stations in public spaces. These hydration stations are located in

schools, museums, community centers, parks and airports throughout the country.

FIRST 5 is working with the San Jose Airport to install hydration stations along

with signage that is child-focused and has information on how to contact FIRST 5

for information and services. The San Jose Airport serves an estimated 8.4 million

passengers per year. The prospect of installing hydration stations at the San Jose

Airport encourages children and families to drink more water and reduce plastic

bottle waste, in high-traffic public spaces. FIRST 5 is also developing a countywide

hydration station plan.

Look for Our Water Hydration Stations Coming Soon!. . . . . .continued from page 1

[1] Chandran, Kumar. Improving Water Consumption in Schools: Challenges, Promising Prac tices, and Next Steps. Cali fornia Food Policy Advocates 20 09. ht tp://water inschools.org/pdfs/WaterInSchools_FullRepor t_ 20 09.pdf

[2] Patel AI, Bogar t LM, Uyeda KE, Rabin A, Schuster MA. Perceptions about availabil i t y and adequacy of dr ink ing water in a large Cali fornia school dis tr ic t . Prev Chronic Dis 2010;7(2). ht tp://w w w.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2010/mar/09_0 0 05.htm.

FIRST 5 Santa Clara County • 4000 Moorpark Ave., Suite 200 • San Jose, CA 95117 • www.first5kids.org • 408.260.3700FIRST 5 Santa Clara County • 4000 Moorpark Ave., Suite 200 • San Jose, CA 95117 • www.first5kids.org • 408.260.3700 05FIRST 5 Santa Clara County • 4000 Moorpark Ave., Suite 200 • San Jose, CA 95117 • www.first5kids.org • 408.260.3700

Gregory Kepferle, CEO of Catholic Charities, and Fred Ferrer, CEO of The Health

Trust were presented with an award in recognition of their partnership with FIRST

5, and the wonderful work their agencies have done for the Learning Together

Initiative (LTI). Catholic Charities and The Health Trust have worked together to

ensure parents have the resources they need to support their children, prepare

them for school, and realize their highest potential.

The following staff were also recognized for their dedication to the LTI program:

Sara Reyes – Division Director, Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County

Saul Gonzalez – Program Manager, District 1

Charu Aggarwal – Program Manager, District 2

Charlene Moore – Program Manager, District 4

Another important element of LTI is the Associate Community Workers. These

community volunteers recruit, train, and mentor other community members to

become ambassadors of information on children’s health and school readiness.

They ensure that information about the importance of the first five years is

presented to their community members, neighbors, family, and friends. The

following Associate Community Workers were presented with Certificates of

Appreciation for their tireless work:

Sandra Angel, Veronica Angelez, Acenet Arellano, Maria Ayala, Maria Contreras,

Quinnie Doan, Teresa Doan, Maria Guzman, Alejandra Martinez, Adriana Ruiz,

Vanessa Velazco, Yuri Vences.

FIRST 5 Recognizes Catholic Charities and The Health Trust for Work on the Learning Together Initiative

Most of the individuals who are incarcerated in Santa Clara County are parents and a significant number of those parents have children birth through age 5. There are many negative consequences that may result from having an incarcerated parent. For example, children of incarcerated parents are more likely to suffer from behavioral and emotional problems and are at greater risk for poor academic performance, drug and alcohol use and self-esteem issues (Bilchik, Seymour, & Kreisher, 2001). Furthermore, children of incarcerated parents are six times more likely to enter the criminal justice system during their lifetime (Bilchik et al., 2001; Jarvis, Graham, Hamilton, &Tyler, 2004).

FIRST 5 CEO, Jolene Smith is co-chair of the Family Reunification and Support workgroup along with Bruce Wagstaff, Director of the Santa Clara County

Social Services Agency. The goal of the Family Reunification and Support Workgroup is to promote familial support and reunification for moderate- and high-risk offenders and reduce the impact of incarceration on their children. The objectives of the workgroup are as follows:

Strengthen family relationships for

of fenders to help reduce r isk of

repeat incarceration.

Enhance communication skills

through hands-on training

sessions in order to foster a

creative atmosphere for trust.

Provide tangible tools to equip

families to handle everyday li fe

events.

Present parenting and childhood

developmental education.

Develop strategies to monitor

and increase compliance of child

suppor t obligations for moderate-

and high-risk of fenders in Santa

Clara County.

The ultimate goal of the Santa Clara

County Adult Reentry Strategic

Plan is to signif icantly reduce

recidivism rates by providing

services, resources, and treatment

oppor tunities that meet the needs

of moderate- and high-risk formerly

incarcerated individuals.

ReferencesBilchik , S., Seymour, C., & Kreisher, K . (20 01). Parents in pr ison. Correc tions Today, 108-111.

Jar vis, J., Graham, S., & Tyler, D. (20 04). The role of parenting c lasses for young fathers in pr ison: A case s tudy. The Journal of Communit y and Criminal Just ice, 5, 21-33.

FIRST 5 Helps Lead Adults in Re-entry Efforts

From left to right: The Health Trust CEO Fred Ferrer, FIRST 5 Program Director Laura Buzo, Catholic Charities CEO Gregory Kepferle

The Health Trust CEO Fred Ferrer, Catholic Charities CEO Gregory Kepferle, Associate Community Workers


Our Potter the Otter has been a

very busy otter! If you’re heading to

Children’s Discovery Museum (CDM)

you’ll be surprised to see that Potter the

Otter has comfortably made a home

atop the CDM rooftop and his presence

is visible throughout the museum!

Here’s what’s been happening and what

to expect…

3-month ReThink Your Drink Public

Campaign

During the months of September to

November 2012, CDM eliminated

sugar-based drinks from their Cafe

and actively promoted water as

an alternative. The existing soda

dispensers were transitioned to sugar-

free carbonated drinks and lemonade.

They offered free tap water in large

acrylic dispensers made appealing

Potter the Otter Makes a Splash at the Children’s Discovery Museum

by the addition of sliced fruits and

vegetables. All children received a

souvenir Potter the Otter cup with a

special color-changing straw. As a

result, hundreds of children drank

healthier beverages.

Potter the Otter Messaging Display

For six months beginning in March, be

on the lookout for a Potter exhibit in

the CDM café. CDM, in collaboration

with FIRST 5, will design and develop

an interactive visitor experience in

their Cafe that will feature Potter the

Otter and offer his tips in a fun and

engaging way. Parents and children

will understand the volume of sugar

in drinks while making healthy and

informed beverage choices.

Potter the Otter’s Story Comes to Life

on Stage….

Eager children and adults alike crowd

the 120-person capacity black-box

theatre at CDM for their first glimpse

into the life of Potter. Our famous friend

Potter the Otter, from our book, Potter

the Otter: A Tale About Water comes to

stage bringing his world to life in CDM’s

grand production of “Potter the Otter:

An Adventure.”

This interactive, multilayered play,

allows both an adult and child to see

the same show and have shared and

unique experiences from the story.

Children learn many lessons like the

value of drinking water over sugary

drinks, the importance of physical

activity and they even overcome stage

fright by volunteering to take part in the

production. Adults watch their children

learn these healthy habits and also revel

in their children’s courage to be in front

of an audience.

For a schedule of the play, please visit

Children's Discovery Museum Theatre

Performance Schedule.

www.cdm.org

FIRST 5 Santa Clara County • 4000 Moorpark Ave., Suite 200 • San Jose, CA 95117 • www.first5kids.org • 408.260.3700FIRST 5 Santa Clara County • 4000 Moorpark Ave., Suite 200 • San Jose, CA 95117 • www.first5kids.org • 408.260.3700 07

We’ve all heard of Dyslexia, but did you know that Dyslexia can be identified in kids as early as preschool? Dr. Dan Peters is co-founder and Clinical Director of the Summit Center where they specialize in the assessment and treatment of children in the areas of learning, processing, emotional, behavioral and developmental issues along with giftedness. Listen to him discuss the issue of Dyslexia in our exclusive FIRST 5 podcast.

To listen to the podcast, go to blog.first5kids.org.

Encouraging moms to breastfeed their babies, as well as educating moms on best

practices, has been a long-time effort at Valley Medical Center (VMC). Research

solidly backs up the health benefits and emotional benefits that babies receive

when breastfed, but unfortunately, many mothers still choose not to breastfeed, or

they don’t breastfeed for a long enough duration.

As part of FIRST 5’s grants and partnerships with VMC since 2008, the staff and

clinicians at VMC have implemented a variety of programs aimed at improving

breastfeeding support. The programs include:

Staff trained in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 10 Steps to Successful

Breastfeeding curriculum

Mothers received inpatient breastfeeding support from the 10 Steps training

program

Mothers were served in the Outpatient Breastfeeding Follow-Up Program

Low-income mothers received breast pumps

FIRST 5’s Continued Support of VMC

With FIRST 5’s support, the staff at VMC has plans to develop best practices, in

both breastfeeding support and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) services, and

invest in new technology. “We know that FIRST 5 will be there for us, but we also

see disturbing trends and must stay proactive: Drug use and chronic illnesses in

our community can mean danger to newborns, and the team at VMC is always

tracking trends – both positive and negative,” notes Chris Wilder, the Executive

Director at VMC. “FIRST 5’s investments allow us to outfit our NICU with the latest

and greatest medical marvels to help our team care for our tiniest, most vulnerable

patients and educate their families.”

Improving the Breastfeeding Support Programs at Valley Medical Center

Have you heardour Latest Podcast?Dr. Dan Peters on Dyslexia

DID YOU KNOW?

“Many new moms don’t know the extent to which breastfeeding helps their baby—everything from the bonding touch to the nutrients and protective antibodies … FIRST 5 has greatly expanded our educational programs to ensure that moms are empowered with the knowledge and know-how to give their babies the best.”

Chris Wilder, Executive Director VMC Foundation

Our CEO, Jolene Smith was the

2013 Honoree at the 10th annual

Helping Hands & Healing Hear ts

Awards Luncheon presented by

Community Solutions. Community

Solutions is a comprehensive

non-profit human services agency

serving South Santa Clara County

and the surrounding areas of South

San Jose and San Benito County.

Over the last four decades,

Community Solutions has been

providing crit ical services to

thousands of children, teens and

adults in our community.

4000 Moorpark Ave. Suite 200San Jose, CA 95117P: 408.260.3700

www.f i rst5kids.org

08

Our Commissioners

Message from the Chief Executive Officer, Jolene SmithFamilies are the compass that guides FIRST 5’s investment in

prevention, intervention, and treatment services for

children. The fabric of our county is woven together by

families with diverse backgrounds, changing needs, and

varying opportunities. To meet the diversity, needs, and

opportunities of our families FIRST 5 must continually

innovate by evolving, growing, and improving our programs.

FIRST 5 accomplishes this by partnering with a broad

spectrum of local leaders who provide services for young

Ken Yeager, Chairperson

Representing Santa Clara County

Board of Supervisors

Dr. Leticia Pelayo, Vice-Chairperson

Representing Santa Clara Val ley

Health and Hospital System

Bruce Wagstaff, Commissioner


Social Services Agency

Carmen Montano, Commissioner


Board of Supervisors, District 3

Corazon Tomalinas, Commissioner



Eleanor Villarreal, Commissioner



George Philipp, Commissioner

Representing the Local Early

Education Planning Council

Laura Champion, Commissioner



Rachel Samoff, Chairperson



Jolene Smith, Chief Executive Officer, FIRST 5 Santa Clara County

children and share the same goal of continuous innovation.

One of many examples is our efforts in encouraging children to drink water instead

of sugar-sweetened beverages. It started with FIRST 5 authoring a storybook for

children entitled Potter the Otter: A Tale About Water. Then we partnered with the

Children’s Discovery Museum to bring the book to life in the form of an interactive

theatre production. Now we are partnering with the Public Health Department and the

Santa Clara Water District to install engaging water bottle-refilling stations throughout

our county. We went from engaging families through reading, to engaging children

through an interactive play, to providing free, clean and accessible water throughout

our community.

This type of continuous innovation and partnerships meets families’ needs while

accomplishing our collective goal of healthy development of children. As the needs of

families evolve, so do we.

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