KC joins national discussion on policies around early childhood

Photo used under a Creative Commons license courtesy San Jose Library https://flic.kr/p/5jWTUH.

Local organizers are inviting the public to a film and discussion they hope will led to better policy on early childhood. It is part of a documentary series and national public engagement campaign called The Raising of America.

 Janet Brown Moss Awaken and Joel Wakham Awaken of BridgeWorks say they were inspired when the Raising America campaign was launched in Kansas City in February.

 “Mayor James, the Health Department, Communities Creating Opportunity (CCO), and others shared information about the campaign and requested help of those in attendance to spread the word about it,” they say.

They’re working with County Legislator Scott Burnett to get more people involved “in an effort to reach people we know who care about the future of our children in our country, give them a taste of the Raising of America series and ask them to pass the information on to family and friends the value of watching the film series. “

“The Raising of America takes us inside the brain and brings to life recent scientific research that reveals how early experiences, beginning in the womb, can alter brain architecture and developmental trajectories,” according to the Raising of America website. “Through the stories of families from different walks of life, we discover how the lack of paid parental leave and high-quality affordable childcare, stagnant wages and overcrowded housing, depression and social exclusion, and perhaps most of all the time crunch, too often undermine the efforts of parents and caregivers struggling to provide the nurturing environments all children need to thrive.”

The screening and discussion will take place Tuesday, July 7 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Hufft Projects, 3612 Karnes Blvd. A panel discussion including Lewis Diuguid of the Kansas City Star editorial board and Bette Tate Beaver, Executive Director of The National Association of Multicultural Education, will follow.   Please RSVP to janetbridgeworks@gmail.com.