We spoke with Elisa Minoff, Senior Policy Analyst at CSSP, and Huong Vu, Parent Leader Network member and Automatic Benefit for Children (ABC) Coalition Parent Advisory Board member, about their policy and advocacy work toward a permanent national child allowance. The need for a permanent expanded Child Tax Credit has only become more abundantly clear following the new Census Bureau data that shows the child poverty rate more than doubled from 5.2 percent in 2021 to 12.4 percent in 2022.Show notes: Child Poverty Doubled Last Year–We Owe Children So Much More - Center for the Study of Social Policy (cssp.org)Let Us Rise and other CTC/Child Allowance Resources available at: https://cssp.org/our-work/project/advancing-antiracist-child-allowance/#featured-resources ABC Coalition: https://www.abccoalition.org/ Parent Advisory Board principles: https://www.abccoalition.org/child-allowance-principles/

Co-hosts Cailin O’Connor and Sanaa Sharrieff talk about what brings them to this work and what to expect in season 3. The New Neighborhood Podcast - Center for the Study of Social Policy (cssp.org)@qsqueensanaa | Twitter, Instagram, Facebook | Linktreesavvychicclothing | Instagram, Facebook | Linktree

Sanaa and Cailin share updates from past guests on The New Neighborhood in our first-ever “Where Are They Now?” segment. And, we reflect on this season of the podcast, especially how we both felt it made a difference to have a parent leader as one of co-hosts. Show notes:We referred to guests and ideas from several previous episodes:Yakima Valley Partners for Education: Season 2, episode 3Multnomah County Preschool for All initiative: Season 1, episode 1Guilford County Ages 3-5 Design Group and Parent Leader Network: Season 2, episode 4Zach Ben and Bidii Baby Foods: Season 2, episode 5Specialty Cheese—supporting child care for the workforce: Season 2, episode 6Safe Families for Children—Cleveland: Season 2, episode 2Links to Queen Sanaa’s catalog, live shows, and social media can be found here: Queen Sanaa Music.  You can also find information for the 9/11/22 tribute show here. It will be karaoke style, so look up the lyrics and sing along!For more information about Queen Sanaa’s clothing line, visit here: Savvy Chic Clothing, Co.Learn more about CSSP’s work in early childhood here.

An innovative new program in Wisconsin invited businesses to apply for funds to help pay for their employees’ child care. Specialty Cheese in Reeseville, WI, is one of the “Project Growth” grantees. Hear about how this cheese factory in a rural area works to help their employees overcome potential barriers to work, and how Project Growth is engaging new partners in helping to solve the child care crisis one community at a time. Show notes:Learn more about the child care crisis: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/worsened-by-pandemic-child-care-crisis-hampers-broader-economy Wisconsin’s Project Growth: https://dcf.wisconsin.gov/childcare/projectgrowth Specialty Cheese Company: www.specialcheese.com or follow them on FB at https://www.facebook.com/specialcheese

On the Navajo Nation reservation in New Mexico, Zach Ben and his wife recently founded a social enterprise baby food company producing traditional Navajo foods. Zach shares about Bidii Baby Foods, the BEN Initiative, and how an embrace of traditional ways has enhanced his experience as a new father.  SHOW NOTES:Bidii Baby Foods: https://www.bidiibabyfoods.org/ and on Instagram at: @bidiibabyfoodsLearn about indigenous people and languages in your area of North America, historically and today: https://native-land.ca/

Partners in Guilford County, North Carolina, have been working together across sectors to make sure that all families have what they need to help their children be ready for school. Staff of Ready for School Ready for Life and the University of North Carolina Greensboro joined us to talk about what this looks like, including how they are working on expanding navigation services to serve families of 3-5-year-olds.GUESTS: Heather Adams and Christina Dobson, Ready for School Ready for LifeCatherine Scott-Little and Christine Murray, University of North Carolina GreensboroSHOW NOTES: Ready for School Ready for Life: https://www.getreadyguilford.org/UNC Greensboro - Center for Youth, Family, and Community Partnerships: https://cyfcp.uncg.edu/UNC Greensboro - Department of Human Development & Family Studies: https://hhs.uncg.edu/hdf/ Christina referred to “toxic stress” (https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/toxic-stress/) and Sanaa then referred to the related concept of ACEs, adverse childhood experiences (https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/index.html)

Yakima Valley Partners for Education, a collective impact initiative in Washington State, provides drive-through food distribution for the Yakama Nation Reservation and other residents of the Yakima Valley. We talked about this program with Lucy Smartlowit of Peacekeeper Society and Suzy Diaz of Heritage University about how and why they target food insecurity in order to improve outcomes for children. SHOW NOTES:Peacekeeper Society: https://www.peacekeepersociety.com/ More about Yakima Valley Partners in Education: https://heritage.edu/building-the-foundation-to-thrive/Learn about the history of indigenous people and languages in your area of North America: https://native-land.ca/

Alana Dennis and Jessie Manning from Safe Families for Children join us from Cleveland to talk about how volunteers open their homes to socially isolated families in order to build relationships, prevent child abuse and neglect, and help families stay together.SHOW NOTES: Safe Families for Children: https://safe-families.org/Follow Safe Families for Children of Cleveland: @sffccleveland; @safefamiliesforchildrenclevelandCenter for the Study of Social Policy: www.cssp.orgStrengthening Families: www.strengtheningfamilies.netHealth Outcomes from Positive Experiences (HOPE): https://positiveexperience.org/@sffccleveland and @safefamiliesforchildrencleveland should be tagged when posting, if possible. Their comms team is aware and ready to share it!

New co-hosts Cailin O’Connor and Sanaa Sharrieff are joined by Joan Lombardi, who launched the podcast last year, to talk about what brings them to this work, why it was important to bring on a parent leader (Sanaa) as co-host this season, and what the “secret sauce” is that makes a community a great place to raise kids.  SHOW NOTES:Center for the Study of Social Policy Parent Leader NetworkPositive and Adverse Childhood ExperiencesAdverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) (from the CDC)Health Outcomes of Positive Experiences (HOPE)PACEs ConnectionStrengthening FamiliesReady for School Ready for Life (Guilford County, NC)Season 1 – in case you missed itEnjoy Sanaa’s musical and spoken word content on Spotify and YouTubeLinkedIn: Sanaa Sharrieff and Cailin O’Connor

Welcome to the New Neighborhood, a podcast that explores some of the dramatic changes taking place across the country as people work to reinforce a sense of community, support young children and families, and work to build equity within communities. Each episode features innovations that will create a society where all children and their families can thrive.Hosted by: Cailin O'Connor and Sanaa Sharrieff

Join Joan Lombardi for a conversation with leaders in Palm Beach County to hear how they brought community services down to the neighborhood level. Guests: Shaundelyn Emerson, Program Performance Lead at Children’s Services Council of Palm BeachSherrah Hill, BRIDGES Parent AmbassadorTravelle Northern, BRIDGES Initiative Director, Children’s Home SocietyHost: Joan Lombardi

Learn how early childhood leaders in Tulsa are disrupting intergenerational poverty by connecting with families starting in pregnancy through BEST (Birth through Eight Strategy for Tulsa) Guest:Catrice Brantley, Director, ConnectFirst, at the Birth through Eight Strategy for Tulsa at the George Kaiser Family Foundation Host: Joan Lombardi

Join us for the newest episode in our New Neighborhood podcast series, where we hear about Baby Bundle, a powerful community wide initiative in Bridgeport, CT, designed to meet the needs of children under the age of 3 and their families.  Guests:Allison Logan, executive director, Bridgeport Prospers Janice Gruendel, senior advisor to Bridgeport ProspersHost: Joan Lombardi

Learn how Boston advocates developed relationships with parents through connections with housing and development providers.Guests:Cailin O’Connor, Senior Associate, Center for the Study of Social PolicyAlia Pacombe, Director, Community Engagement, Urban Edge, Boston, MACarla Therriault, Director, Community Impact, United Way, Massachusetts Bay/Merrimack ValleyHost: Joan Lombardi

Learn how early childhood advocates in Boston partnered with an affordable housing provider to expand their services for families with young children.Guests:Azieb Ermias, Senior Program Analyst, Center for the Study of Social PolicyIlia Rolon, Director of Community Clinical Outreach, CHOC Children’s Health System, Orange, CAHost: Joan Lombardi

Learn how parents shaped and led a successful ballot measure that provides free education and living wage teaching jobs as a way to address racial disparities and inequity in communities across Multnomah County, OR.Guests:Lydia Gray-Holifield, Parent Leader with Early Learning Multnomah’s (ELM) Parent Accountability Council Lai-Lani Ovalles, Senior Manager for Early Learning Multnomah Molly Day, Co-Director, Early Learning MultnomahHost: Joan Lombardi