The first 36 months of a child's life are critical to growing up emotionally healthy (St. Petersburg Times) As it turns out, most critical for children's early readiness to learn are the emotional capacities all children need to be happy and well-adjusted: trust, empathy, compassion, curiosity, self-direction and persistence.

Abuse report: 10,440 children died 2001-07 (USA Today) "It's heart-wrenching that each day in America, five children will die from abuse and neglect, but what's worse is that the real number is even larger," as much as 50% higher, says Michael Petit, the fund's president. He says the deaths get too little public attention.

Abuse, neglect deaths high in Florida, budget low (The News-Press) Florida ranked third highest in the rate of deaths from child abuse and neglect nationally and among the bottom in child welfare spending in a report released today.

Federal stimulus money helping working poor with child care (Florida Times-Union) Then, in early April, the coalition stopped giving out vouchers for child care for the working poor, causing more of a backup. The coalition knew from the state that revenue projections were low - and state money was in short supply. Main said she feared the agency would run out of money to keep all of the students in the program in child care centers, and she didn't want to disrupt service.

Solution to problem of dropouts starts in prekindergarten (Boston Globe) Children who attend a high-quality early education program are estimated to be 30 percent more likely to graduate from high school than children who do not.

Fla. in top 10 for afterschool programs (Tampa Bay Business Journal) Although there has been an increase in the number of Florida children attending afterschool programs over the last five years, currently 25 percent of the state’s schoolchildren are on their own in the afternoons, and another 16 percent are in the care of their brothers or sisters.

Conyers Slams OJJDP Boss at Girls JJ Hearing (Youth Today) Witnesses testified before the judiciary committee’s subcommittee on crime, terrorism and homeland security about the need for an increased federal focus on girls – the fastest growing population in juvenile justice

Back where he belongs (New York Times) The study also found that these disproportionate punishments were being used far more often against black and Hispanic children than white children. And once these youngsters have a first contact with the courts, they become far more likely to drop out of school or get permanently entangled in the criminal justice system.

Don't give up on kids (Daytona Beach News Journal) The Supreme Court recognized the differences between teenagers and adults when it held a few years ago, in Roper v. Simmons, that it was unconstitutional to impose the death penalty on defendants younger than 18. Locking up a youth for the rest of his life, with no hope for parole, is surely unconstitutional for the same reasons.

Healthier U.S. school meals boost costs: study (Reuters) U.S. children should get more fruits, vegetables and whole grains in their school meals even though this will push up costs, and calories should be limited, a panel recommended to the federal government on Tuesday.

Children's campaign off to great start (Tallahassee Democrat) The Children's Campaign, Inc.'s town hall meeting, Pasta with a Purpose, was a wonderful part of Step Up for Kids week sponsored nationally by the advocacy group Every Child Matters. There was a great turn out at Bethel AME Church of concerned citizens and experts to discuss the crisis facing children in our own backyard and in Florida.