Making the HealthWealth Connection at Brighter Beginnings Why
Making the Health/Wealth Connection at Brighter Beginnings Why & How Brighter Beginnings is integrating Financial Education and Early Child Development
Why is addressing poverty important to Early Child Development? 2 l The number of poor children in California has grown at a faster pace than the total number of children in United States. l Poverty is the single best predictor of child abuse and neglect. Children who live in families with an annual income less than $15, 000 are 22 times more likely to be abused or neglected than children living in families with an annual income of $30, 000 or more.
Brighter Beginnings Who we are today We believe every family matters and every child deserves to have a happy, healthy future. 3
Multiple Risk Factors l l l 4 Poverty, Homelessness Single parent status Low birth weight Exposure to environmental toxins Exposure to traumatic events or violence l l l Special needs in the family (disability, chronic illness, mental disorders) Low proficiency in English Prenatal damage from exposure to alcohol, illegal drugs, tobacco Maternal depression Abuse & neglect
Health potential Across the Life Course 5 Lu MC, Halfon N. Racial and ethnic disparities in birth outcomes: a life-course perspective. Matern Child Health J. 2003; 7: 13 -30.
Strengthening Families: Building the Health/Wealth Connection at Brighter Beginnings Core Strategies for Strengthening Families home visiting, stress reduction techniques, peer support groups, mental health & health educ. protective factors parental resilience socialization activities, parenting groups, peer leadership opportunities social connections Parenting groups, child development, nurturing parenting, understanding discipline knowledge of parenting and child development Play groups, Ages & Stages, Bonding & attachment, mental health, social and emotional competence of children Integrating Financial Ed access to Financial Tools towards self-sufficiency Emergency needs Free diapers, baby items concrete supports in times of need Families thrive when protective factors are robust in their lives and communities.
Financial Education today l l l 7 Became VITA site in Richmond, Antioch and Oakland Developed a baseline assessment for “talking about money” Developed and trained on several financial education curriculum, delivering to CC First 5 Centers, Early Head Start, and to teen parents in Oakland
Financial Education in the home l Budgeting (income vs out-going expenses) l If income, getting Banked l Understanding credit and predatory lending l Building safety-net savings l Creating financial goals l Referrals – ACCAN, and FESP l other resources 8
Evaluation l l 9 How do we know that our work is having an impact? 100% of clients set financial goals 100% of teen parents report feeling competent to achieve at least 1 financial goal 78% of 96 participants attended all sessions
Financial Education, tomorrow… Vocationalizing l l 10 Same approach, but broader…. . Vocationalizing means building the skills and expertise of agency staff and expanding agency partnerships/referral sources, so that families we serve are better prepared and have improved access to employment and career development opportunities
For More Information Barbara Bunn Mc. Cullough, Ph. D. Brighter Beginnings bbmccullough@brighter-beginnings. org (510) 903 -7503 www. brighter-beginnings. org 11
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