One of JWB’s most crucial initiatives is our Preventable Child Deaths Campaign, which seeks to raise awareness around the unfortunate number of deaths among children from easily avoidable causes such as infant unsafe sleep practices, drowning, and abusive head trauma. Another preventable yet tragic cause of early loss of life is pediatric vehicular heatstroke, which occurs when a child is left alone in a hot car.    

April is Hot Car Death Prevention Month 

April has been designated by the State of Florida as “Hot Car Death Prevention Month.” In recognition, St. Petersburg Fire Rescue joined forces with Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital (JHACH) for a powerful press conference.   

Members of the community and media gathered at the St. Petersburg Fire Rescue Master Station on Thursday, April 17th to learn startling facts and life-saving strategies to prevent pediatric heatstroke in vehicles. 

Speakers included: 

• Fire Rescue Chiefs Keith Watts and Lindsay Judah  

• JHACH Emergency Center Physician Dr. Danielle Mercurio 

• JHACH Injury Prevention Program Manager and Safe Kids Supervisor Petra Vybiralova Stanton. 

Hot Car Facts

Each speaker at the press briefing shared crucial facts for parents and caregivers to be mindful about when it comes to hot cars. These facts include: 

• Since 1998, more than 1,000 children in the U.S. have died from preventable heatstroke due to being left in cars. 

• A child’s body temperature can spike far more rapidly than that of an adult. This is exacerbated by the rapid heat increase inside a car on a hot Florida day. 

• Temperatures inside a car can rise as much as 20 degrees in 10 minutes even on a day with forecasts as mild as 80 degrees outside the vehicle.     

Life-Saving Tips 

While some incidents result from leaving a child in a car “just for a minute,” many are caused by forgetfulness or a child climbing into an unlocked car unnoticed. This tragedy can happen to anyone—which is why creating awareness habits is so crucial. 

You can help prevent pediatric vehicular heatstroke by taking these simple actions: 

• Never leave your child unattended in a car, even for a short period of time. 

• Always check the back seat before leaving your car. 

• Place a personal item (like your purse or wallet) in the back seat or set alarms to create a reminder. 

• Keep cars locked and keys out of children’s reach at all times. 

• Never let children play in or around vehicles. 

• Call 911 immediately if you see a child alone in a car. 

The event included a heartbreaking live simulation that featured a parked vehicle with a visible thermostat. While the outside temperature read 82 degrees, the interior temperature had been gradually increasing during each speaker’s remarks—in only 20 minutes, it had reached 102 degrees. 

The simulation illustrated just how rapidly temperatures can escalate—and how dangerous even a short delay can be. 

JWB is continually grateful for its partnership with St. Petersburg Fire Rescue and Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in spreading the messages shared in this press briefing. 

For important strategies to prevent heatstroke deaths in hot cars, click here.

For more helpful information or resources on JWB’s Preventable Child Death Campaign, click here. 

JWB Director of Public Policy Rebecca Gross Tieder shared her perspective on education and taking joy in one’s work on the “Finding Joy in Education “podcast, hosted by 2022 Florida Teacher of the Year Sarah Painter. 

Painter and Tieder, alongside Senior Professional Development Coordinator for Pinellas County Schools Robin Ford and parent Raizel Turner, had a lively and insightful discussion, pulling together life experience and a deep understanding of the world of education. 

The podcast, published by Pinellas County Schools, typically features a heartfelt conversation with a parent and an industry expert on what joy in education looks and feels like. Listen to the episode on Spotify here.

The Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County will host a series of family-friendly events to celebrate and support grandparents raising their grandchildren.

The event will feature family resources, free health screenings, family-friendly activities and giveaways of non-perishable food boxes, hurricane supplies, and more. The events are also open to all relative caregivers who are raising their nieces, nephews, or siblings in their homes.

Dates for the remaining Grand Families Days are:

• Saturday, April 26, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

CAP | Union Academy Family Center, 401 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., Tarpon Springs. 

• Saturday, May 10, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Pinellas Park Performing Arts Center, 4951 78th Ave. N., Pinellas Park. 

For questions, contact Community Engagement Manager Yaridis Garcia at 813-381-2407 or ygarcia@jwbpinellas.org.

Read the article as originally published at https://www.tbnweekly.com/pinellas_county/article_1ffccc41-1567-4e34-bcdf-243b59c0053c.html

In honor of the annual Week of the Young Child, a nationwide initiative supporting early childhood education, we’re highlighting the work done this week and all year round by a local stalwart: Turbo Babies, fueled by the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County, which encourages and supports educational growth for children ages 0-3 years old.

Turbo Babies has announced an interactive campaign and some big-time giveaways as they participate in The Week of the Young Child, which runs through Friday, April 11. Each day this week, parents, families, caregivers and childcare providers are encouraged to have educational moments and share them through photo or video with Turbo Babies each day, with the chance to win several fantastic giveaways as part of the fun.

Win fun giveaways through Turbo Babies

Encouraging “learning through everyday moments,” each day of the week presents a new opportunity to take normal moments and turn them into opportunities to teach children something new by including them in what you’re doing. Whether it’s having a sing-along, talking about your meal, or just doing some good old coloring, there’s a new theme each day that makes it easy to incorporate learning into otherwise mundane activities.

And the cherry on top of the educational sundae: Turbo Babies will be giving away prizes in a drawing among participants. One lucky family will win a full Lovevery Play Kit, tailored to the age and interests of the child. Meanwhile, one lucky childcare provider will win family passes to Great Explorations Children’s Museum for every single member of their class!

While the activities surrounding Week of the Young Child are fun ways to teach children, Turbo Babies points out how vitally important it is to incorporate moments like this into the lives of young children every day. According to recent research, 80% of brain growth for children happens in the first three years of life, making those formative years crucial to a child’s future.

Elicia Hinson, Senior Marketing Associate for the Juvenile Welfare Board, said parents and caregivers are always shocked by that statistic, which makes the work of JWB and Turbo Babies all the more important.

“It’s so much to be happening in the first three years of life,” she said, “but I think it’s also a motivating statistic. It makes people ask, ‘What should I be doing during this time?’ ‘How can I make the most of this time?’ And it’s never too late. There are opportunities every day.”

Make everyday moments educational opportunities

Hinson and Turbo Babies work to help parents and educators find easy and natural ways to have those teachable moments with kids. And the key, Hinson said, isn’t that you need to make a separate time for teaching. It’s far easier to just turn everyday moments in educational opportunities – even something as simple as including your child verbally and visually as you do laundry, prepare a meal, or read a story.

The 4-point mantra at Turbo Babies is: Tune in. Talk and repeat. Take turns. Take time.

“Every day there are so many chances for teachable moments, and they should be fun,” Hinson said. “It’s about the moments that are already happening – when you’re in the car, when you’re at the grocery store, when you’re doing laundry. Incorporate your baby and allow them to be a part of that. Those are teachable, everyday moments.”

Through these activities and campaigns, Turbo Babies hopes to show caregivers that education doesn’t have to be boring, difficult, or straight from a textbook. It can be easy and fun for children to learn, and it starts from birth. Even just hearing new words helps their brain grow: at age one, children recognize about 50 words, and by age three they can recognize nearly 1,000 words.

Learn more about Turbo Babies, fueled by the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County, at turbobabies.com. To join in on the fun for Week of the Young Child and enter the giveaway, check out this breakdown from Turbo Babies.

Read the article as originally published at https://ilovetheburg.com/turbo-babies-week-of-young-child/

On Friday, February 14th, JWB hosted the annual Children’s Summit at St. Petersburg College with the theme “For the Love of Kids.” More than 200 community leaders, key influencers, and child advocates gathered to celebrate JWB’s impact and shared commitment to the children of Pinellas County. 

JWB Board Chair Judge Patrice Moore welcomed attendees, recognized board members, and shared briefly what JWB means to her. CEO Beth Houghton followed with highlights from 2024, noting that JWB-funded programs served nearly 80,000 children and families and partnered with dozens of organizations in initiatives and campaigns. 

Attendees then viewed the FY2024 Annual Report Video showcasing JWB’s investments, including 12 new programs aligned with strategic goals, expanded funding to stabilize the workforce, and increased outreach to families. The video also highlighted JWB’s rapid response to emergent needs, such as funding gaps and hurricane relief, as well as the strength of its partnerships in driving positive outcomes for kids. 

Beth and St. Petersburg College President Dr. Tonjua Williams then led an interactive Kahoot! game, testing attendees on key topics from the video. The top scorers included Jesse Turtle (SPC Foundation), Hunter Parkinson (6^th Judicial Court), and JWB Board member PCS Superintendent Kevin Hendrick. 

To conclude, attendees shared words describing their reactions to what they learned from the summit, forming a word cloud that included “informed, educated, inspired, and hopeful.”  

Each guest also received a children’s book to give away in honor of International Give a Book Day, thanks to Brianna Ray and Elicia Hinson, who curated several age-appropriate selections. A Grade Level Reading resource table, set up by Brianna, provided additional books and information. 

JWB extends gratitude to the Pinellas County School Board, government officials, partner agencies, board members, staff, and volunteers who contributed to this successful event. 

To view our 2024 Annual Report Video, click here. 

To view more event photos, click here. 

Mental illness costs the economy about $200 billion in lost earnings each year. That’s why it’s so important to normalize conversations about mental health, especially in the C-suite. Mental health is physical health, but too often shame and stigma prevent employees from seeking treatment. When leaders openly share their own emotional and mental health challenges, it models this behavior, so employees feel safe to do so as well.

In Tampa Bay Thrives’ 2023 Resident Mental Health Study, 14% (a 4% increase over the previous year) of respondents reported missing work due to a mental or emotional condition, and the typical employee missed 4 days per month. This corresponds to a loss of 524,500 workdays per month or 6.3 million workdays per year, a significant increase from 2022.

At The Mosaic Company, the world’s leading integrated producer of concentrated phosphate and potash, some company huddles begin with a mental health query: “How is everyone doing today? Let’s check on how you’re feeling.” It’s all part of a psychological wellness program rolled out by Mosaic three years ago that moves beyond the risk reduction environment to one that centers around overall wellness: physical, psychological, and financial health.

This year, Tampa Bay Thrives is partnering with companies such as, The Mosaic Company, Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County, and Polk County Board of County Commissioners, to guide them on their journey to becoming Bell Seal certified. The Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health is a national certification program recognizing employers committed to creating mentally healthy workplaces.

Mental health isn’t just about one person. It affects the entire family. Our generation of young people has experienced multiple traumatic events: the pandemic, school shootings, widespread environmental and natural disasters, and global humanitarian crises. More than half (54%) of all Mental Health America screenings were completed by children and young adults under 25, and screenings skyrocketed by over 594% from 2019 to 2022.

Parents with children under 18 make up 40% of the workforce, and, beyond that Gen Z-ers are the future of our workforce. If the kids are not alright, neither are working caregivers. 1 in 3 Tampa Bay residents does not feel comfortable talking with their children about mental health. The main reason is that parents fear they might upset their children or make them worry unnecessarily.

Tampa Bay Thrives has engaged over 1,000 individuals, youth, parents, teachers, and providers to support our children’s mental health and will convene stakeholders and leaders to build a transformational approach in 2024.
Tampa Bay Thrives needs CEOs, employers, and business leaders to join the mental health movement! You play a pivotal role in helping shape a more mentally healthy future. The benefits and culture around mental health support that you or your company provides can create the ripple effect that leads to saved lives and systems change.
Join the movement, together, for a better tomorrow.

Deputy Sheriff Tyler Wilson recalls how he overcame the stigma to seek help in our #IYKYK campaign.

“While serving my community as a Deputy Sheriff, I began to experience severe PTSD symptoms, including flashbacks, depression, and anxiety. I had been exposed to multiple critical incidents, one involving a shooting with a suicidal individual and another with a terribly violent traffic crash involving the death of multiple children. The flashbacks and other symptoms became so severe that I seriously contemplated taking my own life to end the pain.

I sought help through my Employee Assistance Program, only to find the counselor inept at dealing with the severity of the trauma I had experienced. I also met with a psychiatrist who quickly prescribed me strong and habit-forming medications, which didn’t feel like the right fit for me.

Luckily through perseverance, I found a therapist who better fit my needs, and she was able to help guide me out of the darkness. I was also blessed to be treated by a cutting-edge virtual reality treatment. These treatments are the reason I am able to share my story today. I am now fortunate enough to speak nationwide about my experience and assist others in their healing process.”

Read the article as originally published at https://tbbwmag.com/2023/12/06/the-economic-impact-of-mental-health/