Harvard Study: How RACISM Can Affect cChild Ho w RACISM an a f f e c t H o w RACISM c a n a f f e c t child development Development child development
Yale Study: Child Care Providers Show “No Elevated Risk” for Contracting COVID-19
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national study by Yale University of more than 57,000 child care programs (Covid-19 Transmission in U.S. Child Care Programs, Pediatrics) found that providers who continued working in the first three months of the pandemic had no increased risk of contracting COVID-19 in their facilities. This is the first major study of its kind in the nation and shows that child care’s virus “mitigation efforts” kept providers safer. “This study tells us that as long as there are strong on-site measures to prevent infection providing care for young children doesn’t seem to add to the provider’s risk of getting sick,” said lead researcher, Dr. Walter Gilliam of Yale.1 This is a reassuring report for families who depend on child care as well as the child care workforce whose programs are suffering from the pandemic. With more families working from home during the virus many licensed child care programs are often unable to keep their doors open. Lynnette Fraga of Child Care Aware of America, a partner in the study said, “This study shows that to be open safely, child care providers will need to practice mitigation and prevention strategies which cost money. And, at times, it may not be safe for child care to be open if community transmission rates are high. To stabilize an industry facing additional costs and ongoing, public health-related closures, significant funding is needed.”2 Results do not pertain to school age care because groups do not remain consistent throughout the day and move throughout buildings. Child care facilities in North Carolina were proactive combating the virus through preventative measures such as symptom-screening at the door, mask-wearing, smaller group sizes, handwashing, frequent sanitizing, no outsider entrance to facilities, and social distancing. Information on North Carolina’s child care response to COVID-19 may be found here. More information on the report can be found here.
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www.nbcnewyork.com www.nbcnewyork.com
9 volume 3 | issue 4 | december 2020
Years of scientific study have shown us that, Years of scientific study when children’s stress have shown us that, response systems when children’s remain activatedstress at high response systems levels for long periods, remain activated at high it can have a significant levels for long effect periods, wear-and-tear on it can have a significant their developing brains wear-and-tear effect on and other biological their developing brains systems. This can and other biological have lifelong effects systems. This can on learning, behavior, haveboth lifelong effects and physical and 1 on learning, behavior, mental health. and both physical and mental health.1
A growing body of evidence from both the biological and A growing body connects of evidence social sciences fromconcept both theofbiological this chronic and socialand sciences wear tear toconnects racism.2 this chronic This concept researchofsuggests 2 wearconstant and tear coping to racism. that with This research suggests systemic racism and that constant coping with everyday discrimination is systemic racism and a potent activator of the everyday discrimination is stress response. This may a potent activator ofthe theearly help us understand stress response. This may origins of racial disparities help us understand the early in chronic illness across the origins of racial disparities lifespan. in chronic illness across the lifespan.
The evidence is overwhelming: Black, indigenous, and other The evidence is in overwhelming: people of color the U.S. have, Black, indigenous, and other on average, more chronic health people of color in the U.S. have, problems and shorter lifespans on average, chronic levels. health3 than whites more at all income problems and shorter lifespans than whites at all income levels.3
vs. vs. People of color receive unequal treatment when they engage in People oflike color receive unequal systems health care and treatment when theyhave engage education, and also lessinaccess systems like health care and to high-quality education and health education, and also have less access services, economic opportunities, and 4 to high-quality education and health pathways to wealth accumulation. services, economic opportunities, All of these reflect ways in which and 4 pathways accumulation. the legacyto ofwealth structural racism in All of these ways in whichthat the U.S. hasreflect created conditions the legacy of structural racismthe in disproportionately undermine the U.S.and hasdevelopment created conditions that health of children disproportionately undermine the and families of color. health and development of children and families of color.
Black
267
Black White White 0
267
199 50
100
150
199
200
250
300
Deaths from disease, 100 diabetes,150 and kidney 0 heart 50 200 disease 250(combined) 300 per 100,000 — United States, 2015 Source: CDC, https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/66/wr/mm6617e1.htm Deaths from heart disease, diabetes, and kidney disease (combined) Source: CDC,
per 100,000 — United States, 2015
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/66/wr/mm6617e1.htm
Multiple studies have documented how the stresses of everyday discrimination Multiple studies have documented on parents or other caregivers, suchhow thebeing stresses of everyday discrimination as associated with negative on parents orcan other caregivers, such stereotypes, have harmful effects as associated withand negative on being caregiving behaviors adult 5 have harmful effects stereotypes, can And when caregivers' mental health. on caregiving and mental healthbehaviors is affected, theadult 5 And when caregivers' mental health. challenges of coping with it can cause mental healthstress is affected, thein their an excessive response challenges of coping with it cause children. But we can preventcan lasting To address these challenges, an excessive stress response in their harm if we work together. we must not only provide children. But we can prevent lasting To address thesefor challenges, needed services all young harm if we work together. we must and not only provide children families, but needed services for all young also create new strategies to children and families,inequities but address “upstream” also create new strategies to that systematically threaten address “upstream” inequities the health and well-being of that systematically young childrenthreaten of color and the health and well-being of the adults who care for 6 young children of color and them. This means actively searching the adults who care for for and reducing unseen, them.6 This meansbiases actively searching restrictive in ourselves for reducing unseen, andand in economic and social restrictive biasesinitiatives in ourselves policies through and suchinaseconomic fair hiringand andsocial lending policies through initiatives practices, housing and home such as fairprograms, hiring andantilending ownership practices, housing and home bias training, and community 7 ownership programs, antipolicing initiatives. bias training, and community policing initiatives.7 It’s clear that science cannot address these challenges alone. But science-informed thinking combined with expertise in changing entrenched systems and the lived experiences of families It’s clear that science theseof challenges alone. Buta science-informed thinking raising young childrencannot under aaddress wide variety conditions can be powerful catalyst of more 8 combined with expertise in changing entrenched systems and the lived experiences of families effective strategies. raising young children under a wide variety of conditions can be a powerful catalyst of more effective strategies.8 For sources and more information: https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/racism-and-ecd For sources and more information: https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/racism-and-ecd
www.childcareservices.org
