November 2021

November Newsletter 

May your holidays be full of warmth and cheer. 

What's happening at Healthi Kids after the holiday break?

HealthiKids is partnering with ROC the Future to bring you an interactive workshop and a virtual play day! First, mother and daughter duo Julia Brazier and Dr. Ariana Brazier from ATL Parent Like a Boss Inc. will lead a workshop called Community within Black Child Play as a Response and Protest. The workshop is scheduled for Saturday, December 4 at 9:00 a.m...  

You'll learn more about:  

-How ages and stages of play is necessary for holistic child development.

-How racism and classism deprive Black children of the many benefits of play.  

-How Black children can use play to respond to and protest institutionalized racism. 

Participants will engage in discussion, explore research, and learn to implement ways to celebrate and promote opportunities for Black cultural expression in the classroom or the community.   

Following the workshop, the Brazier’s will facilitate PlayROCs virtual family play day to celebrate Black joy and literacy. This intergenerational event will be both interactive and informative as families engage in special games and dialogue around the book ‘Julian is a Mermaid’ by Jessica Love. PlayROCs virtual play day will begin at 11 a.m...  

Visit HealthiKids.org/events to learn more and register for the workshop and virtual play day. 

Monroe County has received $144 million dollars from the federal government. You can help determine how these dollars are spent if you act by December 31, 2021.   

These dollars could benefit our collective work to support whole child health and recovery for kids across the county. Should these dollars go towards high quality childcare and daycare programs? What about local parks, playgrounds and athletic fields? How can the money help address food insecurities, mental and behavioral health, and safer communities?  

What else needs improvement? Here’s how you can share your input to help shape how $144 million dollars are invested in Monroe County:  

• Click to complete the Community-Wide ARPA Survey 

• Attend an in-person event on December 1 at 6 p.m. at Grand View Lodge – Powder Mills Park located at 154 Park Road, 14531 

• Attend a virtual forum on December 8 at 12 p.m.  
  Email BringMonroeCountyBack@monroecounty.gov for Zoom link.  

• Organizations can write and submit a testimony to Monroe County.   

Lights on Afterschool underscores the importance of why afterschool programs are so important for kids safety, learning and healthy development. Many parents and families want more afterschool programs to be available for their children. Afterschool programs provide academic support, workforce development opportunities, mentoring relationships and more. Research shows that afterschool programs make a positive difference for students, families, schools, and communities.  

Quality afterschool programs keep kids safe, help working families and inspire learning. This is why Healthi Kids partners with the Greater Rochester After School and Summer Alliance (GRASA) to continue to raise awareness about the role that afterschool programs play for kids throughout Rochester.   

Elected officials must hear the voice of the community to understand the value of investing more resources into afterschool programming. We need your input!  

Click here to share your story with our local elected officials about why after school is important to your family! Be sure to say why it's important to invest in high quality programs here in Rochester.

We’re proud to help announce that The Road to Educational Renewal Report Card developed by ROC the Future is now available. Since 2015, Healthi Kids has supported ROC The Future’s work to improve the academic achievement of kids in Rochester. The Report Card provides a timeline of collective efforts including some led by Healthi Kids like Walking School Buses, Play Streets and more.  

ROC the Future recognized Healthi Kids coalition members during the State of Our Children Gallery Walk & Report Card Release. Three coalition members received the “Parent Leader Award” for their commitment to supporting efforts that give kids in Rochester the healthiest start in life.  

We’re delighted to congratulate Healthi Kids family leaders Heather Feinman, Cherriese Bufis, and Allen Jackson for their dedication to improving the health of all kids in Rochester.

Healthi Kids’ PlayROCS campaign advocates for safe and accessible play spaces for every child in the City of Rochester. This means prioritizing youth and resident voices when it comes to making decisions about ways to create safe spaces for kids.  

Throughout 2021, Healthi Kids worked with KABOOM!, Roc the Future, Connected Communities, and City of Rochester to center kids and community voice to develop a new adventure course at Grand Avenue Park.  

Kids and families are actively taking advantage of this new community gem. Watch this video to learn more about what community members are saying about the process to develop the adventure course and its impact in their neighborhoods.  

Every child needs a village – a connected community of caring adults to support them, and safe, supportive environments that will allow them to thrive. Together our coalition members advocate fiercely for the transformation of policies, systems, environments, and resources to support physical, social/emotional, and cognitive development for all kids up to age 8. 

Healthi Kids is proud to recognize and celebrate members of our village who have done incredible work to move our advocacy agenda forward and support whole child health for kids in the city of Rochester.  

Building healthy minds, bodies and relationships require resources. Interested in building an adventure course in your neighborhood? Looking to assemble play kits for kids in your school building? Here’s an opportunity for you!   

The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Fund for Youth Sports is an active grant from The Community Foundation. Organizations that support youth sports and recreation activities can apply for grants ranging in size from $5,000 to $25,000. Slightly smaller or larger grants will also be considered.  

The deadline to apply is Friday, January 7. Click here to learn more and to apply for the grant. 

Related news stories

• Lincoln library gives away grab-and-go art bags for kids – 13 WHAM, November 18  

• Child safety zone law expansion signed by Governor Hochul – Rochester First, November 18  

• COVID vaccine trials happening locally for children under 5: ‘It’s looking quite positive’ – Rochester First, November 16  

• Rochester vaccination site administering vaccines to children ages 5 to 11 – CITY News, November 15 

• Kids' mental health declared national emergency - Rochester First, October 26