• How to Nominate the Next SECAPresident-Elect
• The SECAEditorial Committee
• Help SECASelect a New Mission Statement
• Student Grants for SECA2008
• Keeping Children Safe
• Free Child Care Provider Resource Kit
• Convention on the Rights of the Child
• Questions to Ask About Pre-K Legislation

• The SECA President is responsible for ensuring the efficient operation of the Association and communicates weekly, bi-weekly or monthly with the Executive Director and the Board.
• The SECA President must be a diplomat, manager and leader. The SECA President must have leadership experiences at the state affiliate level and with other organi-zations to be successful during his/her tenure.
• The SECA President must be committed to the mission and goals of the organization and familiar with the products and services provided to SECA members.
• Persons currently employed by SECA or by state affiliates are not eligible to be nominated for SECA President

Step Two: Submit These Documents

1. A letter of nomination stating why you think the nominee should be considered for the position of President-Elect. If this is a self-nomination, you should state why you would like to serve and what skills you bring as a candidate. The letter should be addressed to Beverly Oglesby, Chair, SECA Nominating Committee.
2. A current vita or resume of the nominee should be submitted. Be sure to include all volunteer work with the SECA state affiliate and other related organizations.
3. A brief narrative from the proposed candidate that responds to the following questions. (Do not exceed 3 pages, double-spaced.)

   a. What do you see as the major challenges facing SECA during the next 4 years? b. What issue/issues would you like to address if you are elected President? c. What are SECA's strengths? d. What are SECA's weaknesses? e. How will your leadership help SECA to address the weaknesses and how will you build on the current strengths of the organization?

Step Three: Send All Nomination Materials by October 1, 2007 to the SECA Office

SECA Nominating Committee
PO Box 55930
Little Rock, AR 72215-5930

SECA Seeking Interested Persons to Serve on the SECA Editorial Committee

The Editorial Committee of the Southern Early Childhood Association is designed to advise the SECA Board of Directors on matters related to editorial policies and the production and distribution of SECA publications and media materials.

The Committee serves as the final referee for articles submitted to Dimensions of Early Childhood and members are asked to serve as one of three reviewers for each article submitted for consideration. The Committee also determines the topic of the fall theme issue of Dimensions of Early Childhood each year.

We currently have openings on the Committee and would encourage you to submit a letter of interest if you would consider serving on the Committee. Qualifications to serve on the Committee include:

• An active member of SECA for three years prior to appointment.
• A proven record in publishing or editing.
• Previous experience as an editorial advisor.

The members are appointed for a 3-year term. This is an unpaid position, and the members of the Committee are expected to meet once a year at the SECA annual conference. (A complimentary conference registration is provided to Committee members.) If you would be interested in serving on the Committee, please submit the following to the address listed below by October 1, 2007.

• A letter of intent stating your interest and qualifications for serving on the Committee.
• A vita or resume that includes a listing of your publishing/editing experience.

This information should be sent to:
SECA Editorial Committee
PO Box 55930
Little Rock, AR 72215-5930

The SECA Board of Directors will consider all submitted applications that meet the eligibility criteria and will elect new members of the Committee at the fall Board meeting, November 1-3, 2007. The first Committee meeting for new members will be held in Northern Kentucky at the SECA 2008 annual conference.

The SECA Board of Directors met in Dallas in July to begin a systematic planning effort that will assist the Association in moving forward in the future. We spent some time discussing our current mission statement. We asked these questions:

Does it reflect our philosophy?

Do our current programs and initiatives align with the mission statement?

Should we change the statement to be more concise and focused?

Listed below are the options. Which one do you think most concisely describes our mission?

1. The mission of the Southern Early Childhood is to
   improve the quality of early care and education services through advocacy and professional development.
2. The Southern Early Childhood Association promotes quality of care and education for young children by fostering the early childhood community through advocacy and professional development.
3. The Southern Early Childhood Association serves the early childhood community by providing professional development and advocating for improved quality care and education.
4. The Southern Early Childhood Association (SECA) is committed to improving the quality of care and education for young children and their families through advocacy and professional development.

We'd like to hear from you. You can e-mail your choice to Terry Green, President, at tgreen@audubon-area.com or to Glenda Bean, Executive Director, at gbean@southernearlychildhood.org. Please respond by October 15, 2007. We'll adopt the new mission statement at our annual business meeting in Northern Kentucky on Saturday, March 29, 2008. Your input is very important to us.

Student Matching Grants Available for SECA 2008

Our 2008 conference is quickly approaching, and SECA will again support student groups to attend the conference. SECA will provide grants (up to $1000) to qualified student groups who raise matching funds. These grants may be used to cover registration costs, travel, housing, meals, etc. The application and criteria for applying for the grants is posted on the "conference" page

Keeping Children Safe

During the last few weeks, the national news has been full of stories about hazards to children that are posed by lead based paint and unsafe magnets in children's toys and the use of over the counter cold medicines with young children. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced in August 2007, some major recalls of these toys, as well as other hazardous products that might affect children. The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) announced serious concerns about the use of cold medications with children younger than 6 years of age.

SECAwants to make sure that this information is in the hands of those adults who are responsible for making sure that children at home and in out-of-home settings are safe. Following is information, as well as contact information, about how to get the latest on the safety issues.

We've also provided two one-page flyers (on page 4 and5) about safety hazards in the home and using over-the-counter medicines with young children that can be duplicated and distributed to parents or posted in your program for your staff's use. (We'll also post PDF versions of theflyers at www.SouthernEarlyChildhood.org. Click on "Parent Pages".) This information, produced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and Federal Drug Administration, is important enough to dedicate two pages to the information in the Reporter. We hope that you will take this opportunity to make sure that parents receive the information. Hopefully, we'll avoid tragedies that can occur if parents are uninformed.

Consumer Product Safety Commission Recalls

In August 2007, CPSC issued recalls on children's toys, including Fisher-Price and Mattel. The Fisher-Price toys included many Sesame Street and Dora the Explorer toys. Surface paints on the toys contain excessive levels oflead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children andcan cause serious health problems.

To get a complete listing of the toys that are being recalled, go to www.cpsc.gov and check on "AugustRecalls." For additional information, you can contact Fisher-Price at (800) 916-4498 anytime or visit the firm's Website at www.service.mattel.com.

Consumers should immediately take the recalled toys away from children and contact Fisher-Price orMattel.

Federal Drug Administration IssuesPublic Health Advisory onNonprescription Cough and ColdMedicine Use in Children

On August 15, 2007, the FDA announced the formation ofthe Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee to discuss the safety and effectiveness of cough and cold drug product use in children and issued a set of recommenda-tions on use of these medications until the Committee could make final recommendations. Questions have been raised about the safety of these products and whether the benefits justify any potential risks from the use of these products in children, especially in children under 2 yearsof age.

For those of you in out-of-home care settings, the use of these drugs, even at the direction of the parents, carries risks and potential liability. Be sure you research your licensing regulations about administering drugs in out-of-care settings and follow recommended practices carefully. Considerations about use of the drugs are listed on page 5 of this Reporter. Check with yourstate licensing agency or yourstate health department to find out how you need to deal with over-the-counter cold medicines for children.

For more information go to www.fda.gov/consumer/updates

SECABoard of Directors Fall Meeting

The Board of Directors will meet on November 1-3, 2007 in Little Rock, Arkansas. If you have an agenda item that you would like to have considered, send a letter that contains information about the issue and background information on why the issue should be considered to:

Terry Green, President
SECABoard of Directors
PO Box 55930
Little Rock, AR 72215-5930

Be sure to include your name and contact information. The deadline to submit agenda items is October 15,2007.

We know that you want what's best for your child, and we wantto keep you informed about safety issues that can affect yourchild's health.

Top Five Hidden Home Hazards

Learn the Signs, Act Early FREE Early Intervention Resource Kit

You spend your day working with, playing with, and watching children, and you are already familiar with many milestones - such as pointing at objects, smiling, and playing with others—that mark a child’s development. All children are unique, but sooner or later, you will see a child who may need some extra help.

Many parents do not know how important these milestones can be to tracking a child’s developmental health. Also, many parents and even health care professionals do not realize how important it is for a child to receive early intervention and care for a developmental delay. It is crucial to act early when the child’s brain is growing rapidly,and that’s why we’re asking for your help.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has created the "Learn the Signs, Act Early" Campaign. The campaign is designed to educate parents about child development, including the milestones that mark a child’s healthy development and warning signs that there may be a problem. Because we know you are in a special position to watch for delays, we want to work with health care and early childhood professionals to promote early identification and action when a delay is suspected.

You are a valuable resource to parents! They look to you for information on their child and they trust you. To help you educate parents on child development, the Learn theSigns, Act Early Campaign has created a FREE resource kit just for you. It includes the following materials.

• A CD-ROM containing fact sheets you can print out and give to parents. These fact sheets include information on age-specific milestones, developmental disabilities such as autism and ADHD and developmental screening. The CD-ROM also contains other tools such as tips for talking to parents, milestones checklists that you can complete or give to parents and other resources.
• Three (3) small posters (11x 17) that you can hang in public areas.
• Three (3) full size growth charts (11x 39) that you can hang in classrooms or public areas.
• Fifty (50) flyers that you can give to every parent to educate them about the Learn the Signs, Act Early Campaign and how they can order a FREE Parent Resource Kit.

All of the materials are FREE and are available in bothEnglish and Spanish. You can order them on-line at www.cdc.gov/actearly under the “Child Care Provider”section. (You can also go to the SECAWebsite at

www.SouthernEarlyChildhood.org, click on the “resources” page and you’ll find the Act Early link posted there.)

We are all working toward the same goal: helping children reach their full potential. We hope that these tools will be useful to you in working with the children in your care and their parents. We thank you for taking an active role in promoting the campaign and child development. Sooner or later, a child in your care will need your help -thank you for being there.

Article provided by the Learn the Signs, Act Early Campaign, Centers for Disease Control, www.cdc.gov/actearly.

Questions to Ask AboutPre-Kindergarten Legislation

SECA has developed a set of questions (referencing criteria developed by NAEYC) to assist advocates in judging the potential impact and viability of proposed federal and state pre-K legislation. These questions should be applied to each piece of state legislation to determine if it has apositive impact on the system of early childhood services in your state.

1. Is the proposed funding stream new money or is the legislation simply shifting money from other early childhood programs? If money is being shifted, what programs does it affect?

2. What state agency will be responsible for managing these programs and funds? Is it the same agency that will be responsible for issuing rules and regulations?

3. How will child care licensing interface with the new program? Will there be a coordinated set of standards that encompasses all early childhood programs or will the pre-K program have a separate set of standards? Will the state have a basic set of standards, with add-on standards for pre-K?

4. Does the program outlined in the bill coordinate with other early childhood programs that are currently operating in yourstate? Will the new program supplant existing services? Has any thought been given to the potential impact onexisting early childhood programs that provide services to 3-4 year olds?

5. Does the bill require that services be delivered ina variety of settings (Head Start, child care, etc.)? Are these providers eligible to provide services and receive funding? If a variety of providers is used, will meeting standards be simple or difficult? Will they have multiple sets of standards to meet, depending upon the funding source?

6. Does the bill require that teachers in theprogram have a Bachelor’s in early childhood education ora related field? Is there any provision for eventual certification of those teachers?

7. Is there a credentialing/certification requirement for support staff/classroom aides? Will the state develop a state credential or utilize a national credential, such as CDA?

8. Is salary equity included in the bill? Will pre-K teachers be paid on a scale similar or equal to public school teachers? Will they receive commensurate benefits with salary?

9. Does the bill require that the program utilize a developmentally appropriate curriculum that addresses all domains of children’s development? Is a curriculum specified or will it be developed by the state? Who will be in charge of selecting or developing a curriculum?

10. Is a monitoring/technical assistance component required in the bill? Does the bill provide adequate funding to ensure that this component operates effectively? Is there a specified type of monitoring included? Who will develop the standards and criteria for monitoring?

11. Does the bill require that the pre-K program be linked to other state services that are available to children and families? Is there any requirement that state programs (such as Medicaid, health, adult literacy, early intervention, etc.) be included in the overall program design to ensure that children have access to comprehensive health and education services?

12. Does the bill specify that child assessments be conducted? Is the bill specific as to instruments, systems, use of assessments? Is the assessment to be used for program improvement or is there some type of outcome required? Will children’s progress be tied to renewal of funding?

13. How is the pre-K program designed to seamlessly interface with kindergarten? Are the standards for the pre-K program aligned with kindergarten frameworks?

These questions can be useful, not only to review new legislation but to assess the efficacy of existing legislation. State legislation usually provides a broad outline under which a program is developed, and many of these questions are still pertinent as the program is developed after passage of the bill. The South has been a leader inthe pre-K movement, and many of these components are included in our state pre-K programs. For more information about the South’s pre-K programs, go to the Public Policy page at www.SouthernEarlyChildhood.org. Youcan also go to www.naeyc.org and www.preknow.org for more information on the federal level.

The CRC is the world’s most comprehensive and ratifiedinternational agreement on the basic protections thatshould be accorded to children by society and govern-ments. It contains 54 articles that were drafted with thespecific purpose of safeguarding and advancing the rightsof all children, regardless of national boundaries.Adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in1989, it was instituted as international law in 1990.

The Convention sets forth basic standards that individualnations agree to pursue on behalf of children: 1) the rightto survival 2) the right to develop to the fullest potential3) the right to protection from abuse, neglect andexploitation and 4) the right to participate fully in family,cultural and social life. As of 2007, 193 nations had rati-fied the Convention. The United States remains one oftwo nations within the United Nations that has failed toratify the Convention.

Under the CRC, children have the right to the following:

• An identity - a name, a family and nationality.
• A standard of living that fosters physical, emotional, social, moral and spiritual development.
• Quality health care, including access to safe and clean water, nutritious food and an environment free of pollutants and other hazards.
• An education that facilitates children in achieving their fullest potential.
• The right to relax and play - the right to be children.

The Campaign for the US Ratification of the CRC is currently working to bring the issue before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee so that ratification may be considered. This is a volunteer-driven network of over 450 members that represent 175 organizations and 30 universities. The Campaign has scheduled a CRC Briefing Day to be held on November 17, 2007 at universities across the country. For more information about the CRC and the Campaign, visit www.childrightscampaign.org.

Worldwide Day of Play

Nickelodeon will turn off all programs and go dark for 3 hours on September 29th to deliver children one simple message: turn off the television, get up, get out, and go play! For more information about the Let’s Just Play campaign, go to www.nick.com/letsjustplay