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The Better Badger Baby Bus Tour made its final stop in Eau Claire, Wisconsin on March 30. Thanks to the Better Badger Baby Bus and its exceptional staff, information on childhood brain development has reached every corner of the state. Public health nurses, parents, child care providers and others working with and caring for young children now understand the significance of the earliest years of life, and have the tools they need to maximize development. Young people and their parents understand the impacts on the brain of drugs, alcohol and nicotine. Educators, attorneys and corrections workers are better informed about the lasting effects on the brain of trauma and abuse, and are better prepared to meet the needs of the young people they work with. We have trained thousands of people across the state, and trust that they will carry on the delivery of this vital information. We are grateful for the long-term support of our funder, the Northwestern Mutual Foundation, and look forward to future collaborations with them. We are also grateful to the Faye McBeath Foundation for its support of ongoing work on early childhood brain development in the greater Milwaukee region. The end of the Better Badger Baby Bus Tour does not mean an end to the Council's work on brain development. Our website serves as a valuable resource for information on the developing brain from early childhood through adolescence. The Website of the Month feature links you to national and international websites offering the latest information and research. New materials are being developed all the time. An upcoming policy brief looks at the implications of early brain development research on quality early learning programming. The new Help Me Learn More While I am Four activity card deck is an exciting new resource for parents and early educators. The cards offer simple activities that caretakers and children can do together to support healthy brain development, along with user-friendly facts on the growth and changes taking place during the preschool years. Thanks to support from the Faye McBeath Foundation and the Herzfeld Foundation, we are able to offer technical assistance and training in the Milwaukee-area. Our commitment to connecting brain development research to our work on much-needed policy and system changes continues. We will particularly focus on ensuring that adolescents who get into trouble with the law receive treatment and interventions that are developmentally appropriate, in order to maximize their chances to succeed in life; and on ensuring that our youngest citizens have access to high quality learning and care experiences that enhance their early brain development. Please visit the Juvenile Justice and Early Education sections of our website for more information. If you have questions or comments please contact Jill Jacklitz at jilljacklitz@wccf.org or by phone at 608/284-0580, ext 325. | ||||
