The Weekly Connect 5/29/17

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Here’s the new edition of The Weekly Connect. Check it out and sign up to have it delivered to your inbox!

These are some of the things we’ve been reading about:

Even after many African-American students receive an ADHD diagnosis, their symptoms are going untreated.

Thanks to the Every Student Succeeds Act, states are paying more attention to chronic absenteeism from pre-K through twelfth grade.

Attending a low-quality child care program hurts boys more than girls. So just expanding access to these programs isn’t enough, according to a new working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research.

To read more, click on the following links. Continue reading →

Finding mental health care providers for children

Alyssa HaywoodeLeave a comment

Chittick Elementary SchoolMost of the time, City Connects coordinators find the resources needed for each of their schools’ students. But sometimes, even in cities that are teeming with programs, agencies, and services, coordinators cannot find the resources that would best serve a particular child.

One such challenge that coordinators routinely face is finding enough mental health counselors for children who need them. Approximately, 13-20 percent of children have a mental health diagnosis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and prevention..

It’s a problem that the Boston Globe covered in a recent article.

“Harvard researchers posing as the parent of a depressed 12-year-old called hundreds of child psychiatrists and pediatricians looking for appointments, and discovered what many actual parents know through bitter experience: Most of the time the calls were fruitless. Continue reading →

The Weekly Connect 5/22/17

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Here’s the new edition of The Weekly Connect. Check it out and sign up to have it delivered to your inbox!

These are some of the things we’ve been reading about:

Students with learning and attention issues are three times more likely to drop out of school.

A survey of 2,500 parents found that when it comes to their children, parents tend to rank math as lower in importance than reading.

House Democrats have introduced a school infrastructure spending plan.

New York City Mayor Bill Di Blasio plans to extend pre-K to his city’s 3-year-olds.

To read more, click on the following links. Continue reading →

City Connects in Springfield: results and the importance of integrated student supports

Alyssa HaywoodeLeave a comment

We’re excited to share a new article in CommonWealth magazine that tells the story of how Springfield is using City Connects to help its school children thrive.

The article — “‘Wraparound’ services helping kids succeed: Expansion of City Connects program to Springfield” – was co-authored by Daniel J. Warwick, Superintendent of the Springfield Public Schools, and Mary Walsh, the Executive Director of City Connects.

“When Children walk into their schools,” the article begins, “they make everyone feel what they feel. Teachers, principals, even superintendents can all feel the burdens students carry, especially those who struggle with poverty and despair. Some children talk about their challenges. Others don’t. Either way, educators and administrators feel the weight of the hunger, homelessness, mental health challenges, incarceration of parents, and other hardships that many children bear. We have to feel it, because being connected to children is the only way that we can successfully do our jobs. Continue reading →

The Weekly Connect 5/15/17

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Here’s the new edition of The Weekly Connect. Check it out and sign up to have it delivered to your inbox!

These are some of the things we’ve been reading about:

Three studies provide insights that states could use to curb absenteeism.

Bullying has a harmful, lasting impact.

School advocacy groups are worried about how the House’s Health Care bill could impact Medicaid.

Increasing graduation rates for English Language Learners.

To read more, click on the following links. Continue reading →

The power of existing community resources

Alyssa Haywoode1 Comment
Pictured left to right: Dave Plantier, President & CEO of MassMutual FCU and CCUA Social Responsibility Committee member; Shavon Powell, Bed for Every Child recipient; Stephanie Sanabria, City Connects Coordinator – Springfield Public Schools; and Lynn Liquornik, VP of Lending at MassMutual FCU and Pioneer Valley Chapter President.

At City Connects, our coordinators implement our innovative model: a system that brings the right services to the right child at the right time.

On a normal day, this can mean working with our community partners to connect children to tutoring, dental and health services, after-school programs, and counseling.

But on some days, coordinators spring into action when there’s an emergency.

That’s what happened recently when the Powell family had to deal with an apartment fire. Continue reading →

The Weekly Connect 5/8/17

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Here’s the new edition of The Weekly Connect. Check it out and sign up to have it delivered to your inbox!

These are some of the things we’ve been reading about:

A federal budget deal includes small funding increases for special education.

Researchers say that decades of studies point to one conclusion: Kids who attend public preschool programs are better prepared for kindergarten than kids who don’t.

Low-income minority students lag in high school graduation rates, and

Research suggests that bullying is declining in most schools.

To read more, click on the following links. Continue reading →

Student Success Includes Enrichment

Alyssa Haywoode1 Comment

At City Connects, we bring the right services to the right child at the right time.

A crucial step in this process is to clear away barriers to learning.

That’s why we make sure students have access to eye doctors, dental care, food, and clothes. We help students who are homeless, and we connect families to counseling services.

But this isn’t enough. Continue reading →