Time to gear up for Summer!! As school winds down and the sun is out a bit longer, we all start to get restless for those fun things to do over the next 3 months. Swimming, hiking, camping, traveling and a slower pace make us all a bit more relaxed. Summer days and children’s play gives us an opportunity to ponder what is going on in those beautiful developing minds.

We at the DNCCC had a wonderful opportunity recently to do just that. Board members and staff attended a First 5 sponsored early brain development conference at Humboldt State University. The guest presenter was Dr. Bruce Perry, an internationally recognized authority on child trauma and the effects of child maltreatment. His work is instrumental in understanding the impact of traumatic experiences and neglect on the neurobiology of the developing brain. His presentation lead us through the structure and development of the brain and how a child’s environment affects the growth rate and the specific areas of the brain. He detailed how the impact of neglect, violence and lack of knowledge of a child’s brain can affect a human being for the rest of their life. He described case histories including his work with the children ranging from Waco, Texas and other areas of the U.S. to former Soviet Block countries. In a video clip from an FBI surveillance camera placed in a crack house an infant wandered about in a dirty, dark apartment while her parents processed, sold and used crack. No one paid any attention to her and, eventually, her behavior reflected this neglect. His experiences were very moving and gave insight into any child’s behavior – the lack of attention to a child’s well being at any stage during the birth to 3 years old has ramifications that may be very difficult to remedy later in life. As I watched the clip mentioned above, I reflected on another community effort I am engaged in: the increasing methamphetamine problem in our county.

The Board of Supervisors has decided to attack this serious problem. Their Safe & Healthy Children & Families committee is spearheading a series of community focus groups. I have been participating in the Human Services group and everyone interested is invited to attend. We have had grandparents, parents, and teens joining a variety of therapists, agency directors and other community leaders to discuss how best to approach and resolve this community wide problem. If you are interested in the open dialogue format meetings, please call the Department of Social Services @ 464-3191 for locations and times of the focus groups. My priority is the well being of the very young children who are impacted by the alarming rate of meth use. There is a lot going on in those little brains and very few of us are prepared to deal with the future impact of the harm that is being done in methamphetamine households.

This is a bit of a cloud on a Summer Newsletter yet I feel it is very important to get the knowledge & awareness out. The DNCCC has multiple copies of a video that was distributed at Dr. Perry’s conference and they will be available in our resource collection for parents & providers to check out.

Have a great summer! Enjoy and cherish the little brains in your care –they are our future!