Chadwick Bay N.Y.S. Women, Inc.’s Christmas donations to Chautauqua Opportunities’ Youth Residential program

Chadwick Bay N.Y.S. Women, Inc. donated 20 bags of holiday gifts to Chautauqua Opportunities, Inc.’s youth residential programs.

The gifts will be given to youth in residence at the Safe House and Transitional Independent Living Program (TILP) apartments on Christmas Day.

The Safe House is a 12-bed runaway and homeless youth shelter that is licensed by the NYS Office of Children and Family Services. Homeless youth under the age of 18 may stay up to 21 days while staff work to reunite the family or find other appropriate living arrangements. Homeless youth ages 16 – 21 may stay for up to 18 months in the TILP apartments and learn independent living skills while working or going to school.

The Safe House and TILP apartments intake approximately 80 youth annually.

The Office of Children and Family Services is required to issue these new regulations within one year of the signing of this legislation.

Under the current system, many child care providers receive paper checks from their local social services districts as payment for care provided to children who are eligible to receive a subsidy.

State officials say the printing and mailing of paper checks unnecessarily adds to the time it takes to process payments to providers, placing a financial strain on those who may already be living paycheck to paycheck. They added the direct deposit payments will help make payments timely and remove an administrative burden.

JAMESTOWN – WCA Hospital is partnering with the New York State Office of Children and Family Services for a safe sleep study designed to prevent sleep-related infant deaths.

Sleep-related death is the number-one killer of infants 1 to 12 months old in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that almost 2,500 infants die in the US each year while sleeping or napping. That’s nearly seven babies every day.

During the study, hospital maternity care staff will share information on the importance of creating a safe sleep environment for infants with parents of newborns. Maternity care staff will emphasize that infants sleep safest alone, on their backs in a crib, the ABCs of Safe Sleep. Parents will be surveyed later to determine if they’re following safe sleep practices at home.

WCA Hospital President and CEO, Betsy Wright, said the study compliments WCA’s existing efforts to teach parents and caregivers about the importance of infant safe sleep practices.  “WCA Hospital’s mission is to protect our community,” Mrs. Wright said.  “We are pleased to be a collaborative health partner in this study with a common goal to prevent the risk of sleep-related infant deaths.”

Locally, the Southern Tier Child Health and Safety Team (CHST), a child fatality review team, has investigated five infant deaths linked to unsafe sleep environments since the team formed in 2010. The team helped recruit local hospitals to participate in the Safe Sleep Kits Study.

Southern Tier Health Care System CEO Donna Kahm coordinates the Child Health and Safety Team. She said despite ongoing safe sleep campaigns locally and across New York, infants continue to die due to unsafe sleep environments.

“Sadly, most of these deaths are preventable,” she said. “That’s why it’s so important to continue to share safe sleep messages with parents and caregivers so they can take proactive steps to protect their newborns.”

As part of the study, new parents will receive a safe sleep kit including a tote bag, a door hanger with safe sleep information, written information on safe sleep, a book on safe sleep, a safe sleep DVD and a Halo Infant Sleep Sack. The kit will also include a safe sleep mirror cling and refrigerator magnet from the Department of Health. Parents will be asked to sign a consent form so researchers can survey them approximately one month after discharge. Parents will receive a safe sleep kit and information even if they decline to participate in the survey following discharge from the hospital.

Hospitals participating in the study include Jones Memorial Hospital in Wellsville, Niagara County Medical Center, Olean General Hospital and WCA Hospital in Jamestown.

Supported by a grant from the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), the Southern Tier Child Health and Safety Team was founded to explore the causes of preventable child deaths and make recommendations to the community to prevent child deaths and improve the health and safety of children in Allegany and Cattaraugus counties.

Child Health and Safety Team Member agencies include the OCFS Buffalo Regional Office, Southern Tier Health Care System, the New York State Police, Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office, the Allegany County and Cattaraugus County Departments of Social Services, Departments of Health, County Attorney’s Offices, District Attorney’s Offices and Coroner’s Offices, Olean General Hospital, Jones Memorial Hospital, Cuba Memorial Hospital, Olean Police Department, Salamanca Police Department, Wellsville Police Department, Dr. Pamela Salzmann, Allegany/Western Steuben Rural Health Network and the NYS Sudden Infant and Child Death Resource Center.

For more information about the Child Health and Safety Team or child safety, please call (716) 372-0614 or visit www.sthcs.org.

Pictured left to right: Top Row – Chautauqua Striders Executive Director Peter Morgante, Chautauqua Region Community Foundation Executive Director Randy Sweeney; 2nd Row – Council President Greg Rabb, Recreation Leader McKenzie Martin, Recreation Attendant Jeffrey Miller, Recreation Attendant Cory Tubbs; 1st Row – Chautauqua Striders Director of Education Michelle Waterman, Councilman Brent Sheldon, Girl Scouts of Western New York Community Engagement Specialist Laurie Marucci, Mayor Sam Teresi, James Prendergast Library Executive Director Tina Scott, Ralph C. Sheldon Foundation Executive Director Linda Swanson, Jamestown YMCA Operations Director John Barber, Recreation Coordinator Julia Ciesla-Hanley, Parks Manager John Williams

JAMESTOWN – The city of Jamestown has announced another season of the Summer Playground Program. This year will include a free lunch program provided at each site by the Jamestown YMCA in conjunction with the St. Susan Center.

The five playground programs participating this year are:

• Allen Park
• Fletcher Elementary School
• Lillian Dickson Park
• Nordstrom Park
• and Ring Elementary School

The staff will consist of eleven city college-aged residents.

The playground program is free of charge. This year’s program will run from Monday, June 27 through Friday, Aug. 5. The Ring Elementary School site will be open 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. All other sites will be open from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The program is geared for children between 5-13 years old.

As in past years, there will be city-wide activities scheduled, including bowling, a talent show, carnival, and the Playground Olympics. At the individual parks, there will be arts and crafts, and games such as mancala, kickball, box hockey, and wiffle ball. Equipment will be available at each playground site for the children to play with at any time.

The Nature Day field trip that will feature a tree planting will take place at Nordstrom Park this year. Additionally, the Parks & Rec Department is collaborating again with the James Prendergast Library to offer the Summer Reading Program at all playground program sites. Chautauqua Striders and the Girl Scouts of Western New York are also doing a reading program on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursdays afternoons at the Fletcher Elementary School site.

The free lunch will be made available between 11 a.m. to noon at Allen Park, Fletcher Elementary, Lillian Dickson Park, and Nordstrom Park. Lunch will be served between 12:30-1:30 p.m. at Ring Elementary School. Participating children will need to sign up each day in order to receive lunch for the following day. The meals will be available to children ages 18 and under.

Children must register the first time they attend their playground site. They are free to come and go as they wish after that point. Children with the best attendance records for the first two weeks of the program will be entered into a drawing, held on Friday, July 8, to win tickets to a Jamestown Jammers game.

The summer playground program is made possible through support from the City of Jamestown, the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, Jamestown Public Schools, New York State Office of Children and Family Services, and the Ralph C. Sheldon Foundation.

For specific times call the Jamestown Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Department at 483-7523.

Senator Catherine Young (R-Olean)

ALBANY – Senator Cathy Young is requesting that a state agency take a more detailed look into the unsolved 2014 homicide involving a 16-month-old Jamestown girl.

Young says she is requesting that Sheila Poole, the acting commissioner of the state’s Office of Children and Family Services, reviews the records of the state’s Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment and check for allegations or incidents of possible abuse to 16-month-old Nayla Hodnett prior to her death.

“The Chautauqua County District Attorney, the Chautauqua County Office of Children and Family Services, and the state are working to secure justice since Nayla’s tragic passing.” Young said in a media release from her office. “Regrettably, whomever inflicted the deadly blows to this child remains free and they must be held accountable. With my letter to Acting Commissioner Poole, I am hopeful new light can be shed on this case, and new insight might aid District Attorney David Foley in his efforts.”

Hodnett was taken to WCA hospital the night of April 16, 2014 by her mother, before being flown to Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo for further treatment. The child later died of her injuries the morning of April 17. Police ruled the death a homicide but so far no arrests were made in the case, although both the mother and her boyfriend are considered persons of interest.

According to Senator Young, local Child Protective Services did not have contact with the Hodnett prior to her death, even though the child had been taken to a hospital on a previous occasion for a possible broken leg.

Young said the incident highlights problems with the current CPS system as it relates to mandatory reporting.

In addition to contacting state officials to look into the matter, she is also introducing legislation that would require calls made to the state central register be recorded, and that the audio files be made part of any report of suspected child abuse or neglect. She’s also introduced a bill that would require annual refresher training for anyone who is a mandatory reporter.

“This tragic incident has also highlighted several gaps in the current system which I am working to address through legislative action. While these actions won’t bring Nayla back, we can take steps to prevent such heartbreak from striking another family,” Senator Young said.

Young also says anyone with additional information on the case is asked to contact Chautauqua County District Attorney David Foley at 716-753-4241.

Image from www.facebook.com/jamestownparks

JAMESTOWN – The City of Jamestown Summer Playground Program hosted a Tree Day event Tuesday morning at Allen Park.

Summer Playground Program attendees from all sites were on hand for an initial talk given by City Arborist Dan Stone. A tree planting and nature walk also took place.

Tree Day activities also included the announcement of a coloring contest for all Summer Playground Program participants. Winners will be announced at the Program’s Annual Talent Show at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday Aug. 5 at the Goranson Bandshell in Allen Park.

The summer playground program is made possible through support from the City of Jamestown, the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, Jamestown Public Schools, New York State Office of Children and Family Services, and the Ralph C. Sheldon Foundation.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo recently announced a total of $10.9 million in new grants will go to 68 Advantage After School Programs (AASPs) across New York State. The funding will provide thousands of school-age children with quality youth development opportunities for three hours at the end of each school day.

In Chautauqua County, the two programs set to receive funding are Chautauqua Opportunities, which will receive over $158,000 – while YMCA of Jamestown will get $107,000.

According to the Governor’s office, the statewide programs reduce the burden on parents and guardians who work in the evenings and are proven to boost academic achievement, enrich relationships with their peers and increase school attendance.

The contracts, which are administered by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), are scheduled to begin September.