Spread the word » Facebook Twitter
ACNJ Enews

To view this email in your web browser click here.

April 15, 2016
About Us | Contact Us | Donate

Week of the Young ChildAs we end our Week of the Young Child activities, let us remember that children need to be healthy to learn. Below are several health related topics with resourceful links that we ask you to share with family, friends, and colleagues.

Lead testing
With lead in the news, we need to intensify efforts to eliminate lead in children and warn about the many sources of lead. There is no safe level of lead in a child’s blood. Infants and toddlers are particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning because their bodies are still developing and they absorb lead at a faster rate than do adults. Even low levels of lead have been shown to affect IQ, ability to pay attention, academic achievement and behavioral problems.

Lead exposure generally does not have symptoms, and the effects of lead exposure cannot be corrected. So the best way to protect children is to test them. New Jersey law entitles all children to be tested for lead. Infants and toddlers should be tested early and often.

Helpful resources on lead testing:

Developmental Screeing
About 10 percent of infants and toddlers have a developmental delay or disability that may benefit from additional services. Parents, medical providers, and child care educators should ensure all children receive a developmental screening before age 3. Early intervention can make a critical difference in the development of a child.

Helpful resources on infant/toddler development:

Oral Health
Baby teeth are just as important as adult teeth! Baby teeth help children eat, drink, and talk properly. Infants should receive an oral health screen by age 1 and infants and toddlers should receive preventive dental visits, just like adults.

Helpful resources on oral health:

Health Insurance Coverage
Infants and toddlers need health insurance. Both New Jersey law and federal law require that all children have health insurance. It is critical to enroll all children today. NJ FamilyCare is our state’s public health insurance program and provides coverage for uninsured children and low-income parents and adults who do not have health insurance.

Helpful resources for health insurance and medical care:



Advocates for Children of New Jersey

Click here to unsubscribe