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Ensuring the Colorado Shared Message Bank and a Community for Communicators Grows and Thrives

As many in the early childhood community know, the Early Childhood Colorado Partnership (ECCP) worked intentionally to advance the shared goals within the Early Childhood Colorado Framework for many years. Developing and sustaining a comprehensive early childhood system with children and families at the center was no easy task, and no one individual, organization or agency can do it alone. Together, their collective efforts facilitated numerous engagements and tools that continue to support families and organizations today. However, with numerous organizations focused on early childhood health and education, the ECCP Steering Committee decided earlier this year to discontinue the work and create space for others to grow and thrive.

As the ECCP dissolved, Illuminate Colorado, a statewide 501(c)3 organization dedicated to strengthening families, organizations and communities to prevent child maltreatment, has stepped in to ensure that the Colorado Shared Message Bank and the community that ECCP supported for communicators focused on promoting research-based frames and messages proven to garner broad public support for issues connected to healthy early childhood development, the prevention of adversity, mitigation of toxic stress and promotion of resilience and strengthening families continues to exist and grow into the future.

The Colorado Shared Message Bank is a critical tool in the toolbox to aid people in shifting community norms, perceptions and policy toward embracing the importance of investing in children and strengthening families and communities. It is also product of a collaborative effort of many people trained to support partners around the state as they work to integrate the Shared Message Bank and communications best practices into their communications efforts with and on behalf of children and families. These mentors review partner materials and offer advice on framing to promote social change or engage Coloradans in services that strengthen families.  

As additional frameworks to support maternal health and child maltreatment prevention have been created in Colorado and the community focused on improving communications practices begins to reconvene to share what is working and learn from one another, Colorado offers a message of gratitude to the Early Childhood Colorado Partnership for providing the space and conditions for diverse partners across the comprehensive early childhood system – encompassing health, mental health, family support and early learning – to come together to identify common results, share best and innovative practices, and implement strategies to improve system effectiveness for and with child and family well-being.

Join the community of communicators to find support in promoting messages that strengthen families. 

Messaging Infant Safe Sleep Made Easy

Promoting safe sleep is the easiest it has ever been thanks to the NEW 2020 SIDS Awareness Month #SafeSleepSnap Digital Toolkit. 

Visit the national SafeSleepSnap digital toolkit

 

In this toolkit, you’ll find:

  • How to Participate
  • Sample Social Media Posts
  • Flyer (NEW!), Graphics, and Expanded Photo Gallery
  • Sample Email and Other Language to promote the fun and friendly photo activity called #SafeSleepSnap.
  • How to Handle Unsafe Sleep Images and
  • Before-You-Post Checklist (NEW!) and our favorite element new this year – Weekly themes!

Weekly Themes

Each week in October 2020, the national Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Awareness Month campaign, encourages a focused message on one action to help reduce the risk of SIDS and promote safe sleep. Coloradans are encouraged to participate in each weekly theme to help spread the word about key safe infant sleep practices.

Visit the See the Sample Posts and Language sections for suggested messages to post each week.

Week 1 (October 4–10)

Always place baby on his or her back to sleep to reduce the risk of SIDS.

Week 2 (October 11–17)

Use a firm and flat mattress in a safety-approved crib,* free of soft and loose bedding, such as bumpers, stuffed animals and blankets.

*A crib, bassinet, portable crib, or play yard that follows the safety standards of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is recommended. For information on crib safety, visit https://www.cpsc.gov or contact CPSC at 1-800-638-2772.

Week 3 (October 18–24)

Share your room with baby. Keep baby close to your bed but on a separate surface, for example, in their own crib or bassinet.

Week 4 (October 25–31)

Breastfeed to reduce the risk of SIDS.

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