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  • Building a stronger community, one family at a time

    Odil Douglas knows what it's like to be overwhelmed. Five years ago, she found herself raising two young children and a newborn, as well as caring for her sick mother in the hospital. Alone, stressed and unsure where to turn for assistance, Odil found an "extended family" in the Healthy Families Orange program at The Howard Phillips Center for Children & Families. An intensive home visitation program based on a national model, Healthy Families Orange prevents child maltreatment in 98% of families served and builds healthy, positive parenting behaviors for new mothers and fathers through education, referrals and resources. Odil credits Healthy Families Orange with helping her make it through the most difficult time of her life, all while teaching her how to be the best mom possible to her three young children.

  • The pink slime controversy

    Pink Slime. Ever heard of it? The nickname originated between two scientists within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) who were concerned about the safety and lack of labeling of the beef additive. The term "pink slime” became increasingly popular when Jamie Oliver brought attention to the controversial product on his Food Revolution TV show, created to bring awareness to the foods Americans are consuming and the link to childhood obesity.

    I’ve heard of it. But what is pink slime?

    In short, it has been termed “lean, finely textured beef”, an additive used in ground beef and beef products to help reduce consumer cost. Pink slime consists of beef scraps and connective tissue that have been mechanically removed from fat through a high-pressure, high-temperature process. The beef mixture is then treated with ammonium hydroxide to help eliminate possible pathogens, such as E. Coli and Salmonella. It is then finely ground and frozen into blocks to be shipped out to suppliers to use in their beef products.

  • Fighting Birth Defects with Folic Acid

    Did you know there are things you can do even before you become pregnant that can help give your child a healthy start in life? Making sure your body has enough folic acid is one of the most important ways to protect your baby from birth defects.

  • Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease: What Parents Need To Know

    When your little one goes off to daycare or school, they might come home with more than a craft project: hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD). It’s a common viral rash that can quickly spread to the entire family. 

  • The Best Way to Spring Clean Your Home (According to a Pediatrician)

    As winter recedes and spring gets closer, some parents may feel overwhelmed by the upcoming season of cleaning. After all, it’s a lot of work to dust, wash and sanitize your home! Spring cleaning is an essential part of health and wellness, so just take it step-by-step. By involving children of all ages in the chores, focusing on specific germ-ridden areas of your home and making your own non-toxic cleaners, you can ensure that this year’s spring cleaning is both safe and effective.

  • Is It Croup or Whooping Cough?

    It can be frightening to hear your child coughing or struggling to breathe. Both croup and whooping cough can cause these symptoms, but one of these childhood illnesses is much more serious than the other. Determining the cause can be confusing, and waiting too long to seek medical care can cause additional complications.

  • Are you protecting your newborn from whooping cough?

    If you’ve been reading the news the past few weeks, you may have heard about the outbreak of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, that has reached epidemic levels in Washington. There have been more than 1,000 cases reported already this year in the state, and it is reminiscent of the 2010 California outbreak that infected more than 9,000 people and resulted in the death of 10 infants.

  • Teaching your kids about sun safety

    The heat is rising, the sun is shining and school’s almost out. That can only mean one thing, right? Time to hit the beach!

  • Celebrating moms (and mental health)

    A few days ago, I went shopping for some things for our family’s upcoming beach trip at Target. As I looked through the boy’s bathing suits, I noticed another mom nearby with her own little boy. He looked and sounded to be about 2 years old, and they were having a debate about shorts. He wanted long shorts, and she was reminding him that he doesn’t like to wear long shorts. They went back and forth, and things got a little heated. He got whiny; she got irritated. Eventually she told him, loudly, to stop talking and announced to him that she was “done.” He promptly began wailing about the shorts, and her reaction was to drop her stuff she was buying, pick him up, and yell at him, “You are embarrassing me!”  She stomped her way out of Target, carrying him, yelling at him about how he will not be going to his play date later.  Yikes!

  • 10 tips to encourage your kids to drink more water

    Why is it so difficult to get kids to drink a glass of ice water, but they’ll gladly gulp a gallon of murky, mystery water from the bathtub?