Traverse City Record-Eagle. June 30, 2022.
Editorial: ICA, Pitter Patter partners a show for parents’ sore eyes
If it takes a whole village to raise a child, some of us may have to wonder if we are failing at work.
The numbers are alarming: As Sunday’s Record-Eagle reported, nearly half of Michigan residents live in “child care deserts,” where the ratio of the number of children ages 0-5 and the number of licensed child care centers is more than three, according to the Michigan League for Public Policy.
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The state has only 8,000 providers to care for nearly 560,000 children under age 5, a ratio of 70 children for every child care provider.
As people of Northern Michigan – policy makers, part-timers, and all points in between – we also have to ask ourselves what kind of “village” we want to be. Do we want to be a community that welcomes working families and provides the resources young children need to thrive?
Fortunately, some answered this question with a resounding “yes”.
The Interlochen Arts Center plans to open a daycare center for children ages 1-12 in the former Interlochen Community School building. The center will be a collaboration between the ICA and Pitter Patter Preschool and Childcare and will begin by offering 42 places to local families.
“We know that in general, in the community as a whole, there is also a shortage of child care facilities,” said Pat Kessel, CIA vice president of finance and operations. “So we thought that not only would we help our employees, but we would also help the community, because they drive everywhere to find child care and/or they can’t find child care at all. »
This is the kind of project our region needs – different entities willing to think creatively and work together to help solve a problem.
We also need our local governments to be part of the solution, but the problem is too big and too urgent to rely on bureaucracy alone.
The new daycare is an isolated rainstorm in the desert – it is desperately needed and a big help for families who can enroll. But much more is needed to meet the needs of families in Northwest Michigan, and I hope it’s part of a movement that continues to grow.
Iron Mountain Daily News. July 1, 2022.
Editorial: Health Agency: avoid foam on bodies of water
The science around PFAS is still developing.
PFAS are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. They are widely used, long-lived chemicals whose components break down very slowly over time.
There are thousands of PFAS chemicals, and they are found in many different consumer, commercial, and industrial products. This makes it difficult to study and assess potential risks to human health and the environment, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.
But scientific studies have shown that exposure to certain PFASs in the environment can be linked to adverse health effects in humans and animals.
As the weather warms, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services recommends Michigan residents and visitors avoid foam on Michigan bodies of water such as lakes, rivers and streams .
Foam can form on any body of water, and sometimes foam can contain harmful chemicals. This can include high levels of PFAS.
Foam containing PFAS tends to be bright white in color, lightweight, and can accumulate along shorelines or blow onto beaches.
An MDHHS assessment suggests that young children who come into contact with PFAS-containing foam for a few hours a day may be at greater risk for adverse health effects. Some studies in people have shown that higher exposure to PFAS is linked to increased cholesterol and thyroid disease.
Natural PFAS-free moss is typically off-white and/or brown in color, often has an earthy or fishy odor, and tends to accumulate in bays, whirlpools, or river barriers such as dams.
For those who come into contact with suds, the MDHHS recommends rinsing or bathing as soon as possible. This is especially true if the body of water is suspected of being contaminated with PFAS. Contact with foam without rinsing or bathing may result in accidental ingestion of foam or foam residue.
“Studies have shown that the risk of PFAS entering your body through skin contact is low, but you can accidentally swallow PFAS or other chemicals and bacteria if you don’t rinse or bathe afterwards. coming into contact with moss,” Dr Natasha said. Bagdasarian, medical director of MDHHS. “Washing your hands and rinsing after water activities can protect you from chemicals or bacteria that may be in the water or foam.”
MDHHS works with local health departments to issue recommendations and health advisories regarding foam on water bodies. Health advisories have been issued for certain bodies of water where foam containing PFAS has been found.
These advisories can be found in the “PFAS Foam on Lakes and Streams” section of the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team website. MDHHS continues to review data on PFAS-containing foams as they become available and will issue advisories as needed.
To date, foam recommendations and/or advisories have been issued by MDHHS and implemented by local health departments for the following water bodies: Lake Van Etten, Oscoda, September 1, 2017; Lake Margrethe, Grayling, June 5, 2018; Rogue River, Rockford, June 5, 2018; Thornapple River, Grand Rapids, June 29, 2018; and Huron River in southeast Michigan on September 18, 2018.
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development also advises people not to let their animals come in contact with or swallow moss on bodies of water. If animals come into contact with moss, they should be rinsed and bathed in fresh water, as moss can build up in the animal’s coat. Pet owners with questions regarding pets and moss ingestion should contact their veterinarian.
PFAS have been used in virtually everything, including carpets, rainwear, food wrappers, upholstery, take-out containers, furniture, some cosmetics and more, according to the Michigan Environmental Council. They were also in a fire-fighting foam called AFFF, which branches of the armed forces and fire departments used across the country.
Some forms of PFAS have been phased out, but many others are still widely used in commercial products and manufacturing processes today.
Anyone with questions about PFAS or foam exposure can call the MDHHS Environmental Health Hotline at 1-800-648-6942. More information is available on the MPART website at https://www.michigan.gov/pfasresponse.
News from Alpena. June 30, 2022.
Editorial: Custodians and curators play an important role
According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, tens of thousands of Michigan seniors experience abuse, neglect, or exploitation each year.
Others, not yet old, also fall prey to scams, theft, neglect and other abuse – often at the hands of people they love and trust, editor Julie Riddle recently reported. in chief of News.
That’s why guardians and conservators, appointed by judges to help people with developmental disabilities, mental illness, dementia and other disabling circumstances make important decisions in life, play such an important role. .
Conservators – who assume control of a vulnerable person’s financial life – and Guardians, who take charge of other decisions, develop close bonds with the people they serve, sometimes becoming both friends and family. for people who have neither, or whose loved ones have tried to exploit their vulnerability, Kathleen Robson, owner of Assisting Services, told Riddle.
While anyone can be fooled by a scammer – an earlier story by Riddle was of a police officer nearly being scammed himself and thousands of scams and attempted scams reported every year to state officials – those with incapacitating circumstances can more easily fall prey to scammers.
Guardians and curators step in to make sure that doesn’t happen.
We are happy that such positions exist.
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