Massachusetts Parents Helping Parents Parental Stress Line:  1-800-632-8188

Parents and Caregivers under stress with children of any age call for support.  Whether you just need a break for a few minutes or a person to talk to about an ongoing problem with your children, the Parental Stress Line is there.  Grandparents, relatives, and friends who are concerned about children call for guidance.  No problem is too big or small for a parent to call.  Visit out website for more information:  http://www.parentshelpingparents.org/

Criterion - Wachusett Early Intervention Program - In addition to individualized programs for eligible children, the early intervention program offers Developmental Enrichment Group that are open to all young children in the community.  Groups are designed to provide a structured opportunity for parents and their children to engage in activities designed to promote growth and development through play and social interaction.  Parents, medical providers, community agencies and child care providers may call the program to refer a child if there are concerns related to the child’s development. A screening will be scheduled to determine eligibility.  For more information, visit their website:  http://www.criterionchild.com/index.php/program-locations/20

Devereux Therapeutic Foster Care is a not-for-profit social service agency that provides foster care services for at-risk children with special emotional, developmental and educational needs. We have offices located in the West Springfield, Holden and Woburn areas, in addition to an office in Warwick R.I. Our foster care program provides services for children between the ages of birth to 22. The majority of our clients are between the ages of 6 to 17.  Foster Parents Needed - for more information, click here:  http://www.devereux.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ma_care

American Academy of Pediatrics Car Seat Recommendations and MA State Laws Regarding Car Seat and Booster Seat regulations.  In a new policy published in the April 2011 issue of Pediatrics (published online March 21), the AAP advises parents to keep their toddlers in rear-facing car seats until age 2, or until they reach the maximum height and weight for their seat. It also advises that most children will need to ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until they have reached 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between 8 and 12 years of age. - See more at: http://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/pages/AAP-Updates-Recommendation-on-Car-Seats.aspx#sthash.TAgOxRNm.dpuf  For information about the Massachusetts State Laws visit here:  http://www.mass.gov/eopss/crime-prev-personal-sfty/traffic-safety/cps/

Welcome to the Massachusetts Safety Officers League - We are committed to realistic and effective programming for safety, injury prevention, and control. It is our responsibility to convey to the public what it is we do and how this promotes community safety. We must aggressively work together to form effective coalitions to influence policy decisions and legislation which impacts the safety field. We must promote high standards of practice that will ensure the provisions of quality services by well trained and competent professionals.  For Safety Tips related to you and your family visit their website:  http://masafetyofficers.org/safetytips.htm

The Massachusetts Health Curriculum Frameworks - Through health literacy, healthy self-management skills, and health promotion, comprehensive health education teaches fundamental health concepts, promotes habits and conduct that enhance health and wellness, and guides efforts to build healthy families, relationships, schools, and communities. Fundamental health knowledge and skills need to be taught starting in pre-kindergarten and early elementary years, and reinforced and expanded regularly in subsequent grades. A planned, sequential curriculum addresses a variety of topics with increasing degrees of complexity appropriate to students’ developmental levels as they move from early to middle childhood and then into adolescence. Such a program ensures thorough, balanced coverage of health content areas, and its success relies on skilled teachers who readily adapt to incorporate emerging health topics.  Click this link to learn more about the recommendations of the state as to what should be taught in public schools with respect to nutrition, exercise, drugs, alcohol, etc.  http://www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/health/1999/1099.pdf