September Celebrations!
In the month of September, we get to celebrate literacy and baby safety! These two components are huge factors in First 1,000 Days’ initiative. We strive to provide educational material and parenting resources to ensure the safety of babies and young children. We’re also passionate about introducing literacy at a young age and being your child’s first teacher. The brain of a baby is rapidly growing and learning within the first few years of its life, which is why we encourage reading to your baby, making sounds, pointing at objects, and building a safe and loving environment for them to flourish.
Announcement!
Supporting parents throughout the community is one of our top priorities. We understand the importance of brain development at a young age and constantly want to share knowledge to any individual raising a baby. First 1,000 Days is happy to announce the switch to Vroom, which sends parents and caregivers FREE tips and activities to do with their child up to age 5.
Click here to check it out!
None of this would be possible without the helping hand of The Patterson Foundation. We are thrilled to spread the word about Vroom at community events, local hospitals and organizations, and through social media.
New Team Member!
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New Team Member! ⭐
First 1,000 Days is honored to welcome a fourth team member to our small, but mighty team! We’re ecstatic to introduce Janice Houchins as our new Relations Coordinator. Janice will be leading and facilitating workgroups, communicating shared systemic barriers, overseeing professional development opportunities, and building partner relationships in Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties. As our initiative grows throughout the Suncoast, we are thankful to bring aboard Janice, who is compassionate, motivated, and extremely experienced in the field of work.
Please feel free to reach out to Janice to connect with her! Janice-Houchins@smh.com
Partner Spotlight
“Turning Points is such a critical part of our community. Their slogan, “Where compassion takes action”, is such a true statement. They provide a multitude of services to Manatee county residents in order for them to live with dignity. This includes a hot meal, hot showers, laundry service, computer lab, mail room, bike maintenance, assistance with food stamps, medical/dental services, and so much more. I always knew they were doing great work at Turning Points but when I was able to go on a tour it truly put it into perspective. I hope everyone has an opportunity to support this awesome organization! ”
Virtual Prenatal-to-3 Research to Policy Summit
The first three years of rapid brain development have the most powerful impact on every person’s life. Be one of the first to hear the latest research on the most effective policy actions state leaders can take to help babies and families get off to a healthy start and thrive. Join thousands of national and state leaders, scholars, and practitioners virtually for the preeminent summit on the prenatal-to-3 period.
When: Thursday, October 13th from 2-5pm ET - REGISTER HERE!
Welcome to the World!
Our amazing Program Manager, Chelsea Arnold, brought this little bundle of joy into the world!
As a reminder, Chelsea is out on maternity leave until the holidays. Please email First1000Days@smh.com with any questions or inquiries.
Calls-to-Action
Join the Unite Us network to address social determinants of health needs and send closed-loop electronic referrals for families to medical, mental health, and social services.
Don’t forget to CLICK HERE to fill out our quick visioning survey to kick start our strategic planning process!
Interested in joining our email roster OR meeting the team? Email First1000Days@smh.com to get started!
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