“Are We Crazy About Our Kids?”
80% of a child’s brain is developed by age 3! How open their brains are to possibility and potential depends heavily on the environment surrounding the child. Parental stress to meet basic needs or manic behavior exhibited by parents struggling with mental illness and/or substance use disorders are huge contributing factors to this environment. With the assistance of Civic Canopy we held a screening of the documentary “Raising of America”. 
The screening was hosted at Sheridan Northgate K-8 school near the Baby Haven with Superintendent of Sheridan Schools, Michael Clough, Sheridan City Councilman, Gary Howard, Jeannie Ritter, Civic Canopy Board members, Baby Haven Staff, volunteers, many other community members with diverse interests joined us to watch the section called “Are We Crazy about Our Kids”. Kellie Teter, Maternal Child Health Manager with Denver Health, and Kelly Stainback-Tracy, Senior Clinical Instructor for CU Department of Psychiatry specializing in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, facilitated a lively discussion.
We are so fortunate to have you as a dedicated supporter of the Baby Haven. We can’t stop here though. We need your help to build awareness and investments into early childhood education to not only help the children at the Baby Haven, but, to help children across Colorado break the cycle of poverty, being under educated, and family dynamics.
We would love to host more small gatherings and make action plans that encourage an open dialog about how to accomplish this. Please contact us if you are interested in learning more about The Raising of America documentary, Civic Canopy, The Baby Haven, and how you can help us help undeserved children and families in our community. We look forward to hearing your ideas.
Baby Haven’s Holistic and Innovative Approach
“The 1,000 days between a woman’s pregnancy and her child’s 2nd birthday offer a unique window of opportunity to shape healthier and more prosperous futures. The right nutrition during this 1,000 day window can have a profound impact on a child’s ability to grow, learn, and rise out of poverty. It can also shape a society’s long-term health, stability and prosperity.” (1000 Days Partnership, 2015)
At the Baby Haven, they incorporate and parallel the Thousand Day approach to ensuring children and families are receiving nutrition, education, and skills to parent effectively bringing sustainable changes that effect multiple generations at a time thus increasing Baby Haven graduates’ chances of competing with their peers in school and reaching their greatest potential. It is reassuring to know that The Baby Haven is providing these services right here in our community just as others are around the globe.