The Early Link Podcast is available on iTunes, Google Play,  Stitcher, Spotify, and SoundCloud. Subscribe today! 

On Effective Preschool with Dr. Christina Weiland

In this episode of The Early Link podcast, we speak with Dr. Christina Weiland, assistant professor at the School of Education at the University of Michigan.  Dr. Weiland’s research focuses on the effects of early childhood interventions and public policies on children’s development, especially on children from low-income families. 

Tune in to hear what it would mean for the U.S. to invest in a system that serves children under 5, with high-quality care and preschool programs available to parents who choose to access them, and the features of high-quality preschool programs that are responsive to the way young children learn. 

Catch us on the radio! 

This Sunday, September 22 at 4:30 pm, tune in to the Portland Radio Project (99.1 FM) for the next episode of The Early Link Podcast. We'll be joined by Dr. Deborah Leong, director of the Tools of Mind Project, a program that improves young children's ability to learn and provides early childhood educators with new techniques for working with children. 

We Need a Comprehensive Approach to Early Childhood Adversity

In the 20 years since the first study into Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), health care professionals, educators, and policy makers have become increasingly aware of the long-term consequences of exposure to adversity on children’s health and development. As state lawmakers increasingly call for routine screenings of children to identify ACEs, Child Trends has released a new report cautioning about the limitations of a screening-only approach and providing recommendations to address childhood adversity that go beyond screening. 

Learn how the ACEs Study Drives Change at John Wetten Elementary School in Gladstone. 

Protect SNAP Benefits for 35,000 Oregonians

According to new analysis by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Mathematica, 16 percent of SNAP recipients in Oregon will lose their benefits under proposed changes; only Wisconsin and N. Dakota will be hit harder. The loss of SNAP benefits can have long-lasting impacts, especially on children. Studies have shown that children who need but don't have access to SNAP are less likely to be economically self-sufficient adults, and more likely to suffer health impacts including metabolic syndrome, obesity, and diabetes. Will you speak up to ensure children in Oregon don't go hungry? You have until September 23 to submit a public comment opposing this change.