Kate: Early Years and other patronages related to families & children

[cinrit]

Duchess of Cambridge Is All Smiles As She Visits Pottery Factory

The Duchess, who is seven months pregnant, waved and smiled at cheering crowds as she arrived at the factory in Stoke-On-Trent to see the production of a mug the company has launched in support of East Anglia's Children's Hospices, (EACH).

Kate took a tour of the factory and saw how the earthenware products were made and decorated by hand using traditional techniques.


Showing off her burgeoning baby bump, the Duchess, who is a patron of EACH, watched as she was shown the new mug.  The Duchess has worked with Ms Bridgewater before by raising money for the charity.

z,More: Kate Middleton Duchess of Cambridge shows off baby bump as she visits Emma Bridgewater | Royal | News | Daily Express

Cindy

z,

Double post auto-merged: February 18, 2015, 04:02:24 PM

Duchess of Cambridge a Dab Hand at Pottery Skills on Visit to Emma Bridgewater Factory

The Duchess of Cambridge was pronounced "a natural Stokie" as she tried her hand at pottery on a visit to the Emma Bridgewater ceramics factory.
She was not afraid to get her hands dirty as she had a go at making a plate from a disc of clay.

Warning on-lookers to "watch out", the Duchess managed to hit the mark first time as she threw the clay onto a machine, although she remarked "it's a little lop-sided".

However, 53-year-old Wayne Swindail - a "jigger-jollier" at the Stoke-on-Trent factory - said her technique had been near-perfect.


"There's nothing wrong with that," he said. "She a natural Stokie. Absolutely brilliant.  Later, he added: "She did it beautifully, and it's not as easy as it looks."

More: Duchess of Cambridge a dab hand at pottery skills on visit to Emma Bridgewater factory - Telegraph

Cindy

[TLLK]

I like that the press spoke to the mother who received two nights of respite care through EACH. Her pre-schooler son has autism and Marfan's syndrome which IMO would be an exhausting existence for a single parent. Glad to know that EACH can provide both mother and son with this type of assistance.

Please, don't quote the post directly before yours. :hug: Thank you, madame. :)
Double post auto-merged: February 18, 2015, 07:29:29 PM

What??? Can't believe I did that again. Thought I'd broken that habit. :hehe:

[cate1949]

she looks more animated and involved in her last two visits - good I'd say

[cinrit]

The Duchess of Cambridge Visits Stoke-on-Trent to Carry Out Engagements Related to Children's Well-Being

The Duchess of Cambridge has been praised as "a natural Stokie" after mucking in during a visit to the Potteries in aid of children's hospices.  Her Royal Highness was visiting the Emma Bridgewater ceramics factory in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, touring the shopfloor and watching youngsters getting creative with paint - to the delight of their Royal Visitor.

The visit was a chance for The Duchess to witness production of a new line of mugs the historic company has launched in support of East Anglia's Children's Hospices (EACH), of which The Duchess is Patron.

The Duchess was all smiles as she chatted with production staff before meeting families from Stoke-based Donna Louise Children's Hospice for a painting session.

She earned plenty of fans among the workers, as she tried her hand at making flatware - which involved the precision throwing of a piece of clay on to a machine.

More: The Duchess of Cambridge visits Stoke-on-Trent to carry out engagements related to children's well-being

Cindy

[Canuck]

Apparently (according to the KP twitter feed) the Queen has been patron of Action for Children for more than 50 years.  Nice to see Kate visiting one of the Queen's charities that dovetails with Kate's own focus on vulnerable young people!

[Lady Adams]

@Canuck, thanks for pointing that out-- I think that's a great way to spread BRF involvement in a valuable organization.

[Canuck]

I particularly liked this article from Richard Palmer about Kate's visit to Action on Children.  Lots of interesting detail.

As she toured the Play and Stay playgroup at the Smethwick centre, she high-fived one little girl who toddled over to her, Safiya Hudson, aged 27 months, and watched children paint and do crafts.

Safiya's mum, Natalie, 32, a victim of domestic violence by her former partner before and after her daughter was born, has been bringing her to the play and stay sessions at the Smethwick centre since she was three months old. It gives mother and daughter a chance to socialise with other families.

She was astonished that her daughter toddled over to give Kate a high five.

"I didn't expect it. It was very spontaneous. It was how she felt. She is quite confidant if she knows someone," said Natalie.

"The Duchess was so friendly I think she encouraged my daughter to be spontaneous. I didn't expect it. But it's how she felt. She was enjoying the moment.

"It was an amazing day, perfectly organised."

Donna Ebanks, 35, said Kate wished her son, Samuel Ebanks 'happy birthday' as his big day was today "Samuel was playing with the little animals and she said that George loves then too. My daughter was at the painting table and she said that George likes getting his hands in paint."

She added: "There's a real feel-good factor here today and it will raise the profile of the centre."

Esther Bulus, 35, who brought her 17 month old daughter Elizabeth with her, added: "She saw my daughter painting and said "If George was here, that's what he would be doing."

She added: "Coming here has been great for Elizabeth's social skills - she's always so excited about coming. She's not shy now or scared."

Dad Asad Kamal told Kate he brings his sons Naqeeb, seven, (showed Kate a 'Megatron' Transformer he had been making with coloured pipecleaners) and Musa, three, to the dad's club once a week.

"She was very generous with her time and attention, considering there is a quite a difficult session with lots of families. She was really friendly and attentive," he said.

There's also some information about a private session Kate had with some families who use the charity, in which they told her about the struggles in their families.  The woman who talked to the paper about it has a heart condition that causes her to have heart attacks without warning, and she's worried about the effect it has on her kids.  A very moving story.

Kate Middleton Duchess of Cambridge moved to tears by families' plight | Royal | News | Daily Express

[Limabeany]

Somdid I, not another what-kate-wore article. This is what they should all do, they are professionals and adults.

[TLLK]

@Canuck and @ Limabeany  :thumbsup:

[Canuck]

Well, we were all wrong with our guesses that the St Patrick's Day engagement would be her last!   

[TLLK]

Wonder if this is related to foster care or the children's mental health charities?

[Canuck]

Good question, TLLK.  It's definitely part of the broad issue of children who are struggling with something in their private or home life, which Kate has been focused on lately.

[TLLK]

Thank you @snokitty for the link to the site.

Looks like a pre-school but it could be linked to any one of her charities. Have to say I was sure that St. Patrick's Day would be the last public engagement but it's good to see her going to another before she delivers baby two.

[Canuck]

The engagement is reportedly for Home-Start, a UK charity.  Here's some information from their website:

What we do
Home-Start helps families with young children deal with whatever life throws at them. We support parents as they learn to cope, improve their confidence and build better lives for their children. The benefits of our support include improved health and well being and better family relationships.

We provide one-to-one support for parents
Our volunteers visit the family's home for a couple of hours every week.  They tailor-make their support to the needs of the parents and children. Volunteers are very committed and will keep visiting until the youngest child turns five or starts school, or until the parents feel they can stand on their own two feet.  Parents and volunteers often develop a deeply trusting relationship which can lead to powerful change within the family.

We also run family groups and social events for families.

Our values
We offer families choice
We work in partnership – with each other, with families and with other agencies,
We work in a spirit of openness, encouragement and enjoyment
We are flexible and responsive to the needs of families.

Why it matters
The five years between birth and school are vital for a child's development. What goes on inside a family during these years strongly determines the opportunities and life chances children have. Children who are raised in a stable, loving, family environment are more likely to have a positive and healthy future. But being a parent isn't easy and sometimes life can get in the way. Circumstances throw you off course and everything else can take a back seat. A young child caught up in this can miss out on the love, routine and stimulation that are so vital for their future.  Home-Start works because our volunteers are parents. They understand how hard it can be.  They work alongside parents, in their own homes, to help them cope with the stresses and strains of life and make sure they have the skills, time and strength they need to nurture their children.

Our vision
Home-Start wants to see a society in which every parent has the support they need to give their children the best possible start in life.

Support & services for families | Family support charity | Home-Start UK

[TLLK]

Thank you for the information @Canuck. Offering this type of support for families who could use the extra assistance and instruction in early childhood education are so valuable to ensure a good start to a child's school years. Any physical/emotional/developmental concerns can be addressed during this time as well.

[Canuck]

Agreed, TLLK!  It can be really difficult for parents to admit they need help, and then finding it can be even more difficult.  Programs like this do an enormous amount of good.   :nod:

[TLLK]

I've sat in on more Student Study and IEP meetings than I can count @Canuck  but it came as a complete shock that my youngest would need services for a mild autism spectrum disorder. Fortunately for us we have a school district with an outstanding early intervention program. Two months after his third birthday he was attending pre-school five days a week with speech/language therapy, OT/PT,  socialization groups and transportation imbedded in his class. The class included typical peers to serve as models. By the time he was four he'd been moved to the class with more typical peers to prep him for kindergarten and we had outside services as well in our home. I pushed for an aide, but by the first day of kindergarten the teacher asked if an aide was truly necessary as he was truly ready for the 5 hour class. Six weeks later the aide was on to another student and he's never had one since. He's now a 7th grader with a 3.5 GPA and most importantly friends!!! We were very, very fortunate that his condition was mild and that he received excellent services at an early age and through his elementary years. 

[Canuck]

That's a wonderful story, TLLK, and I'm so glad you were able to access the services you needed and that your son has made such progress!   :thumbsup:  There's been a lot of research over the past decade or two showing the critical importance of those early years, and stories like yours definitely bear that out!

[TLLK]

Thank you @Canuck. Trust me we know how very fortunate we are to be living in an area where these services are available to us. Those living in rural settings often find themselves shortchanged as most are typically located in places with a larger population. My husband's cousin is the service provider for a small district in rural Minnesota and travels for hours each week to get to the different schools and home settings to meet with clients.
Double post auto-merged: March 12, 2015, 05:37:03 PM

I was also fortunate to have an aunt who was a speech/language pathologist who was instrumental in explaining my son's IEP to the older generation in my family who held the belief that such information should be kept "secret." They could not understand why we share this information with anyone. Basically she told them in the nicest possible way to stop living in the past and that education was the key in helping our son. Unfortunately 6 months later in 2005 she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of dementia and my brilliant aunt was rapidly losing her memory. I was unable to discuss his progress with her.

We traveled to TX in 2008 and had the opportunity to visit with her. The dementia had progressed to a point where she became lost moving from one room to another in her daughter's home. She  barely recognized close family members anymore. However that evening the most amazing event happened. She found me in the office and said "T..... I truly believe that M..... will continue to make excellent progress. His receptive and expressive language are flourishing. He has a bright future ahead of him." Then she left. Two hours prior she had no clue as to who my family and I were. No one had mentioned M.....'s ASD that evening to her. Somewhere in her memory she knew that she needed to speak to me about this subject. It was the last conversation she and I ever had.

[Macrobug]

 :hug: TLLK

This shows how important the early intervention is.  Ontario  introduced a program that emphases the 18 month exam.  It not only checks for the regular milestones but focuses on identifying signs of autism.  We use both the Rourke tool and the Nipissing tool.  By identifying at risk kids so young, they hopefully will get into programs to help them.  So many of these kids  weren't identified until JK or SK and by that age many interventions were not helpful. 

I really like the idea of Home-Start.  It is a program I would love to see in my area.  Although we do have great programs that parents can go to, I really see the benefits of having in-home programs.  It is truly personal and invasive but by seeing the actual home setting the true situation is better understood and care can be tailored to fit that family's needs.

[TLLK]

:hug: TLLK

This shows how important the early intervention is.  Ontario  introduced a program that emphases the 18 month exam.  It not only checks for the regular milestones but focuses on identifying signs of autism.  We use both the Rourke tool and the Nipissing tool.  By identifying at risk kids so young, they hopefully will get into programs to help them.  So many of these kids  weren't identified until JK or SK and by that age many interventions were not helpful. 

I really like the idea of Home-Start.  It is a program I would love to see in my area.  Although we do have great programs that parents can go to, I really see the benefits of having in-home programs.  It is truly personal and invasive but by seeing the actual home setting the true situation is better understood and care can be tailored to fit that family's needs.

Thank you @Macrobug. I know from my own experience that not all children are going to display that "red flags" of an ASD. My son did not loose any language, did not obsessively line up objects, he was not withdrawn and made eye contact. He doesn't fit the classic autism diagnosis. During a well-baby/toddler check there isn't always the time for a pediatrician to notice the subtle signs. Our son astonished more than one therapist when they were told that he was on the spectrum. The school district was the agency that knew what cues to look for as his diagnosis was mild. Had he been showing signs at an early age we'd been referred to our local regional center.

Very pleased to know that routine screening is happening now on a regular basis with our pediatrician here in CA and that you and other healthcare professionals have diagnostic tools available for you to use. Then you can refer patients to the right agencies for services. Perhaps you've heard the expression "Time is brain." It was on my mind constantly in those days.

The Brookhill Children's center appears to have a good plan in place to guide parents who need the support and can make inquiries/referrals for families as well. The family stories are quite compelling IMO especially the one about the children who had parents who were long term addicts. A father who is caring for a terminally ill daughter and an immigrant mother who was isolated in a new country have all had support from the volunteers and professionals who work with the center.

[Macrobug]

It is the kids like your son that truly benefit from the increased use of diagnostic tools and programs like Early Years.  The kids that have severe ASD are often easy to see, even without the benefit of an enhanced exam.  But that enhanced exam picks up the mild cases, hopefully. 

Around here the kids are referred to specialists but what we are missing are the programs that give support to the families.  They are in place in larger centres but the rural areas are lacking.  I am not certain how it is in GB but I am sure that programs like Home-Start are beneficial to fufil those needs.

Just in case you are interested here are links to the Nipissing and the Rourke

NDDS
Welcome to Rourke Baby Record
Your child's enhanced 18-month well-baby visit

[TLLK]

It is the kids like your son that truly benefit from the increased use of diagnostic tools and programs like Early Years.  The kids that have severe ASD are often easy to see, even without the benefit of an enhanced exam.  But that enhanced exam picks up the mild cases, hopefully. 

Around here the kids are referred to specialists but what we are missing are the programs that give support to the families.  They are in place in larger centres but the rural areas are lacking.  I am not certain how it is in GB but I am sure that programs like Home-Start are beneficial to fufil those needs.

Just in case you are interested here are links to the Nipissing and the Rourke

NDDS
Welcome to Rourke Baby Record
Your child's enhanced 18-month well-baby visit

This is outstanding @Macrobug !!! I am forever grateful that even with my previous background knowledge with IEPs and services that there were caring professionals to guide us through those weeks before he was enrolled in school. They were there to transition us from pre-school to kinder and beyond. They're just as proud of him as we are.

[In All I Do]

@TLLK  :consoling1:  It's very difficult to see your child struggling. I'm glad you were able to find those supports and that he's doing so well!

@Macrobug It's really unfortunate that you don't have access to those family supports. The addition of the language screening at the 18 month well baby was what got us referred to the local program around her. My daughter had a speech delay, and the programs at the center (along with a private SPL we were able to use when we were "off program" at the public center) were a huge help. A lot of that help came in the form of support and learning for us.

[Macrobug]

We have it - it is just that the families have to travel at least an hour to access it.  It is a huge barrier for many.  Along with the identification of ASD, the kids with language issues benefit greatly from these programs.  The earlier they are id'ed, the better the outcome with language.  Glad your daughter and you received the help you needed.

I struggled through school and even now with mild dyslexia (I flip 6 and 9, m and w, 3 and 5) and a language delay (I do much better with the written word but have issues with pronunciation).  Back in the 60s and 70s these issues were not identified or treated.  I was very lucky to have a primary school teacher for a parent, a natural affinity for learning and teachers who realized that I may not be learning the same way the other kids were learning but I was learning.  And so I adapted and did ok.  Maybe I would have done better but I love to read and learn.  I was lucky.  So many were not.  A friend was labeled "slow and dumb".  She is not.  She is quite intelligent.  She has severe dyslexia  and couldn't read. She did finally get diagnosed and remedial help, but the damage was done. She believed she was stupid and it has caused her issues to this day. 

I hope with programs like this that no child today goes through what happened to her.