With National Intern Day around the corner, we are highlighting our two summer interns, Emily Blumberg and Tammy Goldner.

Emily, our Communications Intern, is a rising junior at the University of Michigan studying communications and creative writing.

“Through my experience with HFH, I’ve learned a lot about the marketing side of nonprofits and being able to adapt to different voices and perspectives in my writing,” Emily said. “It’s been a great foundation for the rest of my professional future.”

“Emily has been a great addition to the Communications team this summer and has really put her creative writing skills to use by writing an array of articles featuring all of the amazing work that the staff at HFH does on a daily basis,” said Mary Cummings, Senior Communications Associate.

Tammy, our Family Services Intern at Saratoga, is a rising senior at Queens College studying psychology and music.

“Even though it’s only two months, my role has helped me get a full picture of what it’s like to work in a shelter through shadowing all of the different specialists. That exposure is really worth a lot,” Tammy said.

“Tammy has been a great addition to our team,” said Sangeeta Kewlani, Director of Family Services at Saratoga. “The process with shadowing and observing the staff performing their duties has helped her gain relevant exposure to her field. Tammy has certainly benefitted and will utilize the experience she has acquired towards her future endeavors.”

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) at Columbia University has donated over 600 toothbrushes with toothpaste to families at HFH. In addition to the donation, the AADP at Columbia U provided HFH with a virtual workshop on dental hygiene and oral care for children of all ages. Here are some important teeth tips for babies and children that the group shared with parents at HFH.

Teeth Tips for Babies and Toddlers (0-3 years)

Children’s first teeth begin to erupt between the ages of 6 and 12 months, and continue until they turn 3 years old. Parents and caregivers should begin caring for their children’s oral health care even before their first teeth erupt by using a clean wet towel to wipe babies’ lips, inside of cheeks, gums, and tongue after feeding.

Once teeth begin to erupt, parents and caregivers should brush children’s teeth twice a day. If the child is under age 3, parents and caregivers should use a small, soft toothbrush with a small amount of age-appropriate toothpaste, roughly the size of a grain of rice. Once the first teeth erupt, parents should also schedule their child’s first dentist to the dentist.

Cavity prevention also begins in early infancy. It is important that parents avoid putting a child to bed with a bottle or feeding them constantly, because this causes sugar to linger and cavities to form in children’s mouths. Parents should never put sweets on a baby’s pacifier and children over the age of 18 months should not use a pacifier at all.

Teeth Tips for Children (3 years+)

Children begin to lose their baby teeth (and grow permanent teeth) at around 6-7 years old. At around the age of 12-13, most children will have lost most of their baby teeth, with the exception of their third molars or wisdom teeth.

Children and adults should brush their teeth twice a day, especially before bed. Children should use children’s toothpaste until they are old enough to spit out all toothpaste and not swallow it. Children should visit the dentist at least twice a year.

A balanced diet can prevent cavities and promote healthy tooth development and gums. A dentist may also place sealants on children’s molars to reduce the risk of cavities.

Every August brings a flurry of activity to children and parents at HFH, with a steady stream ofbookbag giveaways, end-of-summer soirees, and back-to-school preparations. In 2020, with the NYC Department of Education’s announcement of a hybrid learning model, back-to-school season took on an added urgency at HFH, with both K-12 and Family Services staff adapting their services to meet families’ needs.

In light of social distancing protocols, residence-wide back-to-school bashes have been replaced by small, socially distanced gatherings and virtual events to ensure that the critical milestone of a new school year is still celebrated. At the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, when in-school learning and regular recreation and after-school activities became restrained or were canceled altogether, HFH staff stepped up to provide enrichment, tutoring, guidance, and plenty of learning and recreation supplies to families at all four residences.

While education and recreation staff focused on providing families with supplemental in-house programming, HFH Family Services staff set out to help families navigate their full-time back-to-school options, including understanding and enrolling their children in remote-only or hybrid classes for the 2020-2021 school year, accessing special needs services, and applying for enrollment in Regional Enrichment Centers, in-person learning centers intended for children of essential workers. Throughout the crisis, Family Services staff checked in weekly with residents about their children’s education needs, making referrals when necessary to in-house providers. In the lead up to the 2020-2021 school year, Family Services staff ramped up their outreach to families, encouraging them to reach out to Family Services for help in everything from figuring out school bus options or getting MetroCards for transportation to school to how to deal with remote and hybrid options for children who attended different schools. This commitment will continue long after the school year begins.

Read our Q&A with Celina Rodriguez, Director of Family Services at Prospect Family Residence, to learn more about back to school at HFH.