Scott Brown Speaking Saturday Night at the Crown Plaza Hotel for the Child Advocacy Center of Hillsborough County

The Child Advocacy Center of Hillsborough County announced that former Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown will deliver the keynote address at the charity's 7^th annual fundraising gala, to be held May 4^th at Nashua’s Crowne Plaza. Senator Brown, a survivor of childhood physical and sexual abuse, will speak in front of the sold out event at 9 p.m.

"We're honored to have such an inspirational figure speaking at this year's gala," said Dan Monfried, Board President of the Granite State Children's Alliance, parent of the Hillsborough charity. " Our mission is to put young victims of abuse on a path to healing, and Scott Brown is proof that with care and nurturing these children can go on to achieve great things."

Based on a nationally recognized model, child advocacy centers are community partnerships dedicated to pursuing the truth in child abuse cases and providing social services to child victims. By bringing together New Hampshire’s law enforcement, county attorneys, state protective services, victim advocates and health professionals, child advocacy centers provide safe, child friendly locations for interviewing child victims, coordinating the investigative team and providing ongoing help for the victim’s recovery. The Granite State Children’s Alliance operates child advocacy centers in Belknap, Cheshire and Hillsborough Counties and is the State Chapter of National Children’s Alliance, providing technical assistance, training, and organizational resources to child advocacy centers throughout New Hampshire.

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For information on the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Nashua NH:

http://www.crowneplaza.com

For Information on Child Advocacy Center:
www.cac-nh.org

Governor's Easter Egg Hunt

Attached is a flyer for the Governor’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt, which she will be holding at Bridges House this Saturday (March 30) at 11 a.m.

http://www.nhinsider.com/storage/pdf_files/EasterEggHunt.pdf

New Hampshire Council of Churches Event

28 February 2013

Dear Friends, Keeping children and adult leaders safe in congregational environments is the topic of our upcoming workshop, Reducing the Risk which will be held on May 10, from 9am to 1pm at our Concord office, 125 Airport Road.

We have designed this workshop for professional church leaders, religious educators, youth leaders and those responsible for children's ministries. Best practices, reporting laws, maintaining good and safe boundaries will be introduced. You can access the program flyer and registration form here.  If you have questions and thoughts please don't hesitate to be in touch with me.

Blessings, Rev. Linda Lea Snyder Executive Director, NH Council of Churches

NH DHHS Promotes New Recommendations in Recognition of Children’s Dental Health Month

Concord, NH - The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, in

recognition of February as Children’s Dental Health Month, reminds parents

and providers that children should receive their first oral health check up

before one year of age, and remember to brush twice a day for 2 minutes

each time—think “2x2.”



Tooth decay is almost entirely preventable. Tooth decay is the most

widespread chronic childhood disease and can cause a lifetime of problems

if not prevented or treated early in a child’s life. Untreated cavities may

lead to pain and infection, and when children suffer from oral health

problems so does their ability to concentrate and learn. Early tooth loss

from dental decay can cause impaired speech development, absence from

school, difficulty with concentration, and reduced self-esteem.



The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Pediatric

Dentistry recommend that children begin regular oral exams when their first

teeth become visible or by one year of age. New Hampshire Medicaid and many

other dental insurance programs cover the cost of these examinations.



“These are problems that can be easily prevented by taking care of

children’s mouths and teeth from the time they are infants,” said Dr. José

Montero, Director of Public Health at DHHS. “It‘s an investment that lasts

a lifetime. The National Partnership for Healthy Mouths has created the new

2x2 initiative that makes it easier for parents and caregivers to remember

this important part of preventing oral health problems during our busy

days.”



Here are important steps to take to help preserve dental health in

children:

Brush and floss children’s teeth 2 times a day.

Use a toothpaste with fluoride.

Give fluoride prescribed by your health care provider if your water

supply doesn’t have the right amount of fluoride to protect a child’s

teeth.

If using a pacifier, do not dip it in anything sweet such as honey or

sugar.

Clean an infant’s teeth and gums every day, especially after feeding

and before bed.

Have regular dental checkups, starting before age one.

Do not give infants juice until 12 months of age, and always use a

cup and not a bottle for juice.

Never put a baby to bed with a bottle.

Don’t let your child catch the bacteria that cause tooth decay by

sharing food, utensils, or toys with others.

Avoid sticky snacks, dried fruits, candy, and sweetened drinks. Offer

healthy snacks, such as fresh fruits and vegetables.

Follow your health care provider’s advice.



For more information on the “2 minutes, 2 times” national campaign, visit

http://2min2x.org/. For resources on celebrating National Children’s Dental

Health Month, go to the American Dental Association’s website at

http://www.ada.org/6712.aspx. To learn about the New Hampshire Oral Health

Program go to http://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/bchs/rhpc/oral/index.htm or call

271-4535. Families with preschool children may be eligible for the WIC

Nutrition Program and to receive nutrition education about healthy meals

and snacks for infants and preschoolers. Contact WIC at 1-800-942-4321 or

http://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/nhp/wic/index.htm.

NH DHHS - Obesity Rates Decline Among WIC Children in New Hampshire

Concord, NH - A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC) has found modest declines in obesity among 2- to

4-year-old children from low-income families, a dip that CDC researchers

say may indicate that the obesity epidemic has passed its peak among this

group.



The study reviewed height and weight measurements of 27 million children

who were part of the federal Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Nutrition

Program, including more than 20,000 preschoolers annually enrolled in the

New Hampshire WIC Program in the Department of Health and Human Services

(DHHS), Division of Public Health Services. The study was based on data

from 30 states and the District of Columbia and covered the years from 1998

to 2010. The national rate of children who were obese declined to 14.9

percent in 2010, down from 15.2 percent in 2003, after rising between 1998

and 2003.



In New Hampshire, the rate of children in the WIC Program who were obese

declined to 14.2 percent in 2010, down from 15.6 percent in 2003. Rates of

overweight also decreased to 17.1 percent in 2010, down from 19.4 percent

in 2003. Obesity is defined as BMI-for-age equal to or greater than the 95

th percentile, and overweight is defined as BMI-for-age between the 85th to

95th percentiles.



“The declines in obesity and overweight among these children are modest,

but it is encouraging to see a change in the right direction,” said Dr.

José Montero, director of Public Health at DHHS. “We are hopeful that this

is a sign that one of New Hampshire’s health problems may be reversing

course, at least among children.”



Several reasons are speculated for the changes, including:

Breastfeeding, which often leads to healthier weight gain for young

children, has increased in New Hampshire since 2000. The percentage

of 6-month-olds still being breast-fed increased to 22.7 percent

among children born in 2010, up from 18.0 percent among children born

in 2000.

Breastfeeding of infants from low-income families in New Hampshire

has risen over the years. In 1984, only 47 percent of infants from

those families had ever been breast-fed, compared with 71 percent in

2010.

The amount of money spent nationally on food marketing to children

has declined by nearly 20 percent from 2006 to 2009, with the biggest

drop in television advertising, according to the CDC.

Changes in the WIC Program foods, including less fruit juice and more

fruits and vegetables, which began in late 2009 may also have a

slight effect, which will be evident in future years.



The full CDC report is available at

http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html. To learn more about the NH

WIC Program, visit www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/nhp/wic/index.htm